Museum Studies, Internships, and Professional Development

The Department is committed to offering students special opportunities in museum-related areas.  Many of our graduates have successfully pursued museum work after finishing the degree.  A graduate seminar in Museum Studies is offered regularly and takes full advantage of the rich and varied collections in New England.  The University often has informal internship arrangements with the University Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as the museums at Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges. The Michele & Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts and George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum in Springfield, the Worcester Art Museum, and the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford also provide valuable internship possibilities. Graduate students have completed internships at Historic Deerfield and other area historic sites, and have won positions in competitive summer internship programs at major museums in Boston, New York, and Washington.

Departmental funding is available for graduate students pursuing both unpaid and paid internships during the school year and especially in the summer months. The monies come from the departmental funds and from the Graduate School. They are administered by the Graduate Program Director. Interested students should submit a description of the internship, an explanation of how it will benefit the student, and an overall budget with a specific request for funds.

In order to qualify for summer funding, a student must also have completed two or more Professional Development programs during the year. These programs vary from year to year and are offered on topics from how to engage students with active learning in class to work-life balance or how to approach the job interview. See the current offerings and schedule at https://www.umass.edu/graduate/professional-development.  

The University Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) houses a permanent collection that is especially strong in 20^th- and 21^st-century works on paper.  The Museum mounts a number of significant exhibitions during the year, often focusing on site-specific works by visiting artists. M.A. candidates regularly curate their own exhibitions at UMCA.

Both professionally staffed and student-run galleries on campus also provide opportunities for students interested in producing exhibitions.  From time to time, campus galleries offer internships that carry a stipend and tuition waiver.