Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology

University Teaching & Learning

Resources for University Faculty and Students.

Access the Museum's University Resources

Discover how the Museum can accommodate your teaching and research needs or learn about our student employment and internship opportunities.

The hands-on approach to highly meaningful objects allowed the students to overcome the traditional framing of the museum experience... The class proved to be extraordinarily enriching to all the participants, and to raise several issues that will stay with us throughout the semester.

Pedro Lopes de Almeida Ph.D. Student, Portuguese and Brazilian Studies - POBS 0620: Mapping the Portuguese-Speaking Cultures: Portugal and Africa
 
Close-up of hands holding neolithic stone tool in a lab setting.

Visit the Haffenreffer Museum's exhibits and CultureLab in the Manning Hall Gallery, located on Brown University's campus in Providence, Rhode Island.

Open to the public: Click here for museum hours and contact information. 

Submit a gallery visit request at least two weeks in advance of your desired date. Appointments can be made Mondays through Fridays from 9 am to 6 pm. Go to bit.ly/HMAGalleryVisit to see the gallery's current availability.

Museum staff can facilitate CultureLab sessions at Manning Gallery using objects featured in the Online Catalogue. Staff will work with instructors to support coursework with dynamic, object-based learning opportunities for classes via Zoom, including creating highlight groups (examples available on the online catalogue) specifically for your students.

Submit a CultureLab session request at least two weeks in advance of your desired date. Instructors can select from a list of topics or propose specific objects from the Online Catalogue and work with staff for final selections and session planning.

Objects inspire questions, and the Museum supports instructors, students, and researchers in answering those questions.

To inquire about using the Museum’s collections, archives, or Laboratory for Circumpolar Studies for your research, email a completed Research Request/Collections Access form to HaffenrefferMuseum@brown.edu.

Please note that researchers are responsible for their own transportation to/from the Collections Research Center, open by appointment only in Bristol, RI.

Integrate the Museum’s virtual resources into your curriculum. All of the following materials are free and readily available online.  

The HMA has a limited internship program. Please see our Internships page for more details.

Brown University or RISD students usually enroll in ANTH 1970 (for undergraduate students) or ANTH 2980 (for graduate students). Brown University undergraduate students can also partner with the Museum for an UTRA award.

Students from other universities may propose internship projects for the Museum. Past projects have focused on collections management, education, exhibitions, public relations, conservation, and independent research.

Interns must work with a faculty advisor from their institution and Museum staff to determine the project’s scope and timeline. Students are expected to work at least one day per week during their internship.

The Museum works with Brown University departments to arrange proctorships for graduate students interested in gaining practical museum skills and/or pursuing independent research projects with the Museum’s collections or archives.

 All proctorship appointments must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies in the student’s home department and by the Graduate School. We recommend consulting with the Museum to identify interested students and coordinate projects.

Please note that proctors placed at the Museum are expected to work 15-20 hours per week at the Collections Research Center, located in Bristol, RI. Regular access to a vehicle is highly recommended.

Brown University instructors and students conducting field research are encouraged to apply for Collecting Grants. A limited number of small grants are available for the collection of objects that contribute to the Museum’s mission.

Email HaffenrefferMuseum@brown.edu for more information.