Zoe Murdock

Curators, who are also called conservators or archivists, are professionals who are responsible for the maintenance, collection, and exhibition of valuable objects with historical or artistic significance.  Curator jobs primarily include the safe presentation of these priceless works.  If you seek a degree related to this field, keep in mind that most curator positions require a graduate degree in addition to relevant work experience. See what else you can learn about college art degree to help you on your way to becoming a curator.

Curators who are working towards their degrees will often volunteer their services in museums or archives.  Those seeking their Master’s degrees often hold various undergraduate degrees; however, the final degree obtained is typically in library science or history with extensive training in archival science.  National museums who hire curators demand that they hold a PhD and demonstrate a minimum of five years of professional experience.

More than 60 colleges and universities currently offer degrees that include training in the study of archival science within their library science or history programs.  A ‘certified archivist,’ which is a voluntary designation, is awarded by the Academy of Certified Archivists.  One with this title is required hold a Master’s degree and has a minimum of one year archival experience.  The certification process will also require a candidate to successfully pass a written exam. It would be a good idea to read more about Associate of Arts degree since it will greatly help you out in the future!

Curators create exhibitions, which include overseeing the inventory by acquiring works for a collection.  They must also meet with trustees who often need the same education of the historical or artistic value of the collection, as the general public.  Curators must be capable of managing a large staff, which may include volunteers and interns with very little experience.

A curator must also possess excellent written communication abilities.  These experts are typically the people primarily responsible for writing and submitting grants to help fund future collections.  The research and initial grant writing may be done by curatorial assistants or museums managers; however, the ultimate grant submission has the curator’s ‘final stamp of approval.’

Curators in smaller museums may be required to perform managerial and administrative duties.  It is for this reason that courses in fundraising, public relations, marketing, and business administration will be extremely helpful.  They will also need to be proficient with computers and be able to work with databases, as curators will often be responsible for posting information on the internet using digital imaging and scanning technologies. There is much more information available about online Masters which will help increase your knowldge when it comes to becoming a curator.

A curator’s median annual salary for May 2008 was a little over $47,000.  The highest 10 percent of them had earnings that exceeded $83,000.  Despite the fact that the anticipated job growth for a curator is considered to be well above average, it should be noted that current and future competition for these jobs is expected to be strong due to the fact that qualified applicants typically outnumber available job openings.

Curators are responsible for the management and supervision of a museum’s exhibitions.  These collections are important because they have artistic, cultural, or historical value.  Curators must research, acquire, and maintain the valuable objects that define a collection.  They also are often involved with fund raisers as well as the people who educate museum trustees (who approve exhibits) and the general public who help fund exhibitions by paying to view them.

Like a few states in the U.S., New Mexico uses a state lottery to help finance its state schools and scholarships. In combination with private organizations that also provide scholarships to enhance the community, New Mexico is doing a lot to help students pay for their education.
 
The New Mexico Scholars Program is open to any graduating high school student who finished his or her senior year in the top five percent or higher and also got a 25 or higher on their ACT. Besides supplying an academic transcript, an applicant must also fill out FAFSA paperwork, be under the age of 21, and enroll in a New Mexico university. For all this, the Scholars Program will cover the entire tuition and related costs.
 
There is also the Karcher’s Founders Scholarship. It can provide an additional $1,000 a year provided the applicant meets pretty much the same criteria as the Scholars plan. It is also good towards any local university or college within the state. Take advantage of the information about scholarships online and you should also take this opportunity to look into education scholarship to know your options.
 
There are two different programs minorities can take advantage of. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation Scholarship is open to any student who is of Native or Alaskan American ancestry. As long as you can prove you are at least 25% native, plan on attending a local school, and graduated with a 2.5 grade point average minimum, this plan awards up to $2,500 a year and can be used towards any degree program.
 
Then there is the Minority Doctorate Assistance program. It is open to all racial minorities provided they have already gotten, or are just about to get, their Bachelor’s degree and are planning to go on for a Ph.D. in any subject. They must also already be accepted into a post-graduate school program, either in or out of state. The amount they will be awarded is based on their personal finances.
 
There is also a post-graduate plan for military veterans. To qualify for the Veterans Service Commission/Vietnam Veteran’s Scholarship, you must be deemed eligible through the New Mexico Veteran’s Administration and be planning on going for your post-graduate degree. If the VA gives the authorization, you can end up with a fellowship large enough to cover your entire tuition and fees. Researching scholarships will help to prepare you for the challenges college has to offer.
 
The Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute Scholarship is a program that goes up and down the West Coast, wherever there is mining as a key industry. It is open to college students in their junior and senior years. It will pay for any mining-related field, from metallurgy to mechanical engineering. Besides an academic transcript, applicants must go to a school that is recognized by the Institute. Another unique program is the ACF New Mexico Manufactured Housing Scholarship. It will provide a $1,000 scholarship if you grew up in a pre-manufactured home and left high school with a 3.0 grade average.
 
Of course, no student should forget federal programs like the Pell. Still, thanks to the state lottery, a New Mexican can have their tuition completely covered. That’s better than picking the right numbers. Taking the time to research money for college and the many programs that are available can help to make college more affordable.

When you are located 2,000 miles southwest from the U.S. mainland, you tend to do things your own way. Such is the case with Hawaii, who has set up its own educational system, all the way up to the university level. While there are some independent institutions of higher learning, they are mainly seminary schools. Otherwise, you either attend a college that’s part of the state system, or you fly across the Pacific (east or west) to continue your education.

As Hawaii has its own state universities and not much else, the grants follow suit. There are really not that many, and they generally are all focused on those schools. If a student needs assistance to go to a school anywhere else, he or she has to hope for good grades and merit-based scholarships. Reviewing your options after researching more information about education scholarship is a good idea.

Hawaii’s B Plus Scholarship is the state’s top grant. It is actually a hybrid that considers merit against need. It works on the principle that a high school student must not only take a specific list of classes, but finish off those classes with a cumulative 3.0 average. If one manages to do this, he or she then must fill out a FAFSA application, which will then determine the total amount of the award. It can go as high as full tuition and expenses, but only to one of the state universities and a handful of others.

This doesn’t mean you are left out if you don’t meet the restriction of the B Plus plan. Students who also are accepted to one of Hawaii’s schools can apply for the Incentive Grant. Based on the FAFSA, it will award anywhere from $200 to $2,500 per academic year. You may want to look into more details on scholarships online to ease your journey.

From here, the grants become more specialized. For example, the Aloha Hawaii Believes In Me grant is for any state resident who plans to study in the health care or medical field and has demonstrable financial need. If qualified, it will give one up to $2,500 a year. In 2010, it awarded 180 such student in the state system.

As many students know, while a number of grants and scholarships cover tuition, the costs of books, fees and related expenses can be equally prohibiting. Therefore, a number of state private citizens created the Ho Pang Endowment Scholarship specifically to provide such aid. The only other prerequisite is being accepted into one of the state’s schools.

On a more limited perspective, the John M. Ross Foundation is open to any student who resides in what the state calls “The Big Island;” i.e. the island of Hawaii itself. Applicants must either have a 2.5 GPA or a GED equivalent score. At the same time, they don’t have to immediately go to a university, but have a three year window from when they graduate high school to apply. They can also go on a part time as well as a full time basis. The internet is a good place to research more information about money for college.

So that’s how the state of Hawaii handles it particular issues when it comes to providing financial aid. As it happens, the state is also rich with its own share of state scholarships, and students should never forget any federal programs they can go for. With that in mind, one can end up with an education as good as in the mainland!