Public History Certificate

The public history certificate complements the Master of Arts in history offered at ESU. Public history is a popular avenue of employment for students in the field of history that do not wish to teach history in the traditional classroom.

Applied Skills and Historical Training

The most recent report on Public History Education and Employment designed by the National Council for Public History (the leading professional organization in the field), suggests that employers recognize the growing importance of digital skills, grant writing, project administration that includes team management and fundraising.

It also stresses that the “traditional” historical training should be a core part of any preparation in the field.

ESU graduate students who add the certificate combined with the MA program affords our students the opportunity to gain training in both coursework as well as hands on experience with internships.

Our students will benefit by being provided a richer and deeper training that will help them as they pursue employment or graduate studies.

The History Department offers an undergraduate track in Public History, so the graduate level Certificate will enhance the experience for returning students within the major; but the certificate also allows for other undergraduate majors or those who earned their degrees elsewhere, the flexibility to earn credits as either a stand-alone certificate, or enhanced with the MA in History.

We have placed our students in with valuable internship opportunities, helped by the university’s location to an extensive number of historical and cultural resources.