Colorado State University* | National Council on Public History

M.A. Program in History & Public History

Last Updated: December 8, 2021

Department of History
Campus Delivery 1776

Ft. Collins, CO 80523-1776

[email protected]

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Director(s)

Dr. Sarah R. Payne

Associate Professor of History

Associate Director of Research, Public Lands History Center

[email protected]

(970)-491-6840

Program Introduction

CSU has been training public historians through our MA program since 1977. We offer fully-funded Graduate Student Assistantships to about 10 students each year. Other qualified applicants may be eligible for scholarships and research assistantships when available. We offer three paths to the MA: a thesis track, a non-thesis track, or a concentration in Cultural Resource Management & Historic Preservation. Students who wish to study general public history can do so on either the thesis or non-thesis track. Through the Public Lands History Center, our students have unparalleled opportunities to work on professional, paid public history projects for our nation's parks, state public lands, city governments, and non-profit organizations.

Degrees Offered

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

Program Strengths

Digital Media
Historic Preservation
Local/Community History
Material Culture
Oral History
Public Policy

Credit Hour Requirements

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

MA10 or more

MAs produced last year

Financial Aid Available

We offer approximately 10 Graduate Teaching Assistantships to incoming students each year. GTAs include full tuition waivers, monthly stipends, and some health insurance benefits. Through the Public Lands History Center, graduate students may also be hired onto paid research positions.

Deadline To Apply

February 1

Internship Requirements

Internships are required for all students studying public history, except those who choose to write a public history thesis. Public history students complete a 3-credit internship, typically during the summer between years 1 and 2. We have placed students in paid internships across the country, working for the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Dept. of Defense, at State Historic Preservation Offices, at Presidential libraries, in non-profit organizations, and in state and local government.

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

Berthoud, CO Historical Society
City of Ft. Collins, CO Planning Dept. Historic Preservation Division
City of Greeley, CO Historic Preservation Office
CSU’s Center for the Environmental Management of Military Lands
CSU’s Public Lands History Center
Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site
Greater Portland (Maine) Landmarks
National Wildlife Research Center
New Belgium Brewery
Oregon State Historic Preservation Office
Pinyon Environmental Consulting, Inc.
U.S. Forest Service
Yellowstone National Park

Job Placement Assistance

Our faculty are committed to providing high-quality mentorship to graduate students. Beyond the personal mentorship graduate students receive from their primary advisors and instructors, our department provides regular professional development and job search training.

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

Students who study public history in any of our programs of study are highly qualified, competitive, and successful on the job market for positions in historic preservation and cultural resources management; museums; non-profit work; and in federal, state, and local government. Some employers of our graduates over the last 5 years include: