Combine the MI and MMSt Degrees
The Combined Degree Program gives full-time students the option of pursuing both the Master of Information (MI) and the Master of Museum Studies (MMSt) degrees at the same time. The duration of this program is three years, meaning that the requirements are completed at an accelerated pace.
It is important to note that CDP students follow a structured and rigorous set of requirements to complete two degrees over three years. If taken separately, these degrees would normally take fours years to complete.
Depending on the MI concentration students choose and the skill set they hope to acquire in the MMSt program, it is recommended that they connect with academic advisors to ensure that their choice of electives support their interests and career goals.
According to the Committee on Archives, Libraries and Museums (CALM), established by the American Library Association, there is large interest in collaboration, convergence and joint standards among these institutions. Overlapping roles and integrated access to collections are good reasons for such partnerships. It is increasingly common to have digital collections and assets recorded in a database or information system.
CDP students typically complete the program in the following sequence:
- Year 1 of study as an MI student
- Year 2 of study as an MMSt student
- Year 3 with dual registration in both the MI and MMSt programs
The CDP program is particularly demanding and requires careful time management. As a result, completing a thesis is usually neither possible nor recommended. Similarly, the CDP requirements do not allow students time to complete two co-op work terms outside of the university.
Students can, however, complete a 12-week summer internship (MSL3000H) after their second year and/or a 12-week practicum (INF2173H/INF2273H).
Academic Requirements
To fulfill the Combined Degree Program requirements, students must complete 26 half-credit courses (13.0 credits total). Half-credit courses at the University of Toronto last one semester.
- This is a three-year program, only offered on a full-time basis.
Required Courses
All required courses. These are:
MSL1150H Collection Management 0.5 Credits
MSL1230H Ethics, Leadership, Management 0.5 Credits
MSL2331H The Museum Exhibition: Histories, Practices, Genres 0.5 Credits
MSL2370H Museums and Cultural Heritage: Context and Critical Issues 0.5 Credits
MSL2350H Museum Planning and Management: Projects and Fundraising 0.5 Credits
INF2040H Project Management 0.5 Credits
MSL4000Y Museum Studies Capstone Projects 0.5 Credits
Three half-credit courses (1.5 credits total) of electives from the MMSt program
Students are eligible to select up to four half-credit courses (2.0 credits total) from an external graduate unit.
CDP Students and Graduates
Samantha Summers (CDP, Class of 2021)
Samantha puts to her MI and MMSt degrees to use at the ROM where she is Manager of Donor Circles overseeing renewal fundraising campaigns and the Member to Patron pipeline.
Erin Canning (CDP, Class of 2018)
Erin worked in private art galleries and in client services at Sotheby’s auction house before pursuing the CDP. She got involved with the digital museum community and spoke at various conferences about her thesis work on building information systems for art museums. The week before her thesis defense, she was offered the position of Digital Platform Administrator at the Aga Khan Museum. Erin now works as an Ontology Systems Analyst at LINCS and is a PhD student the University of Oxford.
Program Essentials
More details about admissions requirements for domestic and international students can be found on the CDP Admissions Requirements page.
Information about tuition fees, financial aid, and scholarships and awards can be found on the Money Matters page.
Detailed information about Awards, Scholarships and Financial Aid for domestic and international students can be found on the Awards page.