Program Overview

Certificate in Public History

The History Department’s Certificate in Public History trains students to think critically about the public presentation of history, while offering hands-on experience in history-related careers. The Certificate is comprised of five courses, totaling 15 credits, inside the History curriculum and in related disciplines. All majors are welcome to pursue the certificate. If you are passionate about history and desire to share your knowledge with others, consider pursuing the Public History Certificate.

Program Requirements

• History Workshop - 506:299 (offered each semester)
• Public History: Theory, Method, & Practice - 506:301 (offered each Spring)
• A course in oral history or digital history (offered each Spring)
• An approved elective in New Jersey history, historic preservation, documentary film-making, or related topics (offered each semester)
• Public History Internship - 506:451 (offered each semester)

Program Details

In this Certificate program, classroom engagement and fieldwork combine to deliver both theoretical understanding of memory and history and practical experience in historic preservation, community documentation, museums, and cultural program development.

To gain a real-life perspective on working in public history, undergraduate students will pursue an internship as the capstone experience of the certificate. Internships are available in a wide range of history organizations. New Jersey boasts a rich network of museums, archives, historical societies, documentary filmmakers, and historic preservation agencies, as well as one of the top public research universities in the nation.

Eligibility and Declaration

To be awarded the Certificate in Public History, students must pass all their classes for the certificate with a grade of C or higher, and submit the declaration form to the program coordinator for processing. The certificate is awarded with the completion of a bachelor’s degree.

To be eligible for the Certificate, students must submit the declaration form for the program. The certificate does not need to be completed before you submit the application. You can submit it at any point and estimate when you will take the courses. However, since there are many electives to choose from, the application needs to include the exact elective you plan to apply toward the Certificate. The Public History Certificate will be added to your transcript during your last semester at Rutgers.