Wichita State University's Public History program is changing its name to Local and Community History. This change, which will occur in spring 2016, better reflects the program's evolution, signifying a program that is both broader in application and more focused in topic. 

“Universities today are called upon to be ‘stewards of place,’” said Jay M. Price, program director. “Institutions like Wichita State have to be active participants in their community. Reaching out to record, preserve, research and present the myriad of local stories helps us all.” 

The change opens up new emphases and opportunities for WSU history students, Price said. A growing number of academic scholars are finding that local stories can deepen and shape our understanding of larger national and even global trends. Students who go on to careers in the military, business, classroom teaching and other professions will find in local and community history a set of resources to apply to their various careers and projects.

The program’s mission is to study the local area and the communities within it. Students will take a cornerstone introductory course that highlights specific skills and research techniques. They also will take a course either in the history of Kansas or the history of Wichita, as well as a specialty course or internship to deepen their skill sets. Students may also use this track in combination with other opportunities, such as museum studies and public administration courses. As with the Public History program, students will also take a core of general history classes, two seminars, comprehensive exams and write a thesis rooted in an aspect of the local story.

The Public History program at WSU was an early leader in the public history movement under the guidance of such noted historians as Hal Rothman and Rebecca Conard. Officially a track within the Department of History’s master’s program, public history featured a core of classes that prepared students for careers outside of the academic world including museums, historic preservation and archives.

Public history remains central to the program, because many local and community historians work with and for museums, architectural consulting firms, libraries and public agencies. However, the tools and techniques of studying “nearby history” are relatable to many other possible career paths for WSU history students.