MA in Cultural Heritage Management
The challenges of the 21st century and the expansion of heritage tourism worldwide have increased the need for forward-thinking management and preservation strategies. With a focus on emergent technology and its impact on conservation, preservation, and engagement; together with integrated approaches to management, and community and stakeholder partnerships, Johns Hopkins University offers an innovative, online graduate degree in Cultural Heritage Management. This degree program immerses students in a broad context of cultural heritage issues, including social, environmental, and economic trends, and provides them with the qualifications needed to assume leadership and management roles in the cultural heritage sector.
We train leaders in the field that embrace our shared humanity and heritage in order to advance its interpretation, documentation, preservation, and management for the betterment of a global society.
Our program is built around several guiding principles:
- We incorporate an inclusive definition of heritage beyond sites, monuments, and artifacts, to include full landscapes, environments, and intangible heritage.
- We recognize grassroots efforts and community buy-in as critical to successful management strategies.
- We support an integrated approach to management and a wide understanding of its ties to sustainability, development, and community.
- We take full advantage of our online medium by focusing on emergent technologies related to the field and their impact on preservation, engagement, documentation, and asset management.
- In addition to a sustained focus on digital technologies, the program is framed through a global lens, situating the local, regional, and national within a global context.
We welcome students from around the world interested in cultural heritage management. The interdisciplinary nature and international focus and concern of cultural heritage is supported well in the online format where domestic and international students have the opportunity to learn together.
The MA in Cultural Heritage Management faculty is made up of highly regarded experts in the heritage field and academia from diverse geographic locations. The faculty is primarily heritage practitioners who are active members of the global heritage community. They are passionate about training the next generation of heritage leaders and professionals and enthusiastic about the online course format.
Admissions Criteria for all Advanced Academic Programs
Program Specific Requirements
Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree in study areas relevant to the curriculum (Anthropology, Archaeology, Architecture, Preservation, Art History, Conservation, Environmental Sciences, Geography, Preservation, Cultural Management or Tourism, Public History, or related field).
Applicants are accepted to the program on the understanding that they have sufficient background in a relevant field, either through their previous degree or through relevant professional experience, to be able to complete the program.
- A statement of purpose (approximately 750 words): This statement should address how your academic and professional experiences have led to your decision to apply to this program. It should demonstrate an understanding of the cultural heritage sector and describe your academic and career goals, highlighting how this program will serve those goals. If you have worked in the heritage sector in any capacity, please incorporate your experience into your statement. Your statement will be reviewed for content, organization, and writing style.
- Two letters of recommendation that verify professional and/or academic accomplishment. Under “Recommendations,” include the contact information for two recommenders. They will be automatically emailed access information to the system. They can then complete and upload their recommendation form.
Program Requirements
All students earn a Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Management. Nine online classes and one on-site seminar are required to complete the degree. These 10 courses are made up of three required courses, three core courses, and four electives, which must be completed within five years of beginning the graduate program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| AS.465.702 | Studies in World Heritage | 3 |
| AS.465.704 | Cultural Heritage Management/Leadership | 3 |
| AS.465.708 | Two-Week Onsite Cultural Heritage Management Seminar | 3 |
| Core Courses | ||
| Select three of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Reading the Landscape: Cultural Heritage at Scale | ||
| The Protection of Global Cultural Heritage: Laws, Policies, Politics, and Advocacy | ||
| Heritage Interpretation | ||
| Engaging Communities in Heritage | ||
| Cultural Heritage in the Digital Age | ||
| Electives | ||
| Select four of the following: | 12 | |
| Research Methods in Cultural Heritage | ||
| Culture as Catalyst for Sustainable Development | ||
| Issues in Intangible Cultural Heritage | ||
| Heritage Tourism | ||
| NAGPRA: Repatriation as Compliance or Ethical Practice | ||
| Internship | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
| 1 | Once core course requirements are satisfied, any additional core courses may count toward elective course requirements. |
Elective Courses from the Museum Studies Program
For more information, see the Master of Arts in Museum Studies. For full course descriptions, please visit advanced.jhu.edu.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AS.460.609 | Museums in a Global Perspective | 3 |
| AS.460.611 | History & Philosophy of Museums | 3 |
| AS.460.621 | Museum Evaluation and Audience Research | 3 |
| AS.460.628 | Architecture of Museums | 3 |
| AS.460.633 | Conservation-Restoration: A 21st Century Approach to Museums and Heritage | 3 |
| AS.460.637 | Curating Online Exhibitions and Experiences | 3 |
| AS.460.638 | Preservation of Analog and Digital Photographs | 3 |
| AS.460.639 | Material Culture and the Modern Museum | 3 |
| AS.460.645 | Museums and Mobile: Adapting to Change | 3 |
| AS.460.665 | Introduction to Archives | 3 |
| AS.460.666 | Collection Management | 3 |
| AS.460.670 | Digital Preservation | 3 |
| AS.460.671 | Foundations of Digital Curation | 3 |
| AS.460.675 | Leadership of Museums | 3 |
| AS.460.683 | Project Management in Museums | 3 |
| AS.460.686 | Culturally Specific Museums | 3 |
| AS.460.691 | Innovation and the Modern Museum | 3 |
| AS.460.695 | Museums of the Americas: Facing Challenges in the 21st Century | 3 |
| AS.460.687 | Provenance Research: Connecting Histories | 3 |
Onsite Seminar
A two-week intensive period of on-ground heritage management study in a location organized by the MA in Cultural Heritage Management program is a required component of the degree. The seminar includes practicum opportunities related to site management, heritage tourism, and conservation, alongside classroom sessions that integrate the daily experiences. Using the rich diversity of the designated location, the seminar provides students with the chance to use what they have learned in their prior courses, develop networks with fellow students and heritage experts, and explore the latest in cultural heritage practice. Students work on directed activities during the two-week period, coupled with multiple site visits focused on the academic work being accomplished.
Note: To register for this course, students must have completed a minimum of two courses in the program, although four or more courses are recommended. Students are strongly encouraged to take AS.465.702 Studies in World Heritage, AS.465.704 Cultural Heritage Management/Leadership and AS.465.707 Reading the Landscape: Cultural Heritage at Scale. Some seminars may have other specific requirements. Individual course descriptions will be posted for each location. Students are responsible for travel to and from the location, accommodations, and meals, as well as any specified field trip fees.
Waiver option: Students who are unable to travel to a seminar location due to accommodation needs, financial hardship, or family challenges may apply to the program director for an exemption to the two-week seminar. If a waiver is granted, the student must enroll in the internship option (AS.465.780 Internship) to fulfill the on-site component of the degree requirement.
Curriculum
The MA in Cultural Heritage Management offers a structured curriculum of required and core courses augmented with electives. This curriculum provides opportunities for students to gain the knowledge and skills necessary for current professional heritage practice with an eye to the future and integration of past philosophies. We emphasize the interdisciplinarity of the field, and as a result, the curriculum allows each student to customize his or her studies to their unique career goals and trajectory. The program encompasses both theory and practice, focusing on providing real-world skills and training that enable students to move into the heritage field or advance into jobs with more responsibility.
Students must take a total of 10 courses:
- Three required courses;
- Three core courses; and
- Four elective courses.