Museum Administration, Master of Arts

Our students have also sought high-level positions in various museums in the fields of art, aviation, history, natural history, and memorial institutions. Others have obtained positions in auction houses and art advisory services, botanical gardens, community-based cultural centers, historic houses, and performing arts institutions. You complete a required internship at a site relevant to your career goals and you have the option of completing a second internship.  In addition to the sites listed below, students have also interned at the US National Park Service through our unique partnership with the M.A. in Public History program.

Courses in the M.A. in Museum Administration program are taught by active museum professionals. Annual special topic seminars are offered that address timely issues in the museum field.

You actively engage with New York City’s vibrant art world through course work and internships that prepare you to enter the job market with wide-ranging knowledge and experience in a variety of professional specializations. As part of the program at St. John’s, you build a personalized program of study encompassing required courses in museum administration and related electives in Public History and Library and Information Science. 

Classes are offered in person although some online courses may be available. You can combine study and internship experiences in New York City to launch into your chosen career path. You gain knowledge of the city’s vast cultural offerings and internship/career opportunities.  We welcome students from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis year-round, and graduate assistantships with funding support are available through competitive application.

St. John’s University’s Queens campus features the Dr. M. T. Geoffrey Yeh Art Gallery, allowing you to gain hands-on experience with curating an exhibition. Courses are delivered in the evenings to accommodate working professionals and students pursuing internships. 

As a student in the Museum Administration master’s program, you may also qualify for a Curating, Museum Education, or Museum Studies Digital Badges.

The M.A. in Museum Administration at St. John’s is approved by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. 

Admission

Applicants to the M.A. in Museum Administration must present

• evidence of the successful completion of a bachelor’s degree with a major in an area that intersects with museum practice (e.g., anthropology, art history, business, communications, English, fashion, fine arts, film/video, graphic design, history, journalism, library and information science, photography, and public relations).

• A cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher, as well as a 3.0 or higher in the major discipline

Students who have not met the GPA requirement as undergraduates may take two courses on a non-matriculated basis to demonstrate the ability to succeed at graduate-level work—and then enter the program as a full-time matriculated student. (All students who have taken this path have succeeded).

Contact

Susan Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Director, M.A. in Museum Administration 
Professor, Department of Art and Design
[email protected]

Office of Graduate Admission
718-990-1601
[email protected]

Courses

M.A. Museum Administration Degree Requirements

The M.A. in Museum Administration requires 36 semester hours. A maximum of nine credits may be substituted from Library and Information Science, Public History, or another appropriate graduate program with approval from the graduate director.

Required Courses

*Each semester a different Special Topics Course (ART 106/107) is offered so you have choices as to how to fulfill these two-course requirements. Recently offered special topics courses include “Fundraising and Development for Museums,” “The Global 21^st Century Museum: Issues and Debates,” “Race and Colonialism in Museum Controversies: Legal, Political and Ethical Debates,” and “Virtual Reality and Media in Museums.”

Sample Elective Courses

Career Outcomes

A master’s degree in Museum Administration prepares you to enter the dynamic, fast-paced world of international and local cultural institutions. With this training, you qualify for a wide range of professional museum specializations, including collections management, curation, exhibition management, fundraising and development, marketing and public relations, museum education and programming, and social media and technology.

Through the required internship (one or two-semester options), you align your academic interests and career goals with first-hand training and mentorship, establishing foundational networks and skills to launch your career. The degree opens doors leading to positions in art and history museums, community art centers, cultural centers around the globe, cultural heritage sites and art galleries in New York City, and historical societies.

Recent graduates of the Museum Administration program have completed internships and/or obtained jobs in the areas of archives management; art advisory services; auction house sales/management; collections management/registrar; curatorial research; exhibitions installation; fundraising; and museum education with the following prestigious institutions:

Graduate Assistantships

You may apply for graduate assistantships throughout the University. These positions offer tuition remission and, typically, a stipend. You can find more information about graduate assistantships on the Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships page.