Academic Programs

The Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, Brown University , is a university teaching museum with collections of over 100,000 ethnographic and archaeological artifacts and active public exhibitions and education programs. A central feature of the museum's mission is to instruct students at all levels in courses as well as through activities enhancing the value of its collections by responsible, careful field-documented collecting.

For more than forty years the Haffenreffer Museum has had integral intellectual ties to Brown University 's Department of Anthropology. Today students, undergraduate and graduate, can enroll in Museum-based courses listed in the Department of Anthropology curriculum , while an MA program in Anthropology-Museum Studies, offered through the Department of Anthropology, combines the core features of the MA in anthropology with three specialized seminars and a museum-related research paper. This degree program is designed for students who wish to take advantage of close ties between the Department of Anthropology and the Haffenreffer Museum and to develop museum-related employment opportunities. The program is normally completed in two years of residence.

Courses for Undergraduates
Brown University undergraduates may enroll in three anthropology-museum studies seminars (AN 240, 241, 242) with permission of the instructor or may initiate independent research projects or internships (AN 193/194); these courses count toward the requirements of the BA concentration in anthropology. For further information on these Museum-based Department of Anthropology offerings see Anthropology-Museum Studies Core Seminars and Academic Internships below. Related courses on artifacts, art, and museums, which visit the Museum, are offered from time to time in American Civilization , History of Art and Architecture , Modern Culture and Media , and Old World Archaeology and Art .

MA in Anthropology-Museum Studies
The three core courses in the anthropology-museum studies program are open to any Brown University or RISD undergraduates or graduates interested in museum work. AN 242, examines the role of museums in historical and contemporary perspective. Two courses, AN 240 and AN 241, lead to the creation of new exhibitions developed by staff working directly with students in hands-on seminars. Several of our current exhibitions, including Packrats for Posterity ; Death, Defense, Distinction ; Warp Speeds ; and Believing Africa, were created with students in past AN 240-241 sequences.

Anthropology-Museum Studies Core Seminars
AN 240 Museums and Material Culture

This seminar discusses anthropological approaches to material culture in museum contexts, by developing themes, selecting objects, and preparing a preliminary script for an exhibition in Manning Hall. (AN 240 is followed by AN 241. Students can enroll in each course independently). Combined enrollment limited to 20. Written permission required.

AN 241 Exhibitions in Museums

The goal of this seminar is to implement in Manning Hall an exhibition script developed in AN 240. Topics discussed and put into practice include: representation of cultures modern museum displays; thematic development; interpretation, handling, and mounting of objects in contextually rich and engaging museum environments; conservation; audience assessment. Enrollment limited to 20. Spring term. Written permission required. S/NC.

AN 242 Museum and Their Communities

This seminar examines in detail both the internal workings of and place in communities of museums that, broadly speaking, are anthropological in scope. Management, conservation, collections management, education, exhibition, research, and interpretation of various sites are among the topics discussed at the Haffenreffer Museum as well as through trips to other museums nearby.

Internships
The Haffenreffer Museum offers a limited number of internships varying in length from one or two semesters, to a month long "winterim" or summer vacation period. Some are for academic credit; others carry a modest stipend. Normally, interns focus on a particular area of museum activity-- collections management, education, exhibition, public relations, conservation; or a research project. In a 500-word statement applicants should propose a focus for their internship, which the Museum will try to accommodate in assigning the intern to particular members of the staff. Most internships result in a final product of some kind, to be agreed upon with the supervisor. The Museum expects an intern to work at least one day a week during the internship and keep a log documenting their museum involvement.

Academic Internships for college course credit are available to students currently enrolled at Brown University or other colleges or universities. The student interested in a particular topic related to collections research, exhibitions, education programs, or other museum areas should develop the project in joint discussions with a faculty sponsor and the museum internship supervisor. The faculty sponsor agrees to direct the student's program so that it will fulfill the requirements of his/her particular institution. The museum on-site supervisor agrees to assist in the project design, monitor the internship, and to evaluate the work completed. Brown University students usually enroll in an appropriate reading and research course for undergraduate (AN 193/194) or graduate (AN 293/294) students. An administrative fee of $100 is charged for all non-Brown University students. Non-stipendiary.

Internships not for course credit are available to Brown University students who express a strong interest in entering the museum field and wish to gain practical experience in collections management, education programs, exhibitions, and other aspects of museum operations before seeking further training in anthropology, museum studies, or in a related discipline. Interns who complete 100 hours of supervised work and fulfill internship requirements will receive an Internship Certificate. Non-stipendiary.

The Rudolf F. Haffenreffer 3rd Internship. Awarded on a competitive basis, this semester-long internship is for American Indian students at Brown who wish broad experience in collections management, education programs, exhibitions, and other aspects of museum operations. Applicants must be American Indian and must be in residence for a full semester. Interested students should contact the Museum for further details. Stipend.

Collections Grants
A limited number of small grants for systematic field collecting are available to Brown University faculty, museum staff, and advanced students in anthropology. Those who are preparing to go into the field and who may be interested should consult with the Museum's director and/or curatorial staff about an appropriate collection that could be made for the Museum. Together they will develop a responsible strategy for collecting, documentation, fiscal accounting, and shipping materials.

For further information contact:

Shepard Krech III, Professor of Anthropology and Director
or
Kevin P. Smith, Deputy Director

Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
Brown University
300 Tower Street
Bristol, RI 02809
Tel. 401-863-3251
Fax 401-863-7588

Class Fall '05 Collections Images