History in Action
Public History is the use of historical skills and methods outside of the traditional academic realm of history. Public historians use their training to meet the needs of the community-the public-whether that community is defined as a city, a neighborhood, a business, or a historical society. It is the audience that differentiates the public historian’s work. The public historian’s audience might be a client, a government agency, or a tourist Different audiences often require the public historian to employ unconventional skills, answer difficult questions, and respond to unique situations.
Public historians pursue a wide array of tasks: researching and writing community, government, and corporate histories; curating museums and museum exhibits; establishing and operating archives and records management systems for private businesses, state agencies, or universities; conducting site interpretation and historic preservation projects; editing historical manuscripts; conducting oral interviews; preparing genealogies; participating in policy analysis and planning; performing land use studies; engaging in research in support of litigation; consulting on movies and multi-media presentations, offering historic tours; and much more.
Public History at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette
The Department of History and Geography at UL Lafayette offers public history as a concentration in the Master of Arts degree in history. Public history courses are designed to provide hands-on training and problem solving abilities while cultivating the special research and professional skills required by public historians. Thus, students are challenged to combine solid historical training with skill development and interdisciplinary approach to history.
The Master of Arts degree in Public History consists of 33 credits. Students studying public history take 12 credits in public history (this includes an option to enroll in courses in other departments and an internship). In consultation with the Director of Public History, the student may develop a specialized concentration in a particular aspect of Public History. Opportunities for specialization include:
1. Applied Research
2. Archives and Manuscripts
3. Historic Preservation
4. Historical Adminstration
5. Historical Editing
6. Local and Community History
7. Oral History
Special resources at UL Lafayette include the University Archives and the Center for Louisiana Studies which serves as a research center, as editorial office of the Louisiana Historical Association, and as publisher of scores of titles including Louisiana History. In addition, the study of public history at UL Lafayette is enhanced by the school’s location in the heart of Acadiana, the region of Cajun and Creole heritage. Acadiana is rich in history and filled with exciting opportunities for the study and practice of Public History.
For more information on the UL Lafayette public history program, contact PubHist@louisiana.edu.
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