Public and Applied Humanities

Public and Applied Humanities offers a timely account of how the humanities can act in the world. Written from the perspective of faculty who built the first Department of Public & Applied Humanities in the United States, the book explores how humanities knowledge can be translated into public-facing, use-oriented, and institutionally viable forms.

The book examines the braided field of the public and applied humanities as both an intellectual orientation and a practical higher education structure. It asks what the public and applied humanities are and how they connect traditional humanities inquiry to community life, public needs, and professional practice. It then turns to curricula, showing how undergraduate programs can prepare students to work across disciplines, communicate with publics, and apply humanities skills in fields such as health, business, sustainability, design, and public service. Later chapters consider how public and applied humanities research expands evidentiary variety, knowledge-making participation, and scholarly output. The book also addresses student care, career readiness, and the institutional challenges of making new humanities programs sustainable and legible.

This book is an essential resource for anyone working within the public humanities or wanting to make their work public and engage with wider communities.