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Through the museum & heritage studies concentration, you'll acquire backgrounds in the theoretical and academic as well as the practical and professional aspects of museum anthropology and heritage studies. We educate our students to become practicing anthropologists in museums and related cultural institutions. You'll complement your academic and applied course work with hands-on training in the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology and through supervised internships. The program also works closely with the museum studies program in the School of Art & Art History, offering joint courses in conservation, curatorial studies and museum management.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the core degree requirements in anthropology, museum & heritage studies track students must complete:

  • One of the following:
    • ANTH 4744 Museum Anthropology
    • ANTH 3630 Archaeological Method and Theory
  • 6 additional courses in their focus area

These courses prepare you for diverse careers in museum anthropology and heritage studies. 

“Sometimes our representations of the cultures of the Americas conflict with how those cultures are represented in the mainstream. It’s my job to ensure that our workshops reflect current thinking regarding education and cultural responsivity, and make sure we represent the culture the Museo aims to honor in its full reality.”

Leah Zavaleta, Alumni, MA in anthropology with a concentration in museum studies Read more
Leah Zavaleta

Featured Faculty

 
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Esteban Gomez

Esteban Gomez

Co-Director, Undergraduate Studies; Associate Professor, Museum & Heritage Studies

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Christina F. Kreps

Christina F. Kreps

Director, Museum of Anthropology and Museum & Heritage Studies. Professor, Anthropology

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Featured Courses

ANTH 4070

Folklore & Cultural Heritage

About this Course

Folklore and Cultural Heritage is the study of the expressive behaviors and practices that constitute the ordinary, everyday life of communities. Folklore includes the intangible cultural heritages of all peoples, for example, the artistic expression reflected in stories and storytelling, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, dialects and ways of speaking. Everyone has folklore and participates in the "folklore process." 

ANTH 4744

Museum Anthropology

About this Course

This course introduces students to museum anthropology and the ethnography of museums as well as the theoretical and practical sides of museum studies. The course is based on the following premises: Museum anthropology is a form of applied anthropology in which museums are a venue for making anthropological insights and knowledge accessible and relevant to the public; Museums, as institutions of public culture, are a forum for exploring contemporary social issues and concerns; The role of museums in society and civic engagement is at the core of contemporary museum anthropology and Museology. 

ANTH 3030

Digital Anthropology

About this Course

Digital Anthropology introduces students to computer technology used in anthropological research. Students study and then produce a number of digital products useful in the analysis and interpretation of museum collections, for archaeological mapping and research, and for the dissemination of anthropological knowledge online. This process covers the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial analysis, three-dimensional imaging programs ranging in scale from broad landscape mapping to detailed digital artifact analysis. In addition, the use of geophysical methods for imaging what is below the surface allows students to produce images of what lies below the ground in archaeological contexts. 

Hearts on string from the HeARTery of Pregnancy and Baby Loss exhibit

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