Collections Management and Curation

Course Description

This course provides an in-depth examination of the principles, practices, and ethics of managing and curating collections within museums, archives, and cultural institutions. Students will explore the lifecycle of collections - from acquisition, documentation, and preventive conservation to storage, access, and deaccessioning - while engaging with current debates surrounding stewardship, repatriation, and the role of digital technologies in collection care. Emphasis is placed on developing practical skills in collections planning, policy development, and legal compliance (including NAGPRA and international conventions), as well as on understanding the evolving responsibilities of curators and collections managers in shaping institutional narratives and community engagement. Through case studies, hands-on exercises, and critical readings, students will gain both the theoretical framework and applied knowledge necessary to ethically steward and interpret material culture in a global context.

Code

ANTH 5272

Credits

3

Subject

ANTH

Programs That Include This Course

• Master's Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Management