Public History MA

Overview

On this innovative course you’ll:

Gain an advanced level appreciation of the theoretical and analytical frameworks that historians bring to their subject.

Discover the varieties of approaches to understanding, constructing and interpreting the past in the present, and how wider publics engage with these processes.

Understand the methodologies and sources used by specialists in the field of public history, and the ethical, practical, and analytical choices that accompany historical study and interpretation.

Explore public history concepts and practices including shared authority, collaborative working environments, and reflexivity.

Engage with diverse audiences by working collaboratively with institutions and communities.

Benefit from a team of experts and guest lecturers who are leading practitioners in our local and global networks.

You’ll spend a third of your time working on a guided public history project. This could involve working alongside practitioners in the popular history field. This may include:

• freelance public historians
• cultural organisations
• charities
• archivists
• publishers
• TV and radio producers

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

 

What you'll learn

You’ll develop the core skills to become a successful public historian. These include project planning, collaborative ways of working, and flexible communication skills. You'll gain a solid grounding in key theoretical and analytical frameworks, as well as public practices.

Our Heritage modules offer a window into public history practices, who governs heritage, and the needs of stakeholders. Examining what heritage is, who it is for, and exploring critical approaches to global, local and national heritage processes.

Through a range of optional historical and methodological modules, you’ll enhance your awareness and appreciation of theoretical and analytical frameworks in the study of history.

The final independent project is developed in collaboration with, and supervised by a historical expert from within Newcastle University’s extensive research expertise. You will also have an opportunity to consult with an external industry mentor. This combination provides the flexibility for you to work with small independent community practitioners as well as large regional or national public history institutions, depending on your area of interest.

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Course content changes

Module information is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content changes periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions.

Optional modules availability

Some courses have optional modules. Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

 

Public History MA modules

 

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Research Skills and Dissertation Training	20
Dealing with Difficult Pasts: International Public Histories	20
Oral History and Public History	20
Public History Project	60

Candidates must take 20 credits and may take up to 40 credits from List A below.

List A

Module	Credits
Heritage Processes: Global Perspectives, Practises and Politics	20
Heritage Lives: Media, Messages and Form	20

Candidates must take 20 credits and may take up to 40 credits from List B below.

List B

Module	Credits
Practicing Archaeology in a New World - Decolonisation, Heritage and Stakeholder Engagement	20
Conflict in European History: Case Studies	20
The Practice of History	20
Missions, Missionaries and Empires in World History: British, European and Informal Empires	20
The First Information Revolution? Print Culture and the Public Sphere in Early Modern Europe	20
In Sickness and in Health: Historical perspectives on patients, diseases and healthcare workers	20

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

Teaching will take a variety of forms, with online resources available for you to prepare for taught sessions. These sessions will include:

• small group seminars
• skills workshops
• supported and independent research
• fieldwork
• group work
• guest lectures

Your taught sessions will usually be scheduled on 2-3 set days a week to allow you time to continue part-time paid or voluntary work.

 

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

• Design or creative project
• Essay
• Oral presentation
• Poster
• Portfolio
• Problem-solving exercises
• Reflective log
• Research proposal
• Research paper

Additional assessment information

Much of your assessment will be public-facing work. This may include policy briefings, grant applications, blogs and more.

Use of project-based and practical assessments throughout the course means you’ll graduate with a portfolio containing a wide range of work. You can use this to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to future employers.

Your final assessment will be an independent project. You’ll develop your project in consultation with a practitioner-mentor and a member of academic staff from history at Newcastle University. Your project could take the form of, for example, a physical or online exhibition, a podcast, a film, or a community engagement or a policy-focussed public history project.

You can apply for funding of up to £200 to cover travel costs associated with your final project.

Student support

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

• module handbooks
• course materials
• groups
• course announcements and notifications
• written feedback

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

• peers
• academics
• personal tutors
• our University Student Services Team
• student representatives

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff. They will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Your development

You’ll have flexibility to tailor your work to areas that interest you most. As such, you’ll develop a deep knowledge of your chosen area(s).

During the course you’ll also develop a wide range of transferable skills, whilst being guided by expert academics and industry mentors. These include professional, research and practical skills.

Professional skills

• collaboration and group working
• presentation skills
• problem-solving
• written and verbal communication

Research skills

• accessing and interpreting archival material
• critical thinking
• data collection, analysis and presentation
• identifying primary and secondary historical sources
• oral history research skills

Practical skills - plan and manage a project from initiation to delivery.

Your future

We’ll support you to develop the core attributes of a historian with the empathy, cultural competency, collaboration and communication skills of a public historian.

As such, you’ll be well-equipped to respond to the opportunities of the changing, diversifying, and growing history-industry sector.

Industry links

We have strong links with local, national and international public history organisations and practitioners. You’ll benefit from learning and networking opportunities with our partners who include freelance professionals, media historians and others who engage with a wide range of audiences in presenting history to the public.

Careers

This course would be valuable preparation for a range of employment including:

• roles within cultural projects and the cultural sector
• public facing history roles e.g. broadcasting, film or journalism
• roles within history and heritage organisations

Further study

This course would also provide a solid foundation for further study. Industry facing and practice-based PhDs, such as the Northern Bridge Collaborative Doctoral Awards, may be of interest.

Our Careers Service

Our Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. 

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information.

Facilities

You’ll have access to hot-desk facilities within the Armstrong Building, home to the School of History, Classics and Archaeology. You’ll also be supplied with access to some basic audio equipment for the duration of your course.

 

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You may be eligible for a scholarship worth 25% off the international fee. Search our funding database. 

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information. 

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination
• graduation

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

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How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

 

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

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