Graduate Program in Public History
What is Public History?
Whether it is work in archives, museums, cultural resources, historical editing, or heritage tourism, Public History is the presentation and interpretation of the past to the public. When parsing Public History from that type practiced by university academics, some are inclined to define Public History as the practical application of history, one that demands more vocational training than scholarly training. But Public Historians should not merely learn the technical aspects of a given field, they should also be versed in the historiography and methodologies of contemporary scholarship so that they can apply skills and knowledge in the public realm. In that regard, even though they work in a variety of professional venues usually outside the academy, Public Historians share roles as researchers and interpreters of history with their academy colleagues. Public Historians find employment in archives, museums, historic preservation agencies, historic sites, cultural resource firms, national parks and forests, editorial positions, and historical agencies.
History
Public History is a relatively young academic discipline. Its origins are in the late 1960s and 1970s, with rising demands for trained professionals to work as historical society administrators, archivists and records managers, business and corporate historians, contract historians and consultants, cultural resource managers, historical and documentary editors, curators, historical documentary and film producers, government historians, historic preservationists, museum educators, oral historians, and policy advisors. North Carolina State University was among the earliest institutions to respond to such needs. In the late 1960s, the Department of History initiated an M.A. “minor” in archival management as a joint enterprise with the North Carolina Department of Archives and History. In 1982, the program expanded into a full M.A. degree in archival management. A decade later, a museum studies track was developed. Today, the program is again expanding into heritage tourism, with complementary courses in oral history, documentary editing, cultural memory, and digital history.
Mission Statement
The Public History program has a three-fold mission that reflects North Carolina State University’s land-grant tradition of teaching, research, and extension. First, it is a community of students and teachers committed to developing the intellectual and practical skills requisite to successful careers in Public History. Second, it is a community of scholars enthusiastic about the advancement of Public History as an academic discipline. Third, it is a community of practitioners dedicated to engaging Public History audiences throughout the State of North Carolina.
