Applied Museum Studies

Learn curatorial and conservation techniques for a career upholding culture and history.

  • Hands-on projects in our conservation and exhibition preparation labs
  • Program provides a full teaching collection within the lab spaces
  • University graduates can take advantage of direct entry into 2nd year

Program Availability and Schedule

Availability

Open

Closed

Waitlisted

Start Term

Availability

International
Availability

Competitive?

Fall 2024

No

Schedule

Fall 2024
Level 01
Winter 2025
Level 02
Spring 2025
Break
Fall 2025
Level 03
Winter 2026
Level 04
Spring 2026
Break
Fall 2026
Level 05
Winter 2027
Level 06

Program Summary

Credential

Ontario College Advanced Diploma (3 Years)

Program Delivery

Program Code

Area of Interest

Arts and Design

School

School of Media and Design

Campus

Ottawa

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:...(read more)

Overview

Learn curatorial and conservation techniques for a career upholding culture and history.

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, cataloguing 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 in 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.

SUCCESS FACTORS

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.

Courses

Programs at Algonquin College are delivered using a variety of instruction modes. Courses may be offered in the classroom or lab, entirely online, or in a hybrid mode which combines classroom sessions with virtual learning activities. Upon registration, each full-time student is provided an Algonquin email account which is used to communicate important information about program or course events.

Careers & Pathways

Careers

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 centres, framing shops, government agencies and more.

Pathways

Please use our Pathways tool to search for pathway options.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

  1. Apply course learning and training to function within an employment situation.
  2. Create and maintain well organized, managed and documented collection.
  3. Identify, advance and incorporate approved conservation principles into all museum practices to ensure the long-term preservation of objects.
  4. Create and deliver educational programs for/to audiences of all ages, interests and abilities with clearly defined and measurable learning objectives and outcomes.
  5. Design, construct and install interpretative exhibits which are accessible, relevant, accurate and effectively communicate defined and measurable objectives.
  6. Apply a range of management and administrative knowledge and skills to maintain and strengthen the role and the impact of museums in society.
  7. Conduct research for the following three areas: Subject Area, Museum Function, and Museological.
  8. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Tuition & Fees

Get an idea of how much each semester will cost with our Tuition and Fee Estimator.

2023/2024 Academic Year

Tuition and related ancillary fees for this program can be viewed by using the Tuition and Fees Estimator tool at www.algonquincollege.com/fee-estimator.

Further information on fees can be found by visiting the Registrar`s Office website at www.algonquincollege.com/ro.

Fees are subject to change.

Additional program related expenses include:

  • Books and supplies cost approximately $1,000 for first year, $410 for second year, $150 for third year, and can be purchased at the campus store.
  • For more information visit www.algonquincollege.com/coursematerials/.
  • An extra $360 is added to second year costs and $160 for third year for minor equipment costs, such as lab coat, safety goggles, SD memory card, safety boots, etc.

Admissions Requirements

All applicants must satisfy both College Eligibility and Program Eligibility requirements.

College Eligibility

  • Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent. Applicants with an OSSD showing senior English and/or Mathematics courses at the Basic Level, or with Workplace or Open courses, will be tested to determine their eligibility for admission; OR
  • Academic and Career Entrance (ACE) certificate; OR
  • General Educational Development (GED) certificate; OR
  • Mature Student status (19 years of age or older and without a high school diploma at the start of the program). Eligibility may be determined by academic achievement testing for which a fee of $50 (subject to change) will be charged.

Program Eligibility

  • English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent) with a grade of 65% or higher.
  • Eligibility for Direct Entry to Second Year: Ontario College Diploma, Ontario College Advanced Diploma or Degree in a History or Fine Arts.
  • Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject-specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
  • IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic) Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band; OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22; OR Duolingo English Test (DET) Overall 120, minimum of 120 in Literacy and no score below 105.
  • Applicants who have completed a university degree may be accepted for direct entry into second year of the program (Level 03). Direct entry applicants should clearly identify that they are applying to Level 03 (rather than Level 01) when applying to www.ontariocolleges.ca. Competition for a limited number of direct entry vacancies is stiff. Ensure you apply to the program by February 1st for equal consideration.

Not sure if you meet all of the requirements? Academic Upgrading may be able to help with that: https://www.algonquincollege.com/access/.

Application Information

APPLIED MUSEUM STUDIES
Program Code 0446C01FWO

Applications to full-time day programs must be submitted with official transcripts showing completion of the academic admission requirements through:

ontariocolleges.ca
60 Corporate Court
Guelph, Ontario N1G 5J3
1-888-892-2228

Students currently enrolled in an Ontario secondary school should notify their Guidance Office prior to their online application at www.ontariocolleges.ca.

Applications for Fall Term and Winter Term admission received by February 1 will be given equal consideration. Applications received after February 1 will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis as long as places are available.

International applicants please visit this link for application process information: https://algonquincollege.force.com/myACint/.

For further information on the admissions process, contact:

Registrar`s Office
Algonquin College
1385 Woodroffe Ave
Ottawa, ON K2G 1V8
Telephone: 613-727-0002
Toll-free: 1-800-565-4723
TTY: 613-727-7766
Fax: 613-727-7632
Contact: https://www.algonquincollege.com/ro

Additional Information

Program Resources

The Applied Museum Studies program consists of courses that are delivered in a variety of formats including face-to-face in a classroom, hybrid (combination of classroom and online learning) and online courses. Students participate in all three types of learning. Students also participate in laboratory and field placement learning activities.

Class schedules vary from term to term and courses may be scheduled between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Students are strongly encouraged to improve their French language skills to maximize job opportunities, particularly those available in the Ottawa area which require bilingualism. Students should be prepared to complete one to two hours of additional preparation, study and/or project work for each hour spent in the classroom or laboratory. Due to the specialized nature of the museum labs and equipment, a significant amount of this extra work needs to be conducted in the labs at the College and cannot be completed at home.

Students may apply for transfer of academic credits from Algonquin College (internal transfer) or from other institutions (external transfer). College Policies AA09 and AA10 apply to transfer of credits. For more information visit: www.algonquincollege.com/directives. Students may apply for credit by challenging courses using Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). College Policy AA06 applies to PLAR. Students pay a fee for each course they wish to be exempt from and, through either a portfolio or challenge examination, a PLAR may lead to the acceptance of work and life experience in lieu of taking certain courses. For more information visit: www.algonquincollege.com/col/plar.html.

Museum workers are often in contact with the public and frequently engage with others in a team environment. As such, interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing are considered crucial skills for our graduates. Workers who handle museum objects and works of art must be precise, detail-oriented and comfortable with assuming responsibility for collections that are often delicate, fragile and very valuable.

Experience is a key factor in finding permanent employment in the cultural sector. Volunteer positions and field placements help students determine their preferred areas of work and provide networking opportunities with industry professionals. The program schedule allows time for volunteering, provides a 15-week field placement and offers students many opportunities to establish industry contacts.

Note: Students must successfully complete all courses up to Level 06 to participate in a semester-long Field Placement.

ACADEMIC PROBATION:
Students who have two or more F grades in a given term or whose term grade point average falls below 1.7 are considered to be on academic probation (Policy AA14 Grading System). This requires the student to meet with their academic advisor or coordinator to sign a learning contract which identifies the conditions which must be met to continue in the program. Students who do not meet the terms of their learning contract are withdrawn from the program.

Contact

Desideria Desjardins

Program Coordinator

Michael Wheatley

Professor

wheatlm1@algonquincollege.com

View Bio

Michael Wheatley

Professor

wheatlm1@algonquincollege.com

Michael’s background includes 10 years of Audio-Visual work with various production houses in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. An honours graduate of the AMS program, he completed a number of museum contracts before accepting a position in the federal public service as a collections manager.

Since joining the AMS team in 2003, Michael has taught shop, design and computer courses, in addition to helping students create exhibitions for several museum partners in the region.

Terry Quinlan

Professor

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