Public History Graduate Certificate

Student photographing a piece of historic pottery for archival.

Bring history to life in public spaces and cultural institutions with your Public History Graduate Certificate. You’ll gain hands-on experience in areas like museum studies, historic preservation, and archival work, preparing you for careers in museums, historic sites, libraries, and other non-profit historical organizations.

Locations

  • Statesboro Campus

Why Get your Public History Graduate Certificate at Georgia Southern?

The Public History Graduate Certificate program offers a unique blend of academic rigor and hands-on learning, preparing you for a dynamic career in public history.

Our interdisciplinary approach lets you tailor your studies to your career goals, with courses in museum studies, historic preservation, and archival management. You’ll gain practical experience through expert faculty guidance and internships at prominent historical institutions.

Georgia Southern’s strong connections with local and regional museums and cultural organizations provide a valuable professional network, helping you build a career that brings history to life for diverse audiences.

Ready to Apply?

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What Can You Do With a Public History Graduate Certificate?

A Public History Graduate Certificate from Georgia Southern prepares you for roles in museums, historic sites, archives, and cultural institutions. This credential will equip you with practical skills in historic preservation, archival management and museum studies. It opens doors to careers such as museum educator, archival specialist, historic site interpreter, and cultural resource manager.

Whether you’re enhancing your current career or entering the field anew, this certificate provides the expertise to make history accessible and engaging in public and professional settings.

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Median salary for people holding a degree in history.

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Number of people with history majors employed in the US.

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The growth rate of historian as an occupation.

Where our graduates work:

  • Academia
  • Publishing
  • Journalism
  • Film and Television
  • Law firms
  • Museums
  • News and media
  • Government

What our graduates do:

  • Archivist
  • Curator
  • Museum Specialist
  • Judge/Arbitrator
  • College Professor
  • Historian
  • Business Analyst
  • Journalist/Writer

What You’ll Learn

Earn the practical skills and specialized knowledge for a rich and rewarding career in public history.

Our curriculum covers key areas such as archival management, museum studies, and historic preservation, teaching you methods to present history to a variety of audiences. Through hands-on coursework and professional internships, you’ll master the interpretation of historical materials, exhibit curation, and public engagement.

The Public History Graduate Certificate program not only deepens your historical expertise but also prepares you to make a lasting impact in museums, cultural institutions, and historic sites.

See the Master's in History Curriculum

Get Involved

Plug in to an established history organization and join the ongoing conversations, queries, and discoveries of your history predecessors and peers.

After Your Master’s

If you choose  to continue with graduate work beyond your MA, you should know about a policy adopted by the Council of Graduate Schools:

“Acceptance of an offer of financial support (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties. Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15.” For more information, see the full policy.

Take Action

Follow these steps to complete the Georgia Southern application: 

  • Create an application account.
  • Complete our online application using the PIN you received after creating your application account.
  • Once complete, pay the $30 application fee or upload a valid fee waiver. Previous Georgia Southern applicants and dual enrollment students do not need to pay the fee.

You can check your application status at My.GeorgiaSouthern.edu/admissions three days after completing your application. This page contains live information about your admission status, including a checklist of missing documents we need to make a decision.

Apply to the Master's program Transfer to Georgia Southern

The Public History Graduate Certificate at Georgia Southern University offers focused training in public history:

  • Core Courses: Engage in foundational courses like ‘Introduction to Public History’ and ‘Museum Studies.’
  • Electives: Choose from a variety of electives to broaden your understanding.
  • Capstone Project: Conclude with a professional internship or a non-thesis project.
  • Flexible Schedule: Ideal for working professionals or students seeking specialized knowledge.

This certificate provides practical skills for careers in museums, archives, and cultural heritage sites.

Required Courses

Credit Hours
HIST 7651 – Graduate Seminar in Public History: 3
HIST 7638 – Research Prospectus: 3
HIST 7781 – Professional Internship in History*: 3
HIST 7900 – Non-Thesis Project in Public History**: 3
Electives in Public History***: 6

Total Credit Hours: 18

Other Program Requirements
Students enrolled in the M.A. in History program must complete the requirements for either the Thesis or Non-Thesis option as listed on the M.A. in History program page.

* Internships are 150 hours.

**In this course students must complete a 6,000 – 10,000 word technical report that must be approved by a three-person faculty committee and orally defended.

***Public History elective courses at the 5000 level or above.

Students who wish to obtain the Public History Graduate Certificate must have:

  • Completed requirements for a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
  • A 3.0 (4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average or higher on all undergraduate work, with a 3.0 cumulative GPA in history and no grade in history lower than a “C.”
  • An undergraduate major in history. Students with majors in other fields of study are given equal consideration for admission providing they either have (a) 3 years of history-related professional work experience OR (b) at least 15 semester hours (or the quarter-system equivalent) of history (at least 12 hours at the upper-division level and a total of 30 hours in the social sciences and humanities).
  •  Two letters of recommendation by individuals who are familiar with the applicant’s potential for successful graduate study.
  •  A statement of purpose (approximately 250 words) outlining the applicant’s interest in graduate study in history.

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION:

Non-traditional students and applicants not meeting the above requirements may be considered for Provisional (probationary) admission as determined on a case-by-case basis.

Student measuring historic objects found.

Take the Next Step

Ready to bring history to life in public spaces and cultural institutions? Learn more about getting your Master’s Degree in Public History at Georgia Southern University.

Contact Us

Dr. Julie de Chantal
Public History Coordinator
Department of History
P.O. Box 8054
Georgia Southern University,
Statesboro, GA 30460-8054
Phone: 912-478-4478
(jdechantal@georgiasouthern.edu)