Public history is a field of historical practice and scholarship focusing on making history accessible, engaging, and relevant to the public. It is distinct from academic history, which is often more specialized and geared towards scholarly research and publication. Public history encompasses various activities and endeavors to bring historical knowledge to a broader audience and engage people with the past. The Public History major at NDSU combines hands-on learning with content-based history classes to prepare students for employment or further graduate school studies. Many of our alumni work in the field or were admitted to graduate school.
Classes such as Intro to Museum Studies, Digital History, and the Public History Field School allow students to take what they have learned and apply it to real-world projects. Students have created websites, documentaries, and exhibits for local consumption. For samples of student work, click here.
Information for Public History students