History students at Lewis learn to identify and analyze challenges and changes in how humans have organized and understood the world they inhabit politically, economically, culturally, religiously, philosophically, scientifically and socially. Upon completion of the History degree, students will have mastered the skills that employers look for written and verbal communication, problem-solving, and critical analysis.
The Public History concentration will prepare students for entry into a master's programs in Public History, for employment in local history museums and government archives, for curatorships, and for writing in Public History. Public Historians provide a great service to society through the study and preservation of heritage. A prime example of the work of public historians is our very own Adelmann Regional History Collection at Lewis University. This special collection preserves the maps, the photographs, and documents related to the history of the Illinois and Michigan canal and surrounding region.
Students in Public History must take workshops and/or internships in Public History. These workshops and internships are important components of this program. The workshops involve such elements as travel to regional sites, hands-on experience with historical artifacts, and written work which will be assessed by the instructor. Internships at such institutions as the First Division Museum at Cantigny, the Joliet Area Historical Museum, and the Adelmann Regional History Collection, have produced successful internship reports as well as positive assessments from the staffs of these institutions. The Public History Portfolio is an additional requirement in this concentration and will consist of reports written for Workshops in Public History and/or Internships in Public History during the course of the major and filed with the History Department chair. The student will submit a minimum of three such reports.
Lewis' Public History degree program will prepare you for graduate school and a career as a public historian. Public historians provide an essential service to our society - the study and preservation of heritage. Our very own Lewis University archive of the Illinois & Michigan Canal, the Canal & Regional History Special Collection will provide you with an up-close-and-personal view of the work of public historians. This archive, located in the Lewis Library, preserves the maps, photographs and living experience of the creation of the canal. Through this on-campus opportunity, along with internships and workshops with other regional sites, historical artifacts and written works, you will be well prepared to help preserve our past and better inform our future.
