Undergraduate Certificate in Public History

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This Certificate introduces West Georgia students to the interdisciplinary field of public history and provides students with specific training to be successful in the field. The completion of this Certificate program gives students an edge in today’s highly competitive job market. The training for the Certificate encourages students to engage in interdisciplinary research and community outreach activities.

Public historians are historians who “do history outside of the academy,” whether in a museum, historical society, archives, historic preservation office, or other type of local or regional history association or organization. This Certificate introduces students to these careers and begins building skillsets in addition to those gained as part of the student’s major. Students who engage in public history training build intercultural awareness and aptitude as community bridge-builders; these are less tangible traits but ones that are crucial to students’ future civic life.

The Certificate program is open to all UWG undergraduate students interested in career opportunities in this field. Because public history is interdisciplinary, students from a variety of fields may see the opportunity for potential careers in this field, including not only history but art history, studio art, anthropology, business, marketing, English, and other humanities fields. Regardless of your major, this Certificate will provide training for participants in areas such as career preparation, professionalism, and work experience.

History majors can count the Public History Certificate as a minor field, if desired. Any non-major who completes the certificate program will also earn a minor in History.

Students must formally apply with the Undergraduate Public History Advisor, Ms. Keri

Adams, in the Department of History. Please contact her at madams@westga.edu or

By phone at 678-839-5275.

Requirements

Three required courses (7 hours)

One Upper-Level History Course, 3000 or 4000 level (3 hours)

History majors may count a course in their major field towards this requirement.

One Seminar in Public History Practices and Theory from Appendix A (3 hours)

Two Public History Electives, chosen from Appendix B (6-7 hours)

At least one of these courses must be outside of the History field. Please note that additional couses may be acceptable for this field with the program advisor’s approval.