Thank you for your interest in Marist College’s Master of Art in Museum Studies! Based in one of the world’s most important museum centers, our program offers unparalleled learning opportunities and exposes students to a variety of international perspectives. Now, we’re taking the time to make that experience even better.
Our Museum Studies Program is in the process of being revitalized and, as a result, new admissions will be “on pause” for the 2022-23 academic year. This decision came after a great deal of thought, reflection, and discussion. We believe that it is time for a change in direction for the degree, which needs to be updated for a post-pandemic world. We will be revising the curriculum to make it more digital and flexible; focused on the effective management of cultural heritage today and tomorrow; and geared toward the professional development and interests of our students.
We encourage you to check this page for important updates on this project and for information on how to apply to Marist College in the future. If you have any questions, please contact the Graduate Admissions Office.
Marist’s MA in Museum Studies is located at our branch campus in Florence, Italy, the world’s most iconic hub of art and museum culture. In this degree program, Florence is your classroom and experienced museum professionals are your teachers. Embark on your own museological journey with internships at museum centers around the globe and become thoroughly prepared for a meaningful career in museum studies long before you graduate.
In the MA in Museum Studies program, students are given the opportunity to choose between two academic tracks that allow them to focus their coursework toward their career goals.
The Professional Track is aimed at students who intend to go directly into the professional museum field and do not wish to pursue a doctorate after completing the master’s degree.
Students in the Professional track will complete a Masters Practicum, a project proposed and researched by the student and overseen by a Practicum Advisor, that can either be completed on its own or folded into an internship.
The Pre-Doctoral Track is aimed at students planning to go on to pursue a doctorate after completing the master's degree.
Students taking the Pre-Doctoral Track will write and defend a thesis. Defense of your thesis will require the passing of a foreign language competency exam in French, Italian, German, Spanish, or Latin. Other languages may be approved in special circumstances.
The MA in Museum Studies is designed to prepare our students to enter into the museum field anywhere in the world. That experience includes one-on-one assistance in securing top internships that will propel them in their careers. Below are only a handful of locations at which our students have interned in Italy, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and North America.
Learn more about internships >
I firmly believe that I could not have received an education of this caliber anywhere else. The faculty for the MA program is unparalleled, everyone from guest lecturers to academic advisors. And nothing I say could do justice to the facilities—the city of Florence is your classroom. You’re within walking distance of some of the most impressive musicological collections and spaces in the world, surrounded by buildings and streets that are likely centuries older than anything you grew up around if you’re from the US.
Alexa Communiello
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My research in the program focused in Egyptology, so I was able to do my internship at the Museo Egizio in Turin, Italy. It holds one of the best Egyptian collections in the world, and I worked on a temporary exhibition from the initial research right through to opening night. It was a wonderful experience that also gave me a chance to turn theory into practice.
Bethany Hucks
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Learning in Florence is quite the adventure, and education is certainly not limited to the classroom. This learning experience teaches you how to become an international citizen, learning language, culture, and challenging yourself to break away from the familiar. Even inside the ‘classroom,’ we are given ample opportunities to get out into the musicological scene of the city.
Lauren Benetua
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I strongly believe that all of the courses in the Lorenzo de Medici, Marist College, and Università degli Studi di Firenze joint Master’s program are strongly applicable towards the art and museum world. My favorite courses were Art Law, Transcultural Aesthetics, and Il museo e l’opera d’arte.
Mackenzie Constantinou
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Museum Archivists, Curators, and Workers career outlook is predicted to grow by 19% over the next decade.
Consisting of 34 total credits, students in Marist’s MA in Museum Studies are able to complete the program in as little as one year.
Applicants may be eligible to receive merit awards and scholarships, employee partnership discounts, and even graduate assistantships.
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