What is Museum Studies?

Museum Studies encompasses the study of museums, museology, and the development of the skills necessary for professional museum practices.

The success of a museum requires the combined skills and knowledge of a variety of museum professionals and the participation and contribution of volunteers and trustees.

In addition, a museum's success is a result of the contribution and participation of the audiences and communities being served by the museum.

The Museum Studies Program at Tusculum College provides students with the academic training and hands-on experiences to become museum professionals. Students develop an understanding of the important role of museums, and they acquire the skills and knowledge to serve their communities as museum administrators, curators, and educators.

As a result of their learning experience, students are prepared to assume positions of responsibility in museums and other not-for-profit organizations. A primary focus of the program is to prepare students to work in museums with a small staff of paid or volunteer professionals. The program also prepares students who choose to continue their professional development at the graduate level.

The Museum Studies Program operates two museums and the College's archives through which students gain valuable practical experience. The Doak House Museum, home of the College's co-founder, hosts over 6,000 school children a year and focuses its interpretation on the history of education, as well as the social and religious history of the period. The President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library is located in the "Old College". This 1841 academic building houses personal artifacts of the Johnson family and Andrew Johnson's personal library. Old College also serves as the repository for the College archives. Selected artifacts from the collections are kept on exhibition in the museums.

Tusculum College, founded in 1794, has a history of providing educational experiences that relate student learning to the community-at-large. Through its curriculum grounded in the Civic Arts, the Museum Studies Program and its two museums builds on the College's academic traditions and trains students to become professionals to work in museums which serve their communities.

Contact

Museum Studies
P.O. Box 5026
Greeneville, TN 37743
(423)636-7348
1-800-729-0256

E-mail: gcollins@tusculum.edu

Museum Links

Doak House Museum
President Andrew Johnson Museum & Library
Tusculum College

Be A Volunteer!

Learn about volunteer and employment opportunities.

Fun Educational Resources

Inflation Calculator
In 1830, students at Tusculum Academy were allowed to bid on duties such as cleaning the blackboard for a session. The lowest bid was 50 cents. Access the Inflation Calculator and cast a bid to see how much it is worth today!

Farms & Farming
When you visit the Doak House Museum or if you have already been, try to remember what the surrounding area looked like. Then, access this webpage to learn about the important characteristics of farming and farmland that the Doak family and other settlers may have considered when making the decision to settle here.

U.S. Census Homepage
A census is a complete, periodic count or tally of a population, usually completed by a government. Samuel Witherspoon Doak was listed in census records. Go to the U.S. Census Bureau webpage and learn how census information is organized and used.