Preserve the past, influence the present.
Museum and Heritage studies explores the tangible and intangible history of cultures. Our courses provide skills and knowledge to enhance your career by exploring a diverse range of topics. Whether your interest is in curatorial studies, museum conservation, heritage planning, conservation, digital heritage, collections management or cultural landscapes, our Museum and Heritage Studies courses and program will give you the skills you need to enhance your job performance, improve your confidence, and strengthen your community.
Museum and Heritage Studies courses
Immerse yourself in the challenges of cultural organizations through an in-depth study of collections, audience engagement, cultural hertigate, exhibition development and museum information management.
Join colleagues from across North America and around the world in building knowledge and skills that will make a difference in your work, your community and your career in the museum, heritage or cultural sector.
Museum and Heritage Studies programs
Our programs offer a range of flexible study options for museum, heritage and cultural professionals that strengthen your practice, build your confidence and can advance your career. You can choose to participate in many of our courses on an individual basis, or work towards a widely-recognized professional certificate or diploma at either an undergraduate or post-graduate level.
| PROGRAM | Collections Management | Cultural Resource Management | Visitor and Community Engagement | Digital Planning for the Cultural Sector | Indigenous Cultural Stewardship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CREDENTIAL | Professional Specialization Certificate | Diploma | Professional Specialization Certificate | Micro-certificate |
Micro-certificate
|
| CORE COURSES | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| ELECTIVE COURSES | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| PROGRAM LENGTH | 12+ months | 2-3 years | 12+ months | 14 weeks | 4 months |
| PROGRAM FEES* | $3,234.96 | $7,497.85 | $3,234.96 | $783.74 | $783.74 |
| BEST SUITED FOR | Those who are looking for a shorter program (museum-based); something more specialized; flexibility | Those who want a variety of course topics to choose from and flexibility of the program. Also good for those that are just starting out in the field but have done some volunteer work already. | Professionals in the museum and cultural sector who want to enhance their knowledge and experience in the area of public programming, audience engagement and community relationship building. | Professionals working in the museum, heritage and cultural sector, who are looking for innovative ways to leverage digital technology to enhance their professional and organizational goals. | If you are a museum and heritage professional, or someone working in the cultural sector, this certificate will benefit your personal and professional goals. |
| MORE DETAILS | View Program | View Program | View Program | View Program | View Program |
*estimate only
- Building Community Relationships
- Caring for Museum Collections
- Collections Management
- Communicating Through Exhibitions
- Community Engagement and Social Change
- Cultural Landscapes
- Cultural Tourism: a Place-based Approach
- Curatorial Planning and Practice
- Curatorship: Contemporary Perspectives
- Digital Planning for the Cultural Sector
- Exhibit Fabrication
- Exhibit Fabrication Workshop
- Exhibition Planning and Design
- Governance and Leadership for Cultural Organizations
- Heritage Area Conservation: Revitalization Visions and Realities
- Heritage Conservation in Context
- Heritage Conservation Planning
- Heritage Resource Management
- Indigenous Cultural Stewardship
- Managing Archival Collections
- Managing Cultural Organizations
- Museum Principles and Practices I
- Museum Principles and Practices II
- Museums as Learning Environments
- Public Programming
- Recognizing the Significance of Heritage Resources
- Visitor Experiences
Collections Management
The Professional Specialization Certificate in Collections Management program provides museum professionals with a highly respected credential along with applicable knowledge and skills, in an innovative and flexible format that will suit both professional development needs and a busy work schedule.
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Cultural Resource Management
The Diploma in Cultural Resource Management program offers practical, theoretical and management-based professional training, along with a recognized and respected diploma credential, in a flexible format taught by established industry experts.
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Digital Planning for the Cultural Sector
The Digital Planning for the Cultural Sector micro-credential program looks at ways technology is being used in the cultural sector and gives you the in-demand knowledge and skills you need to help your organization thrive in the digital economy. Embrace the opportunity that technology in the cultural sector can offer.
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General Studies
This flexible certificate program allows you to customize a course of study to meet your specific learning goals.
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Indigenous Cultural Stewardship
ICS provides the knowledge and skills to recognize, revitalize, protect and celebrate Indigenous cultural heritage.
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Visitor and Community Engagement
Designed for emerging professionals in the museum, heritage and cultural sector, the Professional Specialization Certificate in Visitor and Community Engagement program provides the critical knowledge required to better understand and consider the diverse perspectives of their audiences and communities they serve.
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An interview with instructor Mary Kay Cunningham in which she talks about teaching, her career and advice for students.
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In this 2024 Cultural Resource Management newsletter, learn about upcoming courses, important deadlines, CRM award recipients, program graduates, and how to get in touch.
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In this 2023 Cultural Resource Management newsletter, learn about upcoming courses, the new StrongerBC future skills grant, important deadlines, CRM award recipients, new instructors, program graduates, and how to get in touch.
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An interview with heritage resource management instructor Marcus Letourneau in which he talks about teaching, his career and advice for students.
Read StoryFind out more about instructor Beth Carter who teaches our popular Curatorship Contemporary Perspectives (AHVS 488J) course!
Read StoryInstructor Robert Epp teaches our Museum Principles and Practices I and II.
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We’re launching a new online program: the Professional Specialization Certificate in Visitor and Community Engagement.
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Congratulations to Continuing Studies staff member Tania Muir on her recent appointment of president within the BC Museums Association (BCMA). At the association’s AGM on Thursday, Oct. 19—after one year as a councilor and two years as vice president—Tania was nominated by the membership and voted in as president.
Read StoryDr. Carolyn Butler Palmer is the Cultural Resource Management Academic Program Advisor and works closely with the program and the Department of Art History and Visual Studies at the University of Victoria.
Read StoryHaving worked for Natural History research and museological institutions for several years, the CRMP course was very effective in "forcing" myself into taking time from work and read some of the books in the to-read list that usually I wouldn't have time to.
Read StoryAs a “mature” student during the Cultural Management course, I continued to work as a senior associate, architect, urban designer and heritage planner with a large multi-discipline firm. During the four years of study I worked on a re-purposing of a portion of the 1929, CPR, John Street Roundhouse for an underground hydro transformer station. I have been involved with adaptive reuse and conservation of this National Historic Site since 1995.
Read StoryI start my day in the artifact holding area finding the next artifact that needs cataloguing and then doing some research to find out more about it. While I do most of my research online, I never underestimate the power of our internal research library. Amongst many other treasures, our library has a fantastic collection of mail order catalogues from Eaton's Headquarters - endlessly useful when determining dates with a largely 20th century collection.
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