Master of Arts in Museum Studies

The two-year master’s degree in Museum Studies is a unique cooperation between Central European University and the Wien Museum, providing students with rigorous academic training in historical studies combined with practical, hands-on museum experience. It combines opportunities for experiential learning at Europe’s leading museums with both foundational course work in the history and theory of museums and the multidisciplinary study of the past. The program provides students with the skills, experience, and professional knowledge needed in today’s museum. This English- language program will prepare students for a wide range of careers in museums and memory institutions across the world.

Program structure

Learning at the Museum

All students will take three courses taught by staff of the Wien Museum, with a focus on the practical and theoretical work in museums today.  Students will learn about museum work, from curatorial research, to creating educational programs, to marketing and fundraising. The courses are structured around hands-on projects, providing students with useable skills for their future museum careers.

Learning at the University

The program combines practical training with CEU’s signature student experience, offering research driven and public-facing university education to a new generation of museum workers. Students pursue two years of coursework from the Department‘s interdisciplinary curriculum in historical studies, ranging from late antiquity to the presence. They develop expertise in the field of their own interest, working closely with faculty to apply this knowledge in the museum world and engage different audiences.

Working at the Museum

Students will hold two internships during the course of the degree program. In the first year, students will do an internship at a Viennese museum working in various departments, offering insight into the everyday work of the museum. In the second year, students will take part in an intensive internship at a museum of their choosing where they will work on a capstone project for the degree.

Entry requirements

In addition to meeting the general CEU admissions requirements, applicants must provide:

• Statement of purpose (500-750 words)

The Statement of Purpose should explain your interest in the Museum Studies program, demonstrate your motivation for a professional career in the museum world, and provide further details on:

1.  ideas for an individual museum project
2. internship interests
3. previous experience in museum work (if any, not required)
4. courses, professors, and research areas you see particularly relevant to your interests

Note that the program will be offered by Central European University's new Department of Historical Studies, to be launched September 2024.