Shouls I get a Master's in Public History and where?

[EAJONES]

Hellos all, I am looking into graduate schools/programs in public history and wonder what the current thoughts on the subject are. Main concerns: should I study public history and if so, where should I go?

I graduated with a Bachelor's in History with a minor in public history earlier this year. However, I learned little in the public history minor because it was one of the first students to pursue the minor. 

I want to get a Master's in history with a concentration in public history because I think that would make me marketable to become a researcher, archivists, or museum professional. Do you think I am on the right track of thinking?

I am looking into universities that are not too expensive because I do not want to have a tone of debt hanging over my head with this job market. I also would rather be a big fish in a small pond. I would rather get great recommendations from professors who know me personally and can hook me up with good connections than be a mediocre student at a great university. Once again, is this a crazy thing to think?

 

Public history programs (or related fields) I'm looking into are:

1.     Washington State University

2.     Middle Tennessee State University

       Oklahoma State University

4.     Idaho State University (Historical Resources Management)

5.     University of Arkansas

6.     University of Northern Iowa

7.     Western Washington (Archives and Records Management)

8.     Texas State University

 

What do you all thing about the accreditation of these schools and about pursuing a degree in public history?

 

I appreciate your comments. Thank you!

 

[emhafe]

Hello! I'm in my first semester as a Public History MA student.

First: If you want to work in those settings, then public history is the best route. Museum Studies can be too narrow (although they definitely have more of an art/art history focus).

Second: Have you examined the National Council of Pubic History website? They just updated the site but they have a list of public history programs. It's very useful.

Third: Experience is very important in the field. Will your program give you better internship opportunities? Volunteer experiences? Conferences? More importantly, how much experience are you willing to go after on your own?

Fourth: I cannot specifically say anything about the programs you've looked at since they're in the Midwest or on the West Coast. I happen to be a big fan of the East Coast. One of the best pieces of advice I was given was to look at their alum profiles. If most of their alum work at local history sites and small organizations, I wouldn't go there if you dream of being at the Smithsonian. If you want to be at an archive more than a house museum, look at that. Speaking of archives, some places only take archivists with a MA in Library Science. To combat that trend, there are a couple 3 year MA programs where you get an MA in public history and library science.

Fifth: Don't give up hope on funding! There isn't much but it assists. I have a graduate assistantship that covers tuition, fees, and a living stipend. Again, I could tell you more about East Coast schools' funding.

Ok, I hope that helped!  I will say, as an FYI if you haven't met it yet, there are definitely some history snobs who will belittle you for studying public history. There are some who consider it less rigorous but the work we do oftentimes is just... different. I'm in a class on Atlantic colonization at a school where public history students out number "regular" history and they keep throwing around "public history" as a derogatory term towards books they don't like!

[Josh J.]

Being from the Pacific Northwest myself, and having just moved back from Tennessee, where I was for two years, I would advise against MTSU.  Its a crap school altogether, and the people I've talked to there have had nothing but problems to talk about and nothing good to say...

[ashiepoo72]

Loyola Chicago has a strong public history program. So does UCSB, but I don't know if they offer a standalone MA.

[verycunning]

I would second taking a closer look at internship possibilities in the area. Most of the museum studies programs I know are located around Boston, New York, and D.C.., and there's a logical reason for that. That doesn't mean that programs in other locations are bad, but ruralness does limit your internship and experience choices, and imo, those end up being more important than grades once you're applying for jobs.

Edited November 11, 2015 by verycunning