Public History Program

Last Updated: April 26, 2023

School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies
975 S Myrtle

Tempe, AZ 85287

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Director(s)

Mark Tebeau
Director of Public History
[email protected]
(480) 965-8595

Erin Craft
Senior Program Coordinator
[email protected]

 

Program Introduction

Established in 1980, the Public History Program at Arizona State University offers a Ph.D. in history (immersion), an M.A. in History (online or immersion), and an (online) M.A. in World War II Studies in partnership with the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Public history is embedded as a requirement in ASU’s degree programs and ASU offers a 15-credit Public History Certificate (online or immersion.)

Training at ASU emphasizes the intersection of theory and practice in public history. Students work with faculty conducting research in a variety of historical and applied fields, from archives and museum studies to historical preservation and digital humanities. Public history programmatic activities are supported by a public history endowment that provides support to cover the costs of conference travel, the development of internships, and community-based public history projects.

Degrees Offered

  • B.A. in History
  • M.A. in History
  • M.A. in History with a Certificate or Concentration in Public History
  • Ph.D. in History
  • Ph.D. in History with a Certificate or Concentration in Public History

Program Strengths

  • Archival Practices
  • Digital Media
  • Editing
  • Historic Preservation
  • Local/Community History
  • Museum Studies
  • Oral History

Credit Hour Requirements

30 for M.A. 84 for PhD

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

MA15 (immersion) 50 (online)

PhD5

Financial Aid Available

Loans, Assistantships, Stipends, Fellowships, Scholarships

Deadline To Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Internship Requirements

Students are required to earn 3 credits in Professional Experience. Students arrange these experiences with guidance from Program Coordinator and Faculty. We encourage students to seek paid experiences.

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

  • National Museum of American History
  • Arizona Historical Society
  • Smithsonian Institution
  • Arizona State Archives
  • City of Phoenix Historic Preservation Office
  • Tempe History Museum
  • Western Spirit, Scottsdale’s Museum of the West
  • Dakota County Historical Society

Job Placement Assistance

Faculty and staff work with students to find jobs and internships frequently produce them.

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

  • Baylor University
  • West Virginia University
  • Central Connecticut State University
  • Arizona Historical Society
  • Arizona State Archives
  • Arizona State Library
  • The Musical Instrument, Phoenix
  • Cultural Resource Management Consulting Firms in the Southwest

Community & Institutional Connections

  • Arizona Historical Society
  • Tempe History Museum
  • Arizona State Preservation Office
  • City of Phoenix