Professional Development Certificate Program

The TAM Professional Development Certificate Program provides an incentive for Texas museum professionals to build their expertise by attending a series of educational programs in one of six areas of focus. Certificates reward participants’ dedication to improving their skills and knowledge of museum practice.

Program participants will earn a TAM Professional Development Certificate for completion of a workshop and five sessions relating to one focus area.

To complete the Professional Development Certificate Program: 

  • Choose an area/topic you’d like to get your Certificate in (listed below) and purchase the certificate. 
  • Within the calendar year that you purchase the certificate, you must fulfill five sessions (webinars + talks) and one workshop.
    • In order for the session or workshop to count toward your certificate, they must be labeled as that certificate's pathway. You can also submit reasonable summary on why it would apply to another pathway if you’d advocate for it.

Many professionals will purchase a certificate in order to prepare for our Annual Meeting, That way, it's easy to complete the program in a short period of time. Otherwise, simply keep an eye on our events calendar to attend applicable upcoming webinars, talks, and workshops. 

You'll have help along the way! Contact admin@texasmuseums.org to keep track of the sessions you've attended and help plan upcoming events that fulfill your requirements. 

Eligible sessions in the six focus areas will be noted in our program schedule and on upcoming events:

(A) ADMINISTRATION

Addresses issues related to the day-to-day management of people, projects, and money in museums including analytics and assessment; digital systems and program strategy; digital readiness; disaster preparedness; earned revenue strategies; environmental sustainability and green teams; facilities management; financial sustainability; legal; management and administration; operations and infrastructure; philanthropy: development, membership and all aspects of fundraising; project management; recruiting, orienting and training staff, volunteers and interns; risk management and resilience planning; security; strategy and operations; succession planning; workforce/workplace issues.

(C) COLLECTIONS MANAGEMENT

Addresses collections issues including accession and deaccession practices, cataloging, and collections management systems; care and conservation; collections strategies for small organizations; cultural property and repatriation/restitution copyright and reproduction; digital/physical conservation and preservation; digitization and access; diversity sensitivity training; environmental sustainability; international, ethical, legal and tax issues relating to collections; loans; planning, management and documentation; preservation standards and ethics; transportation/cargo screening issues; weather event and climate preparedness.

(E) EDUCATION/OUTREACH

Addresses: data analytics; educational technology; equity, accessibility, and inclusion; education and interpretation in small organizations; environmental sustainability; evaluation and assessment; interpretive planning; formal education connections; grant-funded programs; live performances and demonstrations; programmatic design; tours, classes, workshops; visitor studies; volunteer recruitment, training, and management.

(EX) EXHIBITIONS

Addresses all aspects of planning and developing real and virtual exhibitions including audience and community engagement; community engagement; cross-functional planning teams; content development; developing off-site and traveling exhibits; diversity and inclusion; exhibition evaluation methodology and practices; exhibition digital technology; exhibits in small organizations; environment, media, and graphic design; exhibition project management; experience and interactive design, user testing, and prototyping; fabrication/production materials, methods, and budgets; global perspectives; interpretive planning and experience development; label writing and editing; managing the design process and client expectations; sustainable materials/design; universal design and accessibility.

(L) LEADERSHIP MANAGEMENT

Addresses issues pertaining to executive leadership including board development and management; strategic thinking/vision/ planning; mission; institutional planning; strategic financial resource allocation; building organizational culture; organizational/staff structure; ethics; advocacy; succession planning; leading and/or managing change; infrastructure vision/planning (expansion, new construction); risk assessment in decision-making; organizational communications; crisis management; strategic partnerships/outreach.

(R) EXTERNAL RELATIONS

Addresses communications, marketing, and external relations: audience development and engagement; climate action; community engagement/impact for small organizations; community programs; community relations; collaboration/partnership with community organizations; data analytics; digitization, access, and sustainability; environmental sustainability; evaluation methods and practices; grant-funded projects; marketing and communications; user-testing and prototyping; visitor services/studies; volunteer recruitment, training, and management; websites, social media, apps, in-gallery media.

Please note that workshops presented throughout the year by TAM and TAM Affinity Groups count towards the certificate. It is not necessary to attend a workshop in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. The cost to participate is $50 per certificate. Participants must be current TAM individual or institutional members.

START YOUR CERTIFICATION

For More Information Contact Brittany Petrilli at admin@texasmuseums.org