Cultural Heritage Stewardship Graduate Academic Certificate

The Graduate Academic Certificate in Cultural Heritage Stewardship will provide students with key skills and experiences needed for competitive careers in museum archives and other cultural heritage settings. Students will learn the theory that drives the practice through hands-on learning experiences in grant writing, museum education, preservation, and museum archiving.  Understanding how and why individuals and communities engage with cultural heritage institutions is vital to the preservation of both heritage and citizenship in the US. Galleries, libraries, archives, and museums (GLAMs) that exhibit cultural heritage collections allow visitors to seriously engage with materials that push them to learn about themselves, their communities, and the world at large.  These institutions are also responsible for the appraisal of which materials are deemed worthy of preservation as cultural heritage.  In response to the national need for a workforce in museum archives, this graduate academic certificate, with an emphasis on the preservation of museum collections, serves archivists, preservation specialists, and other information professionals which are critical to the stewardship of cultural heritage collections in museums and archives.   

Cultural Heritage Stewardship Audience:

• Library and Information Science Professionals:  Master’s degreed professionals or degree seeking students who want to develop expertise in the stewarding materials in museum archives and other cultural heritage institutions.  

• Art Education Professionals:  Master's degreed individuals or degree seeking students who want to develop or enhance their knowledge of cultural heritage studies through graduate coursework, or supplement their academic studies by preparing for a possible career in museum archives and other GLAM settings. 

• Other Cultural Heritage Professionals:  Master's degreed individuals or degree seeking students in areas including but not limited to history, anthropology, theatre, hospitality management, and nonprofit management who want to develop or enhance their knowledge of cultural heritage studies through graduate coursework, or supplement their academic studies by preparing for a possible career in museum archives and other GLAM settings. 

Who Needs this Certificate? 

• Students interested in working in museum archives, rare books and manuscript libraries, special collections, art galleries, and other cultural heritage settings.  

• Future or current managers of cultural heritage organizations and leaders in the field. 

• Librarians, archivists, curators, and non-profit project managers who want to update their skills in grant-writing, archival preservation methods, art education, and cultural programming. 

Anyone seeking to supplement their graduate education with valuable professional skills. 

Why is this Certificate so Valuable? 

Courses and internship have been designed to provide students with hands-on experiences that will provide them with skills that add value to their resumes. These include grant-writing, preservation of special format materials, museum education, and archival management.  

Courses are led by faculty with a variety of expertise in different facets of cultural heritage stewardship including archival management, grant-writing, preservation methods, and art education.  

Apply Today

• Apply HERE with the UNT GradCAS (Centralized Application System)
• International students must also review the International Admissions page for additional required documents.
• Transcripts: Request transcripts from all colleges and universities attended through UNT GradCAS.

For transcript questions, please contact graduateschool@unt.edu

Note: Students who are awarded Graduate Academic Certificates and later apply for admission to the M.S. in Library or Information Science program or the M.S. in Data Science program will be required to submit any additional documents required by the specific program.

UNT Graduate Students seeking Concurrent Enrollment

Students MUST be admitted to an academic certificate program in order for the certificate to be awarded.

If you are a current UNT student, email: ci-advising@unt.edu with your 8-digit ID number and the advising office will assist you with having the certificate set up.

If you do not complete this process - in having the certificate set up on your academic record, prior to your graduating semester, the Toulouse Graduate School will not accept your request to have the certificate awarded.

Once You Are Admitted

Once admitted, contact the advising office for assistance with enrollment in courses by emailing: ci-advising@unt.edu with your 8-digit ID number.

Course Requirements: 

Cultural Heritage Stewardship Graduate Academic Certificate (15 hours):

• INFO 5092 - Museum Archive Professional Internship (6 credit hours)
• INFO 5295 - Preservation (online)
  or
  INFO 5297 - Introduction to Special Materials Preservation (in-person)
• INFO 5900 - Special Problems (online)
  or
  ARTE 5940 - Seminar in Art Museum (in-person) 
• INFO 5380 - Contemporary Issues in Archival Science (online)
  or
  INFO 5381 - Cultural Heritage Stewardship (in-person)

Contact Information: 

More Information 

• Latino Art, Museums, and Preservation Fellowship 
• An Overview of the Archives Profession 
• Society of American Archivists Museum Archives Section 
• UNT Special Collections 
• UNT Art Education 
• The Onstead Institute