What is the Museum Studies Capstone Projects course?

Why partner with the Master of Museum Studies program?  

Master of Museum Studies students take a range of required and elective courses that expose them to the major areas of the museum field, as well as to the theoretical foundations of museum studies. The program focuses on project management, ethical leadership, collections care, curatorial practice and exhibitions, interpretive planning, visitor research, and museum education. 

MMSt students are emerging museum professionals with knowledge, skills, and competencies in a wide range of academic and professional specializations relevant to the cultural and heritage sectors. Across their courses, students learn to prioritize community values and needs, center Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and connect critical reflection with hands on practice.  

What’s the role of the project partner?   

Each partner institution designates one member of their team to work closely with the student group for the duration of the project. The project partner serves as an institutional liaison for course instructors and students. Project partners are responsible for timely and regular communication with the student teams and are expected to provide feedback, information, and resources throughout the project. They facilitate access for the teams to resources and support agreed upon at the start of the collaboration. Project partners also bring significant field-specific expertise, supporting student teams as they refine approaches to their project. 

What funding is provided by the Faculty of Information and by the partner institution?  

The Faculty of Information contributes $1000-$1500 per project.  We ask partners to provide at least matching resources, whether as in-kind and/or cash contributions.    

What is the team’s capacity? 

Students are enrolled full time in the program and are in their final year of study, so they take other courses at the same time as working on the capstone project. Each student is expected to work on their project for an average of 7-10 hours/week. Team capacities range from 21-40 hours/week for two academic terms (12 weeks/term).  

What should a project proposal include and what is the selection process? 

We welcome proposals that offer teams of 3-4 students the opportunity to produce physical or digital exhibitions, develop educational or public programs, create strategic plans (e.g. emergency preparedness, climate action, interpretive, or accessibility plans), design and implement strategies for enhanced collections care, or contribute to other well-defined projects that support your institution’s mission and operations.  

We particularly encourage proposals for community-centered/ community-driven projects, projects developed with an accessibility lens, and projects that center Indigenous and culturally specific methodologies and protocols. We are also interested in opportunities for students to contribute to projects that are new or experimental for your organization.  

Project proposals include:  

• a brief description of the project and its desired outputs and/or outcomes  

• a designated contact person (project partner) 

• a timeline for completion within the academic school year (September to April)  

• resource contributions (cash or in-kind)  

• opportunities for professional growth and skills development for participating students  

Project proposals undergo a selection process to ensure a wide range of institutional, disciplinary, and thematic diversity. In our selection, we will consider:  

• Partner capacity to meet regularly with students and offer mentorship and substantive feedback on their progress  

• Student access to the site, whether by public transit or remotely 

• Feasibility in relation to the proposed timeline of the project  

A Letter of Agreement will be crafted for each successful project, confirming resource contributions, expectations for deliverables, and responsibilities, to be reviewed by the partner institution and the Faculty of Information.    

What is the project proposal timeline?   

Submissions for the 2025-2026 MMSt Capstone Course Project Proposals are now open. The deadline for project proposals is May 30, 2025, 5:00 pm. Successful partners will be notified by June 15, 2025.         

Past Capstone Projects

See all 14 Museum Studies Capstone projects from 2024 to get an idea of the range and type of projects.

Need more information?   

Staff