Cooperstown Graduate Program
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history and research coursework

Knowledge of history and the ability to undertake historical research is vital to museum studies. CGP requires an intensive class in historical research and oral history techniques, and offers a range of electives for students who want to go further.

required classes

Research and Fieldwork
HMUS 52o (3 credits)
Instructor: Will Walker
Students will develop a research project and learn how to locate, analyze, and interpret a wide variety of written, oral, and visual sources. A research prospectus and bibliography and shorter assignments are required.
Fall, required first semester.

elective classes

American Cultures I
HISC 502 (3 credits)
Instructor: Will Walker
This course explores the development of thought, culture and society from the period of encounter through the outbreak of the Civil War. Students read and discuss critical documents and historical and cultural works that illuminate the major themes and tensions in American life before Emancipation.
Fall elective.

 

American Cultures II
HISC 503 (3 credits)
Instructor: Will Walker
A continuation of American Cultures I, this course examines the political, cultural and social issues and conflicts confronting the United States from the Civil War to the present day. Readings will explore the development of racial ideologies since slavery, and the rise of the United States as an economic,
cultural and diplomatic superpower during the “American Century.”
Spring elective.

 

Class, Race and Gender
HISC 530 (3 credits)
Instructor: Will Walker
This course explores how popular portrayals and critical interpretations of class, race, ethnicity, and gender have developed throughout the course of American history. Students will read and discuss documents, historical and cultural works, and museum exhibitions that illuminate the experiences and
perspectives of a wide range of communities. Class activities will also emphasize the potential of museums and historic sites to work closely and effectively with the diverse populations they serve.
Spring elective.

 

Topics in History
HISC 550 (1–3 credits)
Instructor: Will Walker
This course explores how popular portrayals and critical interpretations of class, race, ethnicity, and gender have developed throughout the course of American history. Students will read and discuss documents, historical and cultural works, and museum exhibitions that illuminate the experiences and
perspectives of a wide range of communities. Class activities will also emphasize the potential of museums and historic sites to work closely and effectively with the diverse populations they serve.
Fall or Spring elective.

 

Independent Study: History
HISC 551 (1–3 credits)
Instructor: Will Walker
Students may take up to three hours of Independent Study per semester. Students must design the study in consultation with the appropriate faculty member and complete an Application for Independent Study form and have it signed by the instructor before registering for the course.
Fall or Spring elective.

 

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nycProfessor Will Walker with Jessica Mayercin, Becca Ortenberg, Abbie Wilson, and Ashley Bowden (all '13) on a class field trip to New York City.

 

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Professors Will Walker and Cindy Falk take students on an annual walking tour of Cooperstown.

 

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Professor Walker addresses the Class of 2013 during a class trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.