I'm hoping to become a museum curator, but I have no idea whether or not I am actually on the right degree path. I'm in my freshman year of undergraduate, but I'd like to be sure I'm not wasting time or taking on something I don't need. I guess what I'm really looking for is other people's experiences to get into the history field!
My majors, Public History and History, are backed up by Anthropology and Management Information Systems minors. I realize those minors are...a little off the wall, but my Anthropology minor will have a focus on archaeology and artifact handling. Management Informations will ideally show me how to create databases and use technology, which I felt would be kind of useful no matter where I actually end up.
My school doesn't have the option to specialize, but I'm still up in the air on that and have a few ideas for grad school, anyway.
Thank you in advance for any input!
:)
I have to admit that I don't know much about the US (which I assume you're in), but in Europe there are quite a considerate amount of master's that focus on exhibition designs or museums in particular. Those might be options to look into, if you find that's the road you want to go down. Having said that, they're not necessary, friends of mine have a master's or a PhD in archaeology /art history/history, but no specialisation in museum studies and still work at museums. But if you want to become a curator some further training will never hurt.
More important though, at least in my experience, is to get involved with museums as early as possible. Look for museums in your area and try to volunteer. Museums and curating is a tough field to get into, because a lot of people are keen on it. Those people I know, who now managed to get a full time position at a museum usually started by volunteering or having a part time/summer job there. Sometimes jobs are even only advertised for internal staff and volunteers. Many museums also offer internships for undergrad and grad students, which will help you to a) get an insight and see if that's really what you want to do and will b) help you tremendously when applying for grad studies/a job.
Edited because it was early here and I hadn't had coffee and there were typos
I think you don't want to overthink this too much: the specifics of your undergraduate major will not determine whether or not you are able to work professionally in this field. Everything you are studying is a good idea for work in museums or public history, of course. Graphic design, digital media, finance, marketing, historical preservation or architecture would also be good subjects to study.
But you want to consider the following thoughts:
a) Aim for any and all jobs in the public history field: don't restrict yourself to museum curation per se. That's too narrow a target. You should be ready to work as an archivist, a company historian, you name it.
b) More importantly, volunteer as a docent or in any other possible role in a museum or other institution of public history, and look for internships.
c) Museum staff and other public historians may have studied many other things as undergraduates: your major as an undergraduate doesn't matter so much as what you do later. Curation is generally not a field that hires highly specialized undergraduates straight after graduation: entry-level work in museums and other institutions of public history will generally look for some interest in history, but more importantly, just generally good speaking skills, writing skills and thinking skills.
d) The degree that will have specific value as a credential in public history is generally going to be an MA and possibly a Ph.D., often pursued after a few years of work in a museum or other institution of public history.