NOVA’s certificate program in Public History and Historic Preservation is designed for students seeking a solid foundation in the theories, methods, and skills in the complementary fields of public history and historic preservation.

The certificate is unique in the region and country, with only a handful of community college-based public history and historic preservation programs in the entire country.

In the mid-1990s, the curriculum was created by an advisory board of nationally-known preservation professionals and prominent local government and community leaders and was inspired by Northern Virginia’s wealth of historic structures, museums, archaeological sites and battlefields. Since the inception of the program, the curriculum has continued to be refreshed and maintained to incorporate emerging fields, such as digital history, and best practices in the public history and historic preservation field.

The certificate is a great place to begin if you’re interested

• in training to become a historic preservation professional and want to continue your studies at a four-year school
• in learning about preservation practices so that you can volunteer at a historic site or with anorganization
• in deepening your own appreciation of Northern Virginia’s historic heritage.

The program undergoes Annual Performance and Evaluation Reviews and is also subject to periodic review by the college’s associate vice president for academic services.