Museum curators work to preserve important artifacts, records and art, such as photographs, historic objects, paintings and sculptures. They are generally responsible for planning and overseeing the cataloging, arrangement and exhibition of a wide variety of collections, as well as leading or coordinating educational programs and tours. If you are considering pursuing a career as a museum curator, you must have a very specialized educational background, as well as vast work experience.
Instructions
1. Prepare for your future career by taking classes in history and art in high school. Visit a wide variety of local museums in your area to see whether this type of work fits your personality and career dreams.
2. Get an internship at a museum while in college to learn all the ins and outs of the business and the behind-the-scene administrative work. Work at several different types of museums, such as a university museum and a private museum to see how they are run differently.
3. Earn your bachelor's degree in art history or any other appropriate museum specialty. For example, if want to work at a history museum, get a degree in history. Other degrees may include geology or archaeology. Take courses in marketing, business administration, fundraising and public relations as well.
4. Apply at small museums to obtain a curator position with only a bachelor's degree.
5. Earn your master's degree in your museum employer-of-choice's specialty, such as Renaissance art or museum studies, also known as museology. Gain an edge over competitors by earning two graduate degrees, including one in the museum's specialty and museology.
6. Apply for curatorial assistant or collection manager positions at local museums. Gain work experience and make integral networking connections for several years before being eligible for the curator job.
7. Continue your higher-learning education path by earning a doctoral degree if you want to work in a national or international museum. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, science and natural history museums typically require their curators to have this level of education.
8. Take continuing education classes while working up through the ranks at the museum. Some helpful areas of study include conservation, chemistry, aesthetic design and foreign languages.
9. Conduct research in your field, contribute to academic journals and produce published works to advance further in the curator industry.
Tags: bachelor degree, degree history, Earn your, local museums, museum specialty
