Museum and Gallery Professionals
Formal Description
“Registrars, restorers, interpreters and workers in other occupations related to museums and art galleries classify and catalogue museum artifacts and gallery works of art, construct and install exhibits and displays, restore, maintain and store museum and gallery collections, frame artwork, and perform other functions in support of curatorial and conservation activities. They are employed in museums and galleries. Picture framers and taxidermists may also be employed in retail settings or may be self-employed. This unit group also includes museum and other interpreters who conduct guided tours. They are employed by art galleries, museums, parks, aquariums, zoos, interpretive centres, botanical gardens, cultural centres, nature sanctuaries, historic and heritage sites, and other locations.” (NOC 2021)
Sample Job Titles
This category includes a variety of job titles that may not necessarily be reflected by the category title. For a full index of job titles, see the category entry on the ESDC site. Example job titles include:
Archaeological Technician
Chief Preparator
Curatorial Assistant
Display Officer
Heritage Interpreter
Historic Site Interpreter
Museology Technician
Museum Registrar
Park Interpreter
Preparator
Restoration Technician
Wilderness Interpreter
Typical Employment and Education Requirements
The requirements listed for each occupational category will tend to vary across particular roles, job titles, and contexts. {This text can be swapped to either column for balance.}
The following typical requirements are listed on the ESDC’s 2021 entry for this occupational category:
- Registrars, cataloguers and interpreters may require a university degree in a field related to museum and gallery work.
- For other occupations in this unit group, completion of a college program in museum technology or conservation technology or completion of other technical or on-the-job training programs related to the work are required.
- Museum interpreters may require specific scientific or academic credentials for employment by some museums, nature centres or other sites.
- Technical museum and gallery workers may specialize in a specific type of collection.
Success with a Social Sciences Undergraduate Degree and Beyond
When reviewing typical requirements, please remember:
- Degree and diploma listings often end with a purposefully open-ended phrase (“or a related field”, “or a similar discipline”) that acknowledges the variety and applicability of social sciences and liberal arts degrees.
- Employers often focus less on the name or title of a candidate’s degree, and more on how they articulate their transferable skills and experiences.
- Many qualifications and certifications are available as post-graduate certificates aimed at recent university graduates; these can make an excellent further education option for a social sciences or liberal arts degree.
Related Categories
Here are a few other categories that might interest you:
Related Sectors
Whereas Economic and Social Development Canada’s ‘occupational’ categories tend to focus more on the duties and functions that people play in specific roles, exploring careers by ‘sectors’ helps us to sort by employer type, industry, or general field of work. Here are just a few of the sectors that may be relevant to this category:
Academic Program Connections
As you select your program of study and the courses you will take, you can chart a path towards success in this sector from any one of our social sciences departments and programs. Here are just a few examples of academic disciplines that have connections with this sector:
Anthropology Learn More
Anthropologists trained in fields such as cultural anthropology or archaeology develop skillsets that are crucial in the field of museum and gallery curation. Their expertise in the physical care for and social analysis of cultural artifacts prepares them well to flourish in this field.
Environment & Society Learn More
Graduates of Environment & Society programs and courses are able to contribute rich insights into the relationship between human beings and their natural and build environments. These skills are tremendously relevant to museums, galleries, and parks, especially those focused on the connections between geographies and the peoples who inhabit them.
Indigenous Studies Learn More
Graduates who have pursued Indigenous Studies enter the workforce ready to grapple with the challenges that often come along with the public presentation of art and artifacts. This includes offering leadership regarding how our museums and galleries can and should grapple with the challenges of truth and reconciliation as communities reckon with complex legacies. Yet graduates are also inclined to make sure that our public spaces recognize how indigenous communities contribute visions for continuing traditions and building towards the future.
Society, Culture & Religion Learn More
Degrees or courses in society, culture & religion prepare graduates to help situate stories, manuscripts, art and artifacts in their rich social, political, and religious traditions. They enter the workforce with deep knowledge not only of religious scriptures, structures, and objects, but also the cultural practices and social context in which they were developed and in which they continue to shape social forces today.
