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Making the world a better place starts here

We believe that you will become storytellers, dialogue facilitators, community liaisons, designers, evaluators, researchers, project managers, and more. You will make the world a better place through your work in museums.

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Admissions rubric

Our admissions committee reviews each application through the rubric below to find students who are inspired by the idea of using museums to create stronger communities. If that’s you, we are excited to review your application.

Accessible Accordion

We look for applicants whose professional or lived experiences make a significant contribution to the cohort or museum field, and who demonstrate a strong commitment to creating and sustaining an inclusive learning environment in the Museology program.

We want to see an academic focus that is well aligned with the Program’s areas of expertise. That means having a clear understanding of our program and why it’s a good fit for you. How will your interests and expertise make a significant contribution to the overall cohort? We are looking for a diversity of academic backgrounds, which might include the hard sciences, social sciences, humanities or research, education, and design.

This means having an exceptional academic track record; showing evidence of analytical thinking, quality writing, and passion for a relevant aspect of the museum field; and strong academic references.

We’re also interested in how applicants show up in a classroom space and contribute to their peers’ learning; how they give and accept feedback; how they engage in dialogue around complex and emotionally charged issues; and how they respond to challenges or failures.

We look for relevant experience related to the applicant’s stated area of interest, along with exceptional professional recommendation letters. Relevant experience may include both (a) experience within museums specifically and (b) professional experience outside museums which is relevant to the applicant’s interests and goals as an emerging museum professional.

While some experience in museums is critical to an applicant’s evaluation of the museum field as a good fit for them, and while experience in museums will likely help an applicant develop a clearer, more specific, and more compelling vision of why they want to pursue a master’s degree in museum studies, applicants are encouraged to think creatively and concretely about their experience outside museums and how that experience may be relevant to their career as a museum professional.

In addition to our Program criteria above, you must meet the following University of Washington minimum requirements:

  • Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or its equivalent from a foreign institution.
  • Have earned at least a 3.0 or B grade-point-average in the most recent two years of study.
  • Be proficient in English: Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency. The ways in which proficiency can be demonstrated are outlined in Graduate School Policy 3.2.
    • For applicants who demonstrate English language proficiency through a test, the following scores are required for admission to the Museology program:
      • TOEFLiBT – 100
      • Duolingo – 125
      • IELTS – 7.0

Please note that Museology does not accept applications for Visiting Scholar or Graduate Non-Matriculated enrollment.