Certificate in Digital Curation
Program Overview
As the creation and acquisition of valuable digital assets continues at a rapid pace, cultural heritage institutions now have a critical need for digital curation professionals. This program will equip you with the knowledge and experience to:
- Manage and preserve all types of digital assets to ensure their long-term availability for researchers, educators, and the public
- Participate in the development and promotion of standards and best practices for digital curation in cultural heritage
- Contribute to the critically needed professional literature in the field
The Johns Hopkins University Graduate Certificate in Digital Curation, offered through the graduate program in Museum Studies, advances the education and training of museum and cultural heritage professionals worldwide in this emerging field.
This certificate program offers a specialized curriculum that prepares current and aspiring cultural heritage professionals to work with digital collections, exhibitions, and research data to ensure the effective stewardship of our global cultural heritage in all types of museums—from art museums to zoos—and related cultural heritage organizations.
Who Should Apply
The program is appropriate for all types of current and aspiring cultural heritage professionals who have responsibility for or interest in museum, archives, and artifact collections—including collection managers, registrars, curators, museum archivists, museum librarians, and others.
Students who are interested in pursuing both the MA in Museum Studies and the Digital Curation Certificate may apply to both programs simultaneously. Two core courses for the certificate may be taken as electives in the MA program and counted toward both the MA and the certificate, and vice versa, resulting in a total of 14 courses rather than 16 (see Museum Studies/Digital Curation Certificate). Students currently enrolled in either program may also apply to the other program at any time.
Career Opportunities
In addition to new skill requirements for professionals in traditional jobs, new positions are being created in museums that reflect the new demands for managing digital assets throughout their life cycle. Some titles of currently existing positions that illustrate the range of new career opportunities that are emerging in the museum field include:
- Chief Officer of Digital Media
- Digital Curator
- Director, Digitization Program
- Director of Research and Scientific Data Management
- Digital Archivist
- Digitization Specialist

Angel Kelley MA in Museum Studies and Certificate in Digital Curation GraduateI quickly realized that in today’s technology-driven world it is only a matter of time before everyone in an institution will need training in digital asset management. When JHU announced the Certificate in Digital Curation I jumped at the chance to not only learn more about collections management but to also be able to delve even further into the unique needs of digital collections.
High-Demand Specialization
Museums are increasingly digitizing their existing collections to protect and increase access to artifacts—as well as heavily invest in acquiring born-digital content to engage and better serve the public. This certificate will help you to be at advantage in both traditional and digital museum positions.
Join a Vibrant Community
Our international student body and accomplished alumni provide you with a built-in network of professionals. Our faculty is made up of experienced practitioners and recognized leaders in the digital curation field.
What You Will Study
The Certificate in Digital Curation encompasses five core courses and one elective. You'll study the foundations of digital curation and preservation, learn to manage digital information in the museum setting, and will get practical experience to implement your knowledge on practice as it pertains to your career goals.
Take the Next Step
Meet the emerging demands of digital asset management and curation in today's museums, as well as heritage and cultural institutions.
Contact Us for More Information
Advanced Academic Programs Admissions
This program is designed to be completed in 12 months.
This program will cost $25,752 if completed within normal time. There may be additional costs for living expenses. These costs ($2,030) were accurate at the time of posting but may have changed.
Of the students who completed this program within normal time, the typical graduate leaves with $ N/A of debt.
Fewer than 10 students completed this program within normal time. This number has been withheld to preserve the confidentiality of the students.
The following do not have licensure requirements for this profession: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Federated States of Micronesia, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Marshall Islands, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Marianas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, 6 Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
For more information about graduation rates, loan repayment rates, and post-enrollment earnings about this institution and other postsecondary institutions please click here.