Museums, Art and Culture Landing Page
Museums, Art and Culture
From Museum Studies, Anthropology and History, to Contemporary Art Practices, Chinese Culture and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies, George Washington University offers a broad breadth of humanistic scholarship and the rigorous pursuit of creativity that informs our collective understanding of the world and its inhabitants.
Students are challenged to think critically as they are immersed in a multi-disciplinary learning experience imbued in culture, history and global perspective. A cutting-edge curriculum—combined with the practical expertise, advanced techniques and access to an elite network of cultural scholars and practitioners—give graduates a jumpstart in careers in both the public and private sectors.
PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE
Learn more about the program that fits your career goals:
- Museums, History and Culture, MA
Starting in fall 2025, GW’s new, unique joint degree program emphasizes a firm grounding in historical training, interdisciplinary American Studies methods, and museum fundamentals. Trained in both historical scholarship and practical application in History, American Studies and Museum Studies, you will be well prepared for careers in museums, historic sites and a range of other public-facing historical programs.
- Museum Studies, MA
By combining hands-on training with future-focused theoretical engagement, GW’s Master of Arts in Museum Studies provides you with foundational knowledge about today’s state of museum work and the practical skills to critically engage with developments in the field. Within one of the nation’s most prestigious museum studies programs, you will gain unique opportunities in the nation’s museum capital to connect to national and global conversations at the cutting-edge of museum practice.
- Anthropology, MA
GW’s Master of Arts in Anthropology program provides you with the ability to synthesize diverse data about human beings as you gain grounding in the foundational concepts of anthropology. As you choose to pursue their degree in general anthropology or in one of three concentrations, the museum training concentration, in particular, prepares you for the scholarly and curatorial side of museum work, typically with hands-on training interning within some of the world’s most prestigious museums.
- History, MA
Surrounded by museums and archival institutions throughout the nation’s capital, GW’s Master of Arts in History students have access to the best historical research tools and conference opportunities in the world. Whether you choose to specialize in a particular area of history or craft a personalized program of study, your hands-on research and critical thinking skills will prepare you for a broad range of professions.
- Art History, MA
Situated in the heart of Washington, DC, GW’s Master of Art program in Art History provides you with unique opportunities to study firsthand the permanent collections and exhibitions of some of the most important art institutions in the world. The rigorous and supportive scholarly program places special emphasis on developing your individual critical analysis, research, and writing skills. Ultimately, the MA will set you up for curatorial or education careers in galleries and museums and/or prepare you to enter a PhD program.
- American Studies, MA
GW’s Master of Arts in American Studies provides you with unique opportunities for pre-professional training by combining academic rigor with practical, hands-on experience in prestigious cultural institutions throughout Washington, DC, from the Smithsonian Institution to the National Register of Historic Places. Whether you pursue the General Studies or Museums and Material Culture concentration, you will gain expertise via challenging courses and in-depth research in cultural history and the analysis of cultural productions, cultural resource management, and more.
- Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, MA
With your Master of Arts in GW’s pioneering Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) program, you will create an individualized program of study that combines course work with practical learning opportunities at top cultural and policy organizations in the nation's capital. You will develop intellectual depth and a degree of expertise in your chosen discipline or topic area (including anthropology, sociology, English, history and philosophy, women and health, international development, race and gender and LGBT sexuality) and gain the professional skills needed to become competitive in the realms of public policy, nonprofit leadership, business, law and more.
- Chinese Language and Culture, MA
GW's Master of Arts degree in Chinese Language and Culture (CLC) offers you an opportunity to achieve professional proficiency in Chinese in addition to a deepened intellectual and cultural understanding of China and the Chinese-speaking world. Whether you choose to focus on literature and culture or linguistics, you are empowered to tailor your degree to fit your interests and career goals and access professionals and scholars throughout Washington, D.C., ultimately preparing you for a career in government, consulting, education, academia or business.
- Contemporary Art Practices, MFA
For those who want to expand their technical skills while experimenting across art forms, GW’s Master of Fine Arts in Contemporary Art Practices prepares students for work as both exhibiting artists and civic agents. Within our program, you will investigate critical and creative relationships between content and form, deepen your understanding of art's social contexts and pursue research-driven approaches to contemporary practice. Learn from world-class faculty; interact with visiting scholars, curators, and critics from local arts institutions; and take advantage of creative opportunities throughout Washington, D.C.’s abundant galleries, museums, cultural centers and civic spaces.
- English, MA
With the Master of Arts in English, you will deepen your knowledge of Anglophone literature while sharpening your skills in close reading and incisive writing. Whether you pursue the thesis or non-thesis track, you will become immersed in the cultural and literary opportunities that the nation's capital has to offer—from internships with institutions like the Folger Shakespeare Library to research opportunities at the city's world-class Smithsonian museums.
Earn your GW master’s degree in the disciplines that will
SET YOU APART FROM THE COMPETITION.
THE GW ADVANTAGE
Unique Learning Experience
With engaged learning and hands-on projects that integrate coursework with professional roles — both within GW’s classrooms and the abundant prestigious cultural and historic agencies, museums and organizations throughout Washington, D.C.—you will learn firsthand how to perfect your craft and gain invaluable professional development as a skilled and experienced creative practitioner.
Faculty Expertise
With extensive field experience and extraordinary access, GW’s well-connected, world-class faculty members have the ability to offer rare, firsthand insight into the most important ideas and issues of the day. In fact, many of GW's faculty members divide their time between the halls of academia and important real-world cultural institutions, offering you uncommon expertise and mentorship.
Location
GW utilizes Washington, D.C., as an extended classroom unlike any university. Here you will access unparalleled hands-on learning, internship and career opportunities in many of the world’s most prestigious museums, galleries, historic and cultural institutions, from the Smithsonian Institution and National Register of Historic Places to the Folger Shakespeare Library. There is simply no better place in the world to pursue a career in creativity than GW.
Museum Specialist Kevin Strait, MA ‘02, PhD ’10, American Studies, brought rock and roll legend Chuck Berry’s famous red Cadillac to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Sarah Richardson, MA ‘17, PhD ‘23, Anthropology, worked with Anthropology faculty on a new exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History that charts how cellphones have changed our lives and our planet.
Shawn Shafner, MFA ‘24, Social Practice, has led school-wide projects like Acornucopia!, a program that educated the community on the uses of an Indigenous food source.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Here are just some of the field’s top organizations where our graduates are advancing their exciting careers:
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