National Council on Public History

Degrees Offered

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

Program Strengths

• Archival Practices
• Digital Media
• Film/Video
• Local/Community History
• Material Culture
• Museum Studies
• Oral History

Credit Hour Requirements

Students complete 180 credits, equivalent to 3600 hours of study.

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

BA200

MA25

PhD3

MAs produced last year

21

Full-time Program Staff/Faculty

The Department of History has over 45 full-time Faculty, of whom 4 are dedicated Public History specialists teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programs. Many other History colleagues are also engaged in public history research and practice, affiliated with the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past.

Financial Aid Available

The University offers a number of scholarships of between £2000-£9000 to support International students. For further information see: https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/fees-funding/international/scholarships/international-regional-scholarships/

Deadline To Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Internship Requirements

A 200 hour (20 credit) work placement is a required element of the program in the spring semester. This is unpaid, as it forms part of regular coursework. All placements are organised by the Director on students' behalf and expenses are covered.

Students may also apply for paid 40 hour internships in the summer, which are managed by the Program's centre, the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past (IPUP).

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

We work with local, regional and national heritage and public history partners in museums, archives, heritage organisations, and community organisations to offer 30-35 placement options each year. In the last year students have interned at the York Museums Trust, the York Army Museum, the National Trust, English Heritage, the Forestry Commission, the British Library, and the Black Cultural Archives.

Job Placement Assistance

We organise all for-credit placements for public history students. We also provide 6-8 paid internships per year on a competitive basis. Students are offered career development advice and guidance by the Director.

Job Placement Percentage Within One Year

80%

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

Employers include:

• INCITE, Colombia University
• The National Park Service
• The National Trust
• English Heritage
• Imperial War Museums
• The History of Parliament Trust
• The Joseph Rowntree Trust
• Godinton House
• Kelmscott Manor
• Local government museums and archives services
• Visual media production companies

Community & Institutional Connections

The Program is sponsored by the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past (IPUP), a research and teaching center for public history at the University of York. IPUP was established in 2008 and maintains a broad network of partners in the city, the region and across the UK. IPUP is a member of the European Public History Network and the International Federation of Public History.

IPUP runs a popular series of research seminars and skills masterclasses to support the further development of its students. For more information, see https://www.york.ac.uk/ipup/.