Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies Undergraduate Certificate
The undergraduate Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies Certificate provides students with a broad background in museum and cultural heritage studies and a solid foundation for pursuing advanced education and careers in the fields of Museum Studies or Cultural Heritage Studies. The certificate and its curriculum prepare students for entry-level careers in museums, cultural heritage sites, national parks and heritage areas, and similar venues that promote public outreach and education.
Core courses introduce students to the history of museums, cultural heritage management, administration, curation, artifact handling, collections management, interpretation, exhibitions, ethics, and working with indigenous communities.
Undergraduate Certificate Offers Education through Curation
The undergraduate Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies Certificate program, launched Fall 2020, prepares students for jobs and careers in museums and education centers and at cultural heritage areas, including national parks and historic sites. The certificate is the first undergraduate certificate of its kind in the state of Colorado.
Lead Instructor
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Jeannine Pedersen-Guzmán
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Professor Pedersen-Guzman has over 25 years of experience working in museums, historical agencies and archaeological repositories. She studied anthropology and history at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and received a master’s degree in museum studies at Eastern Illinois University. She served as the Curator of the Catalina Island Museum in California for twelve years, and prior to CSU she was the Associate Curator for Archaeology at the Dr. John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center in Santa Ana, California. Pedersen-Guzman developed the Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies Undergraduate Certificate for the Department of Anthropology and Geography at CSU and mentors students interested in pursuing a career in these fields.
Program Requirements
Required courses
- ANTH 240 Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies
- ANTH 462 Anthropology Curation and Exhibition Methods
Required internship or practicum (select one of following)
- ANTH 486 Practicum
- ANTH 487 Internship
- ART 487 Internship
- ETST 487 Internship
- HIST 487 Internship
Elective courses (select one of following)
- ANTH 422/ SOC 422 Comparative Legal Systems
- ANTH 456 Archaeology and the Public
- ANTH 478/ HIST 478 Heritage Resource Management
- ART 496H Group Study: Art History
- ETST 441 Indigenous Knowledges
- HIST 479 Practice of Public History
Students who enroll in the Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies Certificate will complete four courses and 12 credits with an opportunity for interdisciplinary scholarship. The curriculum includes two required courses; an internship or practicum; and an elective course from a set of classes across several departments within the College of Liberal Arts.
Note: Courses used to satisfy requirements outside this certificate cannot count toward completing this certificate. If using a course toward major/concentration/minor/honors requirements, the student must take a different course for this certificate.
Program Courses
Museum & Cultural Heritage Studies
ANTH 240
ANTH 240 offers a detailed overview of the field of contemporary museum studies. The course introduces students to the history of museums and to current museum principles, organization, research, curation, collections management, interpretation, exhibit development, ethics, and historic preservation. Emphasis is placed on defining the role of liberal arts and natural history in today’s museums. ANTH 240 is an excellent opportunity for students interested in exploring museum studies careers.
Practicum in Anthropology
ANTH 486
One of the practical, hands-on opportunities for students pursuing the certificate is the ‘Practicum in Anthropology.' Students complete 90 hours of work under the direction and supervision of the Archaeological Collections Coordinator in the CSU Archaeological Repository. Currently students are working on a curation and rehousing project of the entire collection. Students will be taught hands-on curation skills, learn best practices for handling artifacts, and have the opportunity to work with the collections database.
Anthropology Curation & Exhibition Methods
ANTH 462
The course will address current methods and ethics in museum curation, conservation, collections management policies and procedures, exhibition development. ANTH 462 also addresses tasks associated with managing, preserving and displaying anthropological collections, including both artifacts and their associated documentation. The course provides students with practical, hands-on experience in artifact care, management, preservation, and exhibition development.
Internship in Anthropology
ANTH 487
The ‘Internship in Anthropology’ offers students an opportunity to gain practical experience in a professional museum or similar setting. Through hands-on work under the direction and supervision of a museum or heritage professional, students will gain an understanding of the principles of museum work and the day-to-day operations of such organizations. Students in the Anthropology and Geography Department have completed opportunities for credit at the following institutions:
- History Colorado (Denver)
- Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
- Loveland Museum Gallery
- CSU Archaeological Repository
CSU Archaeological Repository
The Archaeological Repository of Colorado State University is a curation facility that manages the archaeological artifacts and associated paperwork and images of the Colorado State University’s Department of Anthropology and other archaeological collections from public and private lands in Colorado obtained in the course of cultural resource management (CRM) and field schools. Many of the archaeological collections held in the repository are from Northern Colorado and represent over 13,000 years of cultural history in the region. The collections are available to descendant communities, researchers, university students, and museums interested in Colorado prehistory and early history for visits, research, and artifact loans.
“Working in the Archaeology Repository has been valuable beyond words to my development and growth as a person, a student and as an archaeologist.” – Kit Kelly
"During my time as an assistant at the Repository at CSU, I gained a deeper appreciation and understanding for handling artifacts and the process taken by researchers and museum curators when cataloging and classifying objects." – Nick Gage
“By working in the repository, I have been exposed to essential skills when it comes to the science behind museums.” – Karlie Dorland
“This experience helped me in pursuing my future goals, because now I have a greater understanding of what I am able to do with my degree, and ways in which I can further my degree beyond a BA.” – Elaine van Jaarsveld
“When I initially set foot in the repository, I was amazed by the extensive collections present. I had no idea that CSU had so many amazing artifacts. Being able to open boxes that hadn’t been looked in for decades was incredibly exciting.” – Madeline Kunkel
“The practicum has made museum work more tangible for me. I believe that I could make a positive change in museums and can conceptualize what I would want to do while working for a museum.” – Alaura Hopper
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Jeannine Pedersen-Guzman, MA
Archaeological Collections Coordinator
Instructor, Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies Certificate Program
office: 970-491-5497
J.Pedersen-Guzman@colostate.edu