Seton Hall University
Program in Museum Professions
South Orange, New Jersey 07079

Overview
Seton Hall University, founded in 1856, is the largest and oldest diocesan university in the country. It welcomes and educates men and women of all races, creeds, and ethnic origins. The Graduate Program in Museum Professions was founded in 1994 in order to prepare students for the challenges facing museums of the next century, which are to make museums relevant to a public of diverse backgrounds and traditions. At the graduate level, Seton Hall has forty-seven degree programs. The University is large enough to provide adequate facilities and resources, yet small enough to give individual attention to students.

Graduates and current students hold positions in such institutions as the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas; Children's Museum, New York City; Newark Museum, Newark, New Jersey; El Museo del Barrio, New York City; KPMG, Washington, D.C.; Jersey City Museum, New Jersey; Vietnam Memorial Museum, Holmdel, New Jersey; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City; Morris County Historical Society, Morristown, New Jersey; Maritime Museum of San Diego, California; Edison Historic Site, West Orange, New Jersey; Frick Museum, New York City; American Craft Museum, New York City; Museum of the City of New York, New York City; National Air & Space Museum, Washington, D.C.; Historical Society of Princeton, New Jersey; Museum of Modern Art, New York City; The Old Print Shop, New York City; Citibank Art Advisory Service; J. P. Morgan Bank, Philanthropic Division, New York City; Christie's Auction House, New York City; The Pew Charitable Trusts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Ross Gallery of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Riverfront Center for the Arts, Millville, New Jersey; Waterloo Village, New Jersey.

The Community
Set in a suburban village, Seton Hall is a 5-minute drive from a 2,000-acre recreational reservation and a 30-minute bus or train ride to New York City with its wealth of museums and other cultural institutions. The campus buildings range from a nineteenth-century Victorian carriage house to a world-class fitness center.

Programs of study and degree requirements
The Department of Art and Music offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in museum professions to those interested in pursuing careers at museums and other cultural institutions in the visual and performing arts. The program is rooted in an understanding of art history and museum practices, yet offers a flexibility that permits students to choose separate tracks to fit their own interests. In addition to the core courses required of all participants, there is a choice of concentrations in museum education, museum management, or museum registration; a certificate in arts management is awarded to students in the museum management track (in addition to the M.A.). The curriculum is enriched by yearly seminars abroad (in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Florence, or Amsterdam, for example); courses, such as museum and exhibition technology, the discriminating eye, and history and theory of museums, and other cutting edge subjects are offered on a rolling schedule. The diversity of this offering is possible through cooperation with other graduate departments at Seton Hall University and through collaboration with museum professionals who serve as adjunct faculty members or consultants. Visiting lecturers further enrich the curriculum. Museums have become complex, multipurpose organizations in the modern world; this program has been designed to meet the need for professionally trained employees.

The student body is diverse in age, race, and background; the students come from many states and countries. The relationships between professors and students are close. Hands-on experience and research play a serious role in these courses. Courses are offered in the evenings and sometimes on alternate Saturdays to accommodate those with daytime jobs. Job placement has been successful and impressive.

Facilities & Resources
The 155,000-square-foot Walsh Library offers a variety of facilities, including carrels, group-study rooms, computer labs, and scholars' studies rooms. Students have access to libraries and museums of the greater metropolitan area and their state-of-the-art resources. Library services include research support, bibliographic instruction, and interlibrary borrowing. Technology available includes CD-ROM databases, multimedia PC and Macintosh labs, electronic visual aid, and the Setoncat, an online catalog of the Walsh Library holdings that is accessible both on site and via the campus network.

Expenses and Aid
Graduate tuition in 2007–08 was $875 per credit; the entire program is 39 credits. Part-time students pay a registration fee of $85 and a technology fee of $100; full-time students pay a registration fee of $105 and a technology fee of $200.

Financial Aid: Two types of federal student loans are available. If the student demonstrates financial need, the government pays the interest on the loan while the student is in school. If the student cannot demonstrate financial need, the student pays the interest.

Housing/Living Expenses: The South Orange area provides a broad selection of private housing options. A limited number of rooms are available in the graduate apartment facility. For information about University and private housing options, students should contact the Office of Housing and Residence Life (telephone: 973-761-9172).

How to Apply / Application
Admission to the program is open to those with a baccalaureate degree in art history or a degree in another field with a minimum of 12 undergraduate credits in art history (these credits may be completed after conditional admission to the program). The program seeks a good academic record and a strong desire to become a part of the museum world. An interview is necessary, as are two letters of recommendation and a personal essay. Application forms are sent upon request.

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