A museum is defined by the federal government as: a public or private nonprofit agency or institution organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational or aesthetic purposes, which, utilizing a professional staff, owns or utilizes tangible objects, cares for them, and exhibits them to the public on a regular basis. Museums include: zoos, aquaria, botanical centers, and specialized museums in addition to art, history, natural history, children's, science, and technology museums. The professional staff required at museums may include: directors, curators, educators, gift-shop staff, security, public relations, marketing, accountants, exhibit designers, volunteer coordinators, collections managers, conservators, animal/plant care specialists, fundraisers, grant writers, human resources, and food services. Approximately 20% of museums worldwide have more than 100 employees while over 20% have fewer than 10 employees. This means many museums are looking for people with specific skills while many others are in desperate need for leaders who have experience with collections, exhibits, education, public relations, and fundraising. Nearly all museums are looking for employees that know how museums function and have either multiple skill sets or have one strong skill with an understanding of the functions of multiple areas.

This 12-credit-hour certificate program offers the opportunity for students to develop skills that are valuable to museum administrators.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Proposed Course/Topic Course
GSCI 673	Problems in Geosciences (Museum Informal Community Education)	3
GSCI 673	Problems in Geosciences (Museum Administration and Management)	3
GSCI 673	Problems in Geosciences (Museum Exhibit Planning and Design)	3
GSCI 673	Problems in Geosciences (Museum Collections Management)	3
Total Hours		12

Request a Certificate - GIS User or Museum Studies

Certificates can be issued by request to individuals upon successful completion of courses and requirements. All individuals meeting certificate requirements will need to register on-line for a printed certificate. Course and project completion will be confirmed before certificate is printed. Please allow 2-4 weeks for processing.

Please complete all areas of the form, including the semester and year you successfully completed all courses, before submitting.

This is an FHSU advisory certificate. Advisory certificates are typically 9-15 hours of coursework.  The certificates are designed by FHSU faculty to provide students a guide to choosing courses that introduce and develop a subject knowledge and/or skills.  These certificates may be used to select a focus within a major, to develop additional knowledge and skills to complement a major, or to pursuing a topic of interest with open elective hours.  

Courses taken as part of an advisory certificate are listed on the student's transcript, however the advisory certificate is not listed on the transcript. Many FHSU departments provide a completion certificate that students may use to show they completed the advised coursework, and talk about what it added to their degree.  Non-degree students may complete the classes outlined in an advisory certificate and receive a completion certificate if offered by the department, however they are not enrolled in a degree plan or eligible for student aid.