2023-2024 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Public History Minor

The minor in Public History prepares students for non-teaching careers as historians outside the academy. Emphasis is placed on exposing students to the broad range of skills and issues associated with careers in museums, archives, historic preservation agencies, heritage tourism, historic site assessment, cultural resource management, and other careers that utilize the skills of the historian outside of the classroom setting. The minor provides a foundation for history majors seeking employment as public historians and also prepares students for graduate study in public history.

Drawing on the recommendations of the National Council on Public History for undergraduate programs in Public History,[1] this minor will stress:

·         exposing  students to the diversity of careers in Public History

·         historical skills

·         applied research

·         interdisciplinary methods of research and inquiry into the historical past

·         field research/internships/community engagement projects

Requirements (18 credits)

Required Courses (9-10 Credits):

HIST 302Introduction to Public History

3

and

HIST 403Public History Project

3

or

HIST 492Public History Intern Experience

3 OR 4

300-level U.S. History course (3 credits)

Students can take HIST 403 and HIST 492, but one will count towards their required electives.

Directed Electives (9 credits):

HIST 403Public History Project

3

HIST 404American Material Culture

3

HIST 405Local History and Community Development

4

HIST 455Topics in Latin American History

3

HIST 492Public History Intern Experience

3 OR 4

ANTH 150Introduction to Archaeology

3

ANTH 210The Ancient World

3

ANTH 322Historical Archaeology

3

ANTH 329Experimental Archaeology

4

ANTH 418New England Archaeology

4

ANTH 450Archaeological Field School

3 TO 6

ART 110Introduction to Art History

3

ART 216Modern Art

3

ART 270Art in Community

3

ART 414/ART 509American Art & Architecture

3

ART 490Curatorship

3

ART 420/ART 509Issues in Contemporary Art

3

ART 491Aesthetic and Critical Dialogue About Art

3

WRT 370Creative Nonfiction I

3

WRT 382Travel Writing

3

JRN 381Opinion Writing

3

GEOG 130Introduction to Geographic Information Science

3

GEOG 241Introduction to Planning

3

GEOG 276Elementary Cartography

3

GEOG 290Geography of Tourism

3

GEOG 291National Parks and World Heritage Sites

3

GEOG 378Geographic Information Systems

3

GEOG 433Issues in Environmental Protection

3

GEOG 439Urban Geography

3

GEOG 441Community & Regional Planning

3

GEOG 445Environmental Planning

3

GEOG 450Tourism Planning

3

GEOG 451Tourism Development in Southern New England

3

GEOG 472Topics in Physical Geography

3

GEOG 475/SUST 475Energy Resources and Climate Change

3

GEOG 483Topics in Planning

3

SOC 411Oral History for the Social Sciences

4

THS 300The Hospitality Industry

3

No more than 6 credits may be taken from any one discipline. Other courses, such as certain special topics courses like HIST 395, may be available if they address some specific aspect of public history. Consult the Public History Coordinator for current options.

Students wishing to take HIST 404 or HIST 405 should contact the chair of the department for a waiver of HIST 301.

Total Credit Hours: 18