Courses in Museum Studies: Where to study and nature of work

If you consider yourself a heritage buff, then there could be nothing better than spending long hours inside a museum. Studying Museum Studies, also known as Museology, can open doors to this career where you’ll get a chance to preserve history for future generations.

What is Museology

Museology is a multidisciplinary subject that encompasses different features of history, archaeology, research and archiving. Infrastructure maintenance, technical inputs needed to design a museum and audience engagement mediums are some of the other aspects of Museology. It also involves the management and administration of museums.

Studying Museology

Diploma, postgraduation and PhD courses are available in this subject. The graduation and diploma courses include different aspects of Museology. You need some knowledge of Ancient History, Culture, Sociology, Anthropology or Arts in undergraduate levels to pursue a postgraduate course in Museology.

Some top institutes that offer Museology courses:

The University of Calcutta, Kolkata

Course offered: MA or MSc in Museology.

• Duration: Two years.

• Eligibility: You need at least 55% marks in your undergraduate studies in any of these subjects: Anthropology, Ancient Indian History, Archaeology, Environmental Studies, Folklore, Fine Arts, History, History of Art, Islamic History and Culture or any equivalent subject.

• Admission: Merit-based.

Course offered: PhD.

• Eligibility: You need to write an entrance exam to qualify for admission to the course. The exam tests your knowledge of museums.

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Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata

Course offered: MA in Museology.

• Duration: Two years.

• Eligibility: You need a bachelor’s or master’s degree in any discipline from a UGC-recognised university.

• Admission: Merit-based.

Course offered: PhD.

• Eligibility: You need a master’s degree in Museology or an equivalent subject with at least 50% aggregate from a UGC-recognised university.

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Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

Course offered: MA in Museology (professional course).

• Eligibility: You need to clear the Banaras Hindu University Postgraduate Entrance Exam to qualify for admission.

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Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh

Course offered: MSc in Museology.

• Duration: Two years.

• Eligibility: You need to score at least 55% in your undergraduate course in any of the following subjects: Biological Sciences, Geology, Chemistry, Anthropology, Engineering, Computer Applications, Archaeology, Industrial Chemistry, Geography, Agriculture, Forestry, Biochemistry, Environmental Science, History and Fine Arts. You also need to clear the department’s internal entrance exam.

Course offered: Post-MSc diploma in Museology.

• Duration: Two years.

• Eligibility: You need to score at least 55% in your undergraduate course in any relevant discipline.

• Admission: Merit-based.

Course offered: PhD.

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Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai

Course offered: PG Diploma in Museology and Conservation.

• Duration: One year.

• Eligibility: You need a BA or BSc degree in an equivalent subject.

• Admission: Merit-based and depends on the reservation policies set by the University of Mumbai.

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The Centre for Studies in Museology, University of Jammu, Jammu

Course offered: MPhil in Museology.

• Duration: One year.

• Eligibility: You need a master’s degree in a relevant subject with at least 55% marks. You also need to clear the entrance exam conducted by the department concerned.

Course offered: PhD in Museology.

• Eligibility: You need a master’s degree in a relevant subject with at least 55% marks. You also need to clear the entrance exam conducted by the department concerned.

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Institute of Archaeology, Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi

Course: PG Diploma in Museology.

• Eligibility: You need a master’s degree in any of the following disciplines with 55% aggregate — Ancient or Medieval Indian History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Geology with knowledge of the Pleistocene era, Indian Classical languages like Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Arabic or Persian. Applications are invited through direct advertisement in June, followed by a written exam and interview of the shortlisted candidates around September each year.

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Job roles with a Museology degree

• Museum curator: They assemble the display of historical artefacts in museums, design specialised galleries, label and align all the items in that gallery, purchase new collections, and record the origin, age and conservation details of each item. They also host special events or exhibitions in the museum.

• Museum educationist: These professionals interact with museum visitors and enlighten them about the historic artefacts in a museum or a specific gallery. They host and guide groups of academics, students, scholars and dignitaries.

• Exhibition coordinator: There can be multiple exhibitions in a museum at the same time. Exhibition coordinators curate and coordinate such exhibitions. They also handle public relations for those exhibitions.

• Archivist: They evaluate, organise, collect, conserve and keep access to records and archives in museums and galleries. They also need some knowledge of technology for working in the digital domain.
• Conservation specialist: They have specialised knowledge to spot decay in a historical artefact. These professionals are trained to treat deterioration of paintings, monuments and artefacts and restore them to their original forms.