Program in Material Culture & Public History

Last Updated: November 1, 2023

P.O. Box 8795

Williamsburg, VA 23187

Visit Website

Director(s)

Julie Richter, Director
[email protected]
757-221-7653

Robyn Schroeder, Assistant Director
[email protected]
757-221-7652

Program Introduction

Established in 2002, the National Institute of American History & Democracy (NIAHD) is an innovative partnership between William & Mary and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. NIAHD’s certificate Program in Material Culture & Public History is open to William & Mary undergraduates and visiting students who can take NIAHD classes before, during, or after completing their undergraduate degree. Students complete coursework in Public History, a Field School, and an internship. Courses are taught by NIAHD staff, and professionals from the fields of architectural history, archaeology, museums, and preservation. NIAHD specializes in the hands-on, experiential study of history. Over 400 students have participated in this program.

Degrees Offered

  • Museum Studies Degree, Certificate, or Minor

Program Strengths

  • Historic Preservation
  • Historical Archaeology
  • Local/Community History
  • Material Culture
  • Museum Studies

Credit Hour Requirements

7 course certificate program for W&M students; 4 course certificate program for visiting students

Financial Aid Available

Financial assistance is available for tuition fees for visiting students in the Program in Material Culture & Public History.

Deadline To Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Internship Requirements

NIAHD offers a Field School in Public History course in both the fall and spring semesters. Students work with the NIAHD Director to find an internship that fits their interests and career goals, and then with their supervisor at a museum, archive, or historic site to define their project and scope of work. Internships are credit-bearing (3 credits) and require 10-12 hours per week of experiential learning, as well as an in-class component with fellow student interns under the direction of a faculty instructor. The overall goal of our internship class is to enable students to gain active, hands-on experience in the field of Public History and to reflectively analyze best practices, challenges, and ethical dilemmas in the heritage sector.

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

  • Colonial Williamsburg Foundation–Collections, Historic Trades, Archaeological Research, Historic Research and Digital History; Special Collections at the Rockefeller Library; Research, Training, and Program Design; and Architectural Preservation and Research
  • The Lemon Project: A Journey of Reconciliation
  • Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, William & Mary
  • The Bray School Lab, William & Mary
  • The Fairfield Foundation
  • Historic Jamestowne
  • Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
  • Civil War Trails
  • Manassas National Battlefield Park
  • Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Battlefield Park
  • Office of Historic Alexandria

Job Placement Assistance

Internships help connect NIAHD students to the program's vast network of alumni at museums, archives, and historic sites. Many of NIAHD's classes provide opportunities for students to interact with professionals in Public History and related fields.

Employers Who Have Hired Graduates from this Program within the Past Five Years

  • Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
  • Preservation Virginia
  • Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
  • Virginia Museum of History & Culture
  • The Valentine
  • Library of Virginia
  • National Park Service
  • C-SPAN
  • Virginia Department of Historic Resources
  • Passaic County Department of Cultural & Historic Affairs
  • Chazen Museum of Art
  • Montpelier
  • Preservation Long Island
  • National Museum of the American Sailor
  • The Historic New Orleans Collection
  • George Washington’s Mount Vernon
  • The Lemon Project:  A Journey of Reconciliation
  • Museum of Frontier Culture
  • White House Historical Association

Graduate Program in Public History

Last Updated: November 1, 2023

Visit Website

Director(s)

Julie Richter, Director
[email protected]
757-221-7653

Robyn Schroeder, Assistant Director
[email protected]
757-221-7652

Program Introduction

Beginning in the 2023-24 academic year, MA and PhD students can complete the National Institute of American History & Democracy (NIAHD) Graduate Certificate in Public History, to develop their own particular publicly oriented skills and aspirations. Public history training benefits MA and PhD students in both practical and intellectual ways. By connecting with historians and heritage professionals beyond the academy, understanding community and public stakes in historical inquiry and interpretation, and practicing a variety of modes of teaching and writing that communicate intellectual ideas, graduate students will better realize the value of pursuing their course of study in the Historic Triangle--Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg.

Degrees Offered

  • Museum Studies Degree, Certificate, or Minor

Program Strengths

  • Historic Preservation
  • Historical Archaeology
  • Local/Community History
  • Material Culture
  • Museum Studies

Credit Hour Requirements

Public History course and an Internship

Internship Requirements

Many graduate students will want to complete internships over the summer; for doctoral students, this would often be in the third, fourth, or fifth year. NIAHD’s Director, Dr. Julie Richter, is available for consultation about coordinating a relevant internship that fits a student’s interests and career goals. The overall goal of a Public History internship is to enable students to gain active, hands-on experience in the field of Public History and to reflectively analyze best practices, challenges, and ethical dilemmas in the heritage sector.