Public History

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Public History, Ph.D.

Are you ready to take your public history career to the next level? Do you want to deepen your knowledge of history and its applications in the public arena? Thinking about teaching at a college or university? Consider pursuing a Ph.D. in Public History at MTSU!

MTSU led the way in offering a PhD with public history as the major field of study. This program offers an innovative, practice-based, individualized program of study and provides a community of nationally recognized scholars and cultural heritage professionals cooperating to train the next generation of leaders in the field.

Public History Ph.D. Program Highlights:

  • One-on-one mentoring from nationally recognized faculty and public history professionals
  • Research and professional development opportunities with our campus and community partners, including the Center for Historic Preservation, Albert Gore Research Center, Center for Popular Music, and Rutherford County Archives
  • A flexible teaching or professional practice residency of 3-12 credit hours
  • Professional development opportunities in the local community, throughout Middle Tennessee, and beyond
  • Graduate assistantships and scholarships offered on a competitive basis
  • Afternoon and evening classes accommodate work and family life
  • If you live in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, or South Carolina, you may be able to attend MTSU at in-state rates under the Academic Common Market

Designed to assist candidates in melding scholarship and theory with professional practice, the third-year residency is at the heart of the Public History doctoral program. Students have benefited from teaching residencies at MTSU and other universities in the state and from professional practice residencies with a wide variety of local, state, and national organizations and institutions, including the Tennessee State Parks, the National Park Service, and the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive.

If you live in one of these states: AL AR FL KY SC; you may be able to attend MTSU at in-state rates under the Academic Common Market program.

Careers
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Careers
Requirements
Faculty
Information

News Briefs

Graduate calls MTSU's Ph.D. program in Public History 'ideal choice'

When deciding where to pursue his doctorate, Dr. Brandon Owens called MTSU's Ph.D. program in Public History his "ideal choice" because of the multiple collaboration and internship opportunities. "I felt like the program's year-long residency and partnerships with the Center for Historic Preservation, the Albert Gore Research Center, and the Walker Library Media Studio would allow me to gain hands-on experience while working with and receiving mentorship from experts in the field of public history," he said. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Owens is now the Dean of Fisk University's library and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. "The program has already helped me achieve so much personal and professional growth in my career, especially within such a short period of time," he said, adding, "MTSU is truly committed to learning, growth and service. They're not lying when they say they hold these values dear and the phrase, 'I am True Blue' regularly conveys them."

NASA employee says MTSU's Ph.D. Public History program surpassed every expectation

An Alabama native, Dr. Brian Odom earned his Ph.D. in Public History from MTSU in 2019. Now as the acting Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Dr. Odom oversees the space agency's public history program and is responsible for capturing, preserving and disseminating the agency's history. Odom said his decision to attend MTSU came after hearing and discovering "so many great things" about the program. "From the beginning, the Public History program at MTSU surpassed my every expectation," he said, adding, "I learned so much about the field of public history. The program provides a perfect balance of academic and public history coursework that can prepare graduates for a wide range of opportunities — whether teaching, research or working for NASA."

News Briefs

Graduate calls MTSU's Ph.D. program in Public History 'ideal choice'

When deciding where to pursue his doctorate, Dr. Brandon Owens called MTSU's Ph.D. program in Public History his "ideal choice" because of the multiple collaboration and internship opportunities. "I felt like the program's year-long residency and partnerships with the Center for Historic Preservation, the Albert Gore Research Center, and the Walker Library Media Studio would allow me to gain hands-on experience while working with and receiving mentorship from experts in the field of public history," he said. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Owens is now the Dean of Fisk University's library and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs. "The program has already helped me achieve so much personal and professional growth in my career, especially within such a short period of time," he said, adding, "MTSU is truly committed to learning, growth and service. They're not lying when they say they hold these values dear and the phrase, 'I am True Blue' regularly conveys them."

NASA employee says MTSU's Ph.D. Public History program surpassed every expectation

An Alabama native, Dr. Brian Odom earned his Ph.D. in Public History from MTSU in 2019. Now as the acting Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Dr. Odom oversees the space agency's public history program and is responsible for capturing, preserving and disseminating the agency's history. Odom said his decision to attend MTSU came after hearing and discovering "so many great things" about the program. "From the beginning, the Public History program at MTSU surpassed my every expectation," he said, adding, "I learned so much about the field of public history. The program provides a perfect balance of academic and public history coursework that can prepare graduates for a wide range of opportunities — whether teaching, research or working for NASA."

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CAREERS

Public historians work in a wide range of professional settings with public audiences of all ages. Potential employers include archives, museums, historic organizations, historical societies, historic sites, private consulting firms, and historical agencies at all levels of government. Examples of career possibilities with an advanced degree in public history include

  • Architectural historian
  • Archivist
  • Author
  • College professor/instructor
  • Consultant
  • Cultural heritage manager
  • Cultural resources manager
  • Digital librarian/cataloger
  • Historic preservation planner
  • Historian
  • Museum/collections curator or administrator
  • Oral historian
  • Public archaeologist

American Association for State and Local History job postings

Employers of MTSU alumni have included

  • Alabama A&M University
  • Appalachian State University
  • Arkansas State University
  • Blount Mansion
  • Center for Historic Preservation, MTSU
  • Coastal Carolina University
  • Colorado State Historic Preservation Office
  • East Tennessee Development District
  • Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
  • History Colorado
  • James Madison's Montpelier
  • Metropolitan Nashville Historic Commission
  • NASA
  • National Museum of African American Music
  • North Dakota State University
  • Northern Kentucky University
  • Sewanee: The University of the South
  • Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of American History
  • Southeastern Archaeological Research Inc.
  • Stephen F. Austin State University
  • Tennessee Agricultural Museum
  • Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area
  • Tennessee State Library and Archives
  • Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
  • University of Nebraska-Kearney
  • University of North Carolina-Greensboro

REQUIREMENTS

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FACULTY

INFORMATION

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For students

Public History news

Program history

The MTSU Department of History added an emphasis in historic preservation to its master's program in 1976 and to its former doctorate degree in 1981. Historic preservation and the preservation of American popular music assumed a public dimension in 1984when MTSU established the Center for Historic Preservation and the Center for Popular Music, with missions that combined research and public outreach. After adding courses in museum studies, material culture, and archival methods, the master's program concentration changed its name to Public History in 1991. History faculty also developed the Albert Gore Research Center, which opened in 1993. In 2005, the department launched a new Ph.D. in Public History, the first doctoral program nationally to declare public history as the major field of study. Today, MTSU's Public History program partners with all three campus centers and collaborates with the Walker Library Media Studio to develop digital collections and other digital initiatives.

Financial aid links

Graduate Assistantships

To help support students pursuing graduate study, the Department of History offers a number of graduate assistantships at both the M.A. and the Ph.D. levels. These assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis and are renewable for up to two years for M.A.assistantships and up to three years for Ph.D. assistantships. Graduate assistants receive a tuition waiver plus a stipend to cover living expenses. In return, graduate assistants work a maximum of 20 hours a week during the semester on an assignment determined by the History Department. These assignments include work as teaching assistants, research assistants, and other duties related to the ongoing work of the department and our on-campus partners. To apply for a graduate assistantship with the HistoryDepartment, complete the College of Graduate Studies' Graduate Assistantship Application, and submit it to the Department of History along with the rest of your application.

Many M.A. and Ph.D students in the History Department also work as research fellows, graduate assistants, and hourly employees for MTSU's Center for Historic Preservation. The Center has a separate application and review process for these positions. You can read full descriptions of these opportunities on the Center's Academic Opportunities page and download the Center's Application for Student Academic Support. The department urges students applying for a graduate assistantship with the History Department to apply to the Center as well.

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