Beginning in 2010 the Historical Resources Management will add a new area of emphasis on digital media, complementing the continuing focus on historical GIS. See below for details!
General Information:
The Historical Resources Management program offers students an opportunity to develop their history education through a focus on applied history. This M.A. program trains students to apply sophisticated information technologies to a rigorous analysis of historical problems. Emphasis is placed on a practical, interdisciplinary approach to historical research, using new technologies to examine changes through time and place. Students within this innovative program choose between two concentrations or “tracks.”
- The GIS track combines the use of geographic information systems (GIS) and related information technologies with historical research methods to conduct spatial analyses of the past. ISU is an internationally recognized center in applying GIS to historical research. Students may work closely with the award-winning ISU GIS Teaching and Research Center, which provides technical training and support and promotes multi-disciplinary collaboration among ISU faculty and graduate students. Geotechnology is a powerful tool and a highly sought skill in most job sectors, where demand far exceeds the supply of trained graduates. This technological training complements the fundamental historians’ skills of research, analysis, and writing that are always in demand.
- The Digital Media track focuses upon using a variety of media tools to communicate historical information and interpretation. Students learn techniques of web design, museum displays, film production, and scholarly publishing. In addition to collaboration with faculty in the James E. Rogers Department of Mass Communication, students may gain experience from working with two peer-reviewed journals edited by faculty in the History Department, on-campus production facilities of Idaho Public Television, and local museums. Graduates will conduct significant historical research and present interpretations in a variety of engaging and effective formats.
Students in each area of emphasis acquire traditional training in historical analysis and apply digital technology as a cutting edge methodological approach to the study of history.
Businesses, government agencies, and the education field are all seeking employees with strong skills in GIS and digital media. When combined with the ability to conduct independent research, interpret primary sources, and communicate effectively in visual, written and oral forms, the tech-savvy graduates of the HRM program will be good prospective employees in all of these economic sectors.
The master’s degree provides students with a broad knowledge of the field of history through coursework, and students develop their own research projects based on primary sources. In addition, they gain hands on experience in high quality map design.
For more information please contact the graduate program director: Kevin Marsh (histgrad@isu.edu or 208-282-2877).