Practica

Practica

Practica at the Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology provide students with opportunities to gain hands-on experience in museums while earning academic credit through Indiana University’s Program in Arts Administration, Department of Anthropology, Department of History, Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology, Department of Information and Library Sciences, and other coursework. 

Museum practica must be arranged with museum personnel and authorized by the faculty of record for the specific practicum course prior to registration.

Acceptance of practicum students is limited.

 

Process

To apply for a practicum at the IUMAA: please review the following listings and then submit a completed application (link at the bottom) to the appropriate departmental supervisor for an interview. Applications will be accepted until the positions are filled.

Candidates will be interviewed and must receive endorsement from the appropriate museum supervisor in order to enroll in the course.

After obtaining endorsement from the appropriate museum departmental supervisor, the student must obtain authorization from the faculty of record for the course.

Requirements

Required Orientation

All students earning academic credit at the museum through practica/internships are required to attend a student orientation each semester. During this orientation, introductions will be made, paperwork will be filled out, safety and security will be discussed, and a building tour will be given.

Capstone PowerPoint

The end of each semester will culminate in a Capstone PowerPoint where practica students will create PowerPoints based on their experiences working at the museum. These PowerPoints can focus on what you’ve learned about yourself, how you see this experience relating to your future professional life, what you learned about a particular artifact or place, or other information that demonstrates/explains your experience at the IUMAA.

Grading

All practicum hours must be completed during the semester you’re enrolled in order to earn a passing grade. Grades are raised or lowered based on the quality of practicum work and your adherence to museum policies and procedures. All students must participate in the Capstone Event, which will require a brief talk/presentation. The Capstone talk/presentation is 15% of the total practicum grade; the remainder of the grade level is based on practicum work performance. Please check with your departmental supervisor for specific guidelines.

Work Schedule

Students must provide to their supervisors a set work schedule at the beginning of the semester. If possible, work should be scheduled in time blocks of three hours or more.

Hours

The required number of practicum hours worked per week at the IUMAA varies according to the number of credit hours the student is enrolled in, and the semester of enrollment. Please review the table below.

Credit Hours

Fall / Spring

Summer 1 / Summer 2

Total

1

3 hours per week for 15 weeks

7.5 hours per week for 6 weeks

45 hours per semester

 

2

6 hours per week 15 week

15 hours per week for 6 weeks

90 hours per semester

 

3

9 hours per week for 15 weeks

22.5 hours per week for 6 weeks

135 hours per semester

4

12 hours per week for 15 weeks

30 hours per week for 6 weeks

180 hours per semester

5

15 hours per week per semester

37.5 hours per week for 6 weeks

225 hours per semester

6

18 hours per week for 15 weeks

45 hours per week for 6 weeks

270 hours per semester

Practica opportunities at IUMAA

Supervisor: Jennifer St. Germain, Archaeology Collections Manager, jstgerma@iu.edu

Credits: Students may take 2-4 credit hours of practicum per semester

Semester Available:  Fall 2024

Prerequisites: Introductory courses in museum studies, archaeology, library science, history, or related field preferred but not required. Previous museum experience is useful, but not required. All students who wish to enroll in a practicum will be interviewed and must have permission to register.

Qualifications: Students interested in an archaeology collections management should have careful and responsible work practices, a commitment to accuracy, excellent computer skills, and willingness to learn new programs and procedures.

Duties: Students taking an archaeology collections management practicum will learn various facets of maintaining and facilitating the use of archaeological collections. These collections include both artifacts and associated records in a variety of formats. Projects vary by semester but typically include working with museum record keeping systems, collections inventory and rehousing, object photography, digitizing archival documents, and contributing to collections catalog and research work.  

Supervisor: Emily Bryant, Assistant Registrar and Ethnographic Collections Manager, bryantem@indiana.edu or 812-855-0199

Credits: Students may take 2-4 credit hours of practicum per semester

Semester Available:  Fall, Spring, Summer

Prerequisites: Introduction to Museum Studies (A403) or previous museum experience is useful, but not required. All students who wish to enroll in a cataloging practicum will be interviewed and must have permission to register.

Qualifications: Students interested in a cataloging practicum should be efficient, organized, and able to pay close attention to details. They should also have good computer, research, and writing skills. Legible handwriting is a must.

Duties: Students taking a cataloging practicum will be expected to:

  • Familiarize themselves with the way the museum’s collections move through standard channels of registration and cataloging
  • Learn and follow proper methods of handling artifacts
  • Learn the IUMAA standardized cataloging system
  • Catalog or re-catalog collections according to museum procedures
  • Create paper records of work as instructed
  • Research collections as necessary for accurate cataloging/re-cataloging
  • Write up research notes and bibliographies as collections are cataloged/re-cataloged

Supervisor: Sarah Junk Hatcher and Sarah Rosenkrans

Credits: Students may take 1-2 credits 

Semester Available:  Fall 2024

Prerequisites:  Students must be proficient in the target language. Coursework in teaching foregin languages helpful but not required, Introduction to Museum Studies (A403) or previous museum experience is useful, but not required. All students who wish to enroll in a practicum will be interviewed and must have permission to register.

Qualifications: Students interested in a practicum should be efficient, organized, and able to pay close attention to details. They should also have good computer, research, and writing skills. Students must enjoy both teamwork and self-direct work and be comfortable seeking and receiving feedback.

Duties: This practicum will focus on creating foreign language learning materials for the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The successful student will create learning materials to help high school and university students hone their language skills while visiting the museum. Desired languages include: Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic, Japanese, or Chinese.

Application

Practica Application (PDF)