Public Heritage and Museum Studies cover the mediation and dissemination of heritage, arts, and culture by institutions and communities. The institutions and communities include museums, historical and cultural agencies, archives, theme parks, galleries, religious institutions, schools, and media. The American Studies Program provides education in the practice of public heritage and museum studies; it also deals with the philosophical, political, and ethical issues about the creation of a usable past, narratives for the present, and social visions for the future. World-renowned heritage sites in the region frequently provide hands-on experiences and case studies for students: Gettysburg Battlefield, National Civil War Museum, Hershey Park, Amish Country, State Museum of Pennsylvania, Anthracite Coal Region.
Relevant coursework at Penn State Harrisburg can include:
- AM ST 480 Museum Studies
- AM ST 481 Historic Preservation
- AM ST 482 Public Heritage
- AM ST 483 Oral History
- AM ST 484 Archives and Records Management
- AM ST 495 Internship
- AM ST 499 Foreign Studies
- AM ST 520 Topics in Popular Culture
- AM ST 530 Topics in Folklore
- AM ST 531 Material Culture and Folklife
- AM ST 550 Seminar in Public Heritage
- AM ST 551 Seminar in Local and Regional Studies
- AM ST 575 Museum Internship
- AM ST 592 Field Experience in American Studies
- AM ST 595 InternshipÂ