Minor in Informal Education

Take your interest in teaching outside of the classroom with a Minor in Informal Education, offered through a partnership with the School of Education's Department of Curriculum & Instruction and the Department of Museum Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. The Minor in Informal Education prepares bachelor's level students for careers in museums, zoos, galleries, historical sites, parks and other cultural sites that offer educational experiences for visitors.

Baylor’s Museum Studies Department is housed in the Mayborn Museum Complex, providing a rich environment with exhibits in natural history, a children's museum, and an outdoor historical village.

Courses offer exciting opportunities for students to learn curriculum development, teaching techniques, and the theory and practice behind visitor engagement. Students work with additional Waco museums including the Dr Pepper Museum, Waco Mammoth Site National Monument, Baylor’s Martin Museum of Art, the Historic Waco Foundation, and Cameron Park Zoo. Classes also interact with leaders from national sites such as Mount Vernon and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History.

MORE INFORMATION: Sandra_Cooper@baylor.edu

REQUIRED COURSEWORK:
MST 1300 — Introduction to Museum Studies
MST 2303 — Museum Educational Programming
MST (choice) — Students select from other MST offerings
EDP 3326 — The Developing Child
*TED 4360 — Curriculum and Teaching in Informal Environments
*TED/MST 4362 — Capstone in Informal Education with Practicum
*newly developed courses pending approval

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Career Options

Prepare for exciting career opportunities in museums, zoos, galleries, historical landmarks, parks, and more!

Dynamic Environments

Go “behind the scenes” at a real museum or site through a practicum course that builds expertise in programming and teaching techniques for informal education.

Creative Outlet

Learn to design dynamic curriculum and implement hands-on, creative learning experiences that explore and interpret the information, concepts, and cultural values of informal learning sites.

Best of Baylor

Gain experience in Baylor’s Mayborn Museum Complex and benefit from the expertise of outstanding faculty in two Baylor departments.