Public History
Overview
Public history programs prepare people to store and present artifacts for the public. These programs are sometimes called applied history.Public history programs include topics such as:
- Ancient history
- Medieval history
- American history
- 20th century history
- Preservation
- Records management
- Historical research methods
- Specific country, revolution, or war study
Internships
Internships allow students to develop skills at companies or organizations. Most schools require internship programs where students work at museums or a local historical society.
Schools
Community colleges and other two-year schools offer associate degree programs in public history. An associate degree usually takes two years to complete. After earning an associate degree students can transfer to a college or university for further study.
A few schools offer public history programs as an undergraduate major or minor. Other schools offer concentrations in public history as part of a history program. In both cases, public history programs are usually part of the history department. Most four-year colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in history. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.
Several universities offer graduate programs in public history. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.
See schools that offer this program.
Related Educational Programs
- Anthropology
- Archeology
- Art History
- Historic Preservation
- History
- Holocaust and Genocide Studies
- Library Science
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- Museum Studies
- Social Sciences, General
Related Careers
Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study
Other Careers Related to this Program of Study
Program Admission
You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.
For this program, schools recommend that you know how to use computers and the Internet.
Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:
- Advanced English Composition courses
- Advanced U.S. History courses
- Advanced World History courses
- Geography
Graduate Admissions
Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores.
Additional requirements at some schools include:
- General Record Examination (GRE) General
- Letters of recommendation
- Bachelor's degree or significant course work in history
- Writing sample
Typical Course Work
Program Courses
This undergraduate program typically includes courses in the following subjects:
- American History
- Ancient Western Civilization
- Archival Management
- Genealogical Research
- Historic Preservation
- Historical Archeology
- Introduction to Public History
- Local Historical Research
- Medieval History
- Methods of Historical Research
- Modern American History
- Museum Studies
- Presentation Graphics
Graduate Program Courses
Graduate study in public and applied history typically includes:
- Required courses
- Thesis and/or preservation project (master's degree)
- Preliminary exams (doctoral degree only)
- Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree)
Things to Know
With a degree in public history, you can work for museums, libraries, or historical societies. You can also work for businesses to help them organize and store important papers.
Schools
West Side Area
Western Washington University
- Archives and Records Management Certificate Program