Nov 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Museums, Archives and Public History - Minor


The Museums, Archives and Public History minor integrates the methods of the arts (liberal, visual, and performing) with professional practice. The methods of the minor are tied to the service of the community by  emphasizing community memory and inclusion, engagement and dialog with the public as part of the practice and outcome of work in this field. Unique to this program is the strong integration of experiential learning in a variety of settings (internships) throughout the program.

Program Objectives

  • Prepare students for careers in which knowledge of history is a distinct advantage or essential, such as government and politics, museums, archives, historical societies, research institutes, advocacy groups, non-profits, and community organizations.
  • Prepare students for graduate work in Public History, Museums, Library Science, Archives, etc.
  • Provide advisement and mentoring for such students.
  • Develop opportunities for off campus experiential learning, in the U.S. and abroad. 
  • Develop opportunities for community service and engagement locally and nationally.
  • Develop methods and processes for collaborative undergraduate research.

Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Develop within students an experiential and practical knowledge of public history as a career and field.
  2. Display knowledge of specific skills used in public history (oral history, digitalization, curation, archives, etc.).
  3. Demonstrate knowledge of the theories of public history as part of the realm of historical studies.
  4. Analyze the social and historical construction of cultural values, perceptions, and beliefs in differing historical and cultural contexts that influence the power dynamics among individuals and societies.

The minor in Museums, Archives and Public History requires completion of 18 credits.

Required Courses


Take any three courses from the following options:

Local and Oral History Electives


Take two courses from the following options:

Internship Requirement


Complete one public history internship from the list below. With permission of program director, another elective may be accepted.