Why Pursue a Graduate Certificate in Public History
The Graduate Certificate in Public History provides advanced training to take advantage of the growing popularity of public history as a career field. Students will develop practical skills in archive management, digital and oral history, grant writing, and more. The program also emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and career readiness with internship opportunities throughout the San Antonio Metropolitan area. Graduate of the public history certificate program will be stronger candidates for jobs in applied history positions such as museums, archives, and non-profit agencies.
Hands-On Internship Experiences
This certificate utilizes the rich cultural and historical resources in San Antonio, offering internship opportunities at a variety of local archives and museums. Some internship placements include, but are not limited to:
- UTSA’s Special Collections
- San Antonio Mission National Historic Parks
- The Witte Museum
- The Briscoe Western Art Museum
- The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center
- Various state parks in the San Antonio metropolitan area
Pathway to a Master's Degree
This public history certificate program offers a distinct advantage to students enrolled in the History MA program by providing the opportunity to earn a certificate distinction without adding extra courses to their graduation requirements. By mapping the 12 hours of certificate coursework onto the 30-hour History MA, students can seamlessly integrate the certificate into their academic journey. This unique pathway empowers students to gain specialized expertise and practical experience in public history, giving them a competitive edge in the job market.
Admission & Application Requirements
Applications are submitted through the UTSA Graduate Application. Please upload all required documents (listed below) on your UTSA Graduate Application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure completion and submission of the application, a nonrefundable application fee, and all required supporting documents are on file with UTSA by the appropriate application deadline.
For international students, please note that student visas are not issued at UTSA for non-degree-seeking students, including certificate programs. For more information, visit our international students admission page.
| Public History (CERT) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Required Degree | Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or have proof of equivalent training at a foreign institution. | |
| Minimum GPA | 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) Departments may consider GPA of last 60 semester credit hours | |
| Transcripts* | Required from all institutions attended; international transcripts must be recorded/translated to English | |
| Credential Evaluation | Required if you have earned university-level credit from foreign institutions. Submit an evaluation of your transcripts from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) directly from the graduate admission application platform | |
| English Language Proficiency | 550 TOEFL Paper / 79 TOEFL Internet / 6.5 IELTS / Duolingo 100 | |
| Purpose Statement | Required | |
| Letters of Recommendation | 1 academic or professional reference(s) demonstrating your attributes for successful completion of this program (you will request these through the Graduate Admissions Application; let your recommenders know of your deadline to ensure submissions are on time) | |
| *Unofficial transcripts will be taken into consideration for admissions; however, if admitted into the program, you must submit official transcripts to the University. | ||
Application Deadlines
Applicants are encouraged to have their admission file completed as early as possible. All applications, required documents and letters of recommendation, if applicable, must be submitted by 5:00 PM U.S. Central Time on the day of the deadline. Deadlines are subject to change.
| Public History (CERT) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Timing on Admission Decision: Completed applications will be reviewed for admission on a rolling basis. Decisions generally will be made and sent to applicants within 4 to 6 weeks of receiving the application. | |||
| Application Deadlines for: | Priority | International | Domestic |
| Spring 2025 | October 1 | October 1 | |
| Summer 2025 | Not Available | Not Available | |
| Fall 2025 | June 1 | June 1 | |
| Spring 2026 | October 1 | October 1 | |
| Summer 2026 | Not Available | Not Available | |
Funding Opportunities
All qualified history graduate students are eligible to apply to the Nau fellowships available to incoming students as well as those in their second year. Other funding opportunities include GRAs, reader-graders, and a recently established endowed award (Jack Reynolds History Student Award) for students completing a history internship.
ResourcesCareer Options
UTSA prepares you for future careers that are in demand. The possible careers below is data pulled by a third-party tool called Emsi, which pulls information from sources like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Census Bureau, online job postings, other government databases and more to give you regional and national career outlook related to this academic program.
Most History graduate courses are offered in the evenings, but some courses with a public history focus can be offered in the daytime to facilitate on-site field visits.
Students will take the following required courses:
- HIS 6183 Introduction to Public History (3 credits)
- HIS 6993 Internship in History (3 credits)
Students will also select 6 additional hours of electives, choosing from courses offered in history or related fields, such as Digital History, Oral History, Archive Preservation, Grant Writing, Art History, Museum Studies, Urban Planning, etc.
