Applied Museum Studies at Algonquin College

Learn curatorial and conservation techniques for a career upholding culture and history.

The three-year Applied Museum Studies Ontario College Advanced Diploma prepares you with the knowledge and skills to support curatorial and conservation activities in the museum, heritage and cultural sectors.

Gain skills and knowledge in:

• collections management
• educational programming
• exhibit preparation
• museum management
• conservation and preservation
• develop capabilities related to cultural resource management, focusing on collections care, research and interpretation.

Areas of study include:

• classifying, cataloguing and interpreting collections of artifacts and works of art
• constructing and installing exhibits and displays
• assessing, preserving and treating material culture

Put theory into practice in our well-appointed conservation and exhibition preparation labs. Working with our teaching collection and in collaboration with local cultural institutions, you complete a variety of hands-on projects and group assignments that will enhance your knowledge and skills and make valuable contributions in museums, galleries and the cultural sector.

This program includes a full-semester field placement. The field experience combines your theory and lab skills with professional practice in the cultural industry. At the end of your placement, highlight your work in a showcase event. The showcase event also gives you the chance to network with industry professionals for future employment.

Graduates of this program may find opportunities in entry-level technical and management positions in museums and galleries or other cultural/heritage institutions. Graduates may also be employed as freelance museum contractors or as staff in antique or art shops.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Have an interest in preserving our cultural past.
• Like to be creative with their hands and/or tools.
• Enjoy educating others about cultures, historical events, people and our natural world.
• Are observant and well-organized.
• Have good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Are detail oriented.

Careers & Pathways

Careers

Upon graduation, you may find employment in entry-level technical or management positions in museums, galleries or other cultural/heritage institutions.

Other employment possibilities may include freelance museum contracting, or working as a staff member in an antique or art shop. The skills you gain will essentially open the doors to your cultural career. Job opportunities may also exist at cultural attractions, interpretive centres, framing shops, government agencies and more.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Apply course learning and training to function within an employment situation.
2. Create and maintain well organized, managed and documented collection.
3. Identify, advance and incorporate approved conservation principles into all museum practices to ensure the long-term preservation of objects.
4. Create and deliver educational programs for/to audiences of all ages, interests and abilities with clearly defined and measurable learning objectives and outcomes.
5. Design, construct and install interpretative exhibits which are accessible, relevant, accurate and effectively communicate defined and measurable objectives.
6. Apply a range of management and administrative knowledge and skills to maintain and strengthen the role and the impact of museums in society.
7. Conduct research for the following three areas: Subject Area, Museum Function, and Museological.
8. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Program Eligibility

• English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent) with a grade of 65% or higher.
• Eligibility for Direct Entry to Second Year:
  Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma or Degree in a History or Fine Arts.
• Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).

English Language Requirement

• IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22.