ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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There have been some great responses to this thread. I suspect there are
similarly insightful responses if you go to the ISEN archives at the
ASTC website. I think I recall this topic going around a few times
before.

My two cents:

1) CILS is a great program and a great opportunity. It's worth looking
into as an option that covers a lot of bases. Plus, you could live in
London for 3 years, and who wouldn't want to do that? Ditto for
Techniquest - who wouldn't want to spend some time in Wales?

2) Like Matthew said, an advanced degree won't necessarily open a
specific door. What it will do, however, is open *more* doors. I think
one of the greatest advantages to furthering your education is that you
end up with more options. This is particularly relevant in the field of
education, although not as important (in my experience) in the field of
museum education.

3) I think a Museum Studies degree might not be as focused on learning
science content as you might like it to be. Maybe you don't want a focus
on how people learn science, or even how people learn, but that's what I
read in your initial post.

4) My vote would be for a Master's or Ph.D./Ed.D. program in Curriculum
& Instruction with flexible enough faculty to allow you to pursue your
interest in museum education through your research. The key to the best
graduate programs, in my view, is the opportunity to apply a broad view
of education to a very specific research interest, whose results you can
apply in the career/field of your choosing. If you do a little digging,
you can probably find out which programs have faculty/advisors who are
willing to support you in your quest to learn more about how people
learn in the informal science setting.

This, of course, assumes that you are interested ultimately in museum
*education* and not museum management. However, if you think long-term,
you could probably achieve your goal in either by combining education in
one area with experience in another.

As far as shooting yourself in the foot by getting an advanced academic
degree, I'd like to reiterate that I think advanced degrees open doors.
Which doors they open depend on the approach you take to the
opportunities that present themselves to you.

Bill

Bill Watson
Education Director
Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center
Mobile, AL
(251) 208-6851

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