Public History, M.A.
Degree Requirements (30 Hours)
The M.A. in Public History integrates traditional graduate study in history with professional training in the skills used in the public and private sectors. The curriculum offers a choice of two areas of concentration for the major field: historic preservation and museums. In addition, students complete course work in a minor field within the general graduate history curriculum, usually but not exclusively U.S. to 1877 or U.S. since 1789.
A reading knowledge of one foreign language or competence in an appropriate methodology is required. Choice of the latter must be approved by the Graduate Committee.
Candidates for the M.A. in Public History choose a major and a minor field, perform a 145-hour internship, present a portfolio of their work, and write a thesis. A minimum of 30 semester hours, of which 12 hours will be in public history courses, 15 hours will be in the history core, and 3 hours of thesis credits are required.
Course selection must take into account the Graduate School regulation for the M.A. that “at least half of the credit hours on the Program of Study, exclusive of thesis preparation (HIST 799), must be earned in courses numbered 700 and above.
Major Field (12 Hours)
Students take 6 hours of course work chosen from one of two concentrations, and 6 additional hours of courses with Public History content (and so designated by the Department’s Graduate Committee), some of which might be in the concentration, some of which might not.
Historic Preservation Concentration
Students must take at least two courses from the list below:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 758 | Capital City Field School: Theory and Practice of Historic Preservation | 3 |
| HIST 788 | Memory, History, and Space | 3 |
| HIST 792 | Historic Preservation | 3 |
| HIST 692 | Historic Preservation Field Experience--Charleston, S.C. | 3 |
| HIST 700 | Topics in History | 3 |
| HIST 789 | Historic Site Interpretation | 3 |
| HIST 786 | Comparative Applied History, U.S. and U.K. | 3 |
| HIST 599 | Topics in History | 3 |
Museums Concentration
Students must take at least two courses from the list below:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 599 | Topics in History | 3 |
| HIST 692 | Historic Preservation Field Experience--Charleston, S.C. | 3 |
| HIST 700 | Topics in History | 3 |
| HIST 781 | History and Theory of Museums | 3 |
| HIST 786 | Comparative Applied History, U.S. and U.K. | 3 |
| HIST 787 | Material Culture Studies | 3 |
| HIST 789 | Historic Site Interpretation | 3 |
Minor Field (15 Hours)
All students are required to take HIST 720 in the first semester it is offered after their enrollment.
Students with a minor field in US History must take two of the following three courses: HIST 701 , HIST 702 or HIST 703.
Students in another field must take two relevant reading seminars approved by their advisor or the Director of Graduate Studies.
All students must take one graduate-level elective course in History at the 500-797-level.
All students must take one semester of HIST 800.
Thesis Preparation (3 Hours)
3 hours of thesis preparation (HIST 799).
Internship
Students must complete an internship of at least 145 hours, approved by their advisor.
Additional Information
The M.A. thesis will be an expanded version of the student’s 800-level research seminar paper, revised to the standard of a potentially publishable article-length essay. The thesis must be submitted in accordance with the regulations of The Graduate School. An oral comprehensive examination on the student’s thesis will be given after the student’s thesis advisor approves the thesis for the defense. In this examination, the student will be asked to place his/her thesis in historiographic perspective.
In addition to the thesis, students will compile a portfolio of their public history work in accordance with departmental policy and will present that portfolio at a public review.
Students must complete an internship of at least 145 hours in a professional capacity. Students must have an internship contract approved in advance of the work by the Director of the Public History program. Students must submit a final report following the conclusion of the internship and must solicit a work report about their performance from their internship supervisor to be sent directly to the Director of the Public History program.
Candidates for the M.A. in Public History shall file a Program of Study no later than 12 months after entering the program. A student in the M.A./M.L.I.S. joint program should prepare and file separate forms for each degree but should submit them together to The Graduate School.
All students enrolled in public history may also enter the Museum Certificate Program coordinated by the University’s McKissick Museum or the certificate program in Historical Archaeology and Cultural Resource Management offered by the Department of Anthropology. Students may apply for dual degree status with the M.A./M.L.I.S. offered in conjunction with the School of Library and Information Science.
Additional information is available at Graduate Dual Degree Programs.