Industrial Heritage and Archaeology—MS, PhD

Work with communities to interpret, document, educate citizens, and answer significant historical questions that pertain to industrialization and its consequences. Industrial archaeologists study the physical remains of industrial societies—including artifacts, systems, sites, documents, traditions, and landscapes—within their cultural, ecological, and historical contexts. Are you ready?

Accelerated Master's Program is available for current Michigan Tech students.

Program Overview

The master's or doctoral in industrial archaeology degree program positions you to work at a cultural resource management firm, an archive or museum, for government agencies like the park or forest service, or for non-profit heritage organizations. We investigate the remains of industry to understand the legacies of industrial society. Students pursue interdisciplinary, innovative research that focuses on postindustrial regions and communities struggling with the social and material consequences of industrial decline. If you are driven by a passionate curiosity for industrial communities, landscapes, technology systems, or workplaces, join the leaders at Michigan Tech to unearth and preserve our collective heritage.

  • Delivery Options

    • Accelerated: MS
    • On-Campus: MS, PhD

Industrial Heritage and Archaeology Program Details

Choose a specific degree option or delivery type to learn more about the industrial heritage and archaeology program at Michigan Tech. For international students, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology is a designated STEM program.

On-Campus Programs

Additional Program Information

Want to learn more about industrial heritage and archaeology at Michigan Tech? Visit the department for more information:

Contact

Graduate Director

Mark Rouleau

Graduate Assistant

Kathryn Hannum

 

Sample Areas of Interest

Select areas of interest to help customize your industrial heritage and archaeology MS and PhD. Sample areas include:

  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural History
  • Industrial Communities

View full listing for this program

Application Process and Admissions Requirements

Applications are reviewed on an individual basis using a holistic approach. Fill out our free graduate application online to apply to any of our programs. Official transcripts and scores are not required for the initial application, although you will need to upload them later.

Accredited by HLC

Michigan Tech has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1928. Our Graduate School offers over 125 certificates, master's, and PhD programs to provide our students and the world with what tomorrow needs.

Who You'll Work With

Work with upper Midwest national park and cultural resource managers to document industrial change on an island—and national park—in the middle of Lake Superior. Engage in real-world projects with Pullman National Monument staff. Connect with interdisciplinary faculty to work on research with important implications for rural communities.

Where You'll Work

Dive into the program with summer field school prior to your first fall semester. You can plan on excavating housing and industrial facilities in Michigan’s spectacular Upper Peninsula. Understand the historical labor union clashes while working with management at Keweenaw National Historical Park. The newly renovated industrial archaeology lab on campus is outfitted with everything you’ll need to delve deeper into historical archaeological analysis. The Industrial Archaeology Annex and Research Laboratory supports the documentation, analysis, conservation, and cataloging of artifacts and data recovered during fieldwork. You’ll have opportunities to pursue research at industrial sites and communities spanning from the Upper Midwest to Europe.

Faculty Spotlight

LouAnn Wurst

LouAnn Wurst
Professor,
Industrial Archaeology

“Industrial archaeology provides a critical lens into the material realities of everyday life that connects the industrial past to present conditions.”

Industrial archaeology is about more than excavating logging or mining camps; the Field explores issues such as class and inequality, historic preservation and cultural resource management in a rapidly changing world, and how political and economic systems exert power on industries and their employees.

Program Faculty