If you want to pursue or advance your career in Public History, start with an MA in public history from UNA. The Public History Center serves as the consulting branch of the Public History Program at the University of North Alabama, and supervises public history graduate students in their fieldwork and project development. Additionally, the Public History Center staff participates in community outreach, research, content development, and historic site strategy, and maintains a close project partnership with the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area. 

The M.A. in Public History can be completed on the UNA campus or as a hybrid program.

The hybrid program addresses the needs of non-traditional students by offering online courses enhanced with an established field experience component. All required courses for the M.A. in Public History degree can be completed online except HI 514 Fieldwork Methods and HI 679 Public History Internship.

HI 514 is offered as a hybrid course each summer, combining online coursework with one week of required on campus content. These summer courses follow a thematic format using the interpretive focus of the Muscle Shoals National Heritage Area: Music, Native American History, and the Tennessee River.

The UNA Public History faculty work with students to find an appropriate venue near their home location where they can complete the HI 679 Public History Internship requirement.

With an MA in Public History, graduates are prepared for careers in archives, museums, state historic preservation offices or cultural resource management firms.

“UNA’s Public History Program provided me a solid foundation in the theory and practice of public history. The program taught me how to develop engaging and educational programs for visitors. I also learned best practices for managing and curating museum exhibits, as well as different methods to use while engaging with community members and volunteers. All of this serves me well in my role as a Cultural Resource Specialist at Fort Morgan, an Alabama Historical Commission historic site.”

Dylan Tucker
M.A. in Public History ‘15