Public History

Last Updated: December 8, 2021

310 Thach Hall

Auburn, Alabama 36849

Visit Website

Director(s)

Keith Hebert, Public History Program Officer, [email protected]

Program Introduction

Established in 2009, the Public History Program at Auburn University builds on longstanding strengths in the History Department. The current Public History program grew out of an Archival Studies program active since the 1970s. At present, students can take courses in a range of associated topics, with faculty specializing in digital humanities, historic preservation and cultural resource management, material culture and cultural landscape studies, and oral history. The combined MA and PhD programs admit 8-10 students per year with opportunities to complete major or minor fields and/or a certificate in Public History at every level of graduate study. Approximately three dozen students have greatued the progam.

Degrees Offered

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

Program Strengths

  • Historic Preservation
  • Local/Community History
  • Material Culture
  • Museum Studies
  • Oral History

Credit Hour Requirements

31 MA; 62 PhD

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

MA4-5

PhD4-5

MAs produced last year

4

Financial Aid Available

Assistantships (teaching, research, and community history)
Loans
Scholarships
In-state tuition status

Internship Requirements

The public history program officer and other faculty work with each student to assess their career goals and match appropriate internships to build experience in the field

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

Alabama Department of Archives and History

U.S. Grant National Historic Site

Fort Ticonderoga

Auburn University Archives and Special Collections

The National Infantry Museum

Local and statewide cultural heritage organizations

Job Placement Assistance

In addition to job counseling, in recent years many of our graduating students have received full time jobs though project and grant funding.

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

Atlanta Regional Office, National Park Service

Horseshoe Bend National Military Park

Alabama Department of Archives and History

US Forestry Service

University of Alabama, Huntsville Special Collections

Tuskegee University Special Collections

Auburn University Archives and Special Collections

National Civil War Naval Museum