Public History, Master of Arts
Admission Overview
Admission to the Master of Arts in Public History program is selective. This program enrolls new students in the Fall, and Spring terms.
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and demonstrate interest, readiness, and motivation for graduate‑level work in public history, museum studies, archives, preservation, cultural heritage, community history, education, or related fields.
Application Requirements
Applicants must submit the following materials for admission consideration:
- Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities
- Personal Statement
- Application Essay
- Resume
- $50 nonrefundable orientation fee
Applications are reviewed only when all required materials have been received, including all official transcripts.
How Applications Are Evaluated
Admission decisions are based on a holistic review of:
- Academic history and GPA
- Quality and clarity of both required essays
- Alignment with program objectives, including interest in ethical interpretation, community engagement, and the stewardship of public memory.
Start Terms
This program admits new students in the:
- Fall
- Spring
Deadlines
Applications are reviewed regularly throughout the year, but only when all required materials—including all previous college transcripts—have been received. To guarantee review for the term of your choice, all application materials must be submitted before the posted general deadline.
Applications submitted by the priority deadline will be reviewed first. Applicants who complete their materials early may receive an admission decision sooner and have a better chance of securing a seat in their preferred term.
If an application becomes complete but space is no longer available, the applicant will be considered for the next available term.
Application deadlines do change from term to term. For specific deadlines, please see the Graduate Admissions Deadline page.
How to Apply
To apply, visit the SUNY Empire application portal and select Graduate:
https://www.sunyempire.edu/application.html
Complete the online application, upload required documents and arrange for all official transcripts to be sent to SUNY Empire. Applications are reviewed only when all required materials have been received.
SUNY Empire alumni and current students do not need to request their Empire transcript.
International Applicants
This program may be completed 100% online. International applicants are eligible to apply. In addition to the listed above, international applicants must submit:
- A NACES‑member course‑by‑course evaluation (e.g., WES) for all non‑U.S. transcripts
- Proof of English language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS), unless exempt
Additional Information
Please see the Graduate Admission section of this catalog for a complete listing of materials required to complete a graduate application.
Curriculum
This 33-credit program is comprised of 21 credits of required courses, 6 credits of electives reflecting a student's area of focus, and 6 credits of capstone course work which includes an internship. Below is a listing of the program's required courses as well as examples of some available elective courses.
Program Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PBHS 6040 | Museums and Public History: Theory & Practices | 3 |
| PBHS 6025 | Public History, Ethics & Professionalism | 3 |
| PBHS 6325 | Archival Theory & Practice | 3 |
| PBHS 6105 | Exhibition: Planning & Interpretation | 3 |
| PBHS 6215 | Oral History: Theory & Methods | 3 |
| PBHS 6245 | Preservation Material & History | 3 |
| PBHS 6240 | Preservation Policy & Law | 3 |
| Electives (two) | 6 | |
| Capstone Courses | ||
| PBHS 7005 | Public History Internship | 3 |
| PBHS 7030 | Public History Final Project | 3 |
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Electives
To satisfy the 6-credit focus area requirement of the degree, students may choose from a wide variety of elective courses found in the Graduate Course Catalog, or unique courses developed in consultation with their advisor in the form of independent studies. Just two examples of focus areas and the catalog electives that might be chosen, are listed below. Students are not restricted to these examples and should work with their advisor to determine the area they will focus on and the appropriate electives.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Possible Electives in American History | ||
| LACS 6122 | 19th Century US Culture & Society | 3 |
| LACS 6130 | Gender Race & Nation | 3 |
| LACS 6160 | Literature of New York | 3 |
| LACS 6190 | American Modernism | 3 |
| Possible Electives in Material/Visual Culture | ||
| LACS 6075 | Cultural and Visual Studies | 3 |
| LACS 6185 | American Material Culture | 3 |
| LACS 6145 | Language & Culture | 3 |
Final Project
Students in the Public History program will complete their degree with a final project. The specific design and focus of your final project will be developed in close consultation with your advisor. There are two main types of final project in the public history program; the traditional Thesis, and the Practice-based project.
Thesis
The thesis is a sustained piece of research-based analytic writing that examines an issue or topic related to your interest in public history. You could use this to expand your topical knowledge and expertise in a particular historical issue or topic. Students have written on such diverse topics as Italian immigration; gender in animated films; specific strikes or labor actions; and the history of particular places such as monuments, parks, or homes. You could also write a thesis that critically evaluates particular practices or issues in museum representation, the politics of particular monuments, or other public history practices. The thesis option is a particularly good option for students considering moving onto PhD work.
Practice-based Project
This approach varies widely depending on your interest and experience in hands-on public history. You might consider options like writing an historical play and staging a performance; mounting an exhibit; organizing a community history project; or creating a public online archive. The approach is very open and you will need to work closely with you advisor to plan and execute the project. As a final part of the project, you will be expected to write a concluding reflective essay that analyzes the practice-based project in terms of the methods, ethics, and best practices of public history that you have been studying over the course of your program. This practice-based approach works particularly well for students who are looking to work in public history directly after graduation from the program or are working to advance a current public history career.
There might be other kinds of final projects, but the key to all final projects is to develop them in close consultation with your advisor and work closely with your advisor as you complete them. What is important to your successful completion is that you design a final project that is right for you. The final project is a significant piece of scholarship and public history work and one that should have personal meaning and provide a deep sense of accomplishment.
Upon completion of the M.A. in Public History program, students will be able to:
- Define and work within the field of public history;
- Differentiate between the various components of public history and demonstrate an ability to work within several of those areas;
- Assess various public history activities for their completeness and appropriateness;
- Identify public historians and public history institutions within their region, analyze the work those groups have done, and propose new local public history endeavors; and
- Discuss, in analytical and reflective terms, their work within a public history institution.