Please press 2 to skip navigation.

Graduate Program in Public History

Graduate SeminarThe Masters in Public History is a professional degree that prepares students for positions in various historical venues, government agencies, business enterprises, and educational institutions. The degree also is excellent preparation for the traditional PhD in History. The University of Houston also offers a minor in Public History for the MA and PhD in history. Every attempt is made to design an individually tailored curriculum.

The CPH recruits its majors and minors, as well as other graduate students, to participate in outreach/research projects. These research activities have four goals:

MA in Public History Overview

Following admission to the University of Houston, the Course of Study for the 30-hour MA in Public History (view in detail) includes:

Non-thesis Track MA Overview

The University of Houston also has developed a non-thesis track MA (pending administrative approval by the College). The non-thesis track includes the above elements except for the thesis. In lieu of the thesis, the student must complete (a) an oral comprehensive examination and (b) two of the following three: an additional methodology course, an additional major field course, or a research paper.

Minor in Public History Overview

The minor in public history for the MA history requires the reading course and one other public history courses approved by the director. PhD students may choose Public History as their minor field according to the current guidelines of the department’s PhD program.

Detailed Requirements for the Master of Arts in Public History

COURSE WORK: Thirty (30) semester hours of credit is required, including the following courses:

  1. History 6381: Readings in Public History (3 credits)
  2. History 6382: Research in Public History (3 credits)
  3. One of the following methodology courses (or an agreed upon alternative from outside the department) (3 credits):
    • History 6380: The Uses of Quantitative Methods by Historians
    • History 6383: Topics in Public History (topics vary)
    • History 6384: Oral History History 6387: Historical Archives and Records Management
    • History 6388: The Material Evidence of History
  4. Nine (9) semester hours of course work in a major field. (United States, European, or Latin American History)

    In consultation with the Director of the Center for Public History, the student will select an appropriate set of courses in the major field.
  5. History 6651: Public History Internship (6 credits)
  6. History 6399: Master's Thesis (6 credits)

    The thesis committee will conduct an oral examination in defense of the thesis after the student has completed the final draft.
  7. Foreign language requirement: Before a student can be approved for degree candidacy, he or she must demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language relevant to the major area. Course credit in a foreign language does not count toward the hours required to complete the degree.

    A quantitative option may be substituted for the foreign language requirement. After consultation with the Director of CPH, the student may petition the Graduate Director, and if approved, must complete two (2) courses from a list of courses approved by the department with grades of B or better.

    Note: With the permission of the Graduate Director, each student may enroll in not more than six (6) hours of special problems courses. The Graduate Director also may approve up to six (6) hours of course work in another department.

Detailed Requirements for Non-thesis Track MA

The History Department and the Center for Public History now offers Plan II (b) Public History Non-thesis Track. This non-thesis track matches the Plan III track in credit hours and omits, like Plan III, the language requirement. It provides an alternative to Plan II for some students wanting more coursework as a replacement for writing a thesis. (However, as one of the additional courses, a student can opt to write a research paper based on original scholarship.) In consultation with the Public History Coordinator, the student will indicate a major area of study from one of the following: United States, European, or Latin American history, and complete at least two methodology courses.

COURSE WORK: Thirty-six (36) hours of credit in graduate-level (6000) courses are required, including the following:

Detailed Requirements for a Minor in Public History

An MA candidate in History can complete a Minor in Public History by taking six (6) semester hours, three (3) of which must be History 6381: Readings in Public History. The remaining three (3) hours must be in courses approved by the Director of IPH. A PhD student wishing to undertake Public History as a minor field will discuss course requirements with his/her advisor and members of the comprehensive examination committee.

Course Descriptions

Introductory Seminars

Usually offered once every third semester. If possible, they should be taken in order. However, this is not a requirement.

Methodology Courses

The following courses are offered periodically and fulfill the degree requirement for a methodology course. In some cases, courses taught in other departments may be substituted for the following if they prove unavailable or if other courses better meet student needs. Alternative courses need to be approved by the director of the Public History Program.