Comprehensive Exams and Writing Requirement

Comprehensive Examination

Master of Arts degree candidates must pass a comprehensive examination that includes questions from their Museum Studies concentrations. Exams are scheduled for Fall and Spring semesters and are usually taken during the student’s last semester.

Writing Requirement

Master of Arts and Certificate candidates must submit a research paper to fulfill the Museum Studies writing requirement. This paper should demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct independent research and should make some contribution to the student’s academic discipline and museum field. It can be a paper prepared especially for this purpose or a research paper originally prepared for a Museum Studies, Academic Core or Directed Research class. The paper is evaluated based on clarity, succinctness, originality and quality of research. In addition, it is necessary for all students to submit a paper for the Malaro Award. While students may submit the same paper for both the research paper and the Malaro Award, please keep in mind that an academic core paper cannot be submitted for the Malaro Award.

The paper must have a form signed by both the student and the professor from the course for which the paper was originally written. Students can obtain the form here.