The Public History program blends traditional Masters-level training in history with theory, methodology, and hands-on experience specific to public history.
The program requires completion of 30 credit hours and is completed in two academic years. Internships with partner institutions throughout Indianapolis are a core feature of the Public History program at the IU School of Liberal Arts in Indianapolis.
Long-term intern partners include: American Legion National Headquarters Archives; Indiana State House Tour Office and Education Center; Indiana Historical Society, Exhibitions; Indiana Historical Society, Education and Engagement; Indiana Historical Society Press; Indiana Humanities; Indiana State Archives & Public Records Commission; Indiana Medical History Museum; Indiana University Health Archives; James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home; National Council on Public History.
IU Indianapolis’s location adjacent to downtown Indianapolis provides an exciting and supportive environment for learning and practicing public history. The city’s historic sites, history and historic preservation organizations, agencies of city and state government, libraries and archives, and the material culture and historic fabric of this urban environment create a first-rate “learning laboratory” for public historians in training. We also benefit greatly from the deep network of local alums and other public history professionals in Indianapolis who work with the program to provide mentorship and training to our students.
Resources on campus include the offices of the National Council on Public History, the Museum Studies Program, the Center on Philanthropy, and the IU Indianapolis Arts and Humanities Institute. Documentary editing projects dedicated to Frederick Douglass, George Santayana, and Charles Sanders Peirce add breadth and depth to the public history-related opportunities at IU Indianapolis. Public history students may add a certificate in Museum Studies or enter the dual-degree program with Library and Information Science.
If you are considering a graduate degree in Public History, please contact us at pubhist@iu.edu.
