In most cases, students seeking a master’s degree in Museum Studies will be completing a project-in-lieu-of-thesis rather than a thesis. In general terms, projects are focused on an activity rather than extensive research and writing. Each project is unique to an individual’s needs and her/his desire to gain experience in a particular aspect of museum work. For example, a student might catalogue a collection, organize an exhibition, or undertake a visitor study. Although centered on an activity, projects also include a significant written component outlining the experience and its relevance to contemporary museums.

Those students who choose to do a thesis rather than a project will follow the guidelines for their discipline. Students who wish to explore this option should see the director of Museum Studies in order to establish the parameters of their work. A booklet entitled Guide for Preparing Theses and Dissertations may be obtained from the Theses and Dissertation Office, GRI 109.

Listed below is a sampling of digitized theses and projects-in-leiu-of-thesis written by Museum Studies graduates.

Jessica Aiken, Evoking the Spirtual: Creating a Religious Based Exhibition For Today’s Art Museums

Albert Belmont, The Oklahoma City National Memorial and the Twentieth Century Memorial Process

Julie Thompson Cobb, The Grammar of Grave Robbing: Dichotomy and Discourse Between Museums, Native Americans, and NAGPRA

Kelly Harvey, "Come For Dinner": Creating a Self-Sustaining Signature Fundraising Event for the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art

Stacey Jones, Why Women’s Clothing? A Critical History of Clothing Collections: A Regional Case Study

Laura Nemmers, The Campus Loan Outreach Program at the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art

Kelly O’Neill, Conservation in Museums: William Aiken Walker’s Marine Life Paintings

Jennifer Sabo, Butterfly Discovery: The Creation of an Interactive Web-Based Learning Environment for the Florida Museum of Natural History

The following sites are invaluable resources for graduate students in any discipline:

Campus Writing Center

Citation Styles Guide site. This site lists online references for APA, MLA, Turabian/Chicago Manual of Style, and other citation methods.