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HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY
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DEGREE SUMMARY

 The Heritage Management program emphasizes extensive investigation in the field of heritage management. Graduates from the program are prepared to enhance local, regional, and national sociological and scientific values, encourage preservation and stewardship of cultural and natural heritage, advocate public service, and direct educational programming designed to derive maximum advantage from innovative technology without the loss of cultural identity and biodiversity. The program is configured to allow individual students to emphasize areas of special interests such as heritage administration, conservation, interpretation, education, and utilization (ecotourism). The program offers both theoretical and practical coursework designed to prepare graduates to be leaders in the heritage management field.

Applicants will be considered for admission to the Heritage Management program once the following materials are received: official transcripts of complete undergraduate class work; two letters of recommendation from persons knowledgeable with the student's professional abilities; GRE scores; a completed application form; and a career summary statement. Forms will be furnished on request. Prior to being considered for admission to the program, students must complete the appropriate application forms and satisfy the requirements of the University. Once that process is concluded, admission to the program is based on three primary measures as follows: (1) GRE-the three elements of GRE (Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical) are totaled and considered as one part of the acceptance equation. (2) GPA-the student's GPA for the last 60 hours of undergraduate instruction. The GPA is multiplied by 300 to give an equal numerical value to the GRE (maximum value for this element is 1200). (3) Letters of reference numerical values are assigned to seven factors included on the Student Evaluation Form. The scores from the two letters of reference are totaled and become the third part of the acceptance equation (maximum value for this element is 1400). The outcomes of the three elements are added and divided by 41 based on a numerical value of 100 as the preferred score. Applicants scoring 90 or above are automatically admitted to the Heritage Management program. Students scoring 80 to 90 are considered marginal and must undergo review by the Heritage Management faculty, with careful consideration given to the applicant's career summary statement. Students scoring below 80 are unacceptable for admission to the program, but may appeal the decision to the program director for further review or consideration of extenuating circumstances.

The Heritage Management program uses a variety of existing courses offered by various departments within the University to address individual educational and career goals. All students must develop competency in the core courses taught by selected members of the graduate faculty. (Competency is construed to mean an understanding of professional practices.)

A student majoring in the program must take at least 12 hours from the Heritage Management core curriculum, a minimum of 15 hours prescribed elective courses, 12 of elective graduate-level courses, plus 6 hours of thesis or internship. Required core courses for the program are MUSM 5327, MUSM 5331, HMGT 5324, and HMGT 5327. (Internships are to be at locations approved by the student's Advisory Committee.) A total of 45 credit hours of graduate-level work is required for graduation. In addition, each student must pass a qualifying exam prior to beginning either the internship or thesis, and pass comprehensive written and oral exams at the conclusion of his or her studies. Students pursuing the thesis option must write and defend his or her thesis. The program is administered by the Executive Director of the Museum.

Following the first 9 credit hours of graduate study, each student's curriculum will be formalized through consultation with a graduate faculty advisory committee, consisting of at least three members, which reflects the student's area of emphasis. This degree plan will be approved by the program coordinator and the Executive Director of the Museum and will then be submitted to the Graduate School. When approved, it will serve as a tool for advising and review to assure completion of degree requirements.

A minor at the master's level in Heritage Management consists of 9 approved credit hours in the core curriculum; a minor at the doctoral level consists of 15 hours of Heritage Management courses of which at least 9 must be from the core curriculum.

HERITAGE MANAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE:

  • it facilitates retrieval of lost knowledge and advances solutions to current problems;
  • it helps create a sense of identification and affiliation;
  • it identifies, preserves, and maintains visual expressions of past events, activities, and lifeways;
  • it records the expressions of changing times;
  • it has economic and practical value.

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
The Heritage Management degree program is administered through the Museum, the Dean of the Graduate School, and the Office of the Provost.

HERITAGE MANAGEMENT OFFERS:

  • 45 hour degree program through the Museum of Texas Tech University
  • Optimum program composition: 50% Humanities and 50% Science

INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAM
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the Program, numerous existing degree programs and non-degree supporting fields complement the Heritage Management degree curriculum. The faculty from the following departments will work with Heritage Management students in their graduate education.

  • Museum Science
  • Biological Sciences
  • Architecture
  • History
  • Landscape Architecture
  • Range, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management
  • Computer Science
  • Anthropology
  • Political Science

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE HERITAGE MANAGEMENT DEGREE PROGRAM IS TO PREPARE STUDENTS TO BECOME PROFESSIONALS IN HERITAGE MANAGEMENT. THE STUDENT WILL BE EQUIPPED TO:

  • Communicate information about the sociological and scientific values represented by cultural and natural heritage;
  • Develop and promote a coherent personal and public attitude that includes cultural and natural heritage protection as an integrated and significant element;
  • Stimulate research into the practices of identifying, protecting, conserving, and documenting natural and cultural heritage and develop responsible methods of applying those practices;
  • Collaborate with other heritage management professionals and organizations;
  • Instill an understanding of the legal and ethical responsibilities associated with the care and management of cultural and natural heritage;
  • Develop a core of knowledge in the specialized management of cultural and natural heritage that is comprehensive and capable of providing leadership in the heritage management field;
  • Promote a broad-based approach to the cultural and natural heritage of the past, present, and future.

HERITAGE MANAGEMENT DEGREE EMPHASIS
The Heritage Management Degree has one curricular emphasis; however, it is designed to allow students to pursue individualized career objectives.

 

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Last Updated 15 August 2002 -- Maintained by MuseNet Coordinator -- ©2001-02 Museum of Texas Tech University