Are you interested in a career in the field of history?
Then consider the
Public History Minor
offered by the NMU History Department.
What is Public History?
HS 380 Public History students on a field trip to Fayette Historical Park.
Public history specifically refers to the practice of history outside of academia in archives,museums, historic sites and theme parks, state and local historical associations, the media, the Internet, businesses, and government. More generally, public history refers to the interpretation and presentation of the past in ways that shape collective memory, popular culture, and public policy.
A Public History student at Fayette Historical Park.
What do public historians do?
A little bit of everything!! Historians work as archivists, museum curators and educators, oral historians, administrators, historic preservation specialists, outdoor site interpreters, writers, editors, researchers, and public policy analysts. They develop a wide range of skills, including management, public relations, and fundraising, which are valuable in the job market.
How does the Public History Minor prepare students for careers in history?
HS 380 students on a walking tour of Marquette.
Studying public history is a way of gaining some exposure to a variety of possible history employment opportunities. The minor allows students to sample the options, appreciate the tools, resources, and skills that public historians need, and become aware of current issues, challenges, and controversies. In addition, the internship component is a hands-on experience within a local historical institution that not only provides practical training, but it also allows the student to make the professional contacts that are so important for professional development (i.e., getting good letters of recommendation for jobs or graduate school, information about possible jobs, etc.).
WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC HISTORY MINOR?
The minor is currently undergoing a few curriculum revisions, but these changes should be in place by Fall 2009. For current requirements, please see the current NMU bulletin. As proposed, the new program would include:
|Required Classes||Credit Hours|
|HS 380||Public History||4|
|AIS 330||Archival Management||4|
|HS 330||Museum Studies (new)||4|
|Electives: Choose form the following (8 credits minimum)|
|HS 335||Michigan History Historical||4|
|HS 336||History of the Upper Peninsula||4|
|HS 382||Historical Role Playing||1|
|HS 481||Oral History||4|
|GC 316||Geography of Tourism||4|
|RE 110||Introduction to Leisure and Recreation||2|
|AD 260||Why America Looks This Way||4|
If interested, please contact Dr. Rebecca Mead in the History Department (email@example.com).