Students must fulfill the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies and successfully complete the following curriculum.

Public History Plan Requirements

The Public History degree at Wright State University integrates a traditional American History curriculum with courses taught by professionals in archives, museum studies, and historic preservation, an internship, and a project leading to a Master of Arts degree in History with a specialization in Public History.

Required Academic Core Courses (24 credits)

Public Historians are historians who apply their skills and knowledge outside of academic or classroom settings. Public History students are required to complete 12 hours of seminar (HST 701, 702, or 709), Historical Research Methods (HST 700). and 8 hours of either additional seminars or 600 level courses in American History.

Required Public History Courses (18 credits)

Public History students are must complete the following core requirements:

HST 710 Introduction to Archives and Manuscripts 4 credits

HST 712 Museum Administration and Collections 4 credits

HST 715 Historical Management Internship 5 credits

HST 720 Project 1 credits

HST 725 Introduction to Public History 4 credits

Advanced Public History Requirements (8 credits)

Students must complete 8 credit hours in advanced Public History courses. Students may choose breadth over specialization by taking 4 credits each in Museum Studies and Archives and Records Management. Students will also have the option to specialize and take 8 advanced credit hours in either Archives or Museum Studies.

HST 714 Advanced Problems in Archival Work 4 credits

HST 730 Archival Records Technologies 2 credits

HST 740 Information Management 2 credits

HST 713 Museum Interpretation and Exhibits 4 credits

HST 727 Topics in Public History: Decorative Arts 4 credits

HST 675 Material Culture and Everyday Life 1 4 credits

HST 680 Material Culture and Everyday Life 2 4 credits

Electives (8 credits)

Students may select from public history course listed above, from academic history courses, or from the following lift of Public History and Urban Public Administration electives. With the approval of the Public History Program Director, students may take courses in an outside discipline such as art, anthropology, urban affairs and geography, English, education, and business.

HST 688 History and New Media 4 credits

HST 685 Oral History and Tradition 4 credits

HST 711 State and Local History 2 credits

HST 685 Historic Preservation 4 credits

HST 727 Topics in Public History: Architectural History 4 credits

HST 717 Public History Practica 1-2 credits

Documenting the Built Environment

Artifact Conservation

Photograph Preservation

Archival Preservation

Oral History Interviewing

URS 625 Urban Non-Profit Management 4 credits

URS 675 Fundraising and Grant Writing 4  credits 

Total 58 credit hours