This program trains individuals to oversee museum operations and activities geared towards museum clientele. In addition to helping develop students’ general knowledge, this program also aims to provide technicians with the skills and knowledge to:
prevent the deterioration of cultural property
document museum collections
set-up, maintain and dismantle exhibitions
produce artifact mounts and other exhibition items
These technicians work in stimulating environments that focus on various areas of specialty: ethnology, archaeology, history, art, science, etc.
Museum technicians can work in a whole range of potential environments, performing a variety of different tasks. Many work in museums, and the responsibilities they are entrusted with vary depending on the size of the facility they work for. Private businesses also hire museum technicians. This is especially true for companies specialized in transporting works of art, in the design and fabrication of exhibitions, in the framing of museum pieces or in providing exhibition lighting. Collectors, whether individuals, corporations or companies, are also potential employers.
According to the International Council of Museums (ICOM), museum institutions are defined as including: museums, exhibition centres, historical sites, interpretation centres, botanical and zoological gardens, aquariums, vivariums, libraries, cultural centres that hold various exhibitions, ecomuseums, historical parks, archaeological parks, science centres, planetariums, art galleries and archive centres.