Who We Are
The Coalition of Master’s Scholars on Material Culture (CMSMC) is dedicated to helping emerging master’s scholars, who are at a crucial point in their academic career, by providing a platform to publish their work and contribute to the expanding field of material culture. From publishing scholarly pieces and reviews to hosting professional development events, CMSMC is a platform designed for Master’s scholars by Master’s Scholars. Scroll down to learn more!
Material Matters: A New CMSMC Journal
Material Matters is a journal published by CMSMC.
With feature essays, book and exhibition reviews, research notes, and more, our issues are published annually, echoing the topic of our Annual Symposium.
Our upcoming issue examines the topic of “Memory and Material Culture.” Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 6, 2025 for a target Fall 2025 publication.
Our 2025 CFP is available here, please direct any questions to admin@cmsmc.org.
In addition to our journal, CMSMC continues to publish opinion and review pieces online. We also house our feature essays, prior to us switching to an annual journal model, here.
Our recent issues…
What We Do
Scholarly Publications
We publish one thematic issue a year in our new journal, Material Matters, with submissions due on June 1. Previously, we had a rolling Call For Papers, which we have phased out but featured essays are still available on our site. We publish scholarly articles relating to material culture. Our goal is publish those earning or possessing a master’s degree, who are often at a crucial point in their academic careers.
Opinion Pieces
We publish short opinion (op eds) or anecdotal pieces about current events, news, particular objects or museums, or anything relevant to fields pertaining to material culture. There is a rolling Call for Papers for opinion pieces.
Networking Events
We host regular, free events to provide professional development and networking opportunities, ranging from CV/Resume building to conference writing. Subscribe to our newsletter to always stay informed.
Annual Symposium
Every spring, we host a symposium where 5 emerging scholars present their work. Each year, we picks a theme for our symposium that represents relevant topics in material culture.