Museums and Society Minor Requirements
Course requirements for the minor in Museums and Society are designed to introduce students to a broad set of historical, theoretical, and practical museum issues and to give them the opportunity to explore museums firsthand. Prospective minors should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies for guidance in designing a program of study.
- A minimum of six different courses (amounting to at least 18 credits) selected from those approved by the program.
- Required courses: AS.389.201 Introduction to the Museum: Past and Present and one additional introductory course in museum practice or contemporary issues [POS tag: PMUS-INTRO].
- Four additional courses in the program. Of these courses, at least three must be 300-level or higher, and at least two different primary disciplines must be represented; these four courses must also include a minimum of three credits of "practicum" work. [POS-Tag: PMUS-PRAC]
- Courses used to satisfy minor requirements must be taken for a letter grade. Students must earn a C- or higher grade in all courses used to satisfy minor requirements. Courses taken at another institution that are not directly equivalent to a JHU course may not apply toward the minor without permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Courses | ||
| AS.389.201 | Introduction to the Museum: Past and Present | 3 |
| Introductory Course (with POS tag: PMUS-INTRO) | 3 | |
| Upper-Level Electives | ||
| Select four Upper-Level Electives | 12 | |
At least three must be 300-level or higher courses 1 | ||
Three credits of practicum work (POS-Tag PMUS-PRAC) | ||
Two courses must be from at least two different primary disciplines | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
- 1
All courses must be cross-listed with Museums and Society and be at least three credits.
Sample Program of Study
A sample path toward completion might include the following sequence, but many other paths are possible. Please consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies for guidance.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| AS.389.201 | 3 | One PMUS-INTRO course | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Credits | Second Semester | Credits |
| One 300-level seminar | 3 | One 300-level seminar | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Credits | ||
| A practicum course | 3 | ||
| 3 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Credits | ||
| A 300+ level practicum course -or- a 300+ level seminar course | 3 | ||
| 3 | |||
| Total Credits 18 | |||
Additional Details
Introduction to the Museum sequence: Ideally, students should take at least one introductory course before enrolling in more focused courses, but this is not required.
Departmental Distribution: In keeping with the interdisciplinary nature of the program, students are encouraged to explore various fields and must complete courses in at least two different primary disciplines beyond Museums and Society. Primary disciplines are defined either as the home department for the course (identified by the course’s three-digit prefix), as the first cross-listing beyond Museums and Society, or as the home discipline of the instructor. Students should seek guidance from the program to ensure they are fulfilling this requirement and should note that Independent Study and Capstone credits cannot be applied to it.
Practicum Work: Practicum credits can be earned only from courses designated as Museums and Society "practicum" in the course description [POS-Tag: PMUS-PRAC].
Independent Study and Capstone: Students have two options for pursuing independent work for credit in Museums and Society. The Independent Study typically takes a more traditional academic approach to research and presentation; the Capstone encourages research that is engaged with collections and results in an alternative, often public, project. Students interested in these options should consult the University’s independent work policy and follow the guidelines outlined under Independent Research. Approval for credit will not be given until a project has been officially approved by an appropriate mentor in full and frequent consultation with the Program in Museums and Society. No more than 3 credits of independent work can be applied to the minor.
Internships: Internships are valuable opportunities to expand horizons, learn in the field, and investigate real-world applications of academic work. The Program in Museums and Society highly encourages students to explore internship options and works with the Career Center to identify opportunities to do so. However, while the program sponsors interns for academic credit when needed by the host institution, such credit cannot be used to satisfy minor requirements. Students interested in receiving credit for independent work should consider the Independent Study and Capstone options instead.
Other Information: No course other than the Independent Study or Capstone may be counted toward the minor more than once (up to a maximum of 3 credits).