MA History/Public History Concentration
Last Updated: September 30, 2024
2000 Lakeshore Drive
Department of History
New Orleans, LA 70148
Director(s)
Mary Niall Mitchell
504-280-6144
Program Introduction
Established in 2008, the M.A. Concentration in Public History offers two tracks: local/community history and military history. The curriculum combines regular M.A. requirements with courses in the theory and practice of public history and an internship at a museum, archive, library, or other cultural or community institution. The program benefits from the community partnerships of the Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies and the Eisenhower Center. Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours, culminating with a thesis or thesis project and a thesis defense. Student may also choose to earn a certificate in Historic & Cultural Preservation. The program admits roughly 8 students to the Public History concentration each year.
Degrees Offered
- M.A. in History with a Certificate or Concentration in Public History
Program Strengths
- Digital Media
- Historic Preservation
- Historical Archaeology
- Local/Community History
- Oral History
Credit Hour Requirements
30
How Many Students are Admitted Annually
MA8
MAs produced last year
4-5
Full-time Program Staff/Faculty
6
Financial Aid Available
Teaching or research assistantships with tuition waivers
Tuition Scholarships
Internship Requirements
Internships are arranged in concert with the Faculty Internship Supervisor. Students should consider what skills they aim to acquire, as well as which areas or collections might best contribute to their own research. The Internship course is 3 credit hours. Interns are expected to work 40 hours for each credit hour earned (120 hours, approx 8 hr/week). Students should meet with the faculty internship advisor at least 3 times during the semester. Students may be paid for their internship work by the sponsoring institution, but it is not required.
Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years
The Historic New Orleans Collection
Preservation Hall
Laurel Hill Plantation
New Orleans Jazz Museum
National Park Service/ Jazz National Park
Louisiana State Museum
World War II Museum
Tulane University Special Collections /Hogan Jazz Archive
Amistad Collection
National Endowment for the Humanities
Ben Franklin’s World podcast
Job Placement Assistance
We encourage students to fulfill their internship requirement with potential employers or institutions that might hire them. Faculty assist and support students in making connections with local, regional, and national cultural and historical institutions and organizations.
Job Placement Percentage Within One Year
95%Employers Who Have Hired Graduates from this Program within the Past Five Years
The Historic New Orleans Collection
World War II Museum
Archdiocese Archives of New Orleans
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities
The Descendants Project
Whitney Plantation
Community & Institutional Connections
The Descendants Project
Whitney Plantation
New Orleans Public Library
Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Louisiana African American Museum
New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice
New Orleans Public Schools
Plessy Ferguson Initiative