[Nhcoll-l] Graduate studies and Curator/collections manager qualification

[Pellegrini, Rodrigo [DOS]]

In my opinion, it’s not really one or the other, but both.
Most Museum Studies programs will cross train you to manage collections in different disciplines, but few have expertise in all. If you were to get a Museology or Museum Studies degree at an institution that only really has a Fine Arts expertise, and your goal is to manage a Natural History collection, it wouldn’t really help you much landing a job you want.
On the other hand, if you have Academic degrees and experience, but no training or experience in collections management or registration, you wouldn’t be my first choice if I was hiring for a management position. My concerns would be whether a collections management job is really what you want, or whether your applying for the job just to have something while you look for a professorship or curatorial-level position. That is also in addition to the obvious concerns as to how well you could do the job. You may be very familiar with systematics, but would you know about best practices, preventive conservation, and legal record-keeping?
Some of these aspects can be learned through on-the-job training, some you can teach yourself through reading appropriate publications, but ultimately experience, credentials and whatever knowledge you bring with you matter most. As mentioned by others, everyone’s path is different, and museums vary a lot. Natural History museums, more specifically, vary a lot. They differ in size, resources, and what is expected of the position (beyond keeping track of the stuff).
I’m a vertebrate paleontologist, but stopped my education in the discipline with my MSc. At that time I had to decide if I wanted to pursue a PhD, change careers, or find another way into museum work, which is really what I had always wanted to do. I had practical experience with collections, and happened to be at KU, which has a wonderful Museum Studies MA program. I decided to go that route, and pursued and earned a MA in Museum Studies there. It worked out well for me, as I ended up in a medium-size institution in a collections management position that oversees not just paleontology, but all other Natural History collections within. I am fairly sure my degrees in both, Paleontology and Museum Studies, helped me get the job, as I was prepared in both subject knowledge of the largest collections in the NH bureau, and knew how to manage most of the rest thanks to my Museum Studies degree.
That said, not having a PhD has limited my options. Large museums like the Field in Chicago, for example, require a PhD for their collection management positions. While I have the training, more than enough coursework, and practical experience, plus publications (which granted, are few precisely because I am in a Museum that emphasizes education over research, and my job is management), I cannot apply to such jobs because I don’t have a PhD. I have also been offered post docs and been asked to be in doctoral dissertation committees, but have had to decline for not meeting the requirement of having a PhD.
So, it can come down to opportunities and goals. What is your ultimate career goal? What credentials and experience will that job require? If all you want to do is break in to the field and retain that initial job, a single degree may suffice. If you want to advance and move up with experience, you may need another credential as well. Balance is always good, and the more you have and can show, the better, but it is an investment of time and money (Museum Studies masters degrees are usually 2 years, but some places offer 1 year programs). It helps to have a goal to chart a roadmap, but always be prepared to alter course as needs change.

Rod

Rodrigo Pellegrini
Registrar, Natural History Bureau
New Jersey State Museum
PO Box 530
Trenton, NJ 08625-0530
USA

Rodrigo.Pellegrini at sos.state.nj.us<mailto:Rodrigo.Pellegrini at sos.state.nj.us>
From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Benjamin Ehrman
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Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Nhcoll-l] Graduate studies and Curator/collections manager qualification

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Greetings all,

I was wondering if someone who has researched paleoecology (with respect to vertebrate paleontology) in their graduate program can qualify for a position as a collections manager, museum curator, lab technician, or similar positions?

Are MSc or Phd degrees preferred?

I have a masters degree and am interested in a PhD, and was wondering what sort of PhD programs would be ideal for this career path? Are there any other recommendations you would make for someone seeking that career path?

Regards,
Ben
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