The Public History Track in the History MA program is designed to teach students how to preserve and interpret history while engaging a broad variety of audiences. Students who wish to pursue careers in community and local history, digital history, historic site preservation and administration, museum studies, oral history, heritage tourism, or a variety of other careers that employ applied research will find this degree valuable and rewarding.
Courses in the Public History Track allow students to learn the theories, methods, and technical skills historians use as they put history to work in the world. They build on the foundation of reading colloquia and research seminars that are firmly located in time and space to explicitly focus on the practice of history.
Track Prerequisites
A bachelor's degree in History (or an equivalent).
Degree Requirements
Required Courses (Core)
9 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- HIS5067 - Introduction to Public History (3)
- HIS6159 - Historiography (3)
- HIS6905 - History Capstone Class (3)
Required Courses (Specialization)
15 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
Public History- 9 Credit Hours- Complete at least 3 of the following:
- AMH6346 - Seminar in the History of American Automobility (3)
- HIS6592 - Seminar in Oral History (3)
- HIS5083 - Cultural Heritage Management (3)
- HIS5925 - History in the Digital Age (3)
- HIS6165 - Digital Tools for Historians (3)
- HIS5088 - Readings in Curation and Public History (3)
- HIS6094 - Seminar in Curation and New Media (3)
- HIS6167 - Spatial History (3)
- HIS6942 - Internship (3)
- AMH6429 - Seminar in Community and Local History (3)
- HIS6096 - Seminar in Historic Preservation (3)
Western Hemisphere Courses: Caribbean, North American, or South American - 6 Credit Hours- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- AMH5116 - Colloquium in Early American History (3)
- AMH5169 - Colloquium in the American Early Republic (3)
- AMH5176 - Colloquium in Civil War and Reconstruction (3)
- AMH5296 - Colloquium in 20th Century U.S. (3)
- HIS5503 - History of Technology (3)
- AMH5391 - Colloquium in U.S. Cultural History (3)
- AMH5406 - Colloquium in American South (3)
- AMH5077 - Colloquium in Twentieth Century Tourism (3)
- AMH6346 - Seminar in the History of American Automobility (3)
- HIS5926 - Colloquium: History of Women and Gender (3)
- AMH5636 - Colloquium in US Environmental History (3)
- AMH5925 - Colloquium in US Military History (3)
- AMH6939 - Seminar in U.S. History (3)
- LAH5920 - Colloquium in Latin American History (3)
Elective Courses
6 Total Credits
Eastern Hemisphere Courses: African, Asian and Middle Eastern, or European- Complete at least 2 of the following:
- AFH5259 - Colloquium in African History (3)
- AFH5806 - The Historiography of Slavery in Africa (3)
- ASH5229 - History of the Middle East (3)
- ASH5408 - Colloquium in Modern China (3)
- ASH5485 - U.S. China Relations (3)
- ASH5925 - Colloquium in South Asian History (3)
- ASH6936 - Seminar in US-China Relations (3)
- EUH5419 - Colloquium in Roman History (3)
- EUH5459 - Colloquium in French History (3)
- EUH5546 - Colloquium: British History (3)
- EUH5905 - European Imperialism (3)
- EUH5925 - Colloquium in Medieval Europe (3)
- EUH5208 - Colloquium in Early Modern History (3)
- EUH6939 - Seminar in European History (3)
- EUH5579 - Colloquium in Soviet Russia (3)
Thesis
6 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
Hours- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: HIS 6971 Thesis The culminating event of the program is a minimum of six credit hours at the 6000-level developing and sustaining a historical argument in writing according to the accepted professional and ethical standards of the discipline.
Thesis or Project Defense- The final step in completing the thesis requirement is a one-hour oral defense before the thesis committee.
Comprehensive Examination
0 Total Credits
- Each candidate for the Master of Arts in History must pass written examinations in two fields upon conclusion of regular course work and before beginning a thesis. These examinations must be taken and passed as part of the requirements for the capstone course. Students are provided two attempts at successfully passing the examinations. Each student will also submit a thesis prospectus and preliminary bibliography, which the three members of the student's thesis committee judge acceptable as the preliminary step to beginning the thesis. An oral defense of the written exams and the thesis prospectus and bibliography is also a requirement of the capstone course.
Foreign Language Competency
0 Total Credits
- Students will also be expected to demonstrate reading competency in a foreign language translation examination. The foreign language examination (FLE) must be completed one semester prior to the thesis defense. For detailed information on the History Foreign Language Exam requirement and process, please see the department's MA program guidebook.
Grand Total Credits: 36
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants must provide:
- One official transcript from each college/university attended.
- A bachelor's degree in History (or an equivalent).
- The GRE is not required for admission to this program.
- A 3.25 GPA in all upper-division history courses taken as an undergraduate student.
- A Statement of Purpose (maximum of two pages) describing personal goals and objectives in seeking a graduate degree in history.
- Three letters of recommendation from former professors who can address the applicant's ability to undertake graduate-level history courses.
- A substantial academic writing sample between 2000 and 5000 words illustrating the applicant's ability to engage in historical research and analysis. Acceptable writing samples may include a chapter from an honors thesis, a conference paper, or a term paper.
- A computer-based score of 233 (or 91 internet-based score) on the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) if an applicant is from a country where English is not the official language, or if an applicant's degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, or if an applicant did not earn a degree in a country where English is the only official language or a university where English is the only official language of instruction. Although we prefer the TOEFL, we will accept IELTS scores of 7.0.
- Applicants applying to this program who have attended a college/university outside the United States must provide a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA calculation. Credential evaluations are accepted from World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. only.
Applicants who hold an undergraduate degree in History but do not have a GPA of 3.0 in all work attempted while registered as an undergraduate student, or while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student (normally based on the last sixty attempted semester hours), or a 3.25 GPA in their upper-division history courses may take up to 9 hours of graduate courses as non-degree-seeking students. To be admitted into the graduate program, however, they must earn a 3.3 GPA or higher in the graduate-level history courses they take under this status.
Generally, applicants who meet all of the above requirements but do not have an undergraduate degree in History must complete 12 hours of history course work at the 3000 and 4000 level, with a 3.25 GPA in these courses, before entering the graduate program. These courses will not count toward the graduate degree. The History Department Graduate Committee can waive this requirement, in whole or in part, when applicants present evidence that they are capable of successfully completing graduate history courses.
If, in addition, applicants do not meet one of the other requirements for entry, such as a GPA of 3.0 in all work attempted while registered as an undergraduate student, or while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student (normally based on the last sixty attempted semester hours), they must complete 12 hours of course work at the 3000 and 4000 level with GPA of 3.5 before they can be admitted to the graduate program.
Meeting minimum UCF admission criteria does not guarantee program admission. Final admission is based on evaluation of the applicant's abilities, past performance, recommendations, match of this program and faculty expertise to the applicant's career/academic goals, and the applicant's potential for completing the degree.
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
