Live and Pre-Recorded Sessions

Live Sessions

Join us live for four hour-long sessions, two each day. Live sessions will be hosted on Zoom Webinar, so no need to dress up, have your camera on, or participate any more than you are comfortable with. Lurkers welcome!

Session 1: Public History Grad School 101
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 3:00 pm Eastern

If you’re considering graduate school for public history—or an associated program like a certification, MLIS (MA in Library and Information Science), or MA in Museum Studies—but are looking for some more information as you decide whether and where to apply, this session will help get you started with the basics. What are the main kinds of programs available, and how are they different? What kinds of jobs are available for an MA vs. a PhD? What factors should you consider as you decide whether grad school is for you?

This session will break down the basics of public history graduate school and help prospective students feel more confident that they are making choices that will serve their future career goals.

Session 2: How Do I Afford Grad School?
Thursday, October 9, 2025, 4:00 pm Eastern

Pursuing further education is a financial commitment, and we want to help you avoid debt and financial red flags. In this session, we’ll talk about different kinds of financial aid so you can ask programs what they can offer you in terms of assistance. We’ll also talk about internships, balancing work and school, and the realities of living on a student budget. We’ll hear from current students, program administrators—and from recent grads transitioning from graduate school to the workforce.

This session will help prospective students meet the next phase of their education with a realistic understanding of the financial costs associated with graduate school and options for alleviating financial burdens.

Session 3: Applying to Grad School in Public History
Friday, October 10, 2025, 3:00 pm Eastern

If you’re pretty sure you’re ready to take the plunge and apply to graduate school for public history or a related field, maybe even this fall, this session will help you navigate that process. Presenters will cover NCPH resources for figuring out how many programs to apply to, and which ones are best for you; the common requirements for an application; and best practices for writing resumes, cover letters, personal statements, and more. We’ll give you tips for getting strong letters of recommendation and find out directly from programs what they’re looking for in a successful applicant.

This session will give prospective students insight into what graduate programs are looking for from applications and help you make a plan for putting together the strongest possible application—which will impact both your acceptances and, potentially, the financial aid options open to you.

Session 4: Grad School Roundtable
Friday, October 10, 2025, 4:00 pm Eastern

During both days of the event, we’ll have a designated spot where prospective students can leave questions about grad school, public history as a field, doing history in the current political climate, and more. Then, in this session, we’ll invite program faculty and directors from different regions of the country and different kinds of programs to a facilitated roundtable to answer your questions about student experience, university life and the public history field, and whatever else is on the minds of prospective students as they weigh their options. We’ll finish with a “what I wish I had known” lightning round, where roundtable participants will share their most closely-guarded tips–the things prospective students don’t even know to ask.

This session will give prospective students the opportunity to get answers to your burning questions and help you envision what your future life as a public historian might look like (warts and all).