M.A. in History with Public History concentration

Last Updated: February 4, 2021

Preston Hall
501 East 38th Street

Erie, PA 16546

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Director(s)

Chris Magoc
[email protected]
814-824-2075

Program Introduction

Established in 2003, the Mercyhurst University Public History Program admits approximately 4-5 students every fall. Offering a B.A. in History with a Concentration in Public History, the program has graduated approximately 40 students. Our graduates have gone on to some of the finest graduate programs in the country, while a number of them have accepted positions directly from Mercyhurst as curators, historic site managers, visitors’ services tour guides, and educators.

Degrees Offered

  • B.A. in History with a Certificate or Concentration in Public History

Program Strengths

  • Historic Preservation
  • Material Culture
  • Museum Studies

Credit Hour Requirements

42

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

BA4-6

Financial Aid Available

Research Assistantships (if student is Work-Study eligible)

Deadline To Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Internship Requirements

Students and faculty collaborate on the identification and selection of internship sites. Multiple local, regional and national contacts are provided via faculty. Three credit hours, paid or unpaid.

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

• Fort Stanwix National Monument
• National Holocaust Museum
• San Diego Archaeological Center
• Antietam National Battlefield
• U.S. Brig Niagara/Erie Maritime Museum
• Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
• Gettysburg National Battlefield
• Eisenhower National Historic Site
• Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area
• Petri Museum of Egyptology (London)
• Erie County Historical Society

Job Placement Assistance

See opening description of program, which suggests the kinds of career opportunities our students have been able to secure through a combination of their own strengths, our contacts, and the capstone Senior Project in Public History, which solidifies our students' credentials.

Employers Who Have Hired Graduates from this Program within the Past Five Years

• Office of the Architect, U.S. Capitol
• Greenbrier Historical Society
• West Virginia Office of Historic Preservation
• Historic Eastern State Penitentiary
• Sam Bell Maxey Historic Site
• Thomas Edison Birthplace and Museum
• Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
• Sanduxky Maritime Museum
• University of Florida Archaeology Program