Public History Certificate

Public history is a growing area of historical practice concerned with popular interest in the past and how history is presented to the public at historic sites and museums and in other public forums. The Graduate Certificate in Public History introduces the history, theory, and practice of public history; surveys careers in the field; and examines methods of engaging public audiences through the examination of historical subjects. Designed specifically for graduate students enrolled in the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in History and the Master of Historic Preservation program, the certificate builds on faculty and institutional strengths in historical interpretation, digital history, oral history, memory studies, and historic preservation. Relationships with history museums, historic sites, historical societies, and historic preservation organizations offer extensive opportunities for applied research, student internships, and critical discussion of contemporary challenges. Students who complete the certificate will develop marketable skills, be competitive for entry-level public history positions, and have greater versatility as professionals because of their knowledge of historical memory, popular interest in the past, and historians’ relationship to public audiences.