Application Checklist s1

Museum Studies Program School of Art Fine Arts 293, 1600 Holloway Avenue (415) 338-2176 [email protected] | http://museumstudies.sfsu.edu

APPLICATION GUIDE | MASTER OF ARTS IN MUSEUM STUDIES

The annual deadline for applications is February 1. The core curriculum of the Museum Studies Program (MSP) provides the student with a firm foundation and broad knowledge in all of a museum’s functions. The elective courses, internship, and culminating master’s thesis or work project focus upon the student’s specialized area of museum work. Area specializations include: curatorship; cultural property law and protection; exhibition design; museum education and public programming; museum management and fundraising; and registration/collections management.

Application Checklist Use this checklist to ensure that all requirements listed below have been completed by February 1:

1. University Application-complete online, http://www.csumentor.edu/AdmissionApp/ This application establishes your official UNIVERSITY record. 2. Museum Studies Admissions Application, complete online at Submittable, https://sfsu.submittable.com/submit. Make sure you select the application for “Museum Studies Program Master of Arts in Museum Studies.” This application establishes your PROGRAM application, and allows you to upload supplemental documents for program review. 3. Transcripts Official sealed documents mailed to SF State as directed in CSU Mentor. Electronic transcripts can be sent directly to [email protected]. 4. Current Resume/CV 5. Statement of Purpose Please follow parameters as explained in STEP 2 below. 6. Two Letters of Recommendation Email prompts will be sent by Submittable to each recommender’s email address to upload a confidential letter of recommendation AFTER your Submittable Application is finished and submitted. Contact your recommenders well before February 1. 7. Exhibit Comparison Essay Please follow parameters as explained in STEP 2 below. 8. GRE Test Score Report Required for advising purposes. No test substitutions or waivers accepted. 9. International Applicants Only: TOEFL or iBT Score Report Required by the California State University. No waivers accepted.

SF State Museum Studies Application Guide, updated June 2016 1 Museum Studies Program School of Art Fine Arts 293, 1600 Holloway Avenue (415) 338-2176 [email protected] | http://museumstudies.sfsu.edu

Admissions Requirements

In addition to meeting the minimum requirements for graduate study at the CSU, applicants to Museum Studies should also have:

. An undergraduate degree from an accredited institution in anthropology, art history, classics or classical archaeology, design, education, history, science, public/arts administration, or other disciplines relevant to Museum Studies, such as communications, environmental studies, fine arts, or humanities, with a 3.20 grade point average in the major, and a 3.00 overall average; CSU requirement of 3.00 minimum GPA will be considered for conditional admission. No waivers considered for GPA below the 3.00 CSU minimum.

. Minimum of six months of volunteer or paid experience in a museum or related setting, including internships, prior or concurrent to formal application to the MSP

. GRE scores with a qualitative score of 156 or better (550 or better on tests taken prior to 2011) and an analytical writing score of 4.5 or better; GRE scores must be current, taken within five (5) years of the semester you wish to attend

o If an International Applicant: TOEFL Scores of 550 or better or Internet-Based Test (iBT) TOEFL Scores of 80 or better are required, taken within two (2) years of the semester you wish to attend

o Because the MSP is a top producer of original research in the museum field today, we require the GRE in order to establish assessment benchmarks. No test substitutions or waivers allowed for the GRE.

If your GPA is below the 3.00 CSU minimum, contact Graduate Admissions at [email protected] for guidance on raising your GPA to be eligible for graduate study.

Application Procedures

Applications for the MSP are accepted beginning October 1 through February 1 for admission the following fall. There is no spring admissions cycle. Information sessions are held twice a year, in mid-November and in mid-January; visit our website prior to these times for details on how to attend. Attendance is not required at these sessions, but a good opportunity to review application procedures, meet faculty and staff, tour our facility and ask questions.

Applying to SF State is a two-step process: applicants are required to file two separate applications, one to the University, and one to the MSP. Applicants who do not complete both

SF State Museum Studies Application Guide, updated June 2016 2 Museum Studies Program School of Art Fine Arts 293, 1600 Holloway Avenue (415) 338-2176 [email protected] | http://museumstudies.sfsu.edu applications cannot be considered for admission. Both the University’s Division of Graduate Studies and the MSP must accept an applicant. Admission to this impacted program is highly competitive and it is not possible to admit all qualified individuals.

Please view our FAQs section, http://museumstudies.sfsu.edu/frequently-asked-questions- museum-studies, for frequently asked questions regarding the MSP and application requirements BEFORE emailing the department with questions.

Both the CSU Mentor and Submittable applications must be completed by February 1. Late applications will not be accepted.

Step 1: University Application

This application establishes your official University record. Complete online a graduate admissions application at CSU Mentor: http://www.csumentor.edu/AdmissionApp/. The CSU Mentor Application Fee is $55.00 USD. The University Admissions Office must receive this formal application for admission and one set of official transcripts, in the same envelope for the fastest processing, from ALL post-high school institutions attended by February 1 to complete your University file. International applicants must also submit TOEFL Scores of 550 or better, or Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) Scores of 80 or better, taken within two years of the semester you wish to attend. The TOEFL is a required of international applicants by the CSU, and cannot be waived.

Mail hard-copy official transcripts and $55.00 USD application fee to: Graduate Admissions Office, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave, ADM 250, San Francisco, CA 94132. Electronic official transcripts and test scores can be sent to: [email protected].

Note: You can save your CSU Mentor Application to work on later, however, it does not mean that your application will be submitted automatically. Ensure that you complete and submit your saved CSU Mentor application by February 1. We cannot be responsible for online applications that are still in progress (saved in the system) or not submitted correctly.

Step 2: Museum Studies Program Application

This application establishes your Program Review file. Complete an online application to the MSP through Submittable, https://sfsu.submittable.com/submit.

The following documents are required for the MSP application, which you will be required to upload onto the Submittable website. To expedite the upload process, please scan your paper originals into PDF format beforehand. We will not accept any hard copy materials.

1. A Museum Studies Master of Arts Admissions Application, https://sfsu.submittable.com/submit. Scroll down for “Museum Studies Program Master of

Arts in Museum Studies.”

2. An electronic copy of transcripts (official or unofficial) from all institutions of higher learning attended. The Museum Studies transcript requirements are in addition to the official transcripts required in the application to the University. Note: transcripts will NOT be forwarded to the Museum Studies Program from the Graduate Admissions Office and vice versa.

3. One electronic copy of your current resume or CV

4. Your 1000-word Statement of Purpose, addressing your career objectives, the path that led you toward museum work and reasons for attending SF State Museum Studies, and any research completed on the field to determine possible areas of focus; relevant educational background and other relevant coursework or workshops; your museum experience(s) or volunteer work.

5. Two letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to testify to your capabilities and readiness to enter graduate study in Museum Studies. You will be providing the name and email address of two recommenders. Once you submit your online application, the recommender will be sent an email with a summary of what is happening and a link, which will bring them to a private portal for adding their letter. Once submitted, reference letters are merged with the applicant's account, but are kept confidential from the applicant. Applicants will only receive confirmation that the letter was submitted.

6. A 750-word comparison/contrast essay of current exhibitions at two museums in your area, addressing us what you liked and/or what could be improved in terms of curatorial content, display technique, or visitor education.

7. Graduate Record Exams (GRE) General Test scores are required and will be evaluated in conjunction with other qualifications. The ETS code for SF State is 4684; there is no major code for Museum Studies. Please provide an unofficial electronic copy of the GRE score report to expedite application review.

For questions regarding how to use Submittable, go to: http://help.submittable.com/knowledgebase/topics/11810-submitters

WRGP/WICHE Tuition Reciprocity, http://wiche.edu/wrgp

If you are a resident of a Western region state, you may elect to apply for the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education’s (WICHE) Western Region Graduate Program (WRGP). Since 2012, SFSU Museum Studies is a Distinctive, High-Quality Program in the WRGP. The WRGP allows residents of the 15 westernmost states to pay California resident tuition rates for the duration of their full-time study. This waiver is competitive, and an additional application is required

SF State Museum Studies Application Guide, updated June 2016 4 Museum Studies Program School of Art Fine Arts 293, 1600 Holloway Avenue (415) 338-2176 [email protected] | http://museumstudies.sfsu.edu when submitting your University materials. The Admissions Committee will contact eligible applicants individually during the admissions review process for further information.

International Applicants

The letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and any other supplemental written documents must be translated into English. The Division of Graduate Studies requires the TOEFL exam for English language assessment, which must have been completed within the past two calendar years. International applicants should check the graduate studies website, http://grad.sfsu.edu/content/prospective/international/international-admissions, for specific university graduate admissions requirements.

Application Status Notification

We welcome your inquiry and wish you success in the event you apply. Email us for the fastest service: [email protected]. Admission to the Museum Studies Program is highly competitive. As an impacted program, or, one that receives many more applications than there are spots available, only a limited number of applicants can be admitted. Please be assured, however, that your materials will be carefully reviewed. Applicants will be informed of the status of their applications for fall admission by April 1.

Quick Links and Resources for Applying to SF State Museum Studies Graduate Admissions at SF State

 Information for Domestic Students, http://grad.sfsu.edu/content/prospective/domestic/main-domestic

 Information for International Students, http://grad.sfsu.edu/content/prospective/international/international-admissions

Step 1 University Application (CSU Mentor)

 Domestic Student Application, https://secure.csumentor.edu/admissionapp/grad_apply.asp

 International Student Application, https://secure.csumentor.edu/admissionapp/intl_apply.asp

Step 2 Program Application (Submittable) To submit an application to the MSP: https://sfsu.submittable.com/submit  Complete the “Museum Studies Program Master of Arts in Museum Studies” Application

 For help using the Submittable system: http://help.submittable.com/knowledgebase/topics/11810-submitters

Estimated Full-Time Tuition Rates, as of Fall 2016

 California residents per academic year: $ 7,750 USD

 Out-of-state and international students per academic year: ~$15,000 USD (add $379 per unit enrolled to California resident tuition per year)

 For current itemized costs, and part-time tuition rates: http://bursar.sfsu.edu/content/important-fee-information-11

Frequently Asked Questions of the MSP: http://museumstudies.sfsu.edu/frequently-asked- questions

WICHE/WRGP Tuition Reciprocity Program: http://wiche.edu/wrgp

Financial Aid at SF State: http://www.sfsu.edu/~finaid/

Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA): https://studentaid.ed.gov/fafsa  Apply by February 1 for an early decision and maximum amount award on your Financial Aid Offer; applications received after February 1 will be awarded based on remaining funds  For FAFSA Frequently Asked Questions: https://fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm

GRE/TOEFL Exams: http://www.ets.org/  ETS Code for SF State: 4684; there is no additional code for ‘Museum Studies’

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