Why West Georgia?

The Public History program at the University of West Georgia stands apart from other public history programs because of the diversity of “real-world” experiences that we offer to our students. We offer:

• A partnership with Georgia Humanities to collaborate on a range of projects, including the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street program and the New Georgia Encyclopedia.
• A partnership with the National Park Service Southeast Regional Office through the Piedmont South Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit (PSAC CESU), which includes archival and other National Park History Projects.
• Our Museum Studies Certificate program offered with the Atlanta History Center, begun in 2000, allows students to learn from professional museum staff and undertake real-world projects at the AHC.
• Internship opportunities with an array of local, state, and national public history organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street program and several area sponsoring institutions. See Internship Opportunities to learn more.
• Countless other projects on a variety of topics to suit almost any interest. We offer unparalleled opportunities to undertake research and to develop creative ways to present that research to the public. We’ve done work with foodways, regional music, the textile industry, Native American history, military history, rural life, historic architecture, and women’s history, among others. Our students develop exhibits, CD recordings, walking trails and tour maps, oral history and archival projects, websites, documentary videos, concerts, and a range of public programs.
• In addition to offering valuable “hands-on” work experiences, our popular graduate research assistantships at the Center for Public History also include a tuition waiver and a monthly stipend.