Bachelor of Arts in History with an Emphasis in Public History

Overview

Help Preserve Artifacts

If preserving public artifacts and historical records appeals to you, Grand Canyon University's contemporary history programs, including the Bachelor of Arts in History with an Emphasis in Public History, may capture your interest. The emphasis in public history opens the door for a career as a historian or archivist for museums or other public cultural organizations.

This BA in public history degree program is offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, offering you the opportunity to transform your passion into actions that benefit your community by preserving history. A disciplined study of the past gives you an orientation of the complexity and diversity in the world in order to meet the competitive demands of a global economy. Our coursework helps extend the skills of a historian into the contemporary marketplace.

This Bachelor of Arts in public history degree program introduces the study of history as a scholarly discipline that encompasses continuity through change and develops deeper insights into culture. The curriculum interprets the past and how it impacts current time through museums, historic preservation and heritage tourism as well as practices that relate to applied history.

Degree Outcomes

Utilize the Past to Create Value in the Present

In addition to foundational courses that help develop effective communication, leadership and critical thinking skills, the coursework that focuses on history as an academic discipline helps you understand how historical artifacts and memories create value within a community. Creating essential workplace skills is also important, and the coursework also covers preservation techniques for artifacts, historical locations and records. Additionally, you learn about the administration of museums, private and public collections, libraries and other cultural resource organizations.

What You Will Learn

Discover How the Past Influences the Present and Future

Some skills you may learn include:

• How to create museum exhibits
• Conserving artifacts
• Understanding the relationship between objects and history
• Administration of museum and public organization departments
• Solid writing skills
• Effective speaking skills
• Ability to assess and analyze complex situations
• Investigative skills
• Critical reasoning skills
• Ability to plan for the short-term and long-term
• Cultural knowledge and sensitivity
• Archives and records management
• Ethical Christian viewpoints

Career Outcomes

Prepare for Different Job Roles

The Bachelor of Arts in History with an Emphasis in Public History exposes you to coursework that develops skills used by historians, archivists and administrative roles in public service. Possible employers include publishing companies, museums, government entities searching for grant writers and nonprofit organizations.