Academic Semester Opportunities

Luther College believes in the transformational experience of global learning. Museum studies-focused opportunities are available through several programs, including the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) and other organizations that offer courses, unique professional and cultural experiences, and internship opportunities.

Many of our students have found internships with accredited cultural institutions such as the National Archives, the National Portrait Gallery, the Smithsonian, and other cultural and heritage institutions through participation in programs like Luther's Washington Semester.

Museum Studies students are encouraged to advantage of semester study away programs, such as:

• Lutheran College Washington Semester Program
• Chicago Program: Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Urban Studies (ACM)
• Florence: Arts, Humanities, and Culture (ACM)
• London and Florence: Arts in Context (ACM)

Student Testimonials

These are some things that our students have to say about their semester study away experiences:

My semester in ACM Florence Program in Florence was truly a life changing experience. I discovered who I really was, my life’s goal, and my passion in life. The program accommodated my interest in art restoration and set up an apprenticeship for me with one of the leading art restorers in Florence. I was able to try my hand at restoration working with real artwork from the impressionist collection of Lola Costa in the 1800s alongside my mentor, who also arranged a one-on-one visit for us with the iconic David Statue by Michelangelo. The Florence Program integrated us into Italian culture and arranged host families for us that provided opportunities to try local foods, practice speaking the language, and learning about life in Italy. I would encourage anyone with an interest in culture, language, or art to consider the ACM Florence program. It is an absolutely exceptional and unforgettable experience.

—Laura Turco '16

The Washington Semester program is a taste of the professional world and a fantastic opportunity to build your resume while getting college credit. Washington is full of history and it is definitely a good place for Museum Studies students. I spent three months interning full time for the Newseum. Their collection is extremely diverse and includes modern visual media, historic artifacts and newspapers, as well as movies; all are connected under the museum mission to "Champion the five freedoms of the First Amendment." This diversity allowed me to gain experience working with many different kinds of artifacts as well as exposure to the many opportunities that a museum career offers. The Newseum is a fast paced work environment that always has a new exhibit in the works, exciting collections, impressive museum technology, and never a dull moment. This internship opportunity allowed me to gain experience with environmental monitoring technology, exhibit installation, museum accessibility, and collection processing.

—Katharyn Gove '14

J-term Opportunities

Students are also encouraged to participate in January Term courses that further explore museum topics both locally and world wide.