Open Forum

Hello all.

I just finished my junior year in college pursuing in a BA in History with an Art History minor. What I plan to do is work in museum archives.

I have thought about pursuing in a Master's in Museum Studies although I prefer not raise my student loans. After calculating, I will owe about fifty grand after my Bachelors. If I go with a Masters, I will owe an extra forty grand.

I found a Museum Studies certificate program up in Chicago and I am highly considering it. The program, is just about five grand. Five grand is clearly better than forty grand! A quick information about this program, is that it is 90% online and will only take me a year to finish it.

I wanted to hear anyone's perspective or even better, experience with a online certificate program in Museum Studies. Since Fall 2015, I've been volunteering and interning at a museum near my school working with archives. Next year after I graduate, I would have three years of experience under my belt.

Thank you!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

Dear Daniel,

i would also also recommend looking at a library science degree with an archive focus. While museums and archives are very similar we tend to define the same terms a bit differently. I would also reach out to the archival community to see how they view a museum studies degree.

------------------------------
Danielle Bennett
Registrar
Baltimore MD
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2017 11:13 PM
From: Daniel Williams
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Hello all.

I just finished my junior year in college pursuing in a BA in History with an Art History minor. What I plan to do is work in museum archives.

I have thought about pursuing in a Master's in Museum Studies although I prefer not raise my student loans. After calculating, I will owe about fifty grand after my Bachelors. If I go with a Masters, I will owe an extra forty grand.

I found a Museum Studies certificate program up in Chicago and I am highly considering it. The program, is just about five grand. Five grand is clearly better than forty grand! A quick information about this program, is that it is 90% online and will only take me a year to finish it.

I wanted to hear anyone's perspective or even better, experience with a online certificate program in Museum Studies. Since Fall 2015, I've been volunteering and interning at a museum near my school working with archives. Next year after I graduate, I would have three years of experience under my belt.

Thank you!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

Hi, Danielle.

A library science program was in my thoughts also as yes, archives and libraries are similar. I have been having thoughts about working in a  library and I would be happy.

I will look more into it, 

Thanks!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2017 08:39 AM
From: Danielle Bennett
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Dear Daniel,

i would also also recommend looking at a library science degree with an archive focus. While museums and archives are very similar we tend to define the same terms a bit differently. I would also reach out to the archival community to see how they view a museum studies degree.

------------------------------
Danielle Bennett
Registrar
Baltimore MD
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2017 11:13 PM
From: Daniel Williams
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Hello all.

I just finished my junior year in college pursuing in a BA in History with an Art History minor. What I plan to do is work in museum archives.

I have thought about pursuing in a Master's in Museum Studies although I prefer not raise my student loans. After calculating, I will owe about fifty grand after my Bachelors. If I go with a Masters, I will owe an extra forty grand.

I found a Museum Studies certificate program up in Chicago and I am highly considering it. The program, is just about five grand. Five grand is clearly better than forty grand! A quick information about this program, is that it is 90% online and will only take me a year to finish it.

I wanted to hear anyone's perspective or even better, experience with a online certificate program in Museum Studies. Since Fall 2015, I've been volunteering and interning at a museum near my school working with archives. Next year after I graduate, I would have three years of experience under my belt.

Thank you!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

I graduated last year from the University of Washington's graduate program in Museology. I've known a couple people who have earned a museum studies certificate - I had a classmate who had previously obtained a certificate in museology and returned to school to get her master's because the certificate just wasn't cutting it. The other individual eventually exited the museum field after about a year to pursue other career options. 

There are a lot of graduate programs in museology/museum studies now and each one is pumping out 30-40 individuals each spring with master's degrees, which floods the applicant pool and gives institutions the pick of the litter so to speak, so if you're going into archives - which is competitive enough as it is, since that's generally a career position - it's going to be difficult to get your foot in the door with "only" a certificate and three years experience. 

Good luck!!

------------------------------
Claire Aldenhuysen
Museum Educator
National Model Aviation Museum, Academy of Model Aeronautics
Muncie IN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2017 11:13 PM
From: Daniel Williams
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Hello all.

I just finished my junior year in college pursuing in a BA in History with an Art History minor. What I plan to do is work in museum archives.

I have thought about pursuing in a Master's in Museum Studies although I prefer not raise my student loans. After calculating, I will owe about fifty grand after my Bachelors. If I go with a Masters, I will owe an extra forty grand.

I found a Museum Studies certificate program up in Chicago and I am highly considering it. The program, is just about five grand. Five grand is clearly better than forty grand! A quick information about this program, is that it is 90% online and will only take me a year to finish it.

I wanted to hear anyone's perspective or even better, experience with a online certificate program in Museum Studies. Since Fall 2015, I've been volunteering and interning at a museum near my school working with archives. Next year after I graduate, I would have three years of experience under my belt.

Thank you!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

There are few archival jobs within museums and I echo the comments about competition in seeking work.  As someone who hires people, when it comes to certain jobs I may not require a full graduate degree but I wonder when one is absent.  There may be good reasons such as the person is in the process of getting one or will be, has unbelievable skills in the area for which we are seeking expertise, or is of an age (me) when such things either did not exist or were not many in number.   A certificate will do no harm but an MA, MLS or MA will have more value in the market place.  Unfortuantely, your costs will not be recoverd for a very long time.

Steve

------------------------------
Steven Miller
Executive Director
Boscobel House and Gardens
Garrison NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2017 08:55 AM
From: Claire Aldenhuysen
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

I graduated last year from the University of Washington's graduate program in Museology. I've known a couple people who have earned a museum studies certificate - I had a classmate who had previously obtained a certificate in museology and returned to school to get her master's because the certificate just wasn't cutting it. The other individual eventually exited the museum field after about a year to pursue other career options. 

There are a lot of graduate programs in museology/museum studies now and each one is pumping out 30-40 individuals each spring with master's degrees, which floods the applicant pool and gives institutions the pick of the litter so to speak, so if you're going into archives - which is competitive enough as it is, since that's generally a career position - it's going to be difficult to get your foot in the door with "only" a certificate and three years experience. 

Good luck!!

------------------------------
Claire Aldenhuysen
Museum Educator
National Model Aviation Museum, Academy of Model Aeronautics
Muncie IN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2017 11:13 PM
From: Daniel Williams
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Hello all.

I just finished my junior year in college pursuing in a BA in History with an Art History minor. What I plan to do is work in museum archives.

I have thought about pursuing in a Master's in Museum Studies although I prefer not raise my student loans. After calculating, I will owe about fifty grand after my Bachelors. If I go with a Masters, I will owe an extra forty grand.

I found a Museum Studies certificate program up in Chicago and I am highly considering it. The program, is just about five grand. Five grand is clearly better than forty grand! A quick information about this program, is that it is 90% online and will only take me a year to finish it.

I wanted to hear anyone's perspective or even better, experience with a online certificate program in Museum Studies. Since Fall 2015, I've been volunteering and interning at a museum near my school working with archives. Next year after I graduate, I would have three years of experience under my belt.

Thank you!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

Hi Daniel,

I'm a museum curator/educator, in the field about 8 years and got my MA two years ago. I know a number of people with Museum Studies certificates and a number with Museum Studies MA degrees (and my alma mater, Tufts, has great programs in each), and what I've observed is that the people who go on to succeed in getting the jobs they want after getting a certificate are people who are changing careers from a related field, or who go on to get an MA after their certificate. If you had ten years of experience in library archives but none in museums, for example, a certificate might be a great choice. In some rare cases, I've also seen people who have been at one institution for a long time be able to use a certificate to advance their career within that organization.  I'm sure there are exceptions to this, and I can't say with certainty that what I've observed is the general pattern, but for the most part, what I've seen is that a certificate isn't as much of a leg up as one would hope if you're just starting out, and finding an entry-level position related to what you want to do will help you more (although for some career goals you will eventually need an MA).

best of luck, whichever path you choose!

------------------------------
Tegan Kehoe
Boston MA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2017 11:13 PM
From: Daniel Williams
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Hello all.

I just finished my junior year in college pursuing in a BA in History with an Art History minor. What I plan to do is work in museum archives.

I have thought about pursuing in a Master's in Museum Studies although I prefer not raise my student loans. After calculating, I will owe about fifty grand after my Bachelors. If I go with a Masters, I will owe an extra forty grand.

I found a Museum Studies certificate program up in Chicago and I am highly considering it. The program, is just about five grand. Five grand is clearly better than forty grand! A quick information about this program, is that it is 90% online and will only take me a year to finish it.

I wanted to hear anyone's perspective or even better, experience with a online certificate program in Museum Studies. Since Fall 2015, I've been volunteering and interning at a museum near my school working with archives. Next year after I graduate, I would have three years of experience under my belt.

Thank you!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

I should also mention that if you work full time for a nonprofit organization for a number of years after graduating (10) you may be able to get the remainder of your student loans forgiven as a part of PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness). I filed the paperwork not too long ago, it's very easy. I'll be recertifying in February next year, in which case they will document on my loans that I have fulfilled 12 of the 120 required payments toward the PSLF. 

So if it's loans that are deterring you from pursuing a graduate degree, may this assuage your fears a little. :)

Hi, Claire.

I forgot about the loan forgiveness. I believe after seven more years, my mothers loans will be forgiven since she has a bachelors, masters, and post-grad. 

For now, all I can do is wait it out. I can always go back to school later in life after a few years or so of working.

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2017 03:52 PM
From: Claire Aldenhuysen
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

I should also mention that if you work full time for a nonprofit organization for a number of years after graduating (10) you may be able to get the remainder of your student loans forgiven as a part of PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness). I filed the paperwork not too long ago, it's very easy. I'll be recertifying in February next year, in which case they will document on my loans that I have fulfilled 12 of the 120 required payments toward the PSLF. 

So if it's loans that are deterring you from pursuing a graduate degree, may this assuage your fears a little. :)

While the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is excellent in theory, I'd be very hesitant to bank on it funding a graduate degree. The first round of loan forgiveness is coming up in October and many people are finding that their employer didn't qualify as "public service" after all - even after a previous certification that it did - or that they weren't enrolled in the one very specific loan program that is required for forgiveness. The DOE is very opaque about all this.

Given the debate around student loan debt, I would not borrow relying on the assumption that this program will be around in 10 years. In fact, in googling some things for my response, I found that as of yesterday, the current administration is targeting this program for elimination. It's unclear whether current borrowers would be grandfathered in.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2017/05/18/trump-public-service-student-loan-forgiveness/#59840b441eb8


------------------------------
Sandra Smith
Senator John Heinz History Center
Pittsburgh PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2017 03:52 PM
From: Claire Aldenhuysen
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

I should also mention that if you work full time for a nonprofit organization for a number of years after graduating (10) you may be able to get the remainder of your student loans forgiven as a part of PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness). I filed the paperwork not too long ago, it's very easy. I'll be recertifying in February next year, in which case they will document on my loans that I have fulfilled 12 of the 120 required payments toward the PSLF. 

So if it's loans that are deterring you from pursuing a graduate degree, may this assuage your fears a little. :)

To be fair, I made the suggestion about PSLF to Daniel prior to the news breaking that the program may be eliminated. This decision will have a huge impact on the nonprofit sector if the current administration goes through with it.

------------------------------
Claire Aldenhuysen
Museum Educator
National Model Aviation Museum, Academy of Model Aeronautics
Muncie IN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-18-2017 09:02 AM
From: Sandra Smith
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

While the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is excellent in theory, I'd be very hesitant to bank on it funding a graduate degree. The first round of loan forgiveness is coming up in October and many people are finding that their employer didn't qualify as "public service" after all - even after a previous certification that it did - or that they weren't enrolled in the one very specific loan program that is required for forgiveness. The DOE is very opaque about all this.

Given the debate around student loan debt, I would not borrow relying on the assumption that this program will be around in 10 years. In fact, in googling some things for my response, I found that as of yesterday, the current administration is targeting this program for elimination. It's unclear whether current borrowers would be grandfathered in.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2017/05/18/trump-public-service-student-loan-forgiveness/#59840b441eb8


------------------------------
Sandra Smith
Senator John Heinz History Center
Pittsburgh PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2017 03:52 PM
From: Claire Aldenhuysen
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

I should also mention that if you work full time for a nonprofit organization for a number of years after graduating (10) you may be able to get the remainder of your student loans forgiven as a part of PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness). I filed the paperwork not too long ago, it's very easy. I'll be recertifying in February next year, in which case they will document on my loans that I have fulfilled 12 of the 120 required payments toward the PSLF. 

So if it's loans that are deterring you from pursuing a graduate degree, may this assuage your fears a little. :)

Keep in mind however that with the current politics that the PSLF may go away. It's not final, but it is something that may be voted on in Congress. I personally am contacting my representative about this and I hope that others on this program will do so as well!

Trump May End Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness

Forbes		remove preview
Trump May End Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness According to The Washington Post , which reviewed draft budget documents prepared by the Trump administration, federal education initiatives may be cut by $10.6 billion in a push to expand school choice. The budget also calls for about $400 million in spending for charter schools and for vouchers for private and religious schools, as well as $1 billion for public schools to incorporate school choice policies. View this on Forbes >

------------------------------
Megan Hunter
Museum Specialist
Frontier Army Museum

------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2017 03:52 PM
From: Claire Aldenhuysen
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

I should also mention that if you work full time for a nonprofit organization for a number of years after graduating (10) you may be able to get the remainder of your student loans forgiven as a part of PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness). I filed the paperwork not too long ago, it's very easy. I'll be recertifying in February next year, in which case they will document on my loans that I have fulfilled 12 of the 120 required payments toward the PSLF. 

So if it's loans that are deterring you from pursuing a graduate degree, may this assuage your fears a little. :)

Thank you all for your honest opinions. 

I might as well point out, that I do not have the high gpa to get into a graduate program. Although of course, I can always enroll in a community college and take a couple of art or history classes to easily raise my gpa. That's what I did before I even apply for my Bachelors. Of course, if I get straight As after this upcoming fall semester, then I could apply.

The Museum Studies grad program I always looked at is this. I have thought about I should still apply to the program even if my gpa does not match. Now that I think about it, my background is a way better match than my gpa. Even the website should I should have a certain background.

I know there's loan forgiveness and It's always possible that whatever job i get after college, they can help pay for the Masters.

It's still "early" for me to think about the Masters. For now, I really just want to be "done with school" after my Bachelors and then move on with my life.

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2017 11:13 PM
From: Daniel Williams
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Hello all.

I just finished my junior year in college pursuing in a BA in History with an Art History minor. What I plan to do is work in museum archives.

I have thought about pursuing in a Master's in Museum Studies although I prefer not raise my student loans. After calculating, I will owe about fifty grand after my Bachelors. If I go with a Masters, I will owe an extra forty grand.

I found a Museum Studies certificate program up in Chicago and I am highly considering it. The program, is just about five grand. Five grand is clearly better than forty grand! A quick information about this program, is that it is 90% online and will only take me a year to finish it.

I wanted to hear anyone's perspective or even better, experience with a online certificate program in Museum Studies. Since Fall 2015, I've been volunteering and interning at a museum near my school working with archives. Next year after I graduate, I would have three years of experience under my belt.

Thank you!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

Honestly, Daniel, I'd say GPA makes less of an impact on the admissions committee than experience does! So I think you've got the right idea. Good luck!

------------------------------
Claire Aldenhuysen
Museum Educator
National Model Aviation Museum, Academy of Model Aeronautics
Muncie IN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2017 07:07 PM
From: Daniel Williams
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Thank you all for your honest opinions. 

I might as well point out, that I do not have the high gpa to get into a graduate program. Although of course, I can always enroll in a community college and take a couple of art or history classes to easily raise my gpa. That's what I did before I even apply for my Bachelors. Of course, if I get straight As after this upcoming fall semester, then I could apply.

The Museum Studies grad program I always looked at is this. I have thought about I should still apply to the program even if my gpa does not match. Now that I think about it, my background is a way better match than my gpa. Even the website should I should have a certain background.

I know there's loan forgiveness and It's always possible that whatever job i get after college, they can help pay for the Masters.

It's still "early" for me to think about the Masters. For now, I really just want to be "done with school" after my Bachelors and then move on with my life.

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-16-2017 11:13 PM
From: Daniel Williams
Subject: Opinions on Museum Studies Certificate

Hello all.

I just finished my junior year in college pursuing in a BA in History with an Art History minor. What I plan to do is work in museum archives.

I have thought about pursuing in a Master's in Museum Studies although I prefer not raise my student loans. After calculating, I will owe about fifty grand after my Bachelors. If I go with a Masters, I will owe an extra forty grand.

I found a Museum Studies certificate program up in Chicago and I am highly considering it. The program, is just about five grand. Five grand is clearly better than forty grand! A quick information about this program, is that it is 90% online and will only take me a year to finish it.

I wanted to hear anyone's perspective or even better, experience with a online certificate program in Museum Studies. Since Fall 2015, I've been volunteering and interning at a museum near my school working with archives. Next year after I graduate, I would have three years of experience under my belt.

Thank you!

------------------------------
Daniel Williams
Museum Intern
Macomb IL
------------------------------