Introduction to Museology

Catalog description

This course provides a broad introduction to the museum world. Through discussion of readings, examination of case-studies, and practical assignments, students will gain an understanding of the museum as an institution, as well as learn the challenges and responsibilities that museums and their staff encounter. Topics include the history of museums, contemporary debates surrounding the definition of museums, ethical and legal issues, and community connections. The course will cover various types of museums—including art, history, ethnographic, indigenous, and scientific—and discuss how these thematic orientations impact museum practice. Students will also explore common museum processes such as collecting, cataloguing, conservation, exhibition, research, and education through practical exercises using the collections of the University Museum in Kent Hall, as well as through case studies of museums around the world.