This program is designed for those eager to apply history to real-world issues, making it accessible to broader audiences. Through robust coursework, internships, and project work, you’ll leave equipped to put history to work in the real world.
Locations
- Statesboro Campus
Why Get Your Master’s in Public History at Georgia Southern?
Earning your master’s in Public History at GSU means more than just studying the past—it’s about applying historical knowledge to real-world challenges and shaping the future for the better.
Our program’s comprehensive curriculum equips you with practical skills through hands-on experiences like internships, project-based learning, and specialized courses in public history. With options to focus on areas like museum studies, archival work, or cultural resource management, you’ll gain the tools to succeed in any professional setting.At Georgia Southern, you’ll find a supportive faculty ready to connect you with a strong professional network in the field. We’ll help you build the expertise needed to engage communities, interpret historical sites, and influence cultural preservation.
Whether your goal is to work in museums, historic preservation, or public policy, a master’s degree in public history from Georgia Southern prepares you for a rewarding career dedicated to bringing history to life for diverse audiences.
Ready to Apply?
What Can You Do With a Master’s Degree in Public History?
A master’s degree in public history equips you to engage all kinds of audiences with history beyond the traditional classroom.
You can find fulfilling careers in museums, archives, cultural heritage organizations, and historic preservation, where you’ll shape how history is interpreted and presented to the public. You might work as a museum curator, historical consultant, or cultural resource manager, applying historical research to real-world projects like community history programs, heritage tourism, or historical site management.
A master’s in public history from Georgia Southern provides you with skills you need to create impactful historical narratives, develop educational initiatives, and even influence public policy through history-based consulting.
Where our graduates work:
- Academia
- Publishing
- Journalism
- Film and Television
- Law firms
- Museums
- News and media
- Government
- Education
What our graduates do:
- Historical Consultant
- Journalist
- Lawyer
- Museum/Gallery Curator or Educator
- Paralegal/Legal Assistant
- Political Advisor/Campaign Work
- Writer
- Academic Researcher
- Archivist
- Assistant to Anthropologists or Archaeologists
- Business Analyst
- College or University History Professor
- Government Analyst
- High School History Teacher
- Historic Buildings Inspector/Conservation Officer
What You’ll Learn
Our public history curriculum covers core topics such as historical research methods, public history theory, and digital history, while also offering specialized courses in areas like museum studies, historic preservation, and archival management. You’ll engage in hands-on learning through internships and project-based experiences, where you’ll work with historical organizations and develop professional-level research and presentation skills. Prepare to bring history to life in meaningful ways, gaining the tools to engage with and shape the future of cultural preservation.
Build Your Experience
Watch your Public History Degree flourish as you get involved with faculty and fellow students through campus organizations and mentorships.
Mentorship Program
Draw from the knowledge and experience of the history faculty, explore your academic and professional possibilities, and navigate your path through the major with a mentorship.
All incoming first-year history majors, newly declared majors, and continuing second-year students have the opportunity to participate in the Georgia Southern history department’s Student-Faculty mentoring program. You’ll be paired with a faculty mentor who will welcome you to the history department and serve as a guide through the first years as a History Major.
For details, contact Dr. Michael Van Wagenen
Phi Alpha Theta Chapters
Both the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses have active Phi Alpha Theta chapters, offering enlightening history related documentary and game nights, secure guest speakers in the fields of history, and offer career outreach to fellow history majors.
Get Involved
Plug in to an established history organization and join the ongoing conversations, queries, and discoveries of your history predecessors and peers.
Take Action
Follow these steps to complete the Georgia Southern application:
- Visit our website for the College of Graduate Studies. Complete the requested information and create a login name and password.
Follow this link and initiate an on-line application. The cost for the application is $50. After completing this on-line form, the application must be supported by transcripts, GRE scores, two letters of recommendation, and a statement of your career goals and research interests. International students should submit scores from the TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language), and have transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (WES).
Apply to the Master's program Transfer to Georgia SouthernConcentration in Public History
Credit Hours: 33
Required Courses: 21 credit hours
- HIST 7630 Historian’s Craft: 3 credit hours
- HIST 7651 Graduate Seminar in Public History: 3 credit hours
- HIST 7638 Research Prospectus*: 3 credit hours
- HIST 7781 Professional Internship in Public History: 3 credit hours
- HIST 7900 Non-Thesis Project in Public History*: 3 credit hours
- (2) 7000 level Graduate Reading Seminars****: 6 credit hours
Electives: 12 credit hours
- 4 public history elective courses (at the 5000 G level or above): 12 credit hours
Total Credit Hours: 33
* Students who enter the MA program with a concentration in public history after having completed the Graduate Certificate in Public History will substitute an additional reading seminar for Research Prospectus.
** Internships are 150 hours.
*** This course concludes with a 6,000 – 10,000 word technical report on the final project that is defended orally before a committee. With the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies this course may be completed simultaneously with the Professional Internship in History.
- The student must also pass an oral defense of the non-thesis project in public history.
- Two elective course may be taken outside the Department of History.
- The College of Graduate Studies limits independent study to 6 credits.

Take the Next Step
Ready to put history to work in the real world? Learn more about getting your Bachelor’s Degree in Public History at Georgia Southern University.
Contact Us
College of Arts and Humanities
Department of History
Director of Graduate Studies
Georgia Southern University
P.O. Box 8054
Statesboro, GA 30460
phone 912-478-4478
fax 912-478-0377
Dr. Julie de Chantal
Public History Coordinator
Department of History
P.O. Box 8054
Georgia Southern University,
Statesboro, GA 30460-8054
Phone: 912-478-4478
jdechantal@georgiasouthern.edu