Museum Studies Program Records
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
New York University's Museum Studies Program is part of the Graduate School of Arts and Science. The program offers an interdisciplinary Master of Arts in Museum Studies and an Advanced Certificate in Museum Studies on the theory and practice of museum work, training its students in traditional museum disciplines such as research and writing, collecting and connoisseurship, registration and cataloging, and curatorial care for collections. This collection consists of materials created and collected by the Museum Studies Program between 1975 and 2011 documenting the program's internal administration, academic curriculum, sponsored events, and scholarly output. Materials include newspaper clippings, brochures, meeting agendas and minutes, memoranda and correspondence, and press releases.
Historical Note
Since 1978, the Program in Museum Studies at New York University has offered a course of interdisciplinary study in the contemporary theory and practice of museum work. As part of the Graduate School of Arts and Science, students receive a broad foundation in the history and theory of museums, the creation and maintenance of exhibitions and collections, and museum management. They also pursue personal programs of study supporting individual academic and career objectives. Faculty are specialized in various academic fields whose work engages museum theory and practice, and students are trained to perform a variety of roles within all types of museums. The Museum Studies Program offers a Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies; an Advanced Certificate in Museum Studies; and a Concentration in Museum Studies to those enrolled for a Master's degree in Africana Studies, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and Near Eastern Studies. Dr. Flora S. Kaplan was the program's founding director from 1978 through 1999, and continued her involvement as Professor Emerita until her passing in 2021.
Source Cited:
"Graduate Program in Museum Studies." Graduate Program, Program in Museum Studies, accessed August 29, 2024, https://as.nyu.edu/departments/museumstudies/graduate.html.
Arrangement
The collection has been arranged into seven series. The series arrangement is as follows:
Series I. Governance
Series II. Administration
Series III. Courses
Series IV. Faculty and Staff
Series V. Grants, Fellowships, and Fundraising
Series VI. Publications
Series VII. Events and Publicity
Each series is arranged chronologically except for series VI, which is arranged alphabetically.
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of materials created and collected by New York University's program in Museum Studies between 1975-2011, documenting the program's internal administration, academic curriculum, sponsored events, and scholarly output. Materials include newspaper clippings, brochures describing the academic program, meeting agenda and minutes, memoranda and correspondence regarding student admissions and internships, press releases announcing sponsored events and publications by faculty, course syllabi, and memoranda and correspondence concerning NYU's Faculty of Arts and Science. This collection also includes materials documenting the program's administrative operations, including reports, correspondence, and memoranda regarding budgets, financial aid, personnel, and grant-funding.
Subjects
Conditions Governing Access
Administrative records and unpublished reports of New York University are closed for a period of 20 years from the date of their creation (materials in box 18). Access to files spanning multiple years will be opened to researchers based on the date of the most recent materials. Board of Trustees records are closed for 35 years from the date of creation. Materials related to personnel, grievances, job and fellowship searches and applications, and all files that fall under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) are permanently restricted. Additional restrictions may apply to other materials in this collection. For questions regarding specific restrictions, please contact the University Archives.
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) held by the Museum Studies Program name are maintained by New York University. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from New York University Archives. Please contact special.collections@nyu.edu.
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Museum Studies Program Records; RG 20.4; box number; folder number or item identifier; New York University Archives, New York University.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred by Tatiana Kamorina on behalf of the Museum Studies program in August 2018; the accession number associated with this transfer is 2018.002. In September 2019 an accretion was transferred by Program Administrator Candace Laning; the accession number associated with this gift is 2019.097.
About this Guide
Processing Information
At the time of accessioning materials were described on the collection-level; no other arrangement, description, or physical interventions took place.
During processing, materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes. Oversized materials were placed in flat boxes and/or flat file folders. Many items were removed from non-archival sleeves. Duplicate publications and documents, publications available online, documents with sensitive personal information, documents related to personnel, and documents related to individual students and faculty candidates were removed.
Revisions to this Guide
Repository
Series I. Governance, 1976-2008, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series consists of materials related to the governing bodies of the Museum Studies Program. These materials include meeting minutes of the Steering Committee and other committees and task forces (such as the AAM Museum Studies Committee and Humanities Council). Also included are decisions on curriculum changes and degree requirements, self-studies, and reports (including reports from other divisions and committees). These items illustrate changes in the requirements of the program and the creation of the certificate and concentration program.
Steering Committee, 1976-1982, inclusive
Steering Committee, 1983-1989, inclusive
Steering Committee, 1991-1993, inclusive
Steering Committee, 1994-1995, inclusive
Steering Committee, 1996-1999, inclusive
Museum Studies Advisory Committee, 1980-1989, inclusive
The Humanities Council, 1982-1989, inclusive
American Association of Museums -- Museum Studies Task Force, 1987-1989, inclusive
Reports, 1977-1998, inclusive
Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Annual Reports, 1977-1994, inclusive
New York University Annual Reports and Enrollment Reports, 1980-1982, inclusive
Museum Studies Self-Study, 1983
Registration of Historical Collections of the National Park Service, 1986
Registration of Archival Collections of the National Park Service, 1986
Metropolitan Museum of Art -- "Minority Art Professionals in Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic States: An Exploratory Study of Their Problems and Needs", 1987
Interim Report of the University-Wide Planning Commission, 1988
Commission on Graduate Priorities, 1991
Museum Studies Program Planning, 1995-1996, inclusive
Museum Studies Program Self-Study, 1996
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, 1996-1998, inclusive
Master of Arts in Museum Studies, 1976-2008, inclusive
Degree Requirements and Changes, 1976-1986, inclusive
Degree Requirements and Changes, 1987-1988, inclusive
Degree Requirements and Changes, 1990-1997, inclusive
Degree Requirements and Changes, 2000-2003, inclusive
Degree Requirements and Changes, 2004-2008, inclusive
Conditions Governing Access
Materials in this folder are closed for 20 years from the latest date.
Master of Arts Programs with Concentrations in Museum Studies, 1983-2003, inclusive
Requirements at Other Institutions, undated, inclusive
Series II. Administration, 1978-2007, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series contains materials related to the daily operations of the Museum Studies Program. These materials include admission and financial aid manuals, budgets, registration and enrollment statistics, student orientation information, general correspondence (regarding admissions and internships), and Peterson's guide submissions.
Administrative Assistant -- Memos and Job Responsibilities, 1981-1997, inclusive
Admissions and Financial Aid, 1980-1998, inclusive
Advertisements for the Museum Studies Program, 1982-1996, inclusive
Budgets, 1978-1997, inclusive
Peterson's Guides, 1981-1997, inclusive
Space, 1979-1998, inclusive
Blueprints, 1980
Blueprint Sketches, circa 1980
Memos and Correspondence, 1979-1998, inclusive
Statistics, 1978-1999, inclusive
Students, 1979-1989, inclusive
General Program Correspondence, circa 1978-1983, inclusive
General Program Correspondence, 1984-1987, inclusive
General Program Correspondence, 1988-1994, inclusive
General Program Correspondence, 1995
General Program Correspondence, 1996-2003, inclusive
General Program Correspondence, 2007
Conditions Governing Access
Materials in this folder are closed for 20 years from the latest date.
Series III. Courses, 1975-2011, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series consists of materials related to classes and seminars offered by the Museum Studies Program. Also included are materials related to the internship requirement. Materials include syllabi, course materials, internship guidelines, lists of participating internship organizations, and assigned reading materials.
Intro to Museum Studies and Museology -- Department of Anthropology, 1975-1976, inclusive
Museum Studies Summer and Fall Semesters, 1977
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1978
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1979
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1980
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 1981
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 1982
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 1983
Museum Studies Fall Semester, 1983
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1984
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 1985
Museum Studies Summer and Fall Semesters, 1985
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1986
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1987
Syllabi, Course Listings, and Readings
Summer Course Poster
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1988
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 1989
Museum Studies Fall Semester, 1989
Syllabi, Course Listings, and Readings
Cooperative Education and Museum Training Program with New York Transit Museum -- Class Posters
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 1990
Museum Studies Fall Semester, 1990
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1991
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1992
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 1993
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1994
Museum Studies Spring and Summer Semesters, 1995
Museum Studies Fall Semester, 1995
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 1996
Museum Studies Summer and Fall Semesters, 1996
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 1997
Museum Studies Summer and Fall Semesters, 1997
Museum Studies Spring, Summer, and Fall Semesters, 1998
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 1999
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 2000
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 2001
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 2002
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 2003
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 2004
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 2005
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 2006
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 2007
Museum Studies Spring Semester, 2009
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 2010
Museum Studies Spring and Fall Semesters, 2011
Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies Courses, 1992-1996, inclusive
Series IV. Faculty and Staff, 1978-2004, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series includes materials related to the faculty, deans, directors, and other staff members, of the Museum Studies Program. These materials reflect the relationships between the director, faculty, and staff of the Museum Studies Program with various deans, heads of divisions, and other administrative departments. Materials consist of correspondence and memos, meeting minutes, reports, faculty lists, publications by various faculty members, awards received by various faculty members, and handbooks.
Faculty, Chairs, and Heads of Departments -- Correspondence and Memos, 1978-1987, inclusive
Faculty, Chairs, and Heads of Departments -- Correspondence, Memos, and Data Book, 1988
Faculty, Chairs, and Heads of Departments -- Correspondence and Memos, 1989-1991, inclusive
Faculty, Chairs, and Heads of Departments -- Correspondence and Memos, 1992-1994, inclusive
Faculty, Chairs, and Heads of Departments -- Correspondence, Memos, and Proposal, 1995-1996, inclusive
Faculty, Chairs, and Heads of Departments -- Correspondence and Memos, 1997-1998, inclusive
Faculty, Chairs, and Heads of Departments -- Correspondence and Memos, 1999-2001, inclusive
Faculty, Chairs, and Heads of Departments -- Correspondence, 2004
Conditions Governing Access
Materials in this folder are closed for 20 years from the latest date.
Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Faculty -- Meeting Minutes and Agendas, 1980-1994, inclusive
Council of Arts and Science Chairs -- Meeting Minutes and Agendas, 1987-1998, inclusive
Directors of Graduate Studies -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports, 1978-1998, inclusive
Faculty of Arts and Science -- Meeting Minutes and Agendas, 1978-1979, inclusive
Faculty of Arts and Science -- Meeting Minutes and Agendas, 1986-1989, inclusive
Faculty of Arts and Science -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports, 1991
Faculty of Arts and Science -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports, 1992
Faculty of Arts and Science -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports, 1993
Faculty of Arts and Science -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports, 1994
Museum Studies Faculty -- Meeting Minutes and Agendas, 1994
Faculty of Arts and Science and Museum Studies Faculty -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports, 1995
Faculty of Arts and Science and Museum Studies Faculty -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, Handbook, and Reports, 1996
Museum Studies Faculty -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports, 1997
Faculty of Arts and Science -- Meeting Minutes, Agendas, and Reports, 1997-1998, inclusive
Graduate Curriculum Committee -- Memos and Reports, 1979, 1988-1998, inclusive
Series V. Grants, Fellowships, and Fundraising, 1978-2005, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series describes fundraising activities for the Museum Studies Program. Materials consist of grant applications and reports, fellowship applications, funding opportunities from other university divisions and departments, and grant applications from other institutions.
Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities, 1978-1997, inclusive
"Training of Minority and Third World Museum Professionals" Grant, 1987-1988, inclusive
The Living Brain Traveling Exhibition -- Grant Proposal, 1995-1996, inclusive
Grant for "Guardians of Monuments and Memory: Case Studies in Urban Conservation and Museums in the Middle East" Conference, 1998
Grants and Fundraising -- General, 1978-1996, inclusive
Grants and Fundraising -- General, 2005
Conditions Governing Access
Materials in this folder are closed for 20 years from the latest date.
Series VI. Publications, 1978-2000, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series consists of publications created by the Museum Studies Program. These materials include drafts and final published versions of brochures, course catalogs, a working paper series from the faculty, and a department newsletter. Also included are brochures and newsletters of the Master of Arts programs with Museum Studies concentrations.
Brochures, circa 1978-2000, inclusive
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Bulletin -- Museum Studies Program Copy, 1990-2000, inclusive
Museum Studies Newsletter, 1980-1987, inclusive
Museum Studies Newsletter, 1988-1996, inclusive
Museum Studies Newsletter, 1997
Museum Studies Newsletter, 1998-1999, inclusive
Poster, 1982
Website Text, 1996
Working Papers Series, 1987-1994, inclusive
MA in Hebrew and Judaic Studies with Concentration in Museum Studies -- Brochures and Bulletin Copy, 1988-1997, inclusive
MA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies with a Concentration in Museum Studies -- Brochures and Newsletters, 1981-1995, inclusive
MA in Near Eastern Studies with a Concentration in Museum Studies -- Brochures, Newsletters, and Bulletins, circa 1984-1993, inclusive
Series VII. Events and Publicity, 1980-1999, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
This series consists of materials related to the Musuem Studies Program's sponsored events and related publicity. Events include exhibitions, conferences, lectures, and symposia. Materials include event brochures, posters, newspaper clippings, photographs, correspondence with participants, and invitations.