Advanced training in visual arts administration and management will prepare you for a creative career in art galleries, museums, auctions, art fairs, curatorship and collections management.
Program Overview
Accelerate your career in the arts.
Formerly called Gallery & Exhibits Specialization (MGES), Western’s M.A. in Gallery and Museum Management (MGMM) program provides a fully-accredited, professional terminal master’s degree. The program focuses on preparing you for life in the art business by building the skills needed for success in the gallery and museum sectors.
We offer a flexible, “hybrid” low-residency program that consists of online courses you can complete from anywhere in the world, combined with a two-week summer practicum on campus and an arranged internship at an art gallery or museum of your choice. You can progress through the program at a customized rate and intensity that fit your life and work commitments. If you enroll as a full-time student, you can complete the degree in just 15 months. If you choose to undertake the studies part-time, you can complete in two to four years. MGMM is offered at a competitive state-university tuition, with scholarships and financial aid available. International students may apply for visas.
The business of art
Western’s MGMM program prepares you for a career in managing, collecting and selling art as well as designing, installing and curating exhibits.
Program Requirements
At Western, course rotations are crafted to encompass a variety of subject fields for a comprehensive education and versatile degree. For required courses and degree plans, visit the official University Catalog. Below is a general overview of courses at Western Colorado University related to this area of study.
The M.A. in Gallery and Museum Management (MGMM) is a professional terminal degree specifically focused on the content understanding, methods, and skills necessary for professions in arts and cultural heritage management. This includes art gallery, museum, and collections management, directorship, and sales. The program emphasizes the development of practical, managerial, and entrepreneurial approaches to the increasingly complex demands in the professional sector of exhibiting and collecting art and cultural heritage objects. The MGMM offers a "hybrid" lowresidency learning environment of on line courses, combined with residencies in both the program practicum on the Western campus and an arranged internship at an art gallery, cultural heritage site, or museum.
Program Goals
- Improving student understanding in the demanding professional world of gallery and museum management, including practical, managerial and entrepreneurial solutions.
- Developing students' capacity for inter-disciplinary critical thinking, innovation, and collaborative problem-solving with diverse stakeholders in the gallery and museum management sector.
- Enhancing career opportunities in arts and cultural heritage related disciplines.
Student Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Integrate previous related academic studies, experience, and interests with the education and professional training of this degree program.
- Effectively support the realistic demands of art gallery and museum management, in both the artistic and the business dimensions of the field, in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.
- Be fully proficient as exhibition specialists for art and cultural heritage venues, including a wide variety of contemporary, historic, and antique art and material culture objects, in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors.
- Plan, develop and execute gallery and exhibition design and layout, synthesizing and implementing knowledge of aesthetic and design principles, theory and best practices, CAD design tools, and relevant federal and state laws and regulations.
- Continue to develop knowledge and experience in areas of interest beyond graduation, implementing the program readings, tools, and educational materials.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| Two weeks prior to fall semester start date. | ||
| MGMM 600 | Orientation and Practicum | 3 |
| Regular Fall Semester | ||
| MGMM 601 | Exhibition Principles I | 3 |
| MGMM 612 | Business Principles I | 3 |
| MGMM 621 | Curatorship Principles I | 3 |
| MGMM 631 | Curating the Past | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MGMM 602 | Exhibition Principles II | 3 |
| MGMM 613 | Business Principles II | 3 |
| MGMM 622 | Curatorship Principles II | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Summer | ||
| MGMM 691 | Master's Project | 3 |
| MGMM 699 | Program Internship | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Spotlight
Torrie Nickel
Alumni
“It all comes down to the fact that Western professors are very good at noticing when someone can excel,” says Nickel. “They see the possibility in someone and they foster and take people under their wings.”
Stephanie Edwards
Alumni
“At Western I got to work with professors and people from all over the country. This made for a more holistic understanding.”
Careers
Career preparation starts your first year at Western and is the primary focus of every degree.
Visit Career Services in Library 120 or online to discover your interests, define your goals, and land the career of your dreams.
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News & Research
Additional Resources
Department Information
Master of Art in Gallery and Museum Management (MGMM)
Campus Location
Western Colorado University
1 Western Way
Quigley Hall
Gunnison, CO 81231