Your master's degree studies might focus on the social significance of jewelry.
You have many options for pursuing a master's degree in the history of jewelry. Take your degree at a college that focuses on design history and decorative arts, or at a history or anthropology department that offers a focus on jewelry.
Coursework or Thesis Options
Some schools offer master's degrees that consist entirely of coursework, while others combine coursework with a thesis project. If you want to do a thesis, make sure your prospective school offers that option. Check faculty web pages for professors who specialize in the history of jewelry.
Design School Degrees
Pursue your master's at a design school if you are interested in hands-on studies. Parsons: The New School for Design in New York City, conducts its classes in the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, where students receive hands-on experience in museum procedures.
College/University Degrees
A college or university master's degree will probably require you to focus more on the textual and historical records concerning jewelry rather than on objects.
Goals
Choose where you'll study based on your career goals. If you want to pursue an academic career, a master's degree at a college or university will maximize your chances of getting into a PhD program. A design-based degree is more likely to lead to a career in museum or gallery curation.
Considerations
Most thesis supervisors will want you to focus on a specific time frame or type of jewelry. Academic studies of jewelry include Margaret Nickelson Wright's "Hopi Silver: The History and Hallmarks of Hopi Silversmithing" and Adriana Calinescu's "Ancient Jewelry and Archaeology."
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