Public History and Museum Studies

About This Program
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	Program Contact Ian Delahanty , PhD Assistant Professor of History Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (413) 748-3436 idelahanty@springfieldcollege.edu
	Curriculum and Delivery 16-18-credit minor Courses offered on campus in Springfield, Mass. Program curriculum View a sample schedule

Students study in the Springfield College Museum while taking a course taught by Associate Professor of History Ian Delanhanty on Monday, March 4, 2024.

History is something often experienced as a consumer through traveling, visiting museums, watching movies, and observing the media. But, what happens when you become the producer of history? The History minor at Springfield College will allow you to play a substantial role in determining how the past is remembered and understood utilizing a hands-on approach to sharing historical facts and stories.

In this minor, you’ll create content for a museum exhibit, learn how to evaluate the reliability of evidence, and assess historical literacy through investigating the use of history in architecture, films, museums, monuments, and politics.

Through this minor, you’ll develop the skills and knowledge to work in the private and nonprofit sectors, including fields such as heritage tourism, historic preservation, and government, as well as in museums, libraries, archives, and even for the National Park Service.

Historical content learned and experienced first-hand will provide a unique skillset for graduates, complementing many majors, including, History, English, Business Management, Sport Management and Recreation Industries and Therapeutic Recreation.

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Hogan Tomkunas poses with a statue at his internship.

Interesting Internships

Hogan Tomkunas worked as an intern for the Springfield Museums during the fall 2016 semester. His upbeat, positive attitude impressed the museum visitors whom he assisted, according to his internship supervisor.

Two students examine a historic piece of pottery in the Springfield College experience.

History in Action

Students examine the archives' Indian Club, one of the few objects that survived from Springfield College's original school building where the invention of basketball occurred. These clubs, originating in India, came to Springfield College via the British, who adapted them into their exercise routines.

Professor Tom Carty looks at James Naismith's Springfield College application with two students.

Naismith Application

Students in the public history and museum studies program have the opportunity to research in the Springfield College archives, where they can examine James Naismith's application for admission to the College.

Michael Jordan Jersey

The archives' framed Michael Jordan jersey is always a hit with students.

Experience History

Students pass around the Cassava squeezer, which Amerindians used to prepare cassava, or manioc root, for meals.

Students pose during a field trip to Mystic Seaport where at Springfield College alumna is employed.

Internships into Careers

Students in Associate Professor of History Fernando Gonzalez de Leon's class benefitted from a behind-the-scenes tour of Mystic Seaport thanks to Natasha Przybylski, who landed a job at this living museum where she had interned during her time as a history major at the College.

Civil War

Students in Assistant Professor of History Ian Delahanty's Civil War class walked through downtown Boston to study up close and personal the city's Civil War monuments and how they have influenced Bostonians' memory of the Civil War.

An American studies major does research in the archives for a project on Springfield College.

Accessible Research

History major Erik Carnazza snapped some photos from a 1910-11 Springfield College catalog for his research on the early history of the College.

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Curriculum

Faculty and Staff