Abstract
The nexus between theory and practice in the training of applied or public historians is hardly a new concern. It informs the curricula at many universities that train graduate students for careers in history museums and historical organizations. Integrating knowledge and skills in the design of a graduate curriculum in public history, however, presents many daunting challenges. Too much theory does not provide students with the hard technical skills needed to meet the practical requirements of the museum and archival professions, while too little theory makes them technicians but not historians. There is no single model or paradigm for mitigating these distinct yet interrelated concerns, but the philosophical and practical considerations that inform the collections-based courses within the Master of Arts in Historical Administration program at Eastern Illinois University provide a viable case study.
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