Heritage Studies Certificate

Pippa Holloway, Program Director
(615) 904-8149
Pippa.Holloway@mtsu.edu
Rebecca Conard, Director of Public History Program
(615) 898-2423
Rebecca.Conard@mtsu.edu

The History Department offers the Master of Arts in History, Master of Arts in History with a concentration in Public History, and a Ph.D. in Public History as well as graduate certificates in Archival Management, Heritage Studies, Historic Preservation, and Museum Management.

The certificate in Heritage Studies seeks to provide students with the opportunity to pursue advanced study in heritage studies and professional training for graduate students seeking employment in national and state parks, government agencies, and related public and private institutions. This certificate also provides a transitional bridge to the Ph.D. program in Public History.

The certificate of advanced study in Heritage Studies offers an opportunity for students to take relevant graduate courses in recreation and other departments in addition to history. Students will also benefit from the fieldwork and staff associated with the Stones River National Battlefield, Tennessee State Parks, and other national, regional, and state parks.

For the most current information about the program, department policies, and admission standards, please visit the department website at www.mtsu.edu/history.

Please see undergraduate catalog for information regarding undergraduate programs.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Heritage Studies certificate program requires

an earned master’s degree from an accredited university or college or current enrollment in a master’s degree program;
an acceptable grade point average in all college work taken.

Modifications to the above requirements may be made with the permission of the department’s director of graduate studies and the department’s graduate committee.

Application Procedures

All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.

Applicant must

meet the admission requirements of the University and the program;
submit application with the appropriate application fee (online at www.mtsu.edu/graduate/apply.php);
submit official transcripts of all previous college work.

Certificate Requirements

Once admitted to the program, candidate must

complete 12 hours of graduate history courses, all at the 6000 level (see Curriculum section below for specifics);
maintain a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.00 in courses leading to the certificate;
successfully complete a portfolio review.

Curriculum: Heritage Studies

Candidate must complete 12 hours in the following course of study:

Required Core (6 hours)

HIST 6560 - Seminar: Cultural Resource Management 3 credit hours
HIST 6225 - Oral History: Theory and Methodology 3 credit hours

Electives (6 hours)

HIST 6190 - Seminar: State and Local History 3 credit hours
HIST 6220 - Seminar in Public Programming for Historical Organizations and Archives 3 credit hours
HIST 6545 - Seminar in Management of Collections for Historical Organizations and Archives 3 credit hours
HIST 6555 - Archaeology and Public History 3 credit hours
HIST 6993 - Current Issues in Public History Practice 3 credit hours
HIST 6994 - Advanced Projects in Public History 3 credit hours

Program Notes

Students may transfer up to six (6) credit hours of approved coursework into the certificate program. The time limit for use of credit toward the certificate is six years from the date of enrollment in the earliest course applied toward the certificate, including transferred courses.

Candidate must file a Notice of Intent to Graduate form in the College of Graduate Studies within the first two weeks of the semester in candidate intends to graduate.