You may earn a Cross-Disciplinary Certificate in Public History in two ways: 1) concurrent with fulfilling your bachelor degree requirements; and 2) after completing your bachelor degree (the “consecutive” or direct-entry option for certificate completion). This certificate introduces you to the theory, methods and practices in historical, heritage and cultural institutions. It also provides a critical explanation of the production and presentation of historical knowledge for public audiences.
What is Public History
Public history describes the theory, methodologies and practices of professional historians working outside academia. It also encompasses the ways in which history is produced for and understood by public audiences.
What can you do with this certificate?
You will gain a critical understanding of the production and presentation of historical knowledge for non-academic audiences. The work placement will give you marketable skills. In addition, the certificate can be a stepping stone toward graduate work in public history, museum studies, arts and cultural management, and library, archives and information studies.
Admission & Certificate Requirements
Concurrent students: The certificate is open to all York undergrads in good standing. Students must have completed 54 credits to start the certificate.
Direct Entry Students: The certificate is open to students who previously completed an undergraduate degree in a related field from a university. Students are admissible with a cumulative grade point average of 5.00/9.00 (C+).
They include:
Three credits from one of the following two courses:
- FA/ARTH 3610 3.0 Art Institutions/Art Networks: Introduction to Museums, Galleries and Visual Art Organizations
- FA/ARTH 3611 3.0 Curatorial Studies: Practices of Display
Please note: posted prerequisites for FA/ARTH 3610 3.0 and FA/ARTH 3611 3.0 are waived for certificate students. To enrol in these courses, send an email with your name and student number, requesting permission to enrol, to: VA/AH chair Sarah Parsons (sparsons@yorku.ca) and cc: VA/AH Administrative Assistant Patrick Legris (plegris@yorku.ca).
Six credits from one of the following two capstone courses in Public History. Both courses include a 12-week mandatory placement in a historical, cultural or heritage institution during the Winter term:
- AP/HIST 4840 6.00 Public History
- GL/HIST 4310 6.0 Histoire Vivante: créer l’histoire du Grand Toronto
Students choose from a wide variety of placement projects at museums, archives, galleries and historical organizations across the Greater Toronto Area. Each student will complete a total of 120 hours (10 hours/week for 12 weeks) at their placement site, helping to produce a public history product such as a walking tour, small case exhibition, documentary video, audio tour or research report. Placement hours are usually flexible to accommodate student schedules.
The remaining fifteen credits must be chosen from a list of designated courses.
The following ADDITIONAL AP/HIST courses are in the process of approval and will be credited towards the certificate upon completion:
AP/HIST 3135 3.0 Spectacle and Society in Ancient Rome
AP/HIST 3162 3.0 Fake Ancient Histories
AP/HIST 3163 3.0 Ancient History in Modern Cinema
AP/HIST 3536 3.0 African Canadian History to 1900
AP/HIST 3537 3.0 African Canadian History from 1900 to Present
AP/HIST 3538 3.0 Women and Gender in Black Canadian History
GL/HIST 3641 6.0 EN From Sugar to Cocaine: Latin America’s Global Commodities
GL/HIST 3652 3.0 FR Politiques feminists africaines et afroféministes
AP/HIST 3790 3.0 Histories of Gender and Sexuality in the Modern Middle East
AP/HIST 3792 6.0 The Middle East Since 1800
AP/HIST 3799 3.0 Cultural History of India through Bollywood
AP/HIST 3828 6.0 (AP/HUMA/JWST/RLST 3825 6.0) The Holocaust in Cross-Cultural Context: Canada, Germany, Poland
How to Apply
Concurrent Students: Complete the application form and required letter of application. Applicants must receive confirmation of acceptance in the Certificate before they can enrol.
Direct Entry Students: Complete the Undergraduate Application Form. Under the Goal of Study, select the appropriate session and certificate option (Certificate in Public History). Applicants will receive an acknowledgement email with next steps after a few days.
Graduating with a Certificate
Except where otherwise stated, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 5.00 is required to satisfy certificate requirements. Students must also submit an application to graduate from a certificate program. Applications should be obtained from and filed with the unit administering the certificate program (LA&PS History, Glendon History, or AMPD Visual Art/Art History). Transcript notation that the requirements for a certificate have been completed will be made once the Registrar’s Office has received notice from the unit administering the program. Certificates will not be conferred until candidates have successfully completed an undergraduate degree program if they are simultaneously enrolled in a degree and a certificate program. A certificate cannot be obtained retroactively.
Please see the Registrar's Office website for more details about Graduating with a Certificate. Students who expect to receive a certificate must complete and submit an Application to Graduate with a Certificate to the below individuals/departments:
- Glendon Students - Contact Professor Audrey Pyée at apyee@yorku.ca
- AMPD Students - Office of Advising and Integrated Student Services at oaiss@yorku.ca
- LA&PS Students (and students from other Faculties not listed above) - Contact the Department of History (LA&PS) at phistapp@yorku.ca
Questions?
For additional information, contact Professor Jennifer Bonnell at bonnellj@yorku.ca or the Department of History, York University,
416-736-5123, lapshist@yorku.ca.