Department of History
Appalachian State University

Information

Dr. Neva Specht and her students visit Poplar Forest, Virginia, the summer home of Thomas Jefferson

Public History

Director: Charles Watkins

Appalachian State University's Public History Program trains both undergraduate and graduate students in the efficient and ethical management of our nation's historical heritage and collective memories. We offer broad preparation for practicing the historian's craft outside the university or classroom setting, with a special emphasis on building ties to local communities.

The program trains students in traditional historical methods with an emphasis on delivering historical scholarship in a variety of forms to diverse audiences. Students trained in public history find jobs in a wide variety of fields including public and private archives, libraries, museums, historical societies, government agencies, National Parks, historic houses and sites, living history farms, historic preservation, urban planning, cultural resources management, documentary editing, and journalism, among others.

An Interdisciplinary Focus
Students in Appalachian State University's Public History Program benefit from close collaboration with other University departments, including the Appalachian Cultural Museum, the Appalachian Studies Program, the University Archives, the Contract Archaeology Program, the Sustainable Development Program, and the Leisure Studies Department's interpretive methods programs.