BA in History - Public History in Harrisonburg United States | James Madison University

Modern historians pursue their profession across diverse career paths beyond conventional academic environments. Professionals working in museums, archives, government institutions, libraries, historic preservation groups, corporations, historical consulting firms, cultural resource management companies, and heritage sites are referred to as public historians, as they apply their historical expertise to engage broader audiences. The Public History specialization equips students with comprehensive training in public history methodologies while ensuring a strong grounding in general historical studies.
Those enrolled in the public history track enhance their core historical education through introductory and advanced public history coursework, complemented by a full-semester internship. History majors selecting this concentration fulfill all standard degree requirements while undertaking supplementary classes focused on public history training.

The program mandates completion of two foundational public history courses alongside all departmental history requirements. Students must select two electives from the primary options list, with the third elective available from either primary or secondary course offerings.