Museum Studies & Public History Minor
Coordinator: Professor Amanda Laury Kleintop
The minor includes courses from a variety of majors and minors: African and African American Studies, American Studies, Art History, Anthropology, Classical Studies, Geography, Geographic Information Systems, History, Philosophy, etc. There are three components to the curriculum: an introductory-level methods and approaches course, disciplinary elective courses in which aspects of Museum Studies and Public History are included, and a capstone experience consisting of a significant project or internship in the student’s area of interest.
Minor Requirements
Required Course: 4 sh
| MSP1500 | Museum Studies & Public History | 4 sh |
Capstone Project: 4 sh
Students must choose from 4999 Research , 4991 Independent Study, or 4985 Internship with significant Museum Studies and Public History components. Students must meet with the program coordinator to discuss and receive approval before enrolling in these courses. Course contract must include specific references to the Goals and SLOs for the minor.
Electives : 12 sh
Choose three electives from the following, under at least two prefixes, with at least four semester hours taken at the 3000 or 4000 level.
| AMS2100 | Concepts in American Studies | 4 sh |
| ANT1140 | Introduction to Archaeology | 4 sh |
| ANT2270 | From the Ground Down | 4 sh |
| ANT3800 | The Ancient Maya | 4 sh |
| ARH1100 | Museums are not Neutral | 4 |
| ARH2100 | Art History of the Ancient World | 4 sh |
| ARH2110 | Art History of the Medieval and Premodern World | 4 sh |
| ARH2120 | Art History of the Modern World | 4 sh |
| ARH3010 | Art History Methodologies | 4 sh |
| ARH3300 | The Un/Ethical Museum | 4 sh |
| COR3100 | The Museum Collection: Material Culture & the Creation of Meaning | 4 sh |
| GBL2960 | Great Structures of Europe: Technology and History | 4 sh |
| GEO2500/ENS2500 | Introduction to GIS: Vector | 4 sh |
| HST1390 | Fascism and Propaganda | 4 sh |
| HST3550 | Oral History: North Carolina Women | 4 sh |
| HST3381 | Germany after 1945: History, Memory, and the Cold War | 4 |
| HST3390 | A History of the Holocaust | 4 sh |
| HST3570 | America's Civil War | 4 sh |
The Museum Studies and Public History (MSP) minor is housed within the History & Geography Department and provides students with the opportunity to take pre-approved electives across different fields. Interested students should check OnTrack under Course Type>>Museum/Public Hst Electiv each semester for current offerings that apply to the minor but are not listed as MSP electives above. If a course listed as an approved elective on OnTrack or in the Catalog does not register on the student’s degree audit after they completed and passed the course, they should email the Minor Coordinator.
Students and faculty may apply to the Minor Coordinator for a course to count as an elective towards the MSP minor. The course should fulfill either SLO 1.1 or SLO 1.2, and one of the level 2 or level 3 SLOs. Relevant COR or GBL courses could count as MSP electives with approval by the Minor Coordinator. Other courses, including Independent Studies, that emphasize MSP methods and focus may also be submitted for approval by the Minor Coordinator. Please submit a request to the Minor Coordinator via email, and they will consult with you.
Total Credit Hours: 20
Program Outcomes
SLO 1.1: Analyze the benefits and limitations of various ways the general public learns about and encounters narratives about the past and present through venues such as exhibits, symbols, media, art, monuments, or memorials.
SLO 1.2: Identify debates, opportunities, challenges, and ethical issues related to whose stories are preserved and/or shared with the public, with what values and assumptions, and in what ways, in order to communicate complex and accurate ideas with the public
SLO 2.1: Articulate methods, approaches, processes used in museum studies and public history.
SLO 2.2: Identify career opportunities that connect to museum studies and public history.
SLO 3.1: Conceptualize, plan, or execute a project that demonstrates an understanding of research methods, theory, and technical skills.
SLO 3.2: Integrate research skills with public writing and presentations.
SLO 3.3: Learn to design and implement public exhibitions.