Offered by the Department of History in partnership with the Center for Historic Preservation and the Center for Popular Music, the program provides a community of nationally recognized scholars and cultural heritage professionals cooperating to train the next generation of leaders in the field of public history.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION, CONSULT THE Ph.D. Public History Student Handbook

Award of the Ph.D. in Public History requires each candidate to:

1. complete a minimum of 36 hours of seminars in three fields, 12 hours of a Professional Residency Colloquium, and 12 hours of dissertation for a total of 60 hours. (6000-7000 level only; a minimum of 42 hours must be at the 7000 level)

Public History Field: 24–27 hours (9–15 hours seminars; 12 hours professional residency)

     Required of all candidates (15 hours):
     HIST 7510 Public History, 3 hours
     HIST 7991/7992 Professional Residency Colloquium, 6 hours each

Candidates will choose the remaining hours for their public history field from the public history seminars offered by the department according to their areas of specialization.

History Field: 9–15 hours

In order to practice effectively in any area of specialization within public history, candidates must have an excellent grasp of historic context.  Hence, each candidate will be required to demonstrate mastery in a history field focused chronologically, geographically, or topically. In preparation for preliminary exams, and in consultation with the pre-dissertation advisory committee, each candidate will construct a coherent field chosen from the general history seminars offered by the department.

Interdisciplinary Field: 9–12 hours

It is important that candidates understand their practice fields from multiple perspectives. In preparation for preliminary exams, each candidate will design, in consultation with his/her pre-dissertation advisory committee, an interdisciplinary field that will strengthen the public history specialization, potentially completing coursework in anthropology, geography, music, economics, English, recreation and leisure, business, and/or other fields as appropriate.

2. fulfill a skill set requirement in the same manner as stipulated for the Master of Arts.

3. file a degree plan with the Graduate Office prior to the completion of 30 hours.

4. maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree each semester.

5. develop a residency proposal and identify a professional mentor for the professional residency colloquium.

6. take and pass written and oral preliminary exams.  As part of the oral exam, the candidate must defend the residency proposal.

7. enroll in the professional residency colloquium for two consecutive semesters and develop a residency portfolio.

8. constitute a dissertation committee and develop a dissertation prospectus.

9. orally defend the residency portfolio (which includes a substantial essay evaluating the residency experience) and dissertation proposal.

10. enroll in dissertation seminars, complete a dissertation, and successfully defend it in the final oral examination

FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION, CONSULT THE Ph.D. Public History Student Handbook