The George Washington University Graduate Certificate in Collections Management and Care: Is it Right for You? Madeline Calise, Registrar and Collections Specialist, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Melbourne, Florida
What do you do when you luck your way into the museum world and find that your position, or the position you would like to have, requires some skills you have not yet acquired? Maybe you got your undergraduate degree in something different. Maybe you changed from a previous career. Maybe you got your degree in museum studies thirty years ago and now need a refresher or courses specifically in collections care. Maybe your institution has asked you to put on yet another hat. What do you do? You probably become an expert on training resources. You watch free webinars on YouTube, Google workshops, conferences, affiliation certificates, and contemplate a first or second MA in art history, public history, museum studies, or historic preservation. Maybe you just wanted to learn a little more about Integrated Pest Management because you found a mysterious roach on the floor, and it somehow led you down a rabbit hole of conservation degrees. Before getting overwhelmed, know that you have options. I cannot tell you which program to choose, but I can tell you what I did when I found myself in a collections management and registration role. I got a Graduate Certificate in Collections Management and Care from George Washington University. 71
