Professional Qualifications for Field Services Consultants

The following professional qualifications for Field Services consultants are based on industry-specific standards, as well as those of the State Historical Society of Iowa.

Back to top

Documentary Collections

Education

  • Four-year undergraduate degree in any field (required)
  • Demonstrated commitment to continuing education about managing archives collections, through readings, involvement in professional organizations, certification and/or other forms of continuing education (required)
  • Master of library science degree with an emphasis in archives management or a comparable field of study (preferred)

Experience

  • Minimum of five years working as an archivist practitioner or manager (required)
Back to top

Museums

Education, Interpretation, Exhibits, Collections and Curatorial Expertise

  • Minimum of seven years of professional experience in area of expertise (required)
  • Employment at a community history/cultural organization or larger institution in the past five years (required)
  • Recent active participation in museum organizations (required)
  • Professional presentations in the past three years related to education, interpretation and/or exhibits, collections management, collections care and/or curatorial work (required)

Institutional Expertise

  • Minimum of 10 years professional experience in area of expertise (required)
  • Senior level employee at a community history/cultural organization or larger institution in the past three years (required)
  • Recent active participation in museum organizations (required)
  • Professional presentations in the past three years related to museum work (required)
Back to top

Historic Preservation

History

  • Graduate degree in history or a closely related field; or a bachelor’s degree in history or a closely related field, plus one of the following (required):
    • At least two years of full-time experience in research, writing, teaching, interpretation, or other demonstrable professional activity with an academic institution, historic organization or agency, museum, or other professional institution
    • Substantial contribution through research and publication to the body of scholarly knowledge in the field of history
  • If preparing Iowa Site Inventory forms as part of the Field Services program, recent experience as the primary researcher and writer of at least two successfully listed National Register of Historic Places nominations (required)

Architectural History

  • Graduate degree in architectural history, art history, historic preservation, or a closely related field, with coursework in American architectural history; or a bachelor’s degree in architectural historic, art history, historic preservation, or a closely related field, plus one of the following (required):
    • At least two years of full-time experience in research, writing, or teaching in American architectural history or restoration architecture with an academic institution, historical organization or agency, museum, or other professional institution
    • Substantial contribution through research and publication to the body of scholarly knowledge in the field of American architectural history
  • If preparing Iowa Site Inventory forms as part of the Field Services program, recent experience as the primary researcher and writer of at least two successfully listed National Register of Historic Places nominations (required)

Historic Architecture

  • Professional degree in architecture or a state license to practice architecture, plus one of the following (required):
    • At least one year of graduate study in architectural preservation, American architectural history, preservation planning, or a closely related field
    • At least one year of full-time professional experience on historic preservation projects
Back to top