Museum Studies
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Types of Degrees Museum Studies Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many museum studies graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Master’s Degree | 490 |
Graduate Certificate | 206 |
Basic Certificate | 68 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 39 |
Undergraduate Certificate | 11 |
Associate Degree | 2 |
What Museum Studies Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, museum studies majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Museum Studies Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in museum studies should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- History and Archeology - Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Skills for Museum Studies Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to museum studies:
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Abilities for Museum Studies Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a museum studies student include the following:
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
What Can You Do With a Museum Studies Major?
People with a museum studies degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Archivists | 14.7% | $52,240 |
Curators | 13.7% | $53,780 |
Museum Technicians and Conservators | 12.7% | $43,020 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Museum Studies?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of museum studies majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 0 |
Black or African American | 2 |
Hispanic or Latino | 2 |
White | 22 |
International Students | 0 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 13 |
How Much Do Museum Studies Majors Make?
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $46,870 to $58,490 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to museum studies. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Museum Studies
Some careers associated with museum studies require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to museum studies have obtained the following education levels.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 0.4% |
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 5.7% |
Some College Courses | 1.3% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 2.6% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 13.5% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 4.2% |
Master’s Degree | 56.2% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 2.7% |
Doctoral Degree | 13.2% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 0.8% |
Online Museum Studies Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 91 schools offered some type of museum studies program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 3 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 3 | 0 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 35 | 2 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 40 | 2 |
Post-Master’s | 4 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Museum Studies Worth It?
The median salary for a museum studies grad is $56,400 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 41% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $330,000 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Museum Studies
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Majors Related to Museum Studies
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to museum studies.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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