Public History

 

Welcome! Are you looking to develop your history skills for a career outside the classroom? Already involved in history in the public or private sector, and seeking further professional development? Interested in an academic career, but wanting to take your historical work to a broader audience? If so, then Western's Public History program may be just the place for you.

Public History at the University of Western Ontario is a 12-month Master’s program that explores how history is understood by and communicated to the public, whether at museums or historical sites, in films or on the web, in historical fiction or even academic tomes. The year consists of two terms of intensive study, followed by an internship over the summer. This provides a useful mix of theory and practice—because you need to know both what the text on an exhibit wall should say, and how it should be mounted. The program is flexible enough that some past students have moved straight into jobs in the public history field and others have moved into Ph.D.s in History.

In the past few years, the Public History MA students have worked on a variety of projects with Museum London and other community partners. In 2005-06, they helped to create an exhibit, an accompanying website, and a technology-enhanced walking tour on the "Old East" part of London. The class of 2006-07 helped to create an exhibit and a website entitled "Invention to Innovation." Students worked with Eldon House to develop history-based teaching modules for SMART Board interactive white boards in 2007-08. Last year, the class of 2008-09 collaborated with Museum London and the former Archival and Teaching Museum of Regional Mental Health Care to create an exhibit called "Cultivating Care: Life and Treatment at London's Asylum."

Welcome to Public History’s webpage. Take a look around, find out more, and feel free to contact us with any questions. Public History News

See our Program Brochure for more information

 

Michelle Hamilton

Office: SSC 4315
Telephone: 519 661-2111, ext. 84973
E-mail: publichistory@uwo.ca | mhamilt3@uwo.ca
Blog: Public History News and Resources

 

Program Support: The Public History program is grateful for core financial support from the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation.

Also from this web page:

Past Students

  • "Fanshawe College probably never would have occurred to me as a potential employer ... if I hadn't been encouraged in the program to think outside the box while job searching. The digital history skills were integral in landing me the job (I'm currently coding a RAD finding aid in HTML). I can't think of many companies that couldn't benefit from the skills learned in the Public History program, with its emphasis on group work, real world applications, digital history, and 'customer service'."
    - Kevin Marshall, Archives Technician, Library and Media Services, Fanshawe College

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