Public history is a field of historical practice and scholarship focusing on making history accessible, engaging, and relevant to the public. It is distinct from academic history, which is often more specialized and geared towards scholarly research and publication. Public history encompasses various activities and endeavors to bring historical knowledge to a broader audience and engage people with the past. The Public History major at NDSU combines hands-on learning with content-based history classes to prepare students for employment or further graduate school studies. Many of our alumni work in the field or were admitted to graduate school.
Classes such as Intro to Museum Studies, Digital History, and the Public History Field School allow students to take what they have learned and apply it to real-world projects. Students have created websites, documentaries, and exhibits for local consumption. For samples of student work, click here.
Understanding Public History
Public history is a field of historical practice and scholarship that focuses on making history accessible, engaging, and relevant to the general public. It is distinct from academic history, which is often more specialized and geared towards scholarly research and publication. Public history encompasses a wide range of activities and endeavors that aim to bring historical knowledge to a broader audience and engage people with the past. Some key area of public history employment include:
- Museums and Exhibits: Public historians work in museums and cultural institutions to create exhibitions, displays, and interpretive materials that present historical information in an engaging and educational way.
- Archival work: Archivists ensure that these materials are available for future generations and can be used by historians, researchers, and the general public to study and understand the past.
- Historic Preservation: Public historians are involved in efforts to preserve and protect historic sites, buildings, and landmarks. They may work with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or community groups to advocate for and manage preservation projects.
- Oral History: Collecting and recording oral histories from individuals who have lived through significant historical events is another important aspect of public history. These interviews provide valuable firsthand accounts of the past.
- Digital History: With the advent of digital technology, public historians use websites, social media, and digital platforms to share historical information and engage the public in historical experiences.
- Historic Interpretation: Public historians often serve as interpreters at historic sites, providing guided tours and presentations that help visitors understand the historical context and significance of a place.
- Public Policy and Advocacy: Some public historians work to influence public policy related to history and heritage preservation. They may advocate for including historical education in school curricula or for protecting historic sites.
- Community Engagement: Public historians work closely with local communities to document and celebrate their history, ensuring that diverse voices and perspectives are included in the historical narrative.
Overall, public history seeks to bridge the gap between academic history and the general public, making history a more accessible and participatory field. It plays a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage, fostering historical understanding, and promoting civic engagement.
Online Resources
- National Council on Public History
- American Association for State and Local History
- Resources for Public Historians from the American Historical Association
- International Federation for Public History
- National Park Service
- State Humanities Councils
- The National Coalition of Independent Scholars
- The Society of American Archivists
- The American Alliance of Museums
- The Oral History Association
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation
- Center for Independent Documentary
- Society of Architectural Historians
- The American Cultural Resources Association
Internship Requirements
Internships are important to public history students. They provide hands-on training working side-by-side with professionals. With this goal in mind, public history students are required to take nine hours of internship credit. Each credit hour requires 48 hours of work. Taking the full nine hours in one summer means that a student would work 432 hours, which equals 40 hours a week for eleven weeks. Each student must also track their time, keep a daily work journal, and write a 4-6 page summary after the internship has been completed.
- 432 hours = 9 credit hours (25 hours per week over 17 weeks or 40 hours per week 11 weeks)
- 240 hours = 5 credit hours (14 hours per week over 17 weeks or 22 hours per week 11 weeks)
- 192 hours = 4 credit hours (12 hours per week over 17 weeks or 17.5 hours per week 11 weeks)
- 144 hours = 3 credit hours (8.5 hours per week over 17 weeks or 13 hours per week 11 weeks)
Internship process:
- Secure an internship either on your own or with the help of the Internship Coordinator.
- Fill out the Internship Form and get signed approval from the Internship Coordinator (after the form is signed by all parties, a copy is made for the Internship Coordinator).
- Register for the appropriate number of HIST 496 hours.
- Keep a timesheet of hours worked.
- Keep a journal of daily activities, projects, and responsibilities.
- After the internship is complete, ask your supervisor to sign your timesheet and write a summary letter of your work on official stationary. Ask for two copies of the letter, one for your records and the other will be turned into the Internship Coordinator.
- Write a 4-6 page reflective essay. It should be a double-spaced summary of activities and projects completed, responsibilities, and skills learned during the internship. Reflect on what you learned over the course of the internship experience.
- Complete the internship form.
- Students have two weeks after the internship ends to turn in the form, letter, journal, timesheet, and reflective essay to the Internship Coordinator.