Public History Program
Last Updated: September 14, 2022
Department of History
2441 Sixth Street, NW, Room 316, Frederick Douglass Hall
Washington, DC 20059
Director(s)
Elizabeth Clark‐Lewis
eclark‐[email protected]
202.806.6815
Program Introduction
Since 1990, the Public History program at Howard University has offered an MA major and PhD minor. The program's emphasis is on preparing students to move beyond the academic world and toward careers in community-based institutions, museums, archives, and government agencies. Program alumnae appointments include: Dean, Columbia U.; Curator, Schlesinger Library, Harvard U.; Directors at Brown U., National Archives, Association of African American Museums, Banneker-Douglass Museum, National Civil Rights Museum; State Archivist, DC; Univ. Archivist, Morgan State U; NPS Superintendents at Tuskegee/ Selma, Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers and Fort Monroe Parks; Cultural Resources Manager, ML King, Jr. site.
Degrees Offered
- B.A. in History
- M.A. in Public 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
- Public History Minor
Program Strengths
- Public Policy
- Archival Practices
- Other
- Historical Administration
- Historic Preservation
- Local/Community History
- Museum Studies
- Oral History
Credit Hour Requirements
30
How Many Students are Admitted Annually
BA20-25
MA10-15
PhD7-12
MAs produced last year
6
Full-time Program Staff/Faculty
2
Financial Aid Available
Financial aid available to Public History students: Frederick Douglass Fellowships; Department of History Assistantships (research, administrative, etc.); Paid Internships; and, Department Scholarships. The Graduate School also offers student tuition waivers.
Deadline To Apply
1 February
Internship Requirements
Internships are arranged with each student. The undergraduate and graduate students' courses are three (3) credits each over two semesters. The internship classes are offered every semester and internships are paid by the sponsoring organizations. Unpaid internships are also available.
Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years
Job Placement Assistance
Each student receives individualized career counseling and employment support. All Public History students are given: assistance with job applications; job market updates; and, referrals to potential positions. Howard University alumni provide job leads to Public History job seekers.
Job Placement Percentage Within One Year
100%Employers Who Have Hired Graduates from this Program within the Past Five Years
National organizations: Harvard University; Brown University; Columbia University; The Trust for Public Land; Black Lunch Table; TimeLooper (Interactive Virtual Learning); National Civil Rights Museum (TN); Morgan State University; Howard University-Office of the President/Moorland Spingarn Research Center/University Archives; Coppin State University; University of the District of Columbia; Texas Southern University; Northern Virginia Community College; Kentucky State University; North Carolina Central University; Fisk University; University of Chicago; Africana Dance and Performance History-Theatre Arts Department, Chadwick Boseman College of Fine Arts, Howard University.
U S Government: Legislative Branch-U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and Library of Congress.
US Government Executive Branch: Smithsonian Institution – National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of American History; National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Department of Agriculture (USDA); Department of State; and, the Immigration and Naturalization Service. National Park Service (NPS) – – – – – Frederick Douglass National Historic Site; Fort Monroe National Monument site; Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site; Colonial National Historic Park site; Carter G. Woodson National Historic Site; Ulysses Grant National Historic site; Tuskegee National Historic Sites and the Selma-to-Montgomery National Historic Trail.
Local organizations: Association of African American Museums (AAAM) Washington, DC; Office of the Mayor, Washington, DC; District of Columbia Archives/Office of the Secretary (OS)/Government of the District of Columbia; Alexandria Black History Museum (ABHM), Alexandria, VA; Historic Frederick Douglass Cemetery Association, Alexandria, VA; African American Museum, Philadelphia, PA; District of Columbia Public Schools; Teaneck Public Schools (NJ).
Community & Institutional Connections
District of Columbia Emancipation Commemoration Commission; Paul Phillips Cooke Scholarship Fund (UDC), Alexandria African American Hall of Fame, Alexandria, VA; Black History Resource Center, Alexandria, VA; Alexandria Black History Museum, Alexandria, VA; Departments of Youth Services for Atlantic City, New Jersey and New York City; NY; Chickasaw Heritage Center/Chickasaw Inkana Foundation, Tupelo, MS; Calvert County, Afro-American Society (MD); The Ballard House Project, Birmingham, AL; Center for Policy Alternatives (DC); North Brentwood Historical Society (MD); August Wilson Society; Forty Acres and a Mule/Spike Lee Enterprises; Howard University- School of Law/Moorland Spingarn Research Center/University Archives/Ralph Bunche International Center/WHUT (Howard University Television); Beulah M. Davis Special Collections/University Archives, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD; Children’s Defense Fund; National Council of Negro Women (NCNW); National Museum of African American History and Culture; Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History (ASALH); Association of African American Museums (AAAM); Daniel Alexander Payne Murray Society, Library of Congress; Black History Roundtable, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Historical Society of Washington, DC; and the New Community After School and Advocacy Program, Washington, DC.