Graduate Minor in Heritage Studies & Public History

Heritage Studies and Public History (HSPH) are the publicly engaged and community-accountable practices of historical scholarship, whether it is based in archival research, archaeology, material culture studies, architecture, preservation, or landscape studies.

Although such a commitment to public interpretation, education, and preservation is part of all these disciplines, it is of tremendous benefit to heritage professionals to understand the connections and common issues in all of these perspectives, because the heritage field is increasingly characterized by such interdisciplinary integration. In particular, these affiliated fields recognize the critical need for diversity and inclusion, both in the pasts they represent and in the practitioners they employ. This program addresses these needs.

This graduate program is a partnership between the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Historical Society. It provides heritage and public history professionals with a broad disciplinary perspective, increasing their resource base and network of expertise.

Students take advantage of the deep scholarly expertise in these fields at the University of Minnesota, as well as the Minnesota Historical Society’s extensive resources and expertise, to offer unparalleled training in the theory and methods of heritage and public history studies at the graduate level. Minnesota Historical Society staff and leadership contribute to the program by teaching courses, mentoring students, and sharing knowledge about professional practice.

The program combines rigorous scholarly training with hands-on professional development, preparing graduates for positions in major public history and heritage institutions in Minnesota and elsewhere.

The program offers both a minor for PhD students (12 credits) and MA students (9 credits). 

The doctoral minor is intended for students who plan to work in heritage/public history positions outside of academia, or to be academic scholars whose work includes community-engaged research.

The master's minor is intended for students who are in programs preparing them for work in the heritage field, such as anthropology, art history, architecture/historic preservation, urban and regional planning, and other affiliated fields.

Please contact kathayes@umn.edu for more information.

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