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This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Public History/Public Service

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History Fields of Study or Degree Options

The Public History/Public Service (PH/PS) interdisciplinary history track is designed for students who wish to include in their course of studies the application of historical study in (1) public settings such as museums and heritage sites, national and state parks, public agencies, and private foundations, and (2) public service settings in non-profit organizations, public agencies, and educational institutions.

PH/PS majors enroll in a gateway course on public history and public service and in four History department courses that provide a geographic concentration as well as completing a two-course methodological requirement. In addition, students, in consultation with the PH/PS faculty coordinator, complete four courses from outside the History department drawn from the annual listing of service-learning courses provided by the Haas Center for Public Service; these courses provide interdisciplinary and methodological perspectives on public service. PH/PS majors must also complete an internship through a regularly offered service-learning course or through a summer internship or fellowship.

Gateway course (one course)—HISTORY 201, Introduction to Public History in the U.S., Nineteenth Century to the Present, provides grounding in the theory and practice of public service and exposure to the types of public history practiced in venues such as museums, historical sites, parks, and non-profit organizations, including local historical societies.

Geographical Cluster (four courses)—Students select four History courses in one geographic area, such as the United States, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Middle East, or Africa. The faculty coordinator must pre-approve all courses in this cluster.

Interdisciplinary Cluster (four courses)—Students select four courses from outside the History department drawn from the annual listing of service-learning and theory/practice courses provided by the Haas Center for Public Service. The faculty coordinator must pre-approve all courses in this cluster.

Examples of appropriate PH/PS interdisciplinary courses are:

SOC 118. Social Movements and Collective Action

SOC 137. Homelessness: Its Causes, Consequences, and Policy Solutions

POLISCI 133. Ethics and Politics In Public Service

POLISCI 141. Global Politics of Human Rights

AMSTUD 221. Public and Professional Service: Theories and Ethical Practice of Public and Community

ETHICSOC 144. Nongovernmental Organizations and Development in Poor Countries

Methodological Cluster (two courses)—Students must enroll in one Sources and Methods seminar course and one additional 200-level History course. The Writing in the Major (WIM) requirement must be completed in a Research Seminar for Majors.

Public Service/Service Learning Internship (one course)—Students must engage in at least a one quarter internship through a service learning course or through a full-time public service or public history summer internship or fellowship. This internship must be pre-approved by the faculty coordinator. (Note: Students who complete a paid summer internship in lieu of one for academic credit will have two options: they can complete an additional history course, or they can enroll in 3 units of HISTORY 299S with the faculty coordinator of the PH/PS track and write a 20-page research paper related to their internship work. This research paper will be in addition to that required for the Research Seminar for Majors.)

Research Seminar for Majors (HISTORY 209S)—Fulfills Writing in the Major requirement.

General Requirements—Like all history majors, students in History Interdisciplinary Programs must complete two lecture courses (one Europe or US, one Africa, Asia, Middle East or Latin America), two 200-level courses, a Sources & Methods seminar, and a Research Seminar for Majors.

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