What Can I Do With A Major In Public History?
As a Public History student, you will learn the field's foundations, methods, theories, and ethics through study of museums, historic preservation, heritage tourism, and oral history. You'll learn how to develop and write for exhibitions, interpretive programs, digital archives, grants, and preservation projects. Course projects include digitizing historical photographs and documents, collecting oral histories, surveying audience engagement, creating physical and virtual exhibits, and writing history curriculum and programming for museums and historic sites. You'll be actively engaged in academic and community projects.
Possible Career Options
(Some may require further education/specialization)Aquarium Curator
Archaeological Technician
Architectural Historian
Archivist
Author
Book Conservator
Community Coordinator
Consultant
Curator
Digital Collections Manager
Education Coordinator
Elementary/Secondary Teacher
Freelance Writer
Fundraising Manager
Genealogist
Historian
Historic Preservationist
Historic Site Administrator
Historical Archivist
History Consultant
Interpreter
Lawyer
Librarian
Media Producer
Museum Marketing Coordinator
Museum Preserver
Oral History Coordinator
Outreach Historian
Preservation Architect
Professor
Project Coordinator
Repatriation Specialist
Researcher
Reservations Agent
Resident Living History Caretaker
Tour Guide
Transcriber
Volunteer Manager
Types of Employers
Advertising Agencies
Archives
Banks
Book/Magazine Publishing Companies
Churches
Civic Organizations
Colleges/Universities
Community Arts Centers
Community Organizations
Consulting Firms
Cultural Organizations
Educational Institutions
Environmental Organizations
Foundations
Government Agencies
Historic Sites
Historical Societies
K-12 School Systems
Law Firms
Libraries
Magazines
Media Corporations
Medical Offices
Museums
National Parks and Services
Newspapers
Political Organizations
Professional Associations
Public Archaeologist
Public Interest Groups
Public Relations Firms
Radio/TV Companies
Research Facilities
Research Firms
Tourism Organizations
Transferrable Skills
Weighs out the options in a situation or problem and logically chooses the best course of action
Pays attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made
Determines how much money is required to get a job done, allocating those monies, and then accounting for all expenditures
Assigns duties to others, motivating them, and evaluating their performance
Allocates and budgets time for different tasks to ensure things get done when needed
Understands complex written paragraphs, instructions or reports
Uses logic to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
Comfortable giving speeches or speaking in a group to convey information, explain ideas or give instructions
Composes and communicates ideas in written form
Experiential Education
Create and design exhibits
Manage projects and people in a museum setting
Work with records for a library
Write articles for a historical society
Develop a web-cast about public history
Work with children at a museum camp
Preserve museum materials
Organize cultural events for the community
Manage a historical site
Find local archaeological programs
Volunteer with tourism venues and/or libraries
Professional Associations
American Alliance of Museums,
aam-us.org
American Association for State and Local History,
aaslh.org
American Cultural Resources Association,
acra-crm.org
American Historical Association,
historians.org
Association of Academic Museums and Galleries,
aamg-us.org
Florida Public Archaeology Network,
flpublicarchaeology.org
National Council on Public History,
ncph.org
Society of American Archivists,
archivists.org
Enhancing Your Employability
Take additional coursework in Communications, Journalism, and Radio/Television/Film
Join relevant student organizations to develop leadership skills
Participate in internships and field experience placements
Participate in a study abroad trip
Become active in alumni and/or mentor networks
Contact Us
To make a career counseling appointment or for additional assistance in our services: