Public History (MA)

What is A Public History (MA) Degree?

Public History is a field that a little tricky to define.  Some would say that public history methodology is used by historians who are not teaching in a college or university classroom.  What that means is that there is a whole set of historians—people who are collecting and studying historical data and occurrences—who draw conclusions and suggest remedies to problems faced over history, all with the purpose of sharing ideas to enlighten the public.  Public historians may do researching and writing for communities, government departments, and corporations; they may curate and exhibit design in museums; assemble archives for private businesses, state agencies, or universities, editing historical manuscripts, conduct oral history interviews, etc.  They may work as consultants in private practice or be employed by an organization. Holding an MA degree in Public History lends the academic seal of approval that clients and employers expect.  Coursework will include expanding your knowledge of targeted historical subjects and will allow a great deal of flexibility through course choice and hands-on practical projects to prepare you for challenging projects outside of the academic world.

The video below discusses a “typical” program, so it should help regardless of which school you are considering.