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Program Type: Graduate

Degree Awarded: M.A. in Public History Select the degree to view its requirements.

Department: History


Imagine reading about the War of 1812. Now imagine not only reading about it, but actually holding a musket discarded by a soldier stationed at fort during the war. Now you wonder: What was the soldier’s life like? How old was he? Did he survive the war? These are the questions that both historians and the public want to know. This is public history! 

Museums, historic sites, archives, historic preservation, podcasts, and cultural resource management are the realms of public historians. Ninety percent of people get their knowledge of history from sources outside of the classroom, because that’s where history happens: in our states, communities, and even in our own back yards. Public History allows historians to greatly expand beyond the traditional tools of historians to include oral traditions, material culture, technology, and many other aspects of life.

Program Contacts

Brian Hackett
Associate Professor and Director, MA in Public History
440 Landrum Academic Center
(859) 572-6072
hackettb1@nku.edu

Students in the Spotlight

Aleia Brown

Aleia Brown

Graduating Year: 2011

Education: M.A. in Public History

Career: Assistant Director of African American History, Culture and Digital Humanities Initiative at Coppin State University, Washington, DC

Aleia Brown’s work utilizes objects as portals to understanding both historic and contemporary issues of civil and human rights. By looking at craft during and about the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, she illuminates the nuanced, interior, and personal narratives that big history often omits. Her current manuscript traces Black women’s ideologies on the Black Freedom Struggle through their quiltmaking and oral histories.

Brown co-founded and leads two digital humanities projects #MuseumsRespondstoFerguson and #BlkTwitterstorians.

Find Your Passions & Build Your Future

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  • Internships: Our students will find internship opportunities at the Cincinnati Museum Center, New Riff Distillery, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Proctor and Gamble, the City of Newport, and multiple Cultural Resource Management firms.
  • Podcasting: Rather than writing a paper or taking a test that you throw away, several of our classes have students research, write, and present a podcast episode to be published on various media outlets.
  • Expedited Major: Want to complete a Master’s degree in one year? Join our expedited program and start earning graduate credit before you graduate!

KEEP EXPLORING. VISIT THE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE.

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Experience NKU

Our campus is more than classrooms. It’s a hive of activity and connections that instantly feel familiar. Come walk it, take it in, check it out.

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Financial Aid

A variety of financial assistance is available, from grants to scholarships, loans to veteran benefits.