Fleming College

Make history come alive, create meaningful stories by documenting and preserving our heritage for today and future generations.

Museum Managers and Curators don't just preserve the relics, stories, and memorabilia of the past. They animate and interpret it, bringing history to life for people of all ages and stages. Put your university degree or college diploma to work in the service of a society that needs to know its past -- in order to inform its future.

You will take this post-graduate certificate program during three consecutive semesters. The program is designed to meet the needs of students who want to acquire applied skills-based training for careers in the museum/gallery or heritage sectors. The courses have been developed in consultation and co-operation with museums and heritage organizations in order to offer a real, not simulated, work experience. Updated curriculum reflects practical applications of theory, beyond best practices rooted in ethical applications. The program is an optimal blend of independent study, in-class lectures, discussion, group work, applied projects, experience based and priceless hands-on learning.

The Peterborough Museum & Archives, a City-owned and operated institution, is the program's main learning partner, and has designated spaces for Fleming students. This is where you will attend the majority of your lectures. As well, you will do practical training at this museum. Find out more information about the museum at: www.peterboroughmuseumandarchives.ca

Students find it more convenient to look for accommodation near the museum or downtown, as opposed to on campus.

Classes are also held in the dedicated conservation laboratory and computer labs at the College's Sutherland Campus.

By being immersed in museum work, you'll experience the complexity and diversity of tasks/duties in small to medium-sized museums or galleries and acquire training to be an expert generalist. You will need to complete site work, research, and group projects and be prepared for off-campus teaching outside of "regular" day classes.

The Museum Management and Curatorship program at Fleming College provided me with a rewarding, hands-on, and well-rounded museum experience. All of the courses offered, provided information that I still use today. The courses in Collections Management, Exhibit Design, Curatorial Research, Education and Interpretive Programming, Museum Administration, Archival Management, Care of Collections, and the Internship create a well-rounded experience. As a graduate of the program and a supervisor since then, I often look for students from the program when hiring. I find the students from Fleming are independent, have great hands-on experience, and already come with a well-rounded foundation. Faculty were extremely friendly and approachable. I definitely recommend the program. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

Amber Laurie, Program Graduate - Assistant Curator/Registrar of Marine History, Nova Scotia Museum Collections Unit, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

Deciding to attend Fleming College’s Museum Management and Curatorship program was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable, drawing from their own extensive experience in museum work, and are passionate, kind educators who provide all the skills necessary to succeed in the field. As a partner with the Peterborough Museum and Archives, the program allowed me to gain real-world experience through a number of practical assignments that has been instrumental in securing employment. I am very grateful for everything the program taught me and would recommend Fleming College to anyone interested in the heritage field.

Emily Dykeman, Program Graduate - Collections Assistant - Tom Thomson Art Gallery

The Fleming Museum Management and Curatorship program’s broad course content allowed me to gain hands-on experience working with artefacts, developing exhibits, and creating educational programming while still having a solid focus on the day-to-day operational demands of museums. The program provided me with the strong and varied foundation necessary to administer a community museum and allowed me to identify areas of museum work that I am most passionate about.

Margaret Mulrooney, Program Graduate - Curator/Administrator, Colchester Historeum

As a museum manager, I have found interns and graduates from the Fleming Museum Management and Curatorship and Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management programs to be motivated, skilled and committed to a career in the heritage sector. Following a recent nationwide search for an Assistant Curator/Collections Coordinator, our top two choices out of more than 250 applicants were both Fleming grads."

John Summers, M.M.St., Employer, Manager Heritage Resource Management Planning and Economic Development Tourism and Culture, City of Hamilton

The Museum Management and Curatorship program is one of the few available to students interested in this field and is unique in Canada, in that it is actually based at a museum. The post-graduate certificate is highly regarded by heritage and cultural institutions, galleries, museums, and graduates. The program benefits from strong partnerships and support from museums and galleries both in Ontario and across the country.

Due to the nature of this program, a significant amount of time is spent working in teams in the field, and on practical projects.

The third and final semester is a challenging, full-time, four-month, curriculum-based internship at an approved site. This will give you hands-on work experience where you will put your hard work and studies into action. Students should be prepared to relocate for the internship, to pay full tuition, and be self-supporting. The internship is usually an unpaid study experience. You will negotiate your own internship with faculty assistance and some students have participated in internships abroad. Students are responsible for negotiating additional paperwork and funding requirements for international internships including visas, travel and insurance. Some examples of internship locations include:

• Metro Toronto Zoo
• Museum of Ontario Archaeology
• National Trust, England
• Nova Scotia Museums
• Ontario Museum Association
• Peterborough Museum & Archives
• Provincial Archives Associations
• Robert McLaughlin Gallery
• Royal Ontario Museum
• Royal Tyrrell Museum
• UBC Museum of Anthropology

All course work must be successfully completed in order to be eligible for the internship. Satisfactory completion of the internship is a prerequisite for graduation.

• an interest in and respect for history, culture, art and heritage
• manual dexterity
• public relations skills
• ability to work with people of all ages
• cultural sensitivity/awareness
• ability to prioritize tasks and meet multiple demands under pressure
• proven time management, planning and teamwork skills
• flexibility and organizational skills
• excellent communication and writing skills
• experience with digital photography
• sense of humour

Experience or certification in the following are assets:

• Digital photography
• Adobe Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)
• Ladder Training (required), Fall Arrest Training, or Working at Heights
• French language skills
• Fire Prevention Training
• Firearms Possession and Acquisition Licence (P.A.L.) (to work in military museums and many community museums)
• Experience working with databases
• Smart Serve Food Handling
• Other languages
• Valid driver's licence
• Criminal Reference Check Vulnerable Sector
• AODA Training

You'll find employment at historic sites, parks, zoos, monuments, living history sites, museums, galleries, and in heritage/arts/cultural education. Job titles include:

• collections manager/registrar
• curator
• digital content and marketing co-ordinator
• education officer
• exhibit designer
• fundraiser
• museum interpreter/guide/animator
• museum manager
• outreach co-ordinator
• public programming and special events lead

An initial job after graduation most likely will be a contract position, but you'll progress from there to more permanent, full-time employment. There's a high employment rate in the field following graduation.

This program is ideally suited as a continuing studies addition to a degree or diploma.

Interested in exploring other history/heritage related programs for career options? Why not consider the post-graduate Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management program?

• Canadian Museum Association
• American Alliance of Museums
• Ontario Museum Association
• Canadian Heritage Information Network
• Canadian Conservation Institute
• Canadian Association for the Conservation of Cultural Property
• American Institute for Conservation
• Historical Royal Palaces Blog

Books/supply costs are approximately $1600 a year. Additional fees may be required for field trips or specialized workshops. A laptop with up-to-date Adobe Creative Suite software and a digital SLR camera are assets. Students should also consider taking advantage of student rates to join industry professional associations

If you have a complex medical history, we strongly advise you to discuss your concerns with the program co-ordinator, and to consult with your doctor. You must update Tetanus and all immunizations prior to the start of classes. In addition, students are required to pay certification fees and present current certification for Standard First Aid, CPR (C Level), WHMIS (G.H.S.) training and Ladder training, and a current Criminal Reference Check Vulnerable Sector Screening. Please provide proof of all documentation at the start of classes in the fall (do not send this ahead of time). Links to mandatory free AODA training will be provided to those who are accepted into the program.

• Adhere to recognized professional, legal and ethical standards to ensure the management, development, growth, stewardship and day to day operations of museums, galleries and archives.
• Develop, manage and maintain collections and associated documentation that reflect the governing organization's mission.
• Monitor, protect and maintain artifacts in storage, on display and in transit.
• Apply knowledge of the key characteristics of common materials in museum collections and causes of deterioration in order to implement effective preservation strategies.
• Demonstrate a basic understanding of archival management principles and practices.
• Respect needs and experiences of individuals, families and communities and their associated material history culture.
• Apply and integrate relevant knowledge of the history, development and philosophy of museums and the evolving museum profession in order to effectively promote and understand the arts, heritage and culture.
• Collect, research, document, interpret and preserve tangible and intangible heritage.
• Research, plan, construct, promote and evaluate outreach, public and school programs, touring exhibitions and temporary and permanent exhibitions.
• Apply business and management principles and practices, including planning and policy development to non profit and for profit sectors.
• Generate revenue through fundraising and grantsmanship by applying sound business principles.
• Contribute to strategies for effectively managing the performance and development of staff and volunteers in museums.
• Communicate and collaborate in an effective professional manner.
• Identify and implement strategies to improve job performance and promote personal and professional growth in a rapidly changing, complex work environment.

Students applying to Museum Management and Curatorship must meet the following requirements:

• Undergraduate degree or Ontario College diploma in a related field or equivalent