Art (Museum Studies) ,BA
Art Criticism, Art Exhibit, Art Gallery, Art Librarian, Art Preservationist, Art Publications, Arts Organization Consultant, Curator, Estate Appraiser, Exhibition Coordinator, Fine Arts, Gallery, Gallery Professional, Museums, arts
Navigate important cultural topics, and envision the societal role of the museum today and in the future.
The BA program in art with a concentration in museum studies focuses on the most prescient themes and issues at the forefront of the contemporary museum. These include various ethical and institutional issues, such as decolonization, activist curating, gender and race equity, accessibility, social justice and cultural diversity, and the role that institutions can play in fostering an imaginative museum practice that is inclusive and relevant to the future of society. To reflect the breadth of the sector, students pursuing museum studies select from a large pool of approved subjects and, in consultation with their advisor, their own focus areas, such as art history, liberal studies, education, global studies, justice studies, anthropology and other areas. These courses offer a range of learning opportunities led by scholars and museum practitioners from across the ASU campus and around the globe.
Augmenting the curriculum are a wide range of internships offered by arts organizations, enabling students to work directly with arts professionals in their field of interest. Additionally, the School of Art galleries, the Ceramics Research Center and Archive and the ASU Art Museum ensure that students have access to an ongoing schedule of public exhibitions, visiting artist and scholar lectures and specialized collections. Professional events offer students the opportunity to develop their knowledge and appreciation of contemporary art and culture while building a professional network. The Northlight Gallery is a dedicated photographic gallery directed by Cecilia Fajardo-Hill, a curator in modern and contemporary art, that focuses on Latin American and Latino art. The gallery houses two important historical photographic collections: the Northlight Gallery permanent collection and the Solari Foundation collection. These collections offer an invaluable resource for researching historical methods, including analog photographic methods and printing techniques, and for examining the ways historical photography has shaped contemporary ways of seeing.
Student can visit the museum studies area of study page to learn more about the program and the faculty.
- College/school:
Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
- Location: Tempe or Online , ASU Local
- Second language requirement: Yes
- First required math course: MAT 142 - College Mathematics Any math course that meets the MATH designation.
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Math intensity:
General
Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
First-year | Transfer | International | Readmission
Additional requirements:
Students meeting the university requirements for admission may matriculate in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Separate admission procedures and approvals are required for some programs within the college. Students must contact specific departments or schools for details.
Transfer admission requirements:
Direct transfer of courses from other accredited institutions to the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is subject to the existence of parallel and equal courses in the college's curriculum and to departmental or school evaluation of studio courses with respect to performance standards. Every candidate for the bachelor's degree must earn a minimum of 30 hours in resident credit at ASU. Transfer students enrolled in the college must complete a minimum of 15 hours of resident credit in the major as approved by the faculty.
Students declare their Bachelor of Fine Arts concentration at the time of their ASU admission. Following admission, if students wish to change their concentration, they may meet with their School of Art academic advisor. An ASU student who would like to change majors to one offered by the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 (scale is 4.00 = "A").
Students should visit the Change of Major form for information about how to change a major to this program.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
It is now possible to earn an ASU degree with ASU Local, an integrated college experience in which students take advantage of in-person success coaching and programming experiences on site while completing one of 130+ undergraduate online degree programs, all of which come with online faculty interaction and tutoring support.
ASU is committed to helping students thrive by offering tools that allow personalization of the transfer path to ASU. Students may use MyPath2ASU® to outline a list of recommended courses to take prior to transfer.
ASU has transfer partnerships in Arizona and across the country to create a simplified transfer experience for students. These pathway programs include exclusive benefits, tools and resources, and they help students save time and money in their college journey.
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:
- Students will recall the general history and function of museums and heritage sites domestically and globally.
- Students will comparatively analyze elements of potential careers within the museums and heritage site sectors utilizing evidence-based research.
- Students will write at an academic level suitable for further graduate study.
Global Education programs provide an opportunity for students to explore their creative side through an intercultural lens, deepen their understanding of the world and gain valuable career-building experiences. Study abroad can prove to be a vital accompaniment to any art concentration, allowing for broad historical and archaeological explorations. Students develop insight into the cultures and minds of some of the world's most notable artists when they experience the places that gave rise to specific artistic styles. With more than 300 options available, Global Education programs give students a breadth of knowledge in arts and culture uniquely different from their own. Study abroad encourages students to develop and broaden their intercultural sensitivity, communication skills and leadership ability, and challenges them to think differently. Whether in a foreign country, in the U.S. or online, students learn to adapt and persevere, and they are provided with a chance to look inside themselves in a way they haven't done before, growing their personal and professional self-confidence along the way.
A degree in the arts offers students a pathway to a rich and varied choice of careers. School of Art programs prepare students to initiate creative careers as artists, scholars and educators in the public and private sphere.
Museum studies graduates find employment opportunities with commercial art galleries, art museums, historical societies and archives, national parks and other nonprofit organizations. Other options include working at arts agencies and public art programs or gaining admission to prestigious graduate programs across the nation.
Career example titles and salaries listed below are not necessarily entry level, and students should take into consideration how years of experience, geographical location, and required advanced degrees or certifications may affect pay scales.
| Career | *Growth | *Median salary |
|---|---|---|
|
8.2%
|
$58,640
|
|
|
3.2%
|
$77,280
|
|
|
3.1%
|
$64,540
|
|
|
1.3%
|
$79,400
|
|
|
11.1%
|
$60,380
|
|
|
8.1%
|
$34,440
|
|
|
9.9%
|
$47,270
|
|
|
8.2%
|
$82,530
|
School of Art
|
ART 102
herbergeradvising@asu.edu
480-965-8521
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
