Upcoming Courses in Public History

The following courses are available to students in the MA Public History program. In addition to those listed below, students can also choose to take other graduate-level history courses and classes available at other area universities through the Consortium as electives.

For current undergraduate students at AU, the Public History program's Associate Director, Dr. Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska, is also offering an Introduction to Public History course (HIST-396-001) in the Spring 2019 semester. This course will introduce students to the field of public history.

HIST-668: Engaged Community History: Whose Downtown?

Spring 2019 Regular Term
Instructor: Dan Kerr

Course Description: 

This course explores the methods and theories essential for doing engaged history. Students work on a collaborative, community-based research project with the residents of the Federal City Shelter, one of the nation's largest homeless shelters, which houses up to 1300 people a night. The shelter and the building that houses it have long and storied histories that are intertwined with national urban renewal and homeless assistance policies, but proposals are calling for demolition of the building for private redevelopment.

HIST-677: History and New Media

Spring 2019 Regular Term
Instructor: Trevor Owens

Course Description: 

This course explores the impact of new information technologies on historical practices, focusing on research, teaching, presentations of historical materials, and changes in professional organization and discourse. Some background in U.S. history is recommended.

HIST-730: Public History Practicum

Spring 2019 Regular Term
Instructor: Malgorzata Rymsza-Pawlowska

Course Description: 

With HIST-729 (Public History Seminar), this course is part of a two-course sequence introducing students to ideas, debates, and best practices in the field of public history. The course introduces students to the best practices in both the interpretation of history in public venues and the management of heritage sites. Includes governance, ethics, interpretation, evaluation, exhibition development, and education.

HIST-728: Colloquium in U.S. History II: Since 1865

Spring 2019 Regular Term
Instructor: Allan Lichtman

Course Description: 

The course assumes the student's familiarity with factual data and concentrates on analyzing important historiographic disputes and developments in U.S. history from 1865 to the present.

HIST-751: Graduate Research Seminar

Spring 2019 Regular Term
Instructor: Gautham Rao

Course Description: 

Identification and development of research subjects; sources and their evaluation; research techniques and problems; and writing and argumentation. Students research and write substantial papers based largely on primary sources, with the aim of producing a paper suitable for submission to an academic journal or a professional conference.