Museum Studies Certificate Program (MSCP)

The Museum Studies Certificate Program at East Los Angeles College provides a career pipeline to students of diverse socio-economic and academic backgrounds. Through the opportunity to engage in rigorous academic study, professional training, and professional development, students cultivate a solid foundation for obtaining entry level job opportunities within the museum field. Professional mentorship is provided to support students' goals for transfer to four year institutions, as well as career development.

The Museum Studies Certificate Program (MSCP) at East Los Angeles College is a seven-course program (21-units) that provides a broad foundation of knowledge and professional work experience in the museum sector. Open to all students at East Los Angeles College, the program draws upon coursework in Museum Studies, Art History, Cultural Studies, Library Science, Studio Art, Anthropology, and Archaeology, and includes museum internships and unique academic and professional development opportunities. 

The program is designed to accompany the Associate of Arts for Transfer (AAT) degree in Art History, which together can be completed in 2 years of full-time study at East Los Angeles College. The MSCP may also be pursued as a stand-alone program for students with a general interest in museums.

Students can expect to gain knowledge and experience in a range of museum professions and topics, including curatorial practice, conservation science, collections management and registration, education and public programs, communications, and nonprofit management. As one of the few museums located at a California Community College, the Vincent Price Art Museum serves as a unique educational resource, classroom, incubator, and training ground for participating students. 

Course # Course Name Units CSU-GE IGETC Semesters Offered
ARTHIST 200 Intro to Museum Studies and Gallery Practices 3     fall only
ART 504 Materials and Techniques 3     fall only
ARTHIST 171 Intro to Global Contemporary Art 3   1A spring, fall, winter, summer
ARTHIST 100 Into to Visual Cultural and Cultural Studies 3   3A spring, sometimes fall
LIBSCI 201 Digital Asset: Tools and Methodologies 3     spring only
ANTHRO 103 Archaeology: Reconstructing the Human Past 3 4 D1 spring and fall
ARTHIST 201 Museum Studies Internship* 3     spring and winter

CSU-GE and IGETC refer to the general education category/area to which each course applies.

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) have a prerequisite.

**THIS COURSE CAN BE COMPLETED IN LOS ANGELES OR ABROAD AS PART OF THE SMITHSONIAN UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. LEARN MORE HERE.
 

For more information on ELAC Art History - Museum Studies Partners visit the following:

Vincent Price Art Museum

Latino Center at the Smithsonian, Washington D.C.