To get into the Museology (read: Museum Studies) Certification program at UW, which is a 12-credit program beyond my 30-credit Master's degree, I had to send a little email with a paragraph or so explaining why I was interested. It took me a while to come up with a reason for doing the certification program that wouldn't get me the response "Why didn't you do a Museum Studies Master's then?" Here's what I came up with:
As you know, I'm interested in the Museology certification program. The "why" for that is pretty simple: I want to work in a museum. I think the better question is why I'm after a Museology certification instead of a Master's.I dunno, does it sound like bullshit? I hope it doesn't. 'Cause, you know, it's pretty much not.I grew up in New York City and spent much of my childhood at the different museums around here, big and small, and what I saw enchanted me. I've always been a fast reader with a good retention, but there's a certain visceral quality to museum exhibits that capture a physicality that text and picture can't come close to. A museum is, to me, experiential learning.
It's that sort of experiential learning that I'm hoping for by combining my Master's program in Japan Studies with a Museology certification. I'll be able to see the immediate usefulness of what I learn in the Japan program by considering how to apply it to a museum based on what I've learned in Museology and likewise the practicalities of Museology with, I hope, enhance my study of Japan as it clues me in to specific ideas to apply there. I used this same approach in my undergraduate career, where I tripple-majored in Anthropology, History and Religion, and applied the concepts and theory unique to each to enhance my understanding of the others in turn.
Comments (3)
So there's some grammar/spelling stuff that you might want to consider revising. "Triple" and your second sentence is a bit too run-on-ish for my tastes. I lose you at "I hope."
It doesn't sound like bullshit, but it does sound a little presumptuous. I get that you're trying to avoid the "well...study Museology then" point.
"I think the better question..." conveys a smugness that I'm pretty sure you're not trying to convey.
I'd suggest looking at the required coursework for the certification and the required coursework for the masters. Then, list out how you're hoping to use your Japanese studies info with the certification pieces only. Emphasize that while you're interested in museology, your primary focus is on a specific piece of museology only.
I bet the masters includes stuff like Advanced Museum Administration and Museum PR. You don't need that.
Just my 2 cents.
Posted by Marc | April 26, 2004 11:14 AM
Posted on April 26, 2004 11:14
"there's a certain visceral quality to museum exhibits that capture a physicality that text and picture can't come close to. A museum is, to me, experiential learning."
This is a complicated sentence and smacks of intellectual grandstanding. It's grammatically and organizationally correct (I think), but there are a lot of big words in there.
The second sentence in the third paragraph is run-on, and I think you meant to say "will" instead of "with."
Conceptually, I think you nailed it. They're not asking for Dante.
Posted by Erik (the roommate) | April 27, 2004 2:09 PM
Posted on April 27, 2004 14:09
Thanks for the tips, guys. Damn, Erik, you're right. That one sentence there was totally run on. Ick. I can live with the intellectual/smugness thing. After all: I'm a smug intellectual. Why try to hide it, right?
Either way, I'd actually sent this off before I posted it here, so it's too late to change anything now.
Posted by Jason | April 27, 2004 11:34 PM
Posted on April 27, 2004 23:34