Heritage Studies & Public History

Last Updated: March 2, 2022

151G Rapson Hall
89 Church Street SE

Minneapolis, MN 55455

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Director(s)

Greg Donofrio, PhD

Associate Professor

Director, Heritage Studies and Public History

[email protected]

612-626-1107

Program Introduction

Established in 2017, the program in Heritage Studies & Public History admits 8 people per year into the Masters program and also accepts current students at the University of Minnesota into the graduate minor. The Masters program is a two-year (four-semester) program that includes a paid summer fellowship as well as two paid semester-long internships. Students share core classes and a capstone seminar although they concentrate in one of three tracks (public history; historic preservation; and archaeological heritage). The program comprises a collaboration with the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) with faculty drawn from both MNHS and the University of Minnesota and is committed to diversity and inclusion at all levels.

Degrees Offered

  • M.A. in Public History
  • Public History Minor

Program Strengths

  • Archival Practices
  • Digital Media
  • Historical Archaeology
  • Historic Preservation
  • Local/Community History
  • Material Culture
  • Museum Studies
  • Oral History

Credit Hour Requirements

37 credits for Masters; 12 credits for PhD minor; 9 credits for MA minor

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

MA8

MAs produced last year

8

Full-time Program Staff/Faculty

HSPH faculty are drawn from departments across the University of Minnesota including Architecture, Anthropology, History, American Studies, American Indian Studies, Chicano and Latino Studies, Theater Arts and Dance, Natural Resources, University Archives and Special Collections, and the Minnesota Historical Society.

Financial Aid Available

HSPH students receive full tuition assistance and many also receive stipends. Funding is received through a combination of fellowships, teaching and research assistant positions, and paid internships.

Deadline To Apply

January 15

Internship Requirements

Masters students conduct two paid semester internships, 3 credits per internships. Internships are arranged through close consultation with faculty and mentors at the University and at Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS). Internships opportunities are developed based on students' interests and professional goals. Masters students are also required to complete an intensive paid summer fellowship built around a major research or interpretive project.

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

Minnesota Historical Society

Science Museum of Minnesota

Various faculty-led research projects

Job Placement Assistance

We work directly with students to identify and apply for positions based on their areas of interest and expertise. Program faculty help students edit cover letters and resumes and prepare for interviews.

Job Placement Percentage Within One Year

100%

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

  • City of Minneapolis Community and Economic Development
  • Minnesota Indian Affairs Council
  • Minnesota Historical Society
  • Mead & Hunt
  • Wapsi Valley Archaeology
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison
  • Wyoming State Museum
  • Old Salem Museum
  • RETHOS
  • Kentucky Historical Society
  • Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
  • Yellow Medicine East School District
  • The American Swedish Institute
  • University of Minnesota

Community & Institutional Connections

HSPH is administered in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society and maintains collaborations with many museums and cultural organizations around the Twin Cities including Hennepin History Museum, Pillsbury House and Theater, Science Museum of Minnesota, and others.