Public History Program
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| Public history students at a museum conference |
The Public History Program at Wichita State University is one of the oldest programs in the Midwest and offers a course of study that integrates a traditional history curriculum with Public History classes and fieldwork, leading to a Master of Arts degree. Students select a major field from among the following options in the graduate history curriculum: United States, European, or Ancient and Medieval. The Public History component includes a core of classes that address the needs and skills unique to public historians. In addition, practitioners working in the field teach courses geared to several specialties including archives, historic preservation, and museum administration. Degree requirements include least one internship, a foreign language exam, a comprehensive examination (for recommended public history reading list, click here), and a thesis.
Important Public History Links
Required Core Courses
History 701. Introduction to Public History (3). Acquaints students with the many arenas of public history and, through guest speakers, with some of its practitioners. It also examines the place of public history in the larger discipline. In the course of a semester, students explore the nature of public history as well as the application of historical knowledge and methods in archives, museums, history organizations, government agencies and programs, historic preservation and the cultural resource protection process, business settings, and the public policy arena. Prerequisite: graduate standing or instructor’s consent.
History 725. Advanced Historical Methods (3). Reviews basic historical research methods, the general character of field bibliographies, and recent interpretations and the techniques of professional narrative development. Prerequisite: departmental consent.
History 729-730. Seminars in American History (3-3) [or History 733-734, Seminars in European History (3-3)]. (Total of 6 hours.) Topics vary from semester to semester depending on instructor. In addition to assigned readings, students typically write a research paper. Prerequisite: departmental consent.
History 801. Thesis Research (2). Research leading to thesis completion. Student works individually with major professor.
History 802. Thesis (2). Thesis completion. Students works individually with major professor.
Internships
Internship in Public History (2-4). Public History students practice their skills in summer or semester internships. Type and level of responsibility vary depending on student’s interests and work setting. Students are required to take at least one internship during their course of study. Students may take History 781, Cooperative Education in History, in lieu of History 803. Prerequisite: History 701 or instructor’s consent.
Public History students have recently served at or completed projects for:
Ablah Library, Wichita State University
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Wichita Section
Block Island Historical Society
City of Bel Aire
Cherokee Strip Land Rush MuseumCessna Aircraft Company
Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
Papers of Gov. Joan Finney Project
Fort Scott National Historic Site
Harvey County Museum
City of Hutchinson Planning Department
Kansas Oil Museum
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
Lone Chimney Films
Mennonite Heritage Museum
Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation
Mount Hope Public Library
Old Cowtown Museum
Raytheon Aircraft Corporation (Now Hawker Beechcraft)
Reno County Historical Museum
Sedgwick County Records Management
S.W. Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission
Wichita Public Library
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Planning Department
Depending on their course of study, students will take either a second internship/work experience or a supplementary class connected with their career goals to meet the minimum credit requirements. See the section on supplementary classes for suggested coursework.
Public History Electives
Public History graduate students are required to take one of the following three elective courses:
History 702. Historic Preservation (3). Advanced survey of the multifaceted, multidisciplinary field of historic preservation. Presents a broad view of the many arms of preservation in the U.S. as well as the numerous opportunities available to trained professionals in the field. Prerequisite: History 701 or instructor’s consent.
History 703. Museum Administration (3). Addresses the many facets of museum administration from a specialist’s point of view. Covers collecting, management, law and ethics, and resource development. Gives a close view of the operations of American museums. Prerequisite: History 701 or instructor’s consent.
History 705. Introduction to Archives (3). Introduces the basic knowledge, theory, and related skills of archival administration, including the nature of information, records and historical documentation; the role of archives in modern society; and issues and relationships that affect archival functions. Students learn the theory and skills necessary to understand and apply basic archival functions. Prerequisite: graduate standing and/or instructor’s consent.
Supplementary Classes
Depending on their course of study, students may, in addition to their required classes, take courses in an outside discipline such as art, anthropology, geography, or business. For example, students interested in a career in museum work might take Anthropology 606 (Museum Methods) or Anthropology 607 (Museum Exhibition).
Students who have not taken an appropriate historiography course as an undergraduate are required to take History 698 for graduate credit in addition to the courses outlined above.
While they are not offered for credit, students are encouraged to attend workshops such as that of the Campbell Center or go through the National Park Service's on-line interpreter training program.
History Electives
Public History graduates are required to take an additional twelve credit hours of history courses numbered 500 or above. These courses cover various subjects in the fields of American, European, World, and Ancient History.
Financial Information
Assistantships and Scholarships: Graduate assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Students must apply by March 1 of each year. Graduate Teaching Assistants receive a stipend plus a partial tuition waiver. Graduate Research Assistants receive the same stipend, but without a tuition waiver.
Each year the department awards a cash prize, the John Rydjord Award, to the outstanding graduate student as determined by academic achievement.
Tuition & Fees: Tuition and fees are subject to change by action of the Kansas Board of Regents or the state legislature. Please contact the Department of History for current tuition and fees.
Financial Aid: Loans and work-study assistance are available through the Office of Student Financial Planning and Assistance. Their telephone number is 316-978-3430.
Reaching Us
For more information about the Public History program at Wichita State University, please contact:
Jay M. Price
Public History Program Director
Office: 316-978-7792
Fax: 316-978-3473
jay.price@wichita.edu