Program Introduction

The History Department offers a MA in History with a concentration in public history (est. 1997) as well as a distinctive MA in History and Public Administration with a Certification in Non Profit Management (est. 2013). Program strengths include material and visual culture studies; urban, environmental, and local history; and public-facing writing. Falvey Library offers support for digital history, and the College offers grants for summer research and conference presentations. Institutions, archives, and history-engaged communities of the Philadelphia region are nearby and easily accessible by public transit.

Graduate applicants who would like to be considered for funding must apply by February 1.

Degrees Offered

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

Program Strengths

  • Historic Preservation
  • Historical Administration
  • Local/Community History
  • Material Culture

Credit Hour Requirements

30

How Many Students are Admitted Annually

MA35

MAs produced last year

10 History MA, 6 with public history concentration

Financial Aid Available

Graduate assistantships (stipend+tuition remission) and tuition assistantships (tuition remission) are offered to approximately 6 History MA applicants each year. Enrolled students can apply to assistantships offered by other departments on campus. All are merit based.

Deadline To Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis

Internship Requirements

An internship can be taken for 3.0 credit hours. Students must work 120 hours on a site-based project that is managed by a site supervisor. Students can be paid and can do some work remotely, depending on the requirements of the internship. All interns are also advised by a faculty advisor who serves as a site liaison and works with students on a required reading and research component of the internship. The internship requirement for a public history concentration can be waived based on a student's goals and circumstances.

Places Where Students Have Interned During the Past 3 Years

  • Archives of the Abraham Lincoln Foundation at the Union League of Philadelphia
  • Foreign Policy Research Institute; Historical Germantown
  • National Archives and Research Administration (Philadelphia office)
  • Oral History program of the U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
  • Penn Museum
  • Peter Wentz Farmstead
  • Pioneering Punjabis Digital Archive

Job Placement Assistance

Campus Career Center; History Department Career Day; Faculty and Alumni networks

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

  • Azavea; Chadds Ford Historical Society
  • CSPAN American History TV
  • Fort Ticonderoga
  • Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program
  • Heritage Consulting Inc.
  • Historical Society of Michigan
  • Johnson, Mirmiran, and Thompson
  • National Constitution Center
  • Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts