What is public history?

Generally speaking, public history involves the presentation of historical knowledge to the public, or exchanging that knowledge with the public, in a variety of places, and in a variety of ways. Public historians have traditional academic training in combination with practical experience in public history settings.

Where is public history practiced?
• Museums
• Historic sites
• Archives
• Historical organizations & associations
• Through websites
• Local, state & national government
• U.S. military
• Businesses/corporations

What kind of job can I get with public history training?
• Curator
• Museum/historic site educator
• Historic preservation specialist
• Archivist
• Researcher/historian with historical agency
• Writer/editor
• Living history specialist/historical interpretation
• Journalist
• Oral historian
• Historical consultant
• Corporate historian
• Historian for a trade/labor or other non-profit organization
• Web writer/editor (with some training in technology)

Why study public history?
If you have a passion for history, and want a career other than teaching, courses in public history provide you with the training, skills and professional network to find jobs in a variety of settings.

Want to talk about a public history career?
Email or call the director at (704) 687-6231.