Public History Certificate

Certificate in Public History

Our Public History Certificate prepares undergraduate students, especially those interested in non-teaching history careers, to think like public historians and to put history “to work” in the world. Students develop analytical, interpretive, and practical skills by engaging with the theories and methodologies appropriate to applied historical practice. The certificate program offers coursework designed to meet the needs of future public history practitioners in public and private sector employment such as museum coordination, exhibition planning, archival management, historic site assessment, historic preservation, and cultural resource management. Emphasis is placed on historical research methods, collaboration with diverse stakeholders, digital tools, and other evolving practical skills necessary to effectively engage in public history positions and projects.

Admission Criteria

Interested Stan State undergraduate* students declared in any major can apply to be part of the certificate program through the link below. To qualify, students must:

• Already be enrolled at the University as an undergraduate student

• The certificate program is not open to postbaccalaureate students or students not otherwise enrolled in undergraduate degree-seeking programs.

• The certificate program is not currently open to Stan State graduate students. However, upon consultation with their graduate program advisor, interested history graduate students may take public history courses and develop their own informal emphasis in their studies that is inspired by the certificate program.

• Complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester or 90 quarter units. These units must include the following four courses (Golden Four) with a C- or better

  • (A1) Oral Communication/Speech

  • (A2) Written English Composition

  • (A3) Critical Thinking / Logic

  • (B4) Quantitative Reasoning

• Have a minimum GPA of 2.0

Admission Procedure

Applications (see below) are welcome at any time, however students who submit the application by the May 1 or November 1 each year will be afforded the best chance of potential enrollment preferences for the following semester.

Admitted certificate students may be given enrollment preference for certificate courses in History, Anthropology, English, Geography, and Journalism.

If you have any questions about the public history certificate or related courses or careers, contact Dr. Jennifer Cullison at jcullison@csustan.edu.

Appendix of Documents

1. Program Requirements
2. Admission Application Form (rolling deadline; preferred by May 1 or Nov 1 each year)
3. Public History Advising Sheet.docx
4. Certificate Completion Form.pdf (fill out in penultimate or last semester, at the same time that you file for graduation; $15 fee).