Heritage Studies & Public History

Last Updated: October 16, 2024

395 Humphrey Center
301 19th Ave S

Minneapolis, MN 55455

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Director(s)

Kat Hayes, PhD (Professor)

[email protected]

612-626-7482

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 up to two paid semester-long internships at the Minnesota Historical Society. 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 between MNHS and faculty and staff at 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
  • Historic Preservation
  • Historical Archaeology
  • 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

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

Financial Aid Available

Fellowships and assistantships (teaching and research), which also confer in-state tuition and tuition waivers. Scholarships for tuition coverage may also be available.

Deadline To Apply

January 7

Internship Requirements

Masters students participate in up to two paid semester internships, 3 credits per internship which contributes to the total program credits. 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; these may be within an MNHS department, or in partnership with another organization collaborating with MNHS. Masters students are also encouraged 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 (depts of Archaeology, Native American Initiatives, Exhibits, Collections, MNHS Press, Oral History, and Inclusion and Community Engagement)
  • Science Museum of Minnesota

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
  • Minnesota Council of Churches
  • Minnesota Museum of American Art
  • Mead & Hunt
  • Wapsi Valley Archaeology
  • Wyoming State Museum
  • Old Salem Museum
  • RETHOS
  • Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky
  • Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
  • The American Swedish Institute
  • University of Minnesota
  • University of California, Davis
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • National Park Service
  • Science Museum 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.