MA in Museum Studies and MA/PhD in Art History (candidates, students, graduates)

[addiebella16]

If I want to be competitive for a certain positions in a museum which require academic credentials, should I seek a MA/PhD in Art History to complement a MA in Museum Studies (which I already have)? If so, should I seek a MA or a PhD?I am investigating all my options to advance my career in museums, and I could go in several directions, especially

Comments

[cosmicwonder]

You should consider re-posting this on museumpeople (there haven't been that many posts lately, but when there are, people do reply to them) as you are more likely to reach people who can give you an expert opinion on your particular issue.

At least from my perspective (I'm not in art history or museum studies), the big question is what career do you want and you are not entirely clear about this in your post. Rather, from what I understand, you are wavering between museum work and doing research. Being more specific would help. Once you can identify the what kind of job you want, then you can identify the leverage these degrees will get you. I'm slightly confused as you mention liking research and academia, hence why a PhD might be an option for you, and then claiming that you want to go back to museum work after getting a doctorate. At least the way I understand it, a PhD is going to prepare you for academia, not for museum work, so I'm not sure what advantage a PhD will give you over an MA in Art History, in which you will probably have the opportunity to do research on a specific topic, particularly for a thesis.

Also keep in mind that at least in the US, it is very likely that you will have to earn a masters in the PhD program, even if you already have a masters (I know this is true for most PhD programs in the humanities and social sciences, this is not just specific to my field). In my PhD program for students who came in with a masters, sometimes they can speed up the process by working on the thesis earlier and taking courses that are more focused on their research interests, but they are still requirements they have to fulfill, even if they took similar courses in their previous masters. If you do decide to go for a PhD, financially it might make more sense to boost your application by taking some courses independently and then apply for PhD programs rather than terminal MA programs, which probably won't provide much funding.

[addiebella16]

I really appreciate your time to answer my query. Thank you. There is a post now on the LJ community, Museum People. Also, I am an American; I am seeking graduate programs in the US.

If I read my LJ post outside the industry -- the dilemma would not make sense. Students in Art History and Museum Studies MA/PhD programs do continue in academia (e.g. Dr Viv Golding, PhD in Museum Studies, http://www.educathyssen.org/museoabierto/Icongreso/en/conferenciantes/ficha.php?id=17 ). Students in Art History and Museum Studies MA/PhD programs do turn to museum work. For some museum job posts, a MA or PhD is required.

There are also professionals working concurrently in academia and museums (e.g. university museum). University of Colorado-Boulder actually has two museums. I suspect the MA in Art History students work with its art museum and the MA in Anthro work with its Natural History Museum. See respectively, http://cuart.colorado.edu/degrees/graduate/ma-art-history/ and http://cumuseum.colorado.edu/MFS/

An interesting example of university/academic combination is University of Delaware and Winterthur Museum. See professor of American Decorative Arts, http://www.materialculture.udel.edu/faculty/jobe.html (I tried to find the academic qualifications for this professional. Terminal MA, PhD, or BA with extensive museum experience? Please let me know if you, or if anyone else, stumbles upon it.)

However, there are museum professionals who hold an academic background with MA or PhD who work in curatorial posts.

Example 1:
MFA Boston, curator, Gerald W. R. Ward, http://www.mfa.org/collections/publications/chihuly has received an PhD according to this article, http://www.capecodtoday.com/calendar-2011-08-04-event-20415.htm Not in Art History, the degree is from BU's American and New England Studies... which, from my own recent research before, I know has an art history track. (New England Studies programs might be a good fit for me as well.)

Example 2:
Syracuse University -- "Dean Lahikainen (M.A. 1977) Dean has been for several years the Carolyn and Peter Lynch Curator of Decorative and Folk Art at the Peabody-Essex Museum, Salem. His responsibilities also include the American 18th-19th century fine art painting collection. He is author of exhibition catalogues and monographs, most recently his award-winning volume on Samuel McIntire." From http://amh.syr.edu/people/maincampus_alumni.html

My reply to alegria_dreams may also provide some clarity (see below).

[cosmicwonder]

Thanks for the clarification! As I said in my original comment, I'm not in art history or museum studies, so what I said might not apply. I do see a similar trend with those who become archivists (I'm in a history-related field), they also tend to need PhDs to get anywhere.

Anyway, I still think the large issue with your post is that it isn't quite clear about what exactly you want to do. Saying that you want to advance your career in museums seems vague to me as is quite evident in your post in the different positions you mention. You do spend a lot of time in your post saying that you are interested in a curatorial position, but towards the end you say: "Naturally, I am drawn to curatorial and exhibit work, but I am open to management of a museum and I enjoy development (fundraising). Which means, I could just remain with the M.A. in Museum Studies." I think you might have it clear in your head as to exactly what kind of museum position you want, but it would be beneficial to state this clearly and be confident about it. Deciding on what degree to get really depends on the specific career you want . At this point, I wouldn't worry so much about the Plan B (obviously you have one), but rather what is your Plan A. I think that would help a lot in making your decision, and also strengthen your applications considerably.

[addiebella16]

Wow - thank you. I really appreciate your help. I never thought I had a Plan B... but I do. I SHOULD aim for the stars with Plan A. As for "Plan A":

No, I am not clear on what I want to do. You are correct. I do not have a focus. I am interested in several subjects, unfortunately. That's what makes it difficult for me to write statement like, "I want to research [X] at [University] because I am particularly interested in [University's research of X] and I believe [blah, blah, blah]". That said, I know I prefer the studies of decorative arts, over other things, e.g. WWI paintings, and museum work e.g. fundraising. In other words, I like a lot of things, when it comes to studying in academia, but I like some things more. I should focus on what I like "more".

I also think I have a mind towards "museum management" and "development (fundraising)" because when I look at the museum job market, I see more opportunities for directors and museum development. I know the economy is encouraging some for matriculation into graduate school, but for me, I look at graduate school limiting my opportunities to find work, any work in my field. (The museum job market is ridiculously competitive. Being open is helpful.) Limits in regards to the job market can, also, be a good thing. There might not be many applicants for a top curatorial post in "American Arts", where there are lot for, say, a "development assistant".

A quick note on archivists -- many indeed hold history backgrounds, and also attract those with library science backgrounds. Sometimes, people hold a history degree and a library science degree. Silly what we will do in the humanities to find work ;-)

[addiebella16]

I hope my examples illustrate why a MA/PhD may be an asset for work in a museum. Did my prior comment clarify your questions?

Nonetheless, if I were to simply my general inquiry, it boils down to the following options:

***professional career in museums. Jobs may or may not require a MA in Art History, MA in Museum Studies; PhD. If further MA or PhD study is completed, I become eligible for more desirable museum positions, e.g. curatorial posts. However, if no further study is done, I do not cancel myself out for work in museum development, or collections management. (Applicants for collections work with a PhD, for instance, are known to be looked over.) I am attracted to the CU-Boulder MA in Art History program because its Graduate Assistants can work at the CU art museum and its visual resource center. In order words, preparing for a professional career in museums. CU-B for MA in Art History, http://cuart.colorado.edu/degrees/graduate/ma-art-history/

or,

***professional career in a university museum. Other than working at SFO Museum (airports with strong public art schemes are so cool), a career at a university museum, this is what excites me the most. Especially this museum, http://cuartmuseum.colorado.edu/ The museum director has an MFA, interestingly. Denver Post re: university museum, http://www.denverpost.com/music/ci_16209280

or,

***professional career in academia: teaching or researching.
EXAMPLE
Discipline: Art History. Sub-disciplines: American Decorative Arts. Develop a research focus, e.g. 19th century tea pots. (Maybe MAYBE return to work in a museum which has tea pots, or decorative arts, in its collections.) Research focus is traditional. (Research focus can be "avant-garde". Progressive and/or interdisciplinary e.g. Director of School of Museum Studies, Richard Sandell, http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/museumstudies/people/Prof%20Richard%20Sandell ) I prefer research over teaching, but this also excites me.

In any event, I have a lot to sort out still.

[cosmicwonder]

I do think it is good that you are laying out your options, but yes, I do think you need to pinpoint what exactly you want to do to help decide between the MA or PhD route. Your application will be stronger, especially for the PhD, if you focus on one career route and one particular subdiscipline. Remember that in the PhD you will be spending A LOT of time working on one topic, not many. It's good that you are thinking about this now as it gives you a few months to make your decision before applications are due :). Since a professional career at a university museum excites you the most, you might consider having some informational interviews with those who work there. I bet that will help in narrowing your career goals.

[addiebella16]

Again, thanks for the feedback. Informative interviews just might help me narrow my career goals. Good point also about long-term commitment to study a single topic. I will have to think VERY carefully about a focus.

University museums are especially a good fit for inter-disciplinary minded me because exhibition topics vary. Exhibitions can be university-supportive (e.g. MIT Museum). They can also be like the museum at University of Vermont, as UVM's museum director has a specialty on Picasso, yet curated an exhibition on Andy Warhol.

Lastly, in a way, I think doing a MA is just satisfying my interdisciplinary interests. Unless the program really allows for a comfortable jump to a PhD program [like there is one available on campus], I should seek to apply mostly to PhD. I might mix up with a couple MA applications, just to keep the options open in case review committees think I am best suited to start at the MA level.