CMS Program Provides Professional Development

A Decade of Growth

Elizabeth Stapleton-Roach, CMS candidate

In its first full academic year of operation, three students were admitted to the Certificate in Museum Studies (CMS) Program. Now, ten years later, the program has graduated 133 students, with an anticipated record graduating class in June. Moreover, there are 112 current candidates in the program with a dozen more applications in various stages of being processed.

The strong interest in the CMS Program attests to its success and excellent reputation. "I believe that there are two main reasons for the growth we have seen, especially in recent years," stated Linda Newberry, coordinator of the CMS Program. "The first is that over the history of the program we have earned a solid reputation as our students have done excellent work in their internships. Museum professionals experience firsthand the quality of our students. And the internships provide students with networking opportunities essential in their postgraduate job searches.

"The second reason, I believe, is the availability of information about our program on the Extension School's website. Anyone who has access to the World Wide Web can learn about our program. Students have identified both of these factors when asked how they heard about us and why they decided to come here."

CMS candidate Elizabeth Stapleton-Roach, who works as museum specialist at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, said she learned of the CMS Program while working on her undergraduate degree in anthropology at UMass/Amherst. She transferred to UMass/Boston with the intention of pursuing the CMS upon graduation. "I wanted a program that would give me the professional development I needed and still be able to fit my coursework around my work schedule," said Stapleton-Roach. "I've been very pleased with the courses; the instructors are all wonderful and I have benefited greatly from the classes I've taken thus far."

Newberry also noted that there has been an increase in the number of people applying to the program from outside the Greater Boston area: 23 percent of the current candidates in the program moved to this area specifically to study in the CMS Program, and 16 percent of the current candidates are international students.

Over the last few years discussion and debate in the field of museum studies has focused on a number of "hot" topics: the continuing need for professionalization of positions within museums, the challenge of keeping up with information technology, the importance of developing sound educational programs, and the ability to identify and secure funding. As the CMS Program has grown over the last ten years, the number of courses has increased from 39 to 52. Because it is the goal of the program to provide students with the necessary knowledge and competence to pursue professional careers in the museum field, the curriculum (courses in museum administration, disciplines relevant to museums, and the internship) gives students options that will enable them to be competitive in the job market. For example, MUSE E-130 Information Technology for Museums and Collections was added to the curriculum a few years ago. The course is an opportunity for students to gain a broad perspective on the use of information technology in museums, galleries, and private collections.