UC Santa Barbara defined Public History as a profession in 1976, with a Rockefeller Foundation grant to train historians for public and private sector careers beyond conventional academic employment.

The Center is an interdisciplinary research and education initiative that aims to expand public understanding and discussion of important issues facing working people through an undergraduate minor, a graduate-level colloquium, conferences, and workshops.

The Center for Cold War Studies and International History is a leading international center dedicated to the study of the Cold War era, promoting discussion and scholarship on topics related to the study of the Cold War, broadly conceived.