The Public History Program at The University of Western Ontario

The Public History program at the University of Western Ontario is a 12 to 16-month Master's degree program consisting of three-four academic terms of coursework, a Professional Development Series, a public history placement during the academic year, a 12-week full-time summer internship, and an optional cognate research paper. It trains students in historical research and interpretation, digital history, archival science, museology, heritage management, social memory, material culture, and oral history. The program's uniqueness lies in the combination of the theory and history of Public History with the teaching of hands-on practical skills, particularly in digital history. Each year, students complete projects in conjunction with community partners such as museums, archives, living history sites, cultural and architectural organizations, and heritage planners.[1][2][3][4][5] The program attracts students from across Canada and internationally. The program is supported by the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation.

History of UWO's Program

The Public History program at UWO is Canada's longest running Public History program. It was developed in 1984 by professors George Metcalf, Bruce Bowden and Robert Hohner, and officially approved by UWO's Faculty of Graduate Studies in 1985 for a three-year trial period. The first four students entered the fall academic term in 1986. The First Hussars' Museum (London), George Weston Limited (Toronto) and Parks Canada hosted the first internships. Originally developed as a two-year program, in 1993 it was reduced to a 12-month degree, consisting of two terms of courses and a summer internship. The last year students were admitted for the two-year degree was 1991. Approximately 12 students are accepted each year. Previous Directors have included George Metcalf, Bruce Bowden, Janet Trimble, J.J.B. Forster, A.M.J. Hyatt, Alan MacEachern, William Turkel, and Michael Dove. Its current Director is Michelle A. Hamilton and the Internship Co-ordinator is Michael Dove. Along with Huron University College and King's University College, Western will implement Canada's first Public History minor in Canada in 2017-18.

Alumni

Alumni work in many government agencies such as Parks Canada, Library and Archives Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage, in national, provincial, and local museums and archives, at universities, as independent historical consultants, in popular historical publishing, and in media companies.[6]

Public History in Canada

Other early graduate programs include the program at the University of Waterloo (on hiatus since 2005), the now-defunct program at Simon Fraser University, and more recent programs at Carleton University and Université du Québec à Montréal. Concordia University offers an undergraduate degree in Public History. York is developing a certificate program. In both Canada and the United States, Public History grew in popularity because of the decline of academic jobs in the 1970-80s, and the importance of the federal and provincial governments as employers of public historians.[7] As well, the professions of museology and archival science began to be professionalized in Canada during the 1980s, two disciplines which share aspects of Public History.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ L. Abrams, et al, This Hour of Trial and Sorrow: The Great War Letters of the Leonard Family (London: UWO, 2015).
  2. ↑ Talbot, Adela (March 14, 2013). "Grad student labour puts 'Works' on display". Western News. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  3. ↑ Reaney, James (March 6, 2013). "London Works — made up entirely of in-house Museum London items — is dedicated to the working men, and women, of the Forest City". London Free Press. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  4. ↑ Winders, Jason (May 26, 2011). "Mustangs history gets boost from history program". Western News. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  5. ↑ Pearce, Kristie (June 25, 2012). "The War of 1812 Gets an App!". Windsor Star. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  6. ↑ Department of History. "Alumni". Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  7. ↑ 1. Treena Hein, "History for the people The field of 'public history' gains ground in Canada," University Affairs, 9 October 2007, http://www.universityaffairs.ca/history-for-the-people.aspx; John R. English, “The Tradition of Public History in Canada”, The Public Historian, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Winter 1983).

Bibliography

  • What is Public History? from the NCPH
  • Public History in Canada. Special Issue, The Public Historian, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Winter 2009).
  • John R. English, “The Tradition of Public History in Canada”, The Public Historian, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Winter 1983).
  • University of Western Ontario, Department of History. Graduate Studies in History. London: Faculty of Graduate Studies, 1986.
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