Public History Certificate
Total Units Required: 28-30
Public historians are trained, first and foremost, as historians—they formulate research questions, conduct research, and communicate historical knowledge and interpretations clearly with the public. The tools of a historian are democratized and made more visible and accessible so that people see themselves reflected in the past. Public historians (researchers and practitioners alike) generally share one goal: to build bridges—and not barriers—between scholarly discourse and the public by being inclusive and respecting diverse forms of knowledge and by working on behalf of the communities they serve. As it stands today, public history has evolved into a field of inquiry that seeks to shape critical civic engagement by acknowledging how systems of privilege and oppression operate both in our present moment and our past.
Public history introduces career options for students who want to “put history to work” in the public and private sectors. Students receive hands-on experience on how to ethically shape public attitudes about the past by participating in internships and community-based projects. Students are introduced to careers as historical consultants, local and/or government historians, museum professionals, archivists, oral historians, cultural resource managers, curators, historical interpreters, historic preservationists, and/or policy advisers.
