Public History (Advanced Certificate)

Department Website

Program Overview

For four decades, NYU has prepared students for successful careers as archivists, museum curators, documentary editors, cultural resource managers, historical interpreters, and media specialists. The program’s Director, Professor Ellen Noonan, brings nearly 20 years of experience working in the field of public history and insures that the program is responsive to the needs of the ever evolving fields of archives and public history. Our courses emphasize a solid grounding in historical scholarship, intense engagement with digital technologies, and project-based learning. And there’s no better place to study archives and public history than New York City. Course instructors are working professionals in the field, and students can choose to intern at one or more of the city’s wide range of archival and public history institutions.

Admissions

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the general application requirements, which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation, and
• A non-refundable application fee.

See History for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

The program requires the completion of 20 credits, comprised of the following:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
Required Courses
HIST-GA 1750	Introduction to Public History	4
HIST-GA 2011	Internship Seminar (taken twice for 4 credits total)	2
Public History Electives
Select eight credits of history electives from the following courses or in consultation with the program director:		8
HIST-GA 2012
HIST-GA 1755
HIST-GA 1012
HIST-GA 2021
HIST-GA 2023
HIST-GA 1023
General Electives
Select four additional credits of general electives from the courses above, or from another public history related course at NYU selected in consultation with the program director		4
Total Credits		20

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid

1st Semester/Term		Credits
HIST-GA 1750	Introduction to Public History	4
History Elective		4
	Credits	8
2nd Semester/Term
HIST-GA 2011	Internship Seminar	2
HIST-GA 3023	Independent Readings in Public History and Archives	2
	Credits	4
3rd Semester/Term
History Elective		4
Other Elective Credit		4
	Credits	8
	Total Credits	20

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have:

1. Analytical and critical mastery of key scholarly literature on the history, theory, and practice of archives or public history.
2. Proficiency with digital methods as used in the practice of public history.
3. Familiarity with professional norms, tasks, roles, and relationships in public history work settings.
4. Capacity to intellectually conceptualize, plan, and carry out an original project or article-length research paper in public history.

Policies

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Graduate School of Arts and Science Policies

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page.