Misericordia Launches the Public History and Museum Studies Specialization

Misericordia Launches the Public History and Museum Studies Specialization

Misericordia University has announced the commencement of the Public History and Museum Studies specialization. After being launched in 2018 as a Public History specialization for History majors, Misericordia University revised the curriculum in 2022 and is now a Public History and Museum Studies specialization.

“This track is a very exciting development because we are providing a more focused curricular experience, while still incorporating the same hands-on community engagement that we have been doing since the first public project I did with students back in 2015,” said Jennifer Black, Ph.D., associate professor of History.

The Public History and Museum Studies specialization immerses students in service-oriented study to foster independent thinking, develop strong communities, cultivate informed decisions, and inspire leadership. Students in this specialization can work professionally in museums, non-profit organizations, historical sites, and more. This specialization can also serve as an excellent stepping stone for graduate studies in law, humanities and libraries/archives.

“Our goal is to provide as much professional experience as possible,” said Black, “We do not just introduce the theory, but we show the students what it is like to be a practitioner.”

The specialization gives students a unique experience in planning, building and implementing museum exhibits. It also assists students in expanding their research and writing skills for public audiences while allowing them to work outside the University with a multitude of community partners.

This interdisciplinary major and Public History and Museum Studies specialization will develop historical knowledge, evaluate and employ historical methods, recognize the provisional nature of historical knowledge, create historical arguments and narratives and use historical perspective to inform active citizenship.

“Over the past eight to nine years, we have spent a lot of time cultivating relationships with local sites as well as more regional and national sites to provide additional opportunities for our students,” said Black.  

In the past, students have interned at various sites, including the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington DC. Other intern opportunities include Eckley Miners’ Village Museum in Weatherly, Steamtown National Historical Site in Scranton, Anthracite Heritage Museum in Scranton, National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore, Maryland, Greater Pittston Historical Society, and Luzerne County Historical Society.

The specialization builds from the base history major, providing additional methodological training and professional development in public history and museum studies. Students electing the specialization will complete a practicum project independently or with a team, typically resulting in a public-oriented exhibit on a history topic of their choosing. Additionally, the specialization requires students to complete two internships, amounting to six credits. A capstone public history project will be completed at the end of the program, resulting in a substantial public presentation of the student’s original research.

Misericordia students have also frequently completed public history and museum exhibits while completing Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF). This program provides paid research experience to undergraduates across the University under Dr. Black’s direction. Many of these projects are viewable on a digital showcase hosted and maintained by the history department; click here to view the digital showcase.

For more information on the Public History and Museum Studies Specialization, click here. For more information about Misericordia University’s College of Arts and Science, click here. 

Photo Caption: American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) Archivist Don Davis holds a historic poster as he helps Misericordia University students research the organization's 100-year history during a recent visit to AFSC headquarters in Philadelphia, Pa.