Museum Studies
Program Overview
The Museum Studies Certificate Program at East Los Angeles College provides a career pipeline to students of diverse socio-economic and academic backgrounds. Through the opportunity to engage in rigorous academic study, professional training, and professional development, students cultivate a solid foundation for obtaining entry level job opportunities within the museum field. Professional mentorship is provided to support students' goals for transfer to four year institutions, as well as career development.
The Museum Studies Certificate Program (MSCP) at East Los Angeles College is a seven-course program (21-units) that provides a broad foundation of knowledge and professional work experience in the museum sector. Open to all students at East Los Angeles College, the program draws upon coursework in Museum Studies, Art History, Cultural Studies, Library Science, Studio Art, Anthropology, and Archaeology, and includes museum internships and unique academic and professional development opportunities.
The program is designed to accompany the Associate of Arts for Transfer (AAT) degree in Art History, which together can be completed in 2 years of full-time study at East Los Angeles College. The MSCP may also be pursued as a stand-alone program for students with a general interest in museums.
Students can expect to gain knowledge and experience in a range of museum professions and topics, including curatorial practice, conservation science, collections management and registration, education and public programs, communications, and nonprofit management. As one of the few museums located at a California Community College, the Vincent Price Art Museum serves as a unique educational resource, classroom, incubator, and training ground for participating students.
MSCP Course Descriptions
(3) CSU
Prerequisities: Art History 100 and Art History 200. Advisory: English 101.
LABORATORY, 10 HOURS.
This course is a faculty mentored independent study in visual cultural studies at a participating museum. Participating institutions should commit to a visual cultural studies approach to education, curation, management, and public service. This course requires lab hours on site and the sponsorship of a research project or paper with a ELAC faculty mentor. Internships and areas of research may include, but are not limited to: Communications and Marketing; Research; Education; Curation; Design; Conservation and Restoration; Registrar; Management; Development; History and Theory of Museums; In-depth study on an area of specialization relating to the museum’s mission.
(3) CSU
Advisory: English 101.
LECTURE, 2 HOURS; LABORATORY, 2 HOURS.
This is an introductory course about Museum Studies and Gallery Practices including, but not limited to, the history and philosophy of museums; the social, economic, and political trends that shape museums; the staffing, management, and financing of museums; and the multiple functions of museums, such as the collection and care of objects, exhibition design and interpretation, education programs, research activities, library collections, and pub- lic relations. The course also includes curatorial strategies, exhibition design, proper handling of artworks and their installation, gallery preparation and maintenance, gallery lighting, production and distribution of press releases, announcements, exhibitions lists, and related gallery literature. Students personally engage with museum professionals, including: Department directors, curators, registrar, conservators, collection managers, educators, exhibit designers, and art preparation staff.
(3) UC:CSU IGETC Area 3A
Advisory: English 101.
LECTURE, 3 HOURS.
This course considers thematic and historical developments of Contemporary visual art (including painting, sculpture, architecture, new media, and other forms), produced by the global community, focusing on Postmodernism, Identity Politics, Diaspora, and Globalization.
(3) UC:CSU IGETC Area 3A
Advisory: English 101.
LECTURE, 3 HOURS; LABORATORY, 1 HOUR.
This introductory course explores visual representations across cultures and various media from prehistory to the present. Emphasis is placed on postmodern forms of visual communication, which include advertisements, film, YouTube, the Internet, fashion, music videos, posters, and other visual forms of communication. Situating the visual contextually requires investigation into other forms of cultural constructs, and may include study of ideology, commerce, power, religion, diaspora, gender and sexuality, politics, space of production, and memory.
(3) CSU
LECTURE, 2 HOURS; LABORATORY, 2 HOURS.
This is an introductory course focused on familiarizing students with various materials, substrates straights, and techniques used in two dimensional media. Historical and contemporary practices, paint formulas, paper sources and paper making, and conservation techniques are covered. This course includes guest lectures and eld trips to The Huntington Library and Gardens and/or Getty conservation centers.
(3) CSU
LECTURE, 3 HOURS
This course provides an introduction to the basic processes of creating and managing digital assets specifically for museums, libraries, and public/private collections and archives. This includes assessing collection materials, managing files for preservation, and using current digitization software systems. Access issues, metadata scheme, quality control, scanning equipment, and other technologies are also examined.
(3) UC:CSU (C-ID ANTH 150)
LECTURE, 3 HOURS
This course is an introduction to the study of concepts, theories, and methods, of anthropological archaeology as well as a review of significant data models that contribute to knowledge of the human past. The course includes a discussion of the history and interdisciplinary nature of archaeological research; dating techniques and methods of survey, excavation, and analysis; cultural resource management; and selected cultural sequences.