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Public History Graduate Program

The Public History program curriculum combines graduate-level topical and methods courses in history, core courses in public history, courses in the student’s area of specialization, and internships with public-history organizations in the Milwaukee region and beyond. Coursework and internships prepare students for careers in historical societies, museums, archives, libraries, nonprofit organizations, government, and other professional fields, or for entry into a public history PhD program.

The Public History Specialization enables students to earn a master’s degree in history while specializing in one of the following tracks:

  • Museum Studies
  • Nonprofit Administration
  • Historic Preservation
  • Archives
  • Cross‐Disciplinary Studies with Thesis

For details on the curricular requirements of each track, click on the "Requirements" tab on this page and refer to the "Credits and Courses" section.

Alternatively, a student in the coordinated degree program may combine the MLIS and the MA in History with a specialization in Public History. For more information, see the History, MA/​Library and Information Science, MLIS page.
 

Although a majority of students in our program pursue the specialization in Public History at the master's level, it is also possible for PhD students in History to pursue a Public History minor. For more information about the PhD program, see the History, PhD page.

Program Type

Master’s

Program Format

On Campus

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New to Milwaukee?

Milwaukee is a bustling city and metro area with a smaller town vibe. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, recreational opportunities abound all year round. Parks, beaches, bike trails, water sports and more are enjoyed by residents.

The restaurant scene is hopping, and Milwaukee is known as a foodie city. From casual to fine dining, food lovers will find no shortage of choices across all types of cuisine.

Milwaukee also hosts countless music and ethnic festivals throughout the year and boasts a large number of concert venues from small intimate clubs to large arenas, all of which bring in today’s hottest acts.

The area offers all of the amenities of any large city at a lower cost than comparably sized areas. Housing choices range from urban city living to suburban homes to rural areas, all within a reasonable commute from campus.

skyline of Milwaukee
Milwaukee skyline

Admission Requirements 

Application Deadlines

Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.

Admission

To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus these departmental requirements:

  1. An undergraduate minor or 18 credits in history or equivalent preparation.
  2. Two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s scholastic achievement and potential.
  3. A sample of the applicant’s written work that demonstrates their ability to conduct historical research and/or the ability to analyze critically the work of others.

Please visit the History department’s website for information on the History Department Application.

Applicants may be admitted with course deficiencies provided that the deficiencies amount to no more than two courses. The student is expected to satisfy deficiency requirements within three enrolled semesters. The deficiencies are monitored by the Graduate School and the individual graduate program unit. No course credits earned in making up deficiencies may be counted toward the degree.

Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies provides initial advising for students in selecting courses and assists in selecting a Major Professor for long-term advising; the Director may assign a provisional graduate advisor before students select a Major Professor. Students are required to consult periodically with, and have their schedules approved by, the Director of Graduate Studies, the provisional advisor, or the Major Professor. The Major Professor normally serves as the chair of the student’s academic review and supervises either the writing of the student’s thesis or the student’s reading for the comprehensive exam.

Museum Studies Track

Space is limited in this specialization, and students interested to enroll in this track must first be admitted to the History Department as an MA student with a concentration in Public History. Then prospective students must apply separately for admission to the Museum Studies Certificate Program (MSCP).

Cross-Disciplinary Studies with Thesis Track

Prospective students interested to pursue this track must contact the Public History Director prior to applying for admission to the MA program in History.

Credits and Courses

Minimum degree requirement is 36 graduate credits, 12 of which must be taken in General History courses, 12 in Public History courses, and the remaining 12 in the chosen area of specialization. For students completing either the Museum Studies track or the Nonprofit Administration track, an additional 3 credits in the area of specialization is required for a total of 39 credits.

Before matriculation, students should select a specialization:

  • Museum Studies
  • Nonprofit Administration
  • Historic Preservation
  • Archives
  • Cross-Disciplinary Studies with Thesis

Museum Studies Track

Space is limited in this specialization, and students interested to enroll in this track must first be admitted to the History Department as an MA student with a concentration in Public History. Then prospective students must apply separately for admission to the Museum Studies Certificate Program (MSCP).

General History
Select 6 credits in colloquia 16
Select 6 credits in seminars 16
Public History
Students are advised to complete these two courses in the first year:
HIST 700Public History Seminar3
HIST 715Research Methods in Local History3
Students also complete the following, generally taken at any point after the second semester:
HIST 701Graduate Internship in Public History 26
Specialization
ANTHRO 620GMuseum Fundamentals3
ANTHRO 720History and Theory of Museums2
ANTHRO 721Administration and Organization of Museums3
ANTHRO 723Museum Collections Management and Curation3
ANTHRO 722Visitor Experience Design in Museums3
ANTHRO 725Professionalism Capstone in Museum Studies1
Total Credits39
1

As a substitute for one colloquium or seminar, students may take 3 credits of HIST 716, HIST 717 or another appropriate course, which must be approved in advance by the program director.

2

Students must take a total of 6 credits of HIST 701, and this requirement is generally completed as two 3-credit internships. However, an individual internship may be taken for 1 to 6 credits. Unless granted an exception by the program faculty, students complete their 701 internship(s) after having taken both HIST 700 and HIST 715.

Nonprofit Administration Track

General History
Select 6 credits in colloquia 16
Select 6 credits in seminars 16
Public History
Students are advised to complete these two courses in the first year:
HIST 700Public History Seminar3
HIST 715Research Methods in Local History3
Students also complete the following, generally taken at any point after the second semester:
HIST 701Graduate Internship in Public History 26
Specialization
The following are required courses for this track:
BUSMGMT 721Fundraising and Development for Nonprofit Organizations3
BUSMGMT 724Accounting for Nonprofit Organizations3
NONPROF 725Governance of Nonprofit Organizations3
Students also select two of the following courses:6
NONPROF 705
Professionals and Volunteers in Nonprofit Organizations 3
NONPROF 740
Executive Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations
BUS ADM 766
Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations 3
NONPROF 791
Nonprofit Advocacy and Public Policy
NONPROF 795
Introduction to Nonprofit Revenue Streams and Portfolios 3
Total Credits39
1

As a substitute for one colloquium or seminar, students may take 3 credits of HIST 716, HIST 717, or another appropriate course, which must be approved in advance by the program director.

2

Students must take a total of 6 credits of HIST 701, and this requirement is generally completed as two 3-credit internships. However, an individual internship may be taken for 1 to 6 credits. Unless granted an exception by the program faculty, students complete their 701 internship(s) after having taken both HIST 700 and HIST 715.

3

These electives are strongly recommended, but students with prior coursework or employment experience in nonprofit administration may opt for alternatives to one or more of these electives.

Historic Preservation Track

General History
Select 6 credits in colloquia 16
Select 6 credits in seminars 16
Public History
Students are advised to complete these two courses in the first year:
HIST 700Public History Seminar3
HIST 715Research Methods in Local History3
Students also complete the following, generally taken at any point after the second semester:
HIST 701Graduate Internship in Public History 26
Specialization
These two courses must be taken within the first two years:
ARCH 560GIntroduction to Historic Preservation (offered every other year)3
ARCH 760History of Building Technology (offered every other year)3
Students select two of the following electives:6
ARCH 550G
Seminar in Building Types and Settings
ARCH 551
American Vernacular Architecture
ARCH 562G
Preservation Technology Laboratory
ARCH 583G
Emerging Digital Technology:
ARCH 790
Special Topics: ("Practicum in Buildings-Landscapes-Cultures" and other approved subtitles)
ARTHIST 370G
Trends in Contemporary Architecture
ARTHIST 459G
ARTHIST 462G
Frank Lloyd Wright
ARTHIST 750
Colloquium in American Art:
ARTHIST 760
Colloquium in Modern Art/Architecture:
Total Credits36
1

As a substitute for one colloquium or seminar, students may take 3 credits of HIST 716, HIST 717, or another appropriate course, which must be approved in advance by the program director.

2

Students must take a total of 6 credits of HIST 701, and this requirement is generally completed as two 3-credit internships. However, an individual internship may be taken for 1 to 6 credits. Unless granted an exception by the program faculty, students complete their 701 internship(s) after having taken both HIST 700 and HIST 715.

Archives Track

General History
Select 6 credits in colloquia 16
Select 6 credits in seminars 16
Public History
Students are advised to complete these two courses in the first year:
HIST 700Public History Seminar3
HIST 715Research Methods in Local History3
Students also complete the following, generally taken at any point after the second semester:
HIST 701Graduate Internship in Public History 26
Specialization
This course must be completed during the first semester of the first year:
INFOST 650GAn Introduction to Modern Archives Administration3
Then select three of the following:9
INFOST 682G
Digital Libraries
INFOST 750
Arrangement and Description in Archives 3
INFOST 752
Archival Outreach: Programs and Services
INFOST 753
Preserving Information Media 3
INFOST 791
Topics in Library and Information Science: (with appropriate subtitle)
INFOST 855
Advanced Appraisal 3
INFOST 891
Advanced Topics in Library and Information Science: (with appropriate subtitle)
Total Credits36
1

As a substitute for one colloquium or seminar, students may take 3 credits of HIST 716, HIST 717or another appropriate course, which must be approved in advance by the program director.

2

Students must take a total of 6 credits of HIST 701, and this requirement is generally completed as two 3-credit internships. However, an individual internship may be taken for 1 to 6 credits. Unless granted an exception by the program faculty, students complete their 701 internship(s) after having taken both HIST 700 and HIST 715.

3

These electives are strongly recommended, but students with prior coursework or employment experience in archives may opt for other electives.

Cross-Disciplinary Studies with Thesis Track

Students in the Cross-Disciplinary Studies track complete a thesis in public history, and they are required to take 6 Master's Capstone credits and 3 credits of public-history internship. Instead of the 12-15 credits in specialized courses, students in the thesis track must also take 9 credits in cross-disciplinary courses in the humanities and/or social sciences. Selected in consultation with the Public History Director and the student's major professor, cross-disciplinary courses may focus on culture and politics in public history, or they may include coursework in theory or methodology relevant to public history. 

General History
Select 6 credits in colloquia 16
Select 6 credits in seminars 16
Public History
Students are advised to complete these two courses in the first year:
HIST 700Public History Seminar3
HIST 715Research Methods in Local History3
Students also complete the following, generally taken at any point after the second semester:
HIST 701Graduate Internship in Public History 23
Thesis credits may be completed after the approval of the thesis prospectus (see below):
HIST 985Master's Capstone6
Cross-Disciplinary Requirement
Select 9 credits in the humanities and/or social sciences that focus on culture and politics in public history (see below)9
Total Credits36
1

As a substitute for one colloquium or seminar, students may take 3 credits of HIST 716, HIST 717, or another appropriate course, which must be approved in advance by the program director.

2

Students pursuing Cross-Disciplinary Studies with Thesis Track must take 3 credits of HIST 701. Unless granted an exception by the program faculty, students complete their 701 internship(s) after having taken both HIST 700 and HIST 715.

Thesis Prospectus

Within the first semester after completing 9 credits (including two of the following courses: HIST 700, HIST 715, a colloquium, and/or a seminar), public history students who choose to write a thesis are subject to an academic review. The review is a one- to two-hour meeting involving the student, the student’s major professor, and two other members of the History Graduate Faculty who will serve as secondary readers of the student’s thesis. With the assistance of their major professor, the student must prepare a thesis prospectus in advance of the review. The review involves an evaluation of the student’s academic progress in master’s coursework, two unrevised course papers, and the thesis prospectus.

Recommendations for Cross-Disciplinary Coursework

The following are recommended courses to fulfill the cross-disciplinary requirement (others may be chosen with the approval of the Public History Director):

Elective courses to fulfill cross-disciplinary track requirements
ANTHRO 340Cultures of Online Games and Virtual Worlds3
ANTHRO 380Anthropological Applications of GIS3
ANTHRO 744Theories of Social Action: Theater, Ritual, Game3
ARCH 382GProfessional Production (BIM)3
ARCH 583GEmerging Digital Technology:3
ARCH 782Visualization 13
ARCH 783Visualization 23
ART 312GIntermediate Digital Studio3
ART 313GCreative Coding3
ART 316GCreative Interfaces3
ART 317G3D Environments and XR3
ART 318Creative Electronics3
ART 327Digital Media Workshop:3
ART 412GAdvanced Creative Technologies3
ART 418GAdvanced Electronics and Sculpture:3
ART 426GMotion Graphics3
ART 433GDigital Imaging for Fabric3
ART 452GContemporary Issues in Photography3
ART 456GAdvanced Photography & Imaging:3
ART 526GResearch in Universal Design and Fabrication3
ARTHIST 472GHistory and Theory of New Media Art3
COMMUN 813Seminar in Mediated Communication3
COMMUN 873The Digital Mirror3
COMMUN 893Rhetoric of/and the Internet3
DAC 661GDigital Engagement Seminar3
ENGLISH 439Information Design3
ENGLISH 709Rhetoric, Writing, and Information Technology3
ENGLISH 711Topics in Public and Professional Writing:3
ENGLISH 713Research Methods in Rhetorics, Literacies, and Community Engagement:3
ENGLISH 742Media Studies3
ENGLISH 887Seminar in Digital Studies:3
FILM 420GIntermediate Media Arts Module:3
FILM 763Experimental Documentary3
FILM 764Observational Documentary3
FILM 782Visual Effects3
HIST 450GThe History of Milwaukee3
HIST 715Research Methods in Local History3
HIST 717History and the New Media3
INFOST 661GInformation Ethics3
INFOST 670GInstructional Technologies3
INFOST 682GDigital Libraries3
INFOST 685GElectronic Publishing and Web Design3
URB STD 921Seminar: Research Methods in Urban Studies3
URBPLAN 791Introduction to Urban Geographic Information Systems for Planning3
URBPLAN 792Using Urban Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Planning3
WGS 500GAdvanced Social Science Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies:3

Teaching Assistantships are the primary form of financial support for history graduate students. These positions provide a salary and tuition remission. Some small scholarships are also available. Click below for more details.

Contact

Prospective Graduates

Questions regarding the application or the application process should be directed to the UWM Graduate School at gradschool@uwm.edu or 414-229-6569.



Current Graduates

Questions about research opportunities, department funding opportunities, or issues specific to the discipline should be directed to Joe Rodriguez.