Advanced Academic Programs

PREREQUISITES

• A grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. For students who have been out of school for some time work experience may be considered.
• Strong writing skills

We take our G.P.A. cutoff seriously, however, there are students who are able to compensate for a lower G.P.A by showing us a passion for and/or experience in the museum field.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
(The admissions committee reserves the right to request additional information from applicants)

• AAP Application
• Nonrefundable Application Fee: $75
• Resume
• Statement of Purpose (approx. 750 words)
• Two letters of recommendation that verify professional and/or academic accomplishment
• Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate coursework completed within the US only (We accept official transcripts sent electronically through Scrip-Safe or Docufide, or in sealed institutional envelopes.)
• Course-by-course credential evaluation for all coursework completed outside of the US. Study abroad may be exempt. Visit the International Applicants webpage to learn more.
• TOEFL for international students who have not graduated from an accredited college or university in the US and whose native language is not English. Visit the International Applicants webpage to learn more.

We have rolling admissions for the program, so there is no “official” deadline or standard timeframe for the admissions process. However, we have an overwhelming number of applications, so it is best for you to submit your materials approximately two months before the start of the semester in which you would like to begin studying. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for the start dates of each semester. After your application materials are complete, they are sent to an admissions review committee.

No, the GRE is not an admission requirement to our program.

Letters of recommendation should be from professional and/or academic people familiar with you and your work. Only two letters may be submitted through our official application process.

This is your opportunity to describe in detail your academic and professional experiences that have led to your decision to pursue a career in the museum field. Directly and succinctly tell us how this particular graduate degree will help you achieve your goals in the museum profession in 750 words or fewer. If you have already worked for a museum in any capacity, please incorporate your experience into your statement.  Your statement will be reviewed for content, organization, and writing style.

International students who have not graduated from an accredited college or university in the US and whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL scores along with your application. AAP requires a minimum score of 600 on the paper test, 250 on the computer-based test and 100 on the Internet-based test. Visit their web site at www.toefl.org for more information. You will also need to have a course-by-course evaluation of your transcript by a service such as World Education Service (WES). Your TOEFL scores and WES evaluation should be sent directly to the Advanced Academic Programs admissions office in Washington, DC.

Yes, students who earned their post-secondary degree(s) in a country other than the United States are required to have a “course-by-course” credential evaluation performed by an outside evaluation service. A number of organizations render this service. While most of these provide acceptable evaluations, World Education Services (WES) is recommended. WES assists students with initiating the evaluation process and can be reached at www.wes.org or at 800.937.3895. Please allow four-to-six weeks for an official credential assessment to be completed and forwarded to the Advanced Academic Programs admissions office in Washington, DC.

Students who are not admitted into the program must wait one year before reapplying to the same program

Currently, approximately 40-50 students are admitted each semester.

All students earn a Masters of Arts (MA) in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University. Johns Hopkins is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

You are not required to have museum experience to be accepted into the program, however the review committee will take into consideration any previous museum experience as an employee, intern, or volunteer. We highly encourage our students to volunteer and/or intern if they are not currently working in a museum. Students accepted into the program may choose to do an internship, approved by the Internship Coordinator, as one of their elective courses.

The Museum Studies Program holds online information sessions twice a year. The next information session will take place on March 7, 2013. We will announce the session details soon on our website. Please contact Museum Studies faculty member Karen Wizevich (kwizevi1@jhu.edu), our liaison to prospective students, for help with any aspect of the application process.

You must apply to the Museum Studies Program online.  Please visit the Admissions page and start the step-by-step admissions wizard.

Students in the Museum Studies Program include current and aspiring museum professionals of all ages from around the world. We have students from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds, including those with degrees in areas such as art history, anthropology, history, economics, business administration, historic preservation, music, philosophy, and film and media arts.

The Museum Studies faculty is made up of highly regarded experts in the museum field and academia. The faculty is primarily full-time museum practitioners, who are active members of the museum community; they cover all angles of the museum field. They are passionate about training the next generation of museum professional and enthusiastic about the online course format.

The Museum Studies Program offers a structured curriculum of required and core courses augmented with electives (see advanced.jhu.edu/academic/museum/requirements/index.html for details on our curriculum and course requirements). This curriculum provides opportunities for students to gain knowledge and skills in current professional museum practice with an eye to the future and an integration of past philosophies and practice. The program encompasses both theory and practice, focusing on providing real-world skills and training that enable students to move into the museum field or move up to jobs with more responsibility and requiring greater skills and knowledge.

There are a number of ways in which students are encouraged to connect with others in the Program, outside of the online course environment; including a virtual Museum Café, Facebook and LinkedIn groups, as well as in-person local meet-ups and gatherings at professional conferences.

Yes, please seehttp://advanced.jhu.edu/students/disability-accommodations/

ID cards (J-CARD) are sent to new students approximately 3 weeks after being accepted to the program. For more information on obtaining an ID, see here.

We do not have an official job placement center, but our faculty is very well connected in the museum field, and we try to help our students take advantage of these close relations to seek potential job opportunities. Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) also has a Virtual Career Network for students to connect with other students, alumni, and faculty for networking and career advancement opportunities (http://advancedcareersjhu.org/).

Each student must take a total of 10 classes (two required courses, three out of five core courses, and five electives): Nine online classes and one onsite seminar. More information on the two-week seminar may be found here.

If you have started a graduate degree or certificate program in Museum Studies elsewhere, you may apply to transfer credits according to specific criteria of the program and approval of the Program Director. Transferred courses cannot replace core course requirements of the Johns Hopkins Museum Studies Program.

No, a thesis is not required.

No, we do not require or offer formal concentrations, however some students have clustered courses in a particular field or thematic area (such as administration, education, exhibitions, etc.). Students are free to choose any elective courses of interest, however, some classes may recommend a core course as a prerequisite.

Each class will have no more than 17 students. The core courses tend to fill up quickly, so it is strongly recommended that you register early.  If a class you want is already full, you may be waitlisted.

Not all elective classes are offered each semester, some only once a year, but all of the core courses are generally offered every semester.

All Museum Studies students are assigned an advisor who will help you to determine which courses are best for your career goals.

Yes, students are allowed to take up to two courses in another JHU program if the student has the permission of the Program Director.

Yes, you may take up to two preapproved courses as electives, online or onsite, from another JHU program.

Since this is a part-time graduate program, most students take one to two courses a semester.  You may take up to three classes per semester, with approval from the Program Director, however a high course load is not recommended if you work full time.  You can expect to spend approximately 12-15 hours per week for each class.

You have five years to complete the program and classes are offered in the Fall, Spring, and Summer. Students may take two consecutive semesters off without formal permission. However, if you do not take classes for an entire year, you must apply for a leave of absence.

Please refer the Academic Calendar to see when the registration period is for each semester (advanced.jhu.edu/registration/academic-calendars/index.html). JHU provides a simple step-by-step registration process for students.

Yes, the JHU Museum Studies Program follows the APA (American Psychological Association) citation format.  For more information on APA style, visit the APA Web site.

There are currently no grants or scholarships available for incoming students; however, there is one scholarship offered to students already active in the program. More information about this scholarship may be found here.

As of Summer 2012, tuition for each course is $3,171, plus a $150 technology fee. The tuition is the same for all students, international and American. The onsite seminar has the same tuition fees, but there are other associated costs.

In order to qualify for financial aid at JHU, you must be enrolled in at least 2 classes. AAP also maintains a financial aid site (advanced.jhu.edu/admissions/financial-aid/), which is available for all AAP students to explore their financial options. Students may find more information on and apply for financial aid here. All questions concerning student finances, aid, credits, invoices, refunds, and charges may be directed to the Office of Student Accounts using this form, or you may call the office directly at 410.516.8158.

All online courses are administered asynchronously through a course management tool called Blackboard.  Course content is delivered via text notes, voice-over PowerPoint, streaming video, and threaded discussions to provide a connection between students and students and their professors through visual, auditory, and text-driven interactions.  Professors will also provide their personal contact information so students will be able to reach them to ask questions or discuss any concerns. Courses may also use blogs, wikis and other social media tools/web 2.0 tools (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) to foster interaction. 

All new students are required to pass an orientation class that introduces Blackboard and its various online learning tools. Students have a week before classes start to begin and complete the Blackboard orientation tutorial. You will receive an email that contains the link to access this course material. It is strongly recommended that students complete this course on the computer(s) they will likely be using throughout the semester.

The Museum Studies Program and the Blackboard interface are set to EST (Eastern Standard Time) as that is the time zone of the University’s physical location.

The JHU library has a homepage specifically for the Museum Studies Program where students can access online periodicals, journals, etc., which pertain to the museum field.  The library also has a service from which you can request hard copies either by mail or by actually picking them up at a local library near you. You are required to pay for the return shipping fees. However, most readings assigned by your professor are accessible through electronic reserve [e-reserve], a common function of your courses.

Yes, courses are offered in three, thirteen-week semesters: Fall, Spring and Summer. You can find details on the academic calendar at:  http://advanced.jhu.edu/registration/academic-calendars/index.html

The only time you need to be onsite with JHU faculty and other students is the two-week Onsite Seminar (advanced.jhu.edu/academic/museum/onsite-seminar/index.html), which you are required to take before you graduate. Students must have completed a minimum of two courses in the program to register for this class, however four or more courses are recommended.

Hardware:  (PC System minimum)

• Operating System:  Windows 7, Vista or XP
• CPU:  1 GHz
• Memory:  512 MB RAM
• Hard Drive:  500 MB free space
• Monitor:  800×600 16-bit color display or better
• Sound Card
• Microphone and Speakers
• Headset

Hardware:  (Macintosh System Requirements, minimum)

• Operating System:  Mac OS 10.5+
• CPU:  PowerPC G3, G4, or G5
• Memory:  512 MB RAM
• Hard Drive:  500 MB free space
• Network:  256+ kbps
• Monitor:  800×600 16-bit color display or better
• Sound Card
• Microphone and Speakers
• Headset

Learning online requires some basic knowledge of computer technology and demonstrable computer skills.