As centers of research and education, and as repositories for cultural heritage, museums play a vital role in our society. They allow us to celebrate humanity’s soaring achievements while also providing lessons on how to avoid the mistakes of our past. They can also amplify the voices of underrepresented groups while bringing economic uplift to communities. We invite you to explore this world and work toward a rewarding career in the field by becoming a Museum Studies major at Westminster College.
This immersive program gives you the conceptual, critical, technical, and historical tools you need to thrive in this growing and dynamic profession. Through coursework and independent research, you will gain experience of collecting and cataloguing artifacts and documents, handling and preserving objects, interpreting material culture for a museum audience, creating exhibitions, running educational and public outreach programs, and raising funds to support a museum’s mission and purpose.
Through our core courses of “Museums and Community,” “Museums and Education,” “Museum Artifacts and Collections,” “Exhibition Design and Digital Outreach,” you will gain first-rate training. You will also have the opportunity to take innovative classes such as “Deviant and Degenerate Art,” “Vampires, Voodoo, and Visions of Death in New Orleans Museums,” and overseas travel courses such as “Churchill’s World War II in England and France,” and “War and Remembrance in Vietnam.”
Beyond the Classroom
You will also gain vital hands-on experience of working in the field through internships with regional museums and through crafting your own signature work with your own unique capstone project.
“This program has given me professional experiences such as putting on displays, building websites, and writing historical articles for a wide audience.”
Stephen Rogers, ‘22
Professional Guidance and Direction
Your learning experiences will allow you to build a bridge to the professional world of museums, public history, or related fields. You will enjoy the personal attention you need from our practicing museum experts. Through our robust internship program and ongoing public programming, you will have the opportunity to network with both regional and globally renowned museum specialists and scholars.
America’s National Churchill Museum will serve as your Classroom and Laboratory
At Westminster College, you will become immersed in a one-of-a-kind experience, where America's National Churchill Museum is utilized as a classroom, laboratory, and platform for hands-on learning. Designated by the U.S. Congress as the nation’s official repository devoted to the life and legacy of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the internationally acclaimed museum contains interactive exhibits, a collection of more than 10,000 artifacts, and a wealth of archival information on the life of Winston Churchill, and his world-changing "Iron Curtain" speech that was delivered at Westminster College in 1946, ushering in the Cold War and placing Westminster on the world stage.
The Museum is located in the magnificent Church of St. Mary the Virgin Aldermanbury. This Christopher Wren-designed seventeenth century structure was transported from London, England to Missouri having been bombed during World War II. It is one of the oldest buildings in North America.
“The hands-on training is transformative. In addition to the theory we get in the classroom, you literally get to learn what it takes to turn a museum on and off and to keep it running.”
D.J. Brown, ‘22
Minoring in Museum Studies prepares you for a career in a museum, public history, or related fields. It allows you to cultivate valuable lifetime skills such as public programming, educational outreach, audience/client engagement, fundraising, and exhibition design. These skills can be applied to a wide range of disciplines such as business, education, communication, digital literacy, and more. Moreover, you will study in the world-class America’s National Churchill Museum and be surrounded by fascinating historical artifacts and exhibitions as you learn.
As centers of research, education, and as repositories for cultural heritage, museums play a vital role in our society. They allow us to celebrate humanity’s soaring achievements while also providing lessons on how to avoid the mistakes of our past. Museums can also amplify the voices of underrepresented groups while bringing economic uplift to communities. We invite you to be a part of these conversations while finding a rewarding career by becoming a Museum Studies major at Westminster College.
Westminster is home to the world-class America’s National Churchill Museum, created to celebrate Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” Speech which he gave on our campus in 1946. Since then, we have welcomed, presidents, royalty, dignitaries, and even rockstars to celebrate Churchill’s legacy. It is a place where history is both celebrated and continually made. The Churchill Museum will be your classroom and your laboratory as you gain the conceptual, critical, technical, and historical tools needed to engage a growing and dynamic field.
