Public History, Certificate

Required Core (6 credit hours)
HST 502 Public History Methodology (3)
HST/WWS 585 Professional Experience (3)

Other Requirements (3 credit hours)
HST 580 Practicum (3) or
HST/WWS 585 Professional Experience (3) or
WWS 563 The Lived Experience of World War II (3)

Electives (6 credit hours)

Additional Curriculum Information
HST 585 Professional Experience is crosslisted with WWS 585 Professional Experience; students can take either section to fulfill certificate requirements. For Other Requirements coursework, students complete either an additional three credit hours of HST/WWS 585 or WWS 563 The Lived Experience in World War II, or take an HST 580 course from an approved list. Students should see the unit for an approved list of Other Requirements courses and elective topics.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Applicants are required to submit:

1. graduate admission application and application fee
2. official transcripts
3. personal statement
4. professional resume
5. writing sample
6. two letters of recommendation*
7. proof of English proficiency

Additional Admission Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of current residency. The history program requires a TOEFL iBT® score of at least 90, taken in a testing center.

The personal statement, about 500 words in length, should be addressed to the history admission committee and should explain the applicant's scholarly background and training, career goals, and experiences in or thoughts about how they have, or would like to, put history to work in the world and how ASU's public history program might help them reach their career or intellectual goals as a historian.

A sample of the applicant's written work should be submitted electronically as part of the online application. Compelling writing samples include a strong thesis, demonstrated use of primary and secondary source evidence, and solid writing foundations (such as proper grammar and logical organization). The writing sample may be a published or unpublished article, a research paper, or any other extended sample of expository skill no longer than 35 pages.

All applications are reviewed by multiple ASU faculty members and assessed holistically to determine whether they demonstrate the capacity to succeed in a rigorous and writing-intensive graduate program. This decision is made on the basis of prior coursework (particularly in history and other social sciences) and the quality of the written statement and the personal statement. Applicants who have not taken coursework in history are eligible to apply to the program but should have a strong written statement.

*Letters of recommendation may be waived for applicants who have already completed a Master of Arts in history or are currently enrolled in the MA program in history at ASU.

Graduates have the theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on training experience needed for careers in research, teaching, government service, public history and a host of other positions in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

Graduates serve as first-rate historians, researchers and consultants, foreign service officers, management professionals, community organizers and public servants.

Other career examples include:

• archivist
• editor
• historical collections manager
• museum director
• national parks historian or park ranger
• nonprofit director