Museum Careers

Museum studies programs are constantly evolving, with new programs and certificates arising yearly. The American Alliance of Museums maintains a database of museum studies programs here.

At WKU, many undergraduate programs are a great starting point for museum careers, including:

• Anthropology, including Archaeology
• Art History
• Folklore
• History
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• Recreation, Park, and Nonprofit Administration (primarily if interested in the National Park Service)
• Visual Arts

Certificates can also grant key skills in the museum sector. WKU offers the following certificates (as of Fall 2023):

• Advertising
• Arts Administration
• Citizenship and Social Justice
• Graphic Design
• Nonprofit Administration

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Museums contain many different jobs, all depending on the type of institution and its governance structure. The Gregg Museum at NC State University has put together a playlist highlighting some of these jobs and how staff at a smaller museum tend to wear "many hats" in their daily lives. View the videos below to get a sense of some of the career paths and types of work that Museums offer:

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Listed below are several websites that have job boards that are dedicated or often feature available museum job openings. These organizations do not allow for direct links to job boards but are easily found on their website. This listing is just a sampling of available job boards. Another great way to find out about museum openings is to join professional museum organizations.  

 

American Alliance of Museums  

American Association for State and Local History 

American Folklore Society 

National Council on Public History 

Southeastern Museums Conference

Kentucky Museum & Heritage Alliance

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The first step to a museum career is experience. Internships can be a great way of achieving academic credit while gaining real-world experience. The list below provides some institutions where WKU students have found internships, but this list is not exhaustive. If you find a museum you want to work at, look at their Careers page or inquire to their Human Resources department (or hiring official) about internship opportunities.

 

Kentucky-based

Kentucky Museum Internship (Bowling Green)

National Corvette Museum (Bowling Green)

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (Nashville, TN)

Frist Art Museum Internship (Nashville, TN)

Kentucky Historical Society Internship (Frankfort)

Preservation Kentucky (historic preservation oriented, Frankfort)

The Filson Historical Society (Louisville)

Frazier History Museum (Louisville)

KMAC Contemporary Art Museum (Louisville)

Kentucky Science Center (Louisville)

Speed Art Museum (Louisville)

American Saddlebred Museum (Lexington)

Land Between the Lakes Intern and Apprentice Program

 

 

Outside Kentucky / Potentially Remote

Smithsonian Internship Opportunities 

Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University (Remote)

National Council for Preservation Education (nationwide opportunities, typically opens early to mid-October)

EPIC National Park Service (several paid program opportunties for undergraduate and graduate students, include trades training programs, placed in National Parks throughout the country)

 

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Memberships in museum society/alliance organizations is a great way for emerging museum professionals to network. It also allows for a clearer view of trends of the field. Most of these organization offer reduced rates for students.

American Alliance of Museums

American Association for State and Local History

Southeastern Museums Conference 

• This conference also holds a Student Research Conference every year. Click here for more information.

Kentucky Museum & Heritage Alliance

National Emerging Museum Professional Network 

• This network also has a Facebook group. Facebook groups are a free way to market or get more information about the field. 

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Here are links to other museum resource centers that can provide other sources of information for upcoming museum professionals and students.

American Association for State and Local History Resource Center

• Click "Professional Development" drop down menu
• Click Resource Center 

American Alliance of Museums Resource Library 

• Click "Advance Your Career" drop down menu
• Click Resource Library

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