2023-2024 Catalogue

Public History

Most people in the United States have little interaction with professional historical researchers; instead, they interact with the past through museums, historic sites, documentary films, websites, and other public history spaces. The Public History Minor combines history, management, communication, civic engagement, and marketing skills, all needed by staff and leaders at museums, historical sites, and other cultural work. This minor helps prepare students for initial positions leading to careers in museums, historical interpretation, historic preservations, heritage tourism, historical archives, and oral history programs. The minor also prepares students for graduate study leading to careers in the growing field of public history with coursework in the foundations, methods, theories, and ethics of public history. While this minor can complement many different majors, it may be of particular interest to students majoring in Communication, Education, English, History, Modern Foreign Languages, Public Service and Global Affairs, or Theatre.

Student Learning Objectives

Students will:

1. demonstrate competency in researching and writing history.
2. demonstrate an understanding of the significance of history to a broader public beyond academia.
3. demonstrate understanding of collaboration challenges iwth community partners working on a public history project.
4. identify potential career options that draw on their work for the public history minor.

Requirements for the Minor: The minor comprises 28-31 hours of coursework.

1. Required (19-21 hours)

BUS 303 Principles of Marketing 3 hours
COM 216 Intercultural Communication 3 hours
HIS 130 The American Experience to 1877 3 hours
HIS 135 The American Experience since 1877 3 hours
HIS 300 Historical Methods 3 hours
HIS 358 Public History and Historic Preservation 3 hours
HIS 452 Internship (to be completed at a relevant site) 1-3 hours

2. Electives (9 hours)

Select three of the follwoing (3 hours must be non-HIS coursework):

ARH 220 Visual and Curatorial Studies 3 hours
ENG 302 Introduction to Digital Culture 3 hours or ART 225 Graphic Design 3 hours
HIS 257 African American History 3 hours
HIS 304 Theory and Practice of Oral History 3 hours
HIS 306 Archives and History 3 hours
HIS 350 Seminar in American History 3 hours
HIS 352 American Twentieth Century Wars 3 hours

 

Find out more about this program.