Fleming College: Learn | Belong | Become

Note: Approximately 75% of classes are held at the Peterborough Museum and Archives.

Program Highlights

Make history come alive, relevant to the society of today and in the future.

Museum Managers and Curators don't just preserve the relics, stories, and memorabilia of the past. They animate it and interpret it, bringing history to life for people of all ages and stages. Put your college diploma or university degree to work in the service of a society that needs to know its past -- in order to inform the future.

The Museum Management and Curatorship program is an intensive, fast-paced, immersion experience. You will take this post-graduate certificate program during three consecutive semesters. The program is designed to meet the needs of students who want to acquire applied training for careers in the museum/gallery or heritage sectors. You'll take courses which have been developed in consultation and co-operation with museums and heritage organizations in order to offer a real, not simulated, work experience. The program is an optimal blend of independent study, in-class lectures, discussion, group work and applied projects.

The Peterborough Museum and Archives, a City-owned and operated institution, is the program's main learning partner. The museum has designated spaces for Fleming students. This is where you will attend the majority of your lectures. As well, you will do practical training at this museum. Find out more information about the museum at: www.peterboroughmuseumandarchives.ca

Classes are also held at the college's Sutherland Campus (on Brealey Drive) and at Trent University Archives.

By being immersed in museum work, you'll experience the complexity and diversity of tasks/duties in small to medium-sized museums or galleries. You will need to complete site work, research, and group projects and be prepared for off-campus teaching outside of "regular" day classes.

Word from the Workplace

"The program provided me with essential foundations skills that I call upon almost on a daily basis. I found the team building aspect of the program to be the most useful skill set gained. In my business world, a competent team player is crucial to mastering company-client relations. This program gave me the practice and confidence I needed to become a successful research consultant for one of my company's largest clients - the Department of Indian Northern Affairs Canada. I do research and build reports which will eventually be used in court for Canadian First Nations communities seeking compensation for their experiences within the Residential School System. I have an office in downtown Ottawa and work from home two to three days a week. The job is flexible but very demanding. It has been a great first jump into the working world, and I have the Museum Management and Curatorship program to thank for it."

Ashley Whiteside, Program Graduate
Associate, Public History Inc.

Why Choose Fleming?

The Museum Management and Curatorship program at Fleming College is unique in Canada, and is one of the few available to students interested in this field. The certificate is highly regarded by heritage, historical, and cultural institutions, galleries, museums, and graduates. The program benefits from strong partnerships and support from museums and galleries.

The third semester of the Museum Management and Curatorship program is a challenging, full-time, four-month internship during the spring and summer. This unpaid, curriculum-based internship will give you hands-on work experience.

 Attention Trent University students. If you're in third or fourth year, you can credit your Fleming year in this program toward an Honours B.A. (Contact Trent University for details.)

Work Experience

By the nature of this program, a significant amount of time is spent working in the field, and on practical projects. You'll also take part in an exciting, internship program throughout the spring and summer of your final semester -- putting all your hard work and studies into motion. Students should be prepared to relocate for the internship, to pay full tuition, and be self-supporting. You will negotiate your own internship with faculty assistance, and several students have gone abroad for the internship - for example, to placements in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Examples of internship locations include:

• Heritage Preservation Office - Peterborough
• Peterborough Museum and Archives
• Provincial Archives Associations
• Ontario Museum Association
• The Rooms Newfoundland
• Nova Scotia Museums
• Metro Toronto Zoo
• Bata Shoe Museum
• Royal Tyrrell Museum
• National Trust

What it Takes to Succeed

• An interest in history, culture, and heritage
• manual dexterity
• public relations skills
• ability to work with people of all ages
• cultural sensitivity/awareness
• ability to multi-task
• time management skills
• sense of humour
• team building skills
• strong communication skills

Looking for an Advantage?

Experience or certification in the following are assets:

• Digital photography
• Photoshop, Adobe Suite 
• Fall Arrest Training
• French language skills
• Fire Prevention Training
• Firearms Possession and Acquisition Licence (P.A.L.)
• Experience working with databases 

Career Opportunities

You'll find employment at historic sites, parks, zoos, monuments, living history sites, museums, galleries, and in heritage/arts/cultural education. Job titles include:

• archivist/collections manager /registrar
• curator
• museum interpreter/guide
• outreach and extension co-ordinator
• exhibit designer/co-ordinator
• education officer
• fundraiser

An initial job after graduation most likely will be a contract position, but you'll progress from there to more permanent, full-time employment. There's a high employment rate in the field following graduation.

Minimum Admission Requirements

• An Ontario College Diploma or a university degree in a related field, or the equivalent.
• Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic admission requirements will be considered on an individual basis by the program co-ordinator.

Related Programs

This program is ideally suited as a continuing studies addition to a degree or diploma. For instance, Trent University students in third or fourth year can take this program to help them earn an Honours B.A.

Fleming College Visual and Creative Arts Diploma graduates can complete Fleming's Museum Management and Curatorship post-graduate program with just two additional semesters of study.

Health Requirements

If you have a complex medical history, we strongly advise you to discuss your concerns with the program co-ordinator, and to consult with your doctor. You must update Tetanus and all immunizations prior to the start of classes. In addition, students are required to pay certification fees and present current certification for Standard First Aid, CPR (C Level), WHMIS training and a current police records check.

Additional Costs

Books/supply costs are approximately $1600 a year.

Course	Hours
Semester 1
Archival Management	15.00
Care of Collections I	45.00
Collections Management I	45.00
Curatorial Research Methods	45.00
Exhibition Development I	45.00
Gallery and Museum Administration I	45.00
Introduction to Museum Studies	30.00
Semester 2
Care of Collections II	45.00
Collections Management II	45.00
Educational and Interpretative Programming	45.00
Exhibition Development II	45.00
Fundraising and Grantsmanship	45.00
Gallery and Museum Administration II	45.00
Internship and Career Orientation	15.00
Semester 3
Internship	600.00

Semester 1

Archival Management

Course Number: MUSM001

Using five half-day workshops (per group), this introduction to archival management is designed to provide the general museum worker with the basic knowledge to implement and manage an archival program as an integral component of museum operations. The course focuses on the selection, appraisal, arrangement, description and management of archival holdings. It also focuses on public access, legal and donor-related restrictions, ethical practises in archives, records management and professional documentation standards.

Units: 15.00
Hours: 15.00

Care of Collections I

Course Number: SCIE033

This course introduces essential practices in the maintenance and protection of museum collections. Preventive conservation focuses on establishing a stable and secure environment for collections. The student will learn the agents of deterioration threatening collections and the primary means of control. Students will learn safe handling procedures, condition reporting and how to assess and meet object needs for packing, storage and display.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Collections Management I

Course Number: MUSM004

Collections Management I introduces the basic principles of collections and collections records management. It provides an overview of the functions of the registrar and registration department with a special emphasis on the issues surrounding the development and maintenance of an effective records management system. Manual and automated systems will be examined in the context of a general museum collection.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Curatorial Research Methods

Course Number: MUSM006

Curatorial research is motivated by two things: a love of objects, and a fascination with the ways in which they speak about the past and present. The care of artifacts (i.e., objects within a museum context) cannot stop at identification and physical conservation. Identification must be seen as part of a larger task: an exploration of the social and cultural significance of objects in relation to each other and to the people who made, used, and kept them. Conservation must include preservation of the information accompanying an object, information beyond personal institutional provenance, or artifact type. Finally, curatorial research entails a critical awareness of our own culturally-bound responses to artifacts.This course prepares students for collections research in the museum environment, and for the challenge of developing meaning and value for those collections in a regional context. Emphasis is placed on the importance of the museum research function, and the use of a relatively new approach to historical research - material history. Each 3 hour session integrates presentations, group work and discussion, case studies, and independent research. In addition, the instructor will facilitate visits from guest lecturers.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Exhibition Development I

Course Number: MUSM010

This course introduces the role of museum exhibits within both the museum and the community, and develops the skills necessary to manage an exhibition program at a community museum. As part of the first semester of the Museum Management and Curatorship Program, this course will introduce students to different types of exhibits, their purposes, how they are planned, and the complex relationships among a museum, its exhibits, and its audiences. Students will apply their knowledge and develop skills through carrying out a number of real-life exhibition projects for community clients.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Gallery and Museum Administration I

Course Number: MUSM014

The course provides a framework for the understanding of the organization and management of the non-for-profit or public sector arts or heritage organization. Using a combination of theory and practice, it develops the basic skills required by the generalist museum worker in order to administer the day-to-day operations of a small to medium sized museum. This course focuses on organizing and leading as key management functions.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Introduction to Museum Studies

Course Number: MUSM026

Using local and other museums as case studies, this course provides an introduction to the history, development and philosophy of public museums and related institutions. It examines the political, social and economic climate which contributed to the emergence of museums in Europe and North America: the development of the museum functions: the emergence of different museum types and forms, (including and outside the Western tradition) and the changing role of museums in society. The developing role, training and professionalization of the museum worker will also be examined. Introduction to Museums presents a background and context for past developments and current issues explored in other course work. Note: This is a foundation course for the entire program delivered as a 7-day immersion in the field.

Units: 30.00
Hours: 30.00

Semester 2

Care of Collections II

Course Number: SCIE034

The student will learn to recognize the material characteristics, fabrication methods, and deterioration processes of historic objects commonly found in a museum collection eg. paper, paints, metals, wood, textiles, ethnographic material, glass, ceramics. Basic techniques for cleaning, stabilization and support are examined. Emphasis is placed on developing judgement skills and determining personal limitations in order to assess when to seek outside assistance from a conservator. Note: All components of course work must be attempted in order to achieve a passing grade. Students are required to participate in routine housekeeping activities in the Fine Gallery at the museum as necessary. Students will be required to participate in laboratory clean-up as necessary.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Collections Management II

Course Number: MUSM005

Collections Management II is a continuation of Collections Management I, with a change in emphasis from procedural issues and concerns to philosophical, oral, ethical and legal issues. In some cases students will be working on projects and case studies where there are few documented precedents and where primary research will be required. The course provides a framework for the examination of the issues and concerns surrounding ownership, stewardship and management of cultural property. Relationships with donors, lenders, borrowers, artists and special interest groups are examined in the context of increasing levels of public accountability and changing ideas about the curatorial role of museums and galleries.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Educational and Interpretative Programming

Course Number: MUSM008

This course provides a general introduction to education and interpretation in museums, galleries and historic sites. The course explores policy development, learning theory, learning styles, communication and interpretative skills, and the methodology of program design while providing hands-on experience in program planning and implementation using a variety of teaching techniques. Students will develop strategies for promotion, evaluation and statistics records management. The parallels and differences between working in the museum, gallery and historic site contexts will also be examined.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Exhibition Development II

Course Number: MUSM011

Exhibition Development 2 introduces the creation of temporary and permanent exhibitions for community museums and interpretative centres. As part of the second semester of the Museum Management and Curatorship program, this course helps students develop the wide range of skills needed to create an exhibition, including exhibition coordination, research, interpretative planning, design, fabrication, and evaluation. Students apply their knowledge to the creation of one or more exhibitions for community clients.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Fundraising and Grantsmanship

Course Number: MUSM013

The need for effective fundraising and grantsmanship skills is of critical importance to any non-profit cultural organization. Professional staff capable of performing these functions directly or building the fundraising and grantsmanship skills of their organization are in demand. This course explores how fundraising and grantsmanship challenges emerge from an organization's overall strategic planning and visioning process as well as how it ties into its operational planning systems. The course examines the basics of planning and implementing a successful fundraising campaign or grants acquisition process and managing it effectively in collaboration with an organization's board of directors, volunteers, and staff. A number of key fundraising strategies are explored including: research and resource identification: legal and ethical practices: proposal writing: grant applications: approaching individuals, foundations and corporations for support or sponsorship: donor cultivation and retention: special events and alternative forms of revenue generation.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Gallery and Museum Administration II

Course Number: MUSM015

This course focuses on museums as businesses and introduces the key principles of financial management, planning and marketing in the non-profit organization. A special emphasis will be placed on developing a working context for the small to medium sized agency. Where possible local institutions will be used as case studies.

Units: 45.00
Hours: 45.00

Internship and Career Orientation

Course Number: MUSM023

The 15 week internship is a key opportunity to synthesize theory and practice in an approved conservation laboratory, museum or related setting under the direction of an experienced practitioner. In order to plan for an effective placement, students will complete an assessment of personal needs and resources: update resumes: initiate a search and selection process: negotiate and draft a learning contract and work plan and examine research methods for the project to be completed during the internship. In preparation for exit from the program, job search skills, contract work and human resource issues in the museum sector will also be reviewed. The course will be delivered as a combination of group workshops and one-on-one sessions.

Units: 15.00
Hours: 15.00

Semester 3

Internship

Course Number: MUSM019

The internship provides the opportunity for students to observe and experience at first hand the operations and activities of a museum, gallery or related heritage institution. One of the most important components in the one year program, it allows students to explore their chosen field and assess their aptitude and abilities. The fifteen week full-time placement is a primary opportunity to integrate theory and practice. It can be developed as a specialized and focused learning opportunity or provide a more general overview of museum operations. Internship activity can be implemented at approved local, regional, out of province or international sites. Please note: Tuition fees must be paid prior to internship start up. Internships are unpaid study experiences.

Units: 600.00
Hours: 600.00