The History Department offers a Graduate Certificate in Public History.
Students pursue challenging, interdisciplinary coursework in addition to their Master’s education in History, Education, or other related fields. Upon completion of the program, receive a certificate recognizing their training in and understanding of public history.
To qualify for the certificate, students must complete 12 credits of graduate level coursework in History, with no less than 9 of these credits chosen from the department’s public history offerings.
Up to 6 credits of the certificate may be double-counted towards another degree.
HOW PUBLIC HISTORY STUDENTS SPENT THEIR SUMMERS
- Bethany Stewart (Class of 2023) conducted and processed oral history interviews, developed online exhibits, and gathered research materials.
- Savannah Lawhorne (Class of 2022) created a website for the Bland County History Archive as well as one to accompany her work on DeJarnette Sanitarium
- Savannah Flanagan and Erica Blake (Class of 2022) Created a bibliography, timeline, and lesson plan for the Thomas West Project.
- Erica Blake (Class of 2022) worked for the Rappahannock Tribe as an Intern Digital Historian and aided their Tribal Historian with their new virtual museum.
- Alfonso Zavala Jr. (Class of 2022) completed a remote internship through the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia.
- Noah Crawford (Class of 2021) interned at Appamatox Court House National Historical Park, where he assisted in creating a Living History experience at the park. You can read more about his experience in his blog post.
- Iris Swaney (Class of 2021) created an archive for the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley in Summer 2020. Read more about her experience in her blog post.
- Jessica Brabble (Class of 2021) interned for Historic Bethabara in Winston-Salem, NC. She created accessible tours for students with disabilities. You can read more about her experience in her blog post.
- John Legg (Class of 2020) interned at the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia.
What Public History Students are up to
- In the Fall 2021, public history students completed oral history interviews, interpreted content, and designed graphics for the Calfee Community and Cultural Center.
Public history professor Dr. Jessica Taylor and graduate student Katie Gibson digitizing archival materials. - Noah Crawford (Class of 2021) created a walking tour pamphlet for the Wilderness Road Regional Museum in Fall 2019.
- Students in the “Politics of Memory” class created the virtual exhibit “The Land Speaks” about the history of the Monocan Nation in Spring 2020.
- Iris Swaney (Class of 2021) conducted multiple oral histories of the staff at the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley.
- Iris Swaney curated and designed the exhibit “Unknown Origin” in remembrance of April 16, 2007.
- Jessica Brabble (Class of 2021) created and designed an exhibit about the Pulaski County enslaved for the Wilderness Road Regional Museum in Fall 2019.
- Emily Stewart (Class of 2020) helped public history professor Jessica Taylor created Voices of Virginia.
- Clay Adkins and Iris Swaney helped conduct oral history interviews for the Fries Textile Collection Oral Histories in Fries, Virginia.
- In Spring 2017, students researched Virginia political history and wrote and produced episodes of a podcast series.
For more information on Public History at Virginia Tech, please follow them on Twitter @VTPublic History.
Virginia Tech History Master's Program 