Mekelle University

Institute of Paleo- environment and Heritage Conservation

Department of Heritage Conservation
Museum Studies Course outline for 1st year Graduate Students of
Heritage Conservation and Tourism Management
Course Schedule: Every Friday (3:00 – 5:00 LT)
The general objective of this course is to engage the graduate students of Heritage Conservation
and Tourism Management to the critical understanding and evaluation of the historical
development of modern museums in Europe, Africa and Ethiopia. The course critically looks in
to various theories of museums. It also aims to expose students with some practical issues in the
museum world such as museum governance, fund raising for cultural nonprofit and international
code of conduct for museum professionals.
1. Friday 16/06/2010
Class commencement, assessment of the students’ background and course expectations
2. Friday 23/06/2010
No Class (Victory of Adwa)
3. Friday 30/06/2010
Understanding a museum concept: (etymology, ICOMs museum definitions from 1946 –
2007), critique and discussion on the definitions
Readings: ICOM’s Statute, Interview with the ICOM’s Director about the need and
Challenges of revising the museum definition, (www. ICOM website…)
4. Friday 07/07/2010
Museums and Society: Theories in the birth and development of modern museums,
museums as a reformatory of manners, & museums as space of representation.
Readings: Tony Bennet, the Birth and Development of Modern Museums, the Political
Rationality of the Museum; Excerpt from Thesis

5. Friday 14/07/2010
Continuation…. (Students will write a summary and discussion on the readings)
6. Friday 21/07/2010
Types of Museums: types by content, by ownership, by establishment
(Special reference to the Ethiopian museums experience and potential)
Readings: Compiled notes, & Running a Museum: Practical handbook for museum
Professionals
7. Friday 28/07/2010 - Friday 12/08/2010
No Class (The Ethiopian Good Friday Holiday)
Students will write a history and exhibitionary complex of a museum of their choice
which will be graded out of 25%.
8. Friday 19/08/2010
Key concepts in Museum studies and museum collections
Reading: Running a museum, a practical handbook & Museum Basics
9. Friday 26/08/2020
Museum management: personnel, and job descriptions
10. Friday 03/09/2010
ICOM’s code of conduct/ museum professional ethics
11. Friday 10/09/2010
Museum Financing: The nature of not- for - profit organizations
12. Friday 17/09/2010
Fund rising and grant proposal writing
13. Friday 24/09/2010 (2nd test which will be graded out of 25), and end of class.