Public History Program Director
Dr. Lynn Denton
Phone: 512.245.6196
E-mail: pd16@txstate.edu

Application to Public History Certification Program

The Department of History at Texas State University offers a Certificate in Public History Studies to assist individuals in archives, museums, historical interpretation, historic site management, cultural resource management, and historic preservation by providing practicing public historians the opportunity to upgrade their skills and knowledge of the theoretical and methodological approaches that are shaping the discipline.

The program is designed to meet the Texas Hill Country region's growing need for public history specialists. Individuals who may benefit from professional training in the field include community volunteer historians and preservationists, particularly members of historical societies and directors and docents at community museums; public officials, including historical commission members and urban planners; and educators, including elementary, middle school, and high school teachers, as well as administrators who want to learn how to employ public history in their teaching and curriculum development.  All our public history courses are offered in the evenings to accommodate non-traditional students.

Admission Policy:
Students to the certificate program are admitted through the Graduate College .

1. Submit a Graduate College Application for Admission to the Office of the Graduate College. Pay a $10 non-refundable application fee (check or money order payable to Texas State in U.S. currency). In addition, complete the Public History Certificate Application. Submit one official transcript from each senior level post-secondary institution attended.  These transcripts must be mailed directly from the institution to the Office of the Graduate College .

2. Students must have a 2.5 GPA on the last 60 hours of bachelor's coursework. If a student has completed a master's or doctoral degree, a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA is required. The GRE is not required. A degree in history is not required.

Application Deadlines:
The Department of History accepts applications on a year-round basis. Students may enter the program during the fall or spring semesters.

Program Requirements:
Students are required to complete 15 hours of public history courses. HIST 5371, the Practice of Public History is the foundation course of our public history program and will be required of all certificate students.  Students must complete four other public history courses (12 hours). Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA with no grade lower than a C; they must complete the program within four semesters, and must pass a comprehensive exit exam.

Please visit the Graduate College for more information on program requirements.

Transfer to the Master of Arts program:
Students enrolled in the certificate program may transfer to the master of arts public history program if they receive approval from the Public History Committee, submit an application, and meet the requirements for admission to the Public History graduate program in the Graduate College. No more than six hours of credit may be transferred.

Certificate students can choose from the following courses:
The Practice of Public History
Oral History
Practice of Museum Studies/ Material Culture
Archival Management
Cultural Resource Management
Historic Preservation
Documentary Media
Local and Community History
Public History Project

The Gainful Employment Disclosure for this certificate program can be found at
www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/Prospect_Students/Pgms_Apps/TXST_Cert.html