Twin Cities campus

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Twin Cities Campus

Heritage Studies and Public History M.H.S.P.H.

School of Architecture
College of Design
Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information
School of Architecture College of Design Room 101 Rapson Hall 89 Church St SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-0811
  • Program Type: Master's
  • Requirements for this program are current for Spring 2020
  • Length of program in credits: 37
  • This program does not require summer semesters for timely completion.
  • Minnesota Historical Society History Center
  • Degree: Master of Heritage Studies & Public History
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General Information section of this website for requirements that apply to all major fields.
Heritage studies and public history (HSPH) are the publicly engaged and community-accountable practices of historical scholarship, whether it is based in archival research, archaeology, material culture studies, architecture, preservation, or landscape studies. Although such a commitment to public interpretation, education, and preservation is part of all these disciplines, it is of tremendous benefit to heritage professionals to understand the connections and common issues in all of these perspectives, because the heritage field is increasingly characterized by such interdisciplinary integration. The goal of this graduate program is to provide heritage and public history professionals this broader view, increasing their resource base and network of expertise. The program takes advantage of the deep scholarly expertise in these fields at the University of Minnesota, as well as the Minnesota Historical Society’s extensive resources and expertise, to offer unparalleled training in the theory and methods of heritage and public history studies at the graduate level. The program will combine rigorous scholarly training with hands-on professional development, preparing graduates for positions in major public history and heritage institutions in Minnesota and elsewhere. The program will also train future generations of scholars and practitioners in the field to develop new, innovative, and entrepreneurial forms of historical interpretation in service of the public good. Students are expected to acquire both general and specialized sets of perspectives and skills. Some required courses are designed to instill breadth and cohort connections; others are designed to build expertise in specific arenas of the heritage field, represented by the program tracks. Students will engage in experiential learning through embedded (credited) internships, and the design and execution of a community-engaged project.
Program Delivery
  • via classroom (the majority of instruction is face-to-face)
Prerequisites for Admission
The preferred undergraduate GPA for admittance to the program is 3.00.
Special Application Requirements:
Prospective applicants are encouraged to consult the degree programs section of the School of Architecture website for additional information: http://arch.design.umn.edu.
International applicants must submit score(s) from one of the following tests:
  • TOEFL
Key to test abbreviations (TOEFL).
For an online application or for more information about graduate education admissions, see the General Information section of this website.
Program Requirements
Plan B: Plan B requires 31 major credits and 6 credits outside the major. The final exam is written and oral. A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project:The Plan B option is available only to students pursuing the archaeological heritage track. The Plan B project is identified and planned in consultation with the adviser and the Archaeology Department at the Minnesota Historical Society.
Plan C: Plan C requires 31 major credits and 6 credits outside the major. There is no final exam. A capstone project is required.
Capstone Project: This course will operate as a workshop, drawing together a cohort of students, working individually or as part of a team, to craft independent heritage studies and public history research projects under the supervision of a faculty instructor. Projects may be based in archival research, public exhibitions, archaeology, material culture studies and preservation, architecture and preservation, or landscape studies. Consistent with the values of the program, projects shall have multidisciplinary perspectives, broadly consider aspects of diversity, and will be accountable to some stakeholder(s) identified by the students.
This program may not be completed with a minor.
Use of 4xxx courses toward program requirements is permitted under certain conditions with adviser approval.
Core Coursework (13 credits)
All students must complete the following core courses. Take HSPH 8005 every fall and spring for 2 years for a total of 4 credits.
HSPH 8001 - Who Owns the Past? Common Concerns and Big Questions in Heritage and Public History (3.0 cr)
HSPH 8002 - Core Practices in Heritage Studies and Public History (3.0 cr)
HSPH 8003 - Race and Indigeneity in Heritage Representation (3.0 cr)
HSPH 8005 - Leadership and Future of Historical Organizations (1.0 cr)
Outside Coursework (6 credits)
All students must complete at least 6 credits outside the major, chosen in consultation with the adviser or director of graduate studies.
Program Sub-plans
Students are required to complete one of the following sub-plans.
Students may not complete the program with more than one sub-plan.
Archaeological Heritage
This sub-plan is limited to students completing the program under Plan B or Plan C.
Archaeological Heritage Track (18 credits)
The archaeological heritage track offers both the Plan B and Plan C options. Students are expected to identify their chosen option, in consultation with the advisor or director of graduate studies, by end of their second year in the program.
Required Archaeological Heritage Track Coursework (6 credits)
Take the following courses for a total of 6 credits:
HSPH 8004 - Capstone in Heritage Studies and Public History (3.0 cr)
ANTH 5448 - Applied Heritage Management (3.0 cr)
Electives (6 credits)
Students must complete at least 6 additional elective credits, selected in consultation with the advisor or director of graduate studies.
Plan Options
Plan B Requirements
Take 6 credits of HSPH 8101. At least 3 of the 6 credits must be applied to the Plan B project, with the remaining 3 assigned in consultation with the advisor or director of graduate studies.
HSPH 8101 - Internship (3.0 cr)
-OR-
Plan C Requirements
Take HSPH 8101 twice, to complete two separate internships, for a total of 6 credits.
HSPH 8101 - Internship (3.0 cr)
 
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View college catalog(s):
· College of Design

View future requirement(s):
· Fall 2022
· Fall 2020

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HSPH 8001 - Who Owns the Past? Common Concerns and Big Questions in Heritage and Public History
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Course offers a survey through case studies of the common concerns, concepts and ethics of heritage and public history. Students will learn about the history and social contexts of heritage studies and public history, the stakes and stakeholders, and the conflicts and positive interventions that can be made through the work of these affiliated professions.
HSPH 8002 - Core Practices in Heritage Studies and Public History
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
Course is open to all Heritage Studies and Public History (HSPH) graduate students. DGS or Instructor permission required for others. Course offers a survey of how heritage and public history concern and ethics are embedded into practice. Through illustrated lectures, case studies, field trips, readings and class discussion, students will learn about the professional practice of heritage studies and public history, how approaches to practice are aligned to institutional mission, customization of programs for diverse audiences, and professional evaluation and management of financial resources.
HSPH 8003 - Race and Indigeneity in Heritage Representation
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Spring
This seminar will explore the changes in how diversity has been represented in historical interpretations in the past, and how practice is changing in response to the contemporary and anticipated social context of the United States. "Diversity" has historically been assumed to derive from categories such as race or culture, concepts constructed in the discipline of anthropology but taken up as the foundation for typologies in other arenas such as art history, architectural history, museums, and public policy. What is problematic in such an approach? What happens to communities defined by shared history, political sovereignty, and disenfranchisement? What are the implications beyond museums for those communities? Finally, how can we think differently about diversity without re-inscribing harmful constructions of difference?
HSPH 8005 - Leadership and Future of Historical Organizations
Credits: 1.0 [max 5.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall & Spring
This course will operate as a series of lectures and discussions in which leaders of historical organizations explain how they are navigating major changes and challenges associated with their professional practice. Speakers in this course will be invited and organized by the instructor in coordination with HSPH faculty and colleagues at the Minnesota Historical Society. Topics to be presented by speakers may include: making history accessible and meaningful to increasingly diverse audiences; interpreting difficult or traumatic histories; gathering, storing, and providing access to physical collections in a digital age; engaging the public in historical research and interpretation; the financial management and leadership of historical organizations. The course has several objectives: students will learn from, and have the opportunity to meet, leaders of historical organizations located throughout Minnesota and the United States; it will also be a cohort-building opportunity as students in the first and second years of the program meet regularly in this course to hear from professional practitioners and discuss presentations and readings.
HSPH 8004 - Capstone in Heritage Studies and Public History
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course will operate as a workshop, drawing together a cohort of students, working individually or as part of a team, to craft independent heritage studies and public history research projects under the supervision of a faculty instructor. Projects may be based in archival research, public exhibitions, archaeology, material culture studies and preservation, architecture and preservation, or landscape studies. Consistent with the values of the program, projects shall have multidisciplinary perspectives, broadly consider aspects of diversity, and will be accountable to some stakeholder(s) identified by the students.
ANTH 5448 - Applied Heritage Management
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F only
Typically offered: Every Spring
Contexts of cultural heritage applicable to federal/state protection. Approaches to planning/management. Issues of heritage/stakeholder conflict.
HSPH 8101 - Internship
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Internships are an opportunity to apply your skills and deepen your understanding of careers in historical sites and museums, community heritage organizations, or preservation/oversight agencies. This experience is for both skill-building and general professional development. Internship placements will be determined through conversations with advisors regarding student areas of interest and career goals, and available professional opportunities within the Minnesota Historical Society or a partnering organization. MHSPH degree students are required to complete two internships, one within MNHS and one outside. There are small stipends paid to students for their internship work, and depending on the site/project there may be funds available for project materials.
HSPH 8101 - Internship
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Internships are an opportunity to apply your skills and deepen your understanding of careers in historical sites and museums, community heritage organizations, or preservation/oversight agencies. This experience is for both skill-building and general professional development. Internship placements will be determined through conversations with advisors regarding student areas of interest and career goals, and available professional opportunities within the Minnesota Historical Society or a partnering organization. MHSPH degree students are required to complete two internships, one within MNHS and one outside. There are small stipends paid to students for their internship work, and depending on the site/project there may be funds available for project materials.
HSPH 8004 - Capstone in Heritage Studies and Public History
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course will operate as a workshop, drawing together a cohort of students, working individually or as part of a team, to craft independent heritage studies and public history research projects under the supervision of a faculty instructor. Projects may be based in archival research, public exhibitions, archaeology, material culture studies and preservation, architecture and preservation, or landscape studies. Consistent with the values of the program, projects shall have multidisciplinary perspectives, broadly consider aspects of diversity, and will be accountable to some stakeholder(s) identified by the students.
ARCH 5671 - Historic Preservation
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Fall
Philosophy, theory, origins of historic preservation. Historic archaeology/research, descriptive analysis, documentation of historic buildings. Government's role in historic preservation, preservation standards/guidelines, preservation/building codes, preservation advocacy.
ARCH 5673 - Historic Property Research and Documentation
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Typically offered: Every Spring
Philosophy, theory, methods of historic building research. Descriptive analysis of buildings, building documentation, historical archaeology, architectural taxonomy. prereq: [3412, 3641, 4671, 5671, 4672 or 5672] or instr consent
HSPH 8101 - Internship
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Internships are an opportunity to apply your skills and deepen your understanding of careers in historical sites and museums, community heritage organizations, or preservation/oversight agencies. This experience is for both skill-building and general professional development. Internship placements will be determined through conversations with advisors regarding student areas of interest and career goals, and available professional opportunities within the Minnesota Historical Society or a partnering organization. MHSPH degree students are required to complete two internships, one within MNHS and one outside. There are small stipends paid to students for their internship work, and depending on the site/project there may be funds available for project materials.
HSPH 8004 - Capstone in Heritage Studies and Public History
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Spring
This course will operate as a workshop, drawing together a cohort of students, working individually or as part of a team, to craft independent heritage studies and public history research projects under the supervision of a faculty instructor. Projects may be based in archival research, public exhibitions, archaeology, material culture studies and preservation, architecture and preservation, or landscape studies. Consistent with the values of the program, projects shall have multidisciplinary perspectives, broadly consider aspects of diversity, and will be accountable to some stakeholder(s) identified by the students.
HIST 8122 - Public Histories
Credits: 3.0 [max 3.0]
Grading Basis: A-F or Aud
Typically offered: Every Fall
This seminar examines the variety of ways that "public history" is produced both within and outside the academy and explores interdisciplinary approaches to the making and critical analysis of public histories. Students will discuss recent scholarship by historians as well as scholars and practitioners in allied fields. Through discussion and collaborative project work, the seminar will also provide a hands-on introduction to the theory, methods, practice and politics of public history.
HSPH 8101 - Internship
Credits: 3.0 [max 6.0]
Grading Basis: S-N only
Typically offered: Every Fall, Spring & Summer
Internships are an opportunity to apply your skills and deepen your understanding of careers in historical sites and museums, community heritage organizations, or preservation/oversight agencies. This experience is for both skill-building and general professional development. Internship placements will be determined through conversations with advisors regarding student areas of interest and career goals, and available professional opportunities within the Minnesota Historical Society or a partnering organization. MHSPH degree students are required to complete two internships, one within MNHS and one outside. There are small stipends paid to students for their internship work, and depending on the site/project there may be funds available for project materials.