Museum and Gallery Management Certificate - University of Houston
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Questions? Please contact
Amanda Cachia
Arts Leadership Assistant Director
acachia@uh.edu

 

The Graduate Certificate in Museum and Gallery Management Program offered through the
M.A. in Arts Leadership Program is an exclusive 12-credit, non-degree synchronous
online program at the University of Houston. The program can be completed in one to three
years and provides a concentrated study in the business and administrative aspects of museum
and gallery spaces.


Students will be provided with an overview of key aspects for managing nonprofit museums and
commercial galleries and will be introduced to the practical skills required in these fields,
including curatorial and exhibition planning, promotion, and publicity; museum programming;
development of educational materials and programs; exhibition design and installation; and the
proper handling and treatment of art objects. Students will be exposed to professionals currently
working in the field through guest lectures and site visits.


During this synchronous online program, students will have the opportunity to meet with their
instructors and peers in each of their classes for a one-week in-person portion of the course.
Students will have the option to engage in field trips and visit with working professionals in the
field in the city of Houston.


Undertaking this Graduate Certificate in Museum and Gallery Management is:
• an opportunity for specialization in the professional field of museum and gallery
management
• an opportunity for advanced training in a specialized topic area that may not be covered
in detail in any of our existing degree programs at UH
• an opportunity for continuing professional education
• a distinction on your graduate degree transcript

The program is open to current University of Houston graduate students, in addition to
prospective students who already possess a graduate degree. A background in fine art is not
required to enroll in the certificate program as the process of museum management is
transferable across various types of museums, including children’s museums, history museums,
natural science museums, etc.


The classes are all offered in a synchronous online learning platform that offers busy working
professionals distance education that combines real-time engagement with on-demand access.
International students are eligible to apply to online Certificate programs but must adhere to all
UH international student admission processes but will not need to secure international visa
requirements. International students must pay non-resident tuition rates and fees. The Certificate
programs are considered “College of the Arts Professional Programs” as seen in the tuition chart
below.


https://uh.edu/financial/graduate/tuition-fees/tuition/ 


For more information, see:

https://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/international-students/ 


Please review the technology requirements at the following link to ensure that you will have a
successful online learning experience with this Certificate:


https://uh.edu/online/tech/requirements/ 
https://uh.edu/online/students/remote-learning/ 


For more questions about distance education and online learning, please see:

https://onlinelearning.egr.uh.edu/faqs-online-learning 


For UH IT Technology support see:

https://www.uh.edu/infotech/help/ 


For questions on tuition see:

https://uh.edu/financial/graduate/tuition-fees/tuition/ 

Certification Requirements

Prospective UH Graduate Students must fulfill the below requirements:

  • A graduate degree from an accredited institution with an overall 3.0 (B) average on the last 60 hours of course credit
  • A completed UH Graduate School Application form, including:
    • A statement of interest in and preparation for the program
    • One (1) letter of recommendation
    • A resume of academic and work experience
    • Official transcripts from each college or university attended since high school

Prospective UH Graduate Students must then submit the application form via email to acachia@uh.edu with MGM Graduate Certificate Application as the subject line. 

Fall Application Deadline: August 1

Spring Application Deadline: December 1

For more information, see Admissions.

Current UH Graduate Students applying for the Graduate Certificate in Museum and Gallery Management Program must have completed a minimum of 9 graduate credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in a related field which can include (but is not limited to) art, art history, arts leadership, architecture, anthropology, education, history, music, theatre, dance, Spanish, social work, sociology, world cultures and literature.

Current UH Students must submit the application form and graduate student petition to fsfernando@uh.edu with MGM Graduate Certificate Application as the subject line.

Fall Application Deadline: August 1

Spring Application Deadline: December 1

For more information, see Admissions.

Course Requirements

In order to receive the Graduate Certificate in Museum and Gallery Management, certificate courses cannot double count between the certificate and any other graduate program on or off the UH campus. Individual courses can, however, be taken as elective courses in any UH graduate degree program. Students have up to three years to complete the certificate.

Four (4) courses (12 credit hours) from the following must be completed within three years to successfully complete the graduate certificate:

All students must take the ARLD 6370 – Introduction to Museum and Gallery Management.

It is highly recommended that students take ARLD 6310 – Fundraising for the Arts and ARLD 6320 – Financial Management for the Arts if they have not already taken them in a previous degree or certificate track.

ARLD 6370 – Introduction to Museum and Gallery Management (3 credit hours)
Required for all students
This course provides an overview of key aspects for managing nonprofit museums and commercial galleries and introduces students to the practical skills required in these fields, including: exhibition planning, promotion, and publicity; development of educational materials and programs; exhibition design and installation; and the proper handling and treatment of art objects. Students will be exposed to professionals currently working in the field though guest lectures and site visits.

ARLD 6310 – Fundraising for the Arts (3 credit hours)
Required for students who have not completed previous coursework in fundraising
The course serves as an introduction to fundraising strategies for leaders of the arts and provides a comprehensive overview of the fundraising process for non-profit organizations. Students are introduced to basic terminology and concepts in the field; relationship building, the solicitation process, the grants process, major gifts process, the annual campaign, corporate giving and the role of planned giving within an organization’s overall fundraising efforts.

ARLD 6320 – Financial Management for the Arts (3 credit hours)
Required for students who have not completed previous coursework in financial management
Course investigates fundamental concepts of financial theory and applies to the management of Arts Organizations; concepts include financial statement analysis, profit planning, sources and forms of financing, budgeting and business valuation.

Students may choose from the list of courses below to fulfill the remaining hours of coursework needed for the Museum and Gallery Management Certificate Program. Students may also contact the Program Director to propose additional courses from the Art History, Arts, and/or Arts Education departments that could count towards the certificate.

ARLD 6371 – Museum Programming (3 credit hours)
This course will serve as an overview to the current trajectory of curation, the history of galleries and museums, methodologies, politics of display, and the art market, allowing students to explore the history, theory and practice of museums as well as the current and emerging trends in the field. Though guest lectures and site visits, students will also have the opportunity to meet with Houston area museum professionals to learn the process of museum programming including curatorial work, registration, education and public programming, marketing, public relations and collection management.

ARLD 6372 – Museum Education and Community Engagement (3 credit hours)
Students address the issues regarding the development and implementation of museum education and community engagement in current museum practices through readings, discussions, and multiple visits to local institutions.

ARLD 6395 – Exhibition Practices (3 credit hours)
In this seminar, students learn about the development and implementation of museum exhibitions and public programs. Cultural, historical, and theoretical implications of exhibitions as sites of knowledge production and exchange are explored through readings, research, discussion, and through guest lectures and site visits workshops. Students are tasked with proposing an exhibition utilizing work from the School of Art graduate students that will be installed on the Third Floor Gallery in the Elgin Street Studios. Students will assume the role of curator, designer, registrar, mount maker, and preparatory. Acting in these multitude of roles will prepare students for the many skills that go into exhibition development and execution.
ARLD 6315 – Public Relations and Marketing in the Arts (3 credit hours)
Introduction to public relations and marketing for leaders of arts organizations, this introductory course surveys a variety of techniques, from audience research and campaign development to advertising and branding, and emerging online tools. Basic strategies of public relations will be explored along with methods for making the most of social media platforms to develop and deepen customer relationships. The course will cover marketing principles as they relate to building, maintaining and developing audiences for performing and visual arts organizations
ARTH 6301 – Critical Theory (3 credit hours)
Survey of the major concepts and methods employed in the analysis of art practice. Instructor approval required.
ARTH 6303 – After Theory (3 credit hours)
Exploration of discourses that can inform contemporary artistic practice from political critique to literature, music, and film. Instructor approval required.
ARTH 6380 – Museums and the Problems of Display (3 credit hours)
Development of the culture if display and the impact of art institutions, curators and exhibitions on our understanding of artworks and their history. Instructor approval required.
ARLD 6391 – Internship Placement
A 150-hour professional placement in a Houston area museum or gallery setting.

Fall 2024  

All classes are from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. unless otherwise listed.  

ARLD 6320 – Financial Management for the Arts
Mondays 

ARLD 6372 – Museum Education and Community Engagement (online)
Tuesdays

ARLD 6370 – Introduction to Museum and Gallery Management (online)
Wednesdays

ARLD 6310 – Fundraising for the Arts (online)
Wednesdays  

ARLD 6395 – Leadership in Public Art (Selected Topics in Arts Leadership)
Thursdays

Spring 2025 

All classes are from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. unless otherwise listed.  

ARTH 6303 – After Theory
Tuesdays, 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

ARLD 6371 – Museum Programming (online)
Tuesdays

ARLD 6315 – Public Relations and Marketing in the Arts
Wednesdays

ARTH 6301 – Critical Theory
TBA 

ARLD 6391 – Internship Placement
By director’s permission

 

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"Being a brand-new Houstonian, the Arts Leadership Program offered a phenomenal opportunity to learn about this vital, diverse and thriving arts community from the ‘"insider perspective’ of proven leaders in the field. The professors imbue their courses with management savvy, professional connections and years of experience from a variety of leadership positions in the Houston arts scene. I feel excited, confident and eager to apply my knowledge in the arts community of my new hometown!" Alyson Landry (MA ’16)