The Museum Studies Program at CSU, Chico is one of the few museology programs in the United States. The Museum of Anthropology at Chico State was established in 1970 to support the Department of Anthropology’s unique and innovative museum training program.
Today, the Valene L. Smith Museum of Anthropology continues to function as a teaching museum and multifac-eted educational facility where students conceive, research, design, and install exhibits as part of their formal training. Students also gain hands-on experiences in museum studies courses including, collections management, artifact conservation, museum education, and museum administration.