Jump-start your career
As a Museology student, you have a wealth of opportunities to grow your professional network; build your portfolio through coursework, internships and thesis work; and develop invaluable mentoring relationships with faculty.
Faculty mentors
Every student is paired with a faculty mentor. In addition to providing guidance when it comes to picking classes or pursuing internships, your faculty mentor is your general go-to person for advice and support.
Portfolio building
You’ll build your portfolio during your classwork as you move through the program. Grant writing samples, exhibit designs, exhibit installations, collections projects, evaluation studies, public programs, and more!
Careers & Social Capital
Dr. Meena Selvakumar teaches Careers & Social Capital during your final quater in the program. This course serves as a transition from grad school to the museum field.
Our Graduates
Of students who graduated from 2018-2023, 75% are employed in museums, related businesses, or non-profits.
They are working in every area of museums and their job titles range from Curator to Director of Community Engagement to Exhibitions Manager to Executive Director.
They are working in every size museum across the country and even the world. Many graduates are employed locally at virtually every museum, including Seattle Art Museum, Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Museum of Flight, MoPOP, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Woodland Park Zoo, and National Nordic Museum. Across the U.S. they are working at museums like the Field Museum, Barack Obama Presidential Library, J. Paul Getty Museum, and LACMA.
Outside museums, our graduates work in education (from elementary schools to higher ed), libraries, arts and culture agencies, national parks, research and evaluation firms, and non-profits tackling climate change and public health crises.
Some examples of our recent* graduates’ job titles:
*Class of 2017 through Class of 2021
Chief Curator – Kodiak History Museum
Account and Project Manager – Artech Fine Art Services
Senior Associate, Institutional Giving – NPR
Collections Specialist – Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Registrar – The Raupp Museum
Curator of Community Engagement – Wyoming State Museum
Heritage Program Manager – 4Culture
Exhibits Project Manager – Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)
Senior Manager, Philanthropy Operations & Analytics – Seattle Aquarium
Advancement Specialist for Strategic Initiatives and Digital Philanthropy – Smithsonian Institution
Senior Coordinator, Archive Program – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Manager of Digital Content – Frye Art Museum
Collections Manager: Arctic, Subarctic & Plateau – Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Research Analyst – Houston Museum of Natural Science
Community Affairs Manager – Woodland Park Zoo
Health Center Administrator/Museum Director – Sea Mar Community Health Centers
Executive Director – Shawano County Historical Society
Senior Manager of Youth and Family Audiences – Philbrook Museum of Art
Museum Specialist – National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
Curator – Tacoma Historical Society
Designer – EDX Exhibits
BurkeMobile Program Manager – Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Assistant Archivist – Densho
Seattle Regional Program Manager – Big City Mountaineers
Education Coordinator – Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace: Mission Garden Project
Education Collection Coordinator – Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Curator of Education – Louisiana State Museum
Senior Project Manager, Syndicated Research – Veris Insights
Grants Manager – Port Discovery Children’s Museum
Research Associate – Institute for Learning Innovation
Digital Collections Librarian – California State Library
Visitor Experience & Engagement Coordinator – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Collections Data Coordinator – Oakland Museum of California
Collections Database Coordinator – Colorado State University
Organizational Development Specialist – Seattle Art Museum
Research Associate – Rockman Et Al Cooperative
Director of Community Engagement and Education – Oak Hill & The Martha Berry Museum
Collections Manager – Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience
Curator of History – Memphis Museum of Science & History
Scholarship & Education Support Fund Specialist – Greater Seattle Business Association
Museum Technician – Barack Obama Presidential Library
Registrar and Exhibits Liaison – Sloan Museum
Project Manager for Exhibition Content – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center
Program Coordinator – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Discovery Center
Public Art Project Coordinator – City of Boise
Research and Evaluation Coordinator – The Field Museum
Program Manager – Environment and Culture Partners
Collections Technician – Museum of Flight
Curator of Indigenous Collections – Missouri Historical Society
Outreach and Education Specialist – University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences
Development Manager – Scenic City Clay Arts
Research Associate – Reimagine Research Group
Native American & Indigenous Studies Librarian – University of Massachusetts Amherst
Membership and Communications Manager – Museum of New Mexico Foundation
Audience Development Manager – Seattle Theatre Group
Executive Director – Shoreline Historical Museum
UC Systemwide Repatriation Coordinator – University of California, Office of the President
Sustainability Coordinator – City and Borough of Sitka
Public Programs Manager – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Assistant Director of Community Engagement – Arizona State Museum
Program Manager, Bill Holm Center for the Study of Northwest Native Art – Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Public Program Manager – Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience
Annual Gift Manager – FamilyWorks Family Resource Center and Food Banks
Museum Educator – Museum of Pop Culture
Collections Manager – Maryhill Museum of Art
Public Records Analyst – Washington State House of Representatives