The minor in museum studies offers a variety of classroom and experiential opportunities to learn how museums work, both in historical and contemporary contexts. Doing so involves learning to critically engage the historical, social, cultural, artistic and scientific dimensions of heritage, both tangible and intangible, within the museum. The museum studies minor seeks to foster "museum literacy" by introducing students to the processes by which meaning is inscribed upon objects within the context of museums and to the roles museums, broadly defined, play in society. The undergraduate minor is uniquely designed to accommodate concentrators from multiple departments, schools, and colleges within the university.
The minor offers students opportunities to:
- acquire new content knowledge
- learn about new models for understanding culture and society both locally and globally
- develop a heightened awareness of the points of view derived from multidisciplinary study
- acquire an increased capacity for critical thinking and observation
- experience the sense of empowerment that derives from becoming more informed users of cultural assets.
For more information on the Minor in Museum Studies email MuseumsMinor@umich.edu.
