Advanced Diploma in Applied Museum Studies
Ottawa, Canada
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 15,016
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
The three-year Applied Museum Studies Ontario College Advanced Diploma prepares you with the knowledge and skills to support curatorial and conservation activities in the museum, heritage, and cultural sectors.
Gain skills and knowledge in:
- Collections management
- Educational programming
- Exhibit preparation
- Museum management
- Conservation and preservation
Develop capabilities related to cultural resource management, focusing on collections care, research, and interpretation. Areas of study include:
- Classifying, cataloging, and interpreting collections of artifacts and works of art
- Constructing and installing exhibits and displays
- Assessing, preserving, and treating material culture
Put theory into practice in our well-appointed conservation and exhibition preparation labs. Working with our teaching collection and in collaboration with local cultural institutions, you complete a variety of hands-on projects and group assignments that will enhance your knowledge and skills and make valuable contributions to museums, galleries, and the cultural sector.
This program includes a full-semester field placement. The field experience combines your theory and lab skills with professional practice in the cultural industry. At the end of your placement, highlight your work in a showcase event. The showcase event also gives you the chance to network with industry professionals for future employment.
Graduates of this program may find opportunities in entry-level technical and management positions in museums and galleries or other cultural/heritage institutions. Graduates may also be employed as freelance museum contractors or as staff in antique or art shops.
Ideal Students
This program is well-suited for students who:
- Have an interest in preserving our cultural past
- Like to be creative with their hands and/or tools
- Enjoy educating others about cultures, historical events, people, and our natural world
- Are observant and well-organized
- Have good interpersonal and communication skills
- Are detail-oriented
Admissions
Curriculum
Level 01
- ENL1813S Communications I
- MUS1974 Canadian Studies
- MUS1997 Art, Architecture and Artifacts
- MUS1999 Introduction to Museum Research
- MUS2003 Introduction to Group Dynamics
Elective (choose 1)
- FLS3000 French as a Second Language Beginner I
- FLS3001 French as a Second Language Beginner II
Level 02
- ENL1853C Professional Writing for Museum Studies
- MUS1934 History of Technology
- MUS2000 Critical Thinking
- MUS2002 Introduction to Museum Studies
- MUS2004 Cultural Sector Career Preparation
Elective (choose 1)
- FLS3001 French as a Second Language Beginner II
- FLS3002 French as a Second Language Beginner III
Choose one from equivalencies
- GED0446 General Education Elective
Level 03
- MUS0039 Digital Content in the Cultural Sector
- MUS2006 Museum Management
- MUS2007 Collections Management I - Registration
- MUS2008 Shop Practices
- MUS2023 Preservation Principles 1
- MUS2024 Preservation Principles 2
- MUS2026 Digital Design for Museums
Level 04
- MUS2010 Informal Learning in Museums
- MUS2012 Educational Programming
- MUS2013 Techniques in Exhibition
- MUS2014 Laboratory Procedures I
- MUS2015 Revenue Generation and Public Relations
- MUS2016 Collections Management 2 - Cataloguing and Research
Level 05
- MUS1982 Human Resources Planning and Management
- MUS2017 Collection Management 3 - Care, Handling and Storage
- MUS2018 Program Interpretation
- MUS2019 Plan and Develop Educational Exhibitions
- MUS2020 Laboratory Procedures 2
- MUS2021 Museum Field Placement Preparation
Level 06
- MUS2022 Museum Field Placement
Program Outcome
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Apply course learning and training to function within an employment situation
- Create and maintain well well-organized, managed, and documented collection
- Identify, advance, and incorporate approved conservation principles into all museum practices to ensure the long-term preservation of objects
- Create and deliver educational programs for/to audiences of all ages, interests, and abilities with clearly defined and measurable learning objectives and outcomes
- Design, construct, and install interpretative exhibits that are accessible, relevant, accurate, and effectively communicate defined and measurable objectives
- Apply a range of management and administrative knowledge and skills to maintain and strengthen the role and impact of museums in society
- Conduct research for the following three areas: Subject Area, Museum Function, and Museological
- Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment, and environmental stewardship
Career Opportunities
Upon graduation, you may find employment in entry-level technical or management positions in museums, galleries, or other cultural/heritage institutions.
Other employment possibilities may include freelance museum contracting, or working as a staff member in an antique or art shop. The skills you gain will essentially open the doors to your cultural career. Job opportunities may also exist at cultural attractions, interpretive centers, framing shops, government agencies, and more.
English Language Requirements
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