Evaluation Specialization
Museology is proud to be the only museum studies graduate program in North America offering a specialization or certificate in museum evaluation.
What is evaluation?
Evaluation is a professional practice driven by a desire to understand the value or effectiveness of the work we do. With roots in the nonprofit and education sectors, evaluation usually takes the form of a bounded study aimed at answering a focused set of questions about a specific program, initiative, or process in a particular context. Ultimately, for us, the goal of evaluation is to make our work as museum professionals relevant and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the individuals and communities we intend to serve.
Watch this video to learn more!
Why does evaluation matter?
Evaluation can be impactful on multiple levels. On one level, evaluators bring a suite of techniques to bear on data collection and analysis that can help address critical questions that arise within our work. More importantly, evaluators are trained not just to answer questions but to make sure we’re asking good questions in the first place. Seen this way, the deeper value of evaluation is that it encourages the development of a learning mindset and, ideally, a robust feedback loop between intentions and impact.
According to AAM, 49% of museum directors consider measuring and communicating the impact of museums to be the highest priority for the next few years.
Why a specialization in evaluation?
Doing evaluation well requires the participation of a broad range of stakeholders, not just professional evaluators. This is why we created our specialization in evaluation. While some of our graduates go on to work as professional evaluators, we believe it is critical that all museum professionals be familiar and comfortable with the practices and motivations of evaluators and see the value of evaluation in their work. By offering this specialization, we hope to equip students to work as evaluators if they want to, but we also hope to contribute to a broader flourishing and appreciation of evaluative practice in the museum field.
How does the specialization in evaluation work?
The specialization in evaluation consists of three pieces: an introductory course, a course in data analysis, and a year-long project.
This course is open to all students, regardless of whether or not they want to continue with the rest of the series. This course serves as an introduction to the discipline and the typical process an evaluation study will follow, from conceptualizing the purpose of a study through to its design, to the collection and analysis of data, and finally to the interpretation and application of findings.
Offered winter quarter, Jeanine Ancelet
This course is open to all students, regardless of whether or not they want to continue with the rest of the series. This course serves as an introduction to the discipline and the typical process an evaluation study will follow, from conceptualizing the purpose of a study through to its design, to the collection and analysis of data, and finally to the interpretation and application of findings.
Offered spring quarter, Sarah Brenkert
During their second year in the Museology program, students completing the specialization work in small teams to conduct studies for local institutions. While these studies are coordinated and supported by Museology faculty, these are real-world projects, not academic exercises! In putting their learning into practice, students gain invaluable experience as evaluators, collaborators, and project managers while generating valuable insights to inform their host institution’s work.
Offered fall-spring quarters, Sarah Brenkert