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M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Public History/Archives and Records Management Concentration)

The M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentration in Public History/Archives and Records Management is designed for professional now working or who wish to work in the field of public history. Institutions in which the presentation of history to the public or the provision of resources for historical research are a significant component of the institution's mission include historic sites, museums with historical collections, and libraries with rare book and historical document repositories.

Admission decisions are jointly made by the History Department's graduate advisor and the Archives and Records Management Program Director.

CURRICULUM

This 36-credit concentration combines the Advanced Certificate in Archives and Records Management with graduate courses in History. Upon successful completion of this concentration, students will be awarded the M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies and the Advanced Certificate in Archives and Records Management.

ARCHIVES AND RECORDS MANAGEMENT COURSES

Specifically, in this concentration 18 credits of graduate courses must be taken through the Palmer School of Library and Information Science's Advanced Certificate program in Archives and Records Management. In addition to a required internship that takes place in an archival or records management setting, ideally geared toward a historical collection, two introductory courses in archives and records management are also required.

Courses
LIS 520 Records Management
LIS 714 Archives and Manuscripts
LIS 690 Internship in an Archives or Records Management setting

Students must choose an additional three courses from the electives listed below. Occasionally offered Special Topics classes may also meet this requirement.

Courses
LIS 657 Introduction to Preservation
LIS 705 Principles and Practices in Archival Description: EAD/DACS
LIS 706 Digital Preservation
LIS 713 Rare Books and Special Collections
LIS 721 Appraisal of Archives and Manuscripts
LIS 722 Electronic Records
LIS 755 Information Technologies and Society
LIS 763 Metadata: Description and Access
LIS 770 Information Storage and Retrieval

HISTORY COURSES

In this concentration, 12 credits in graduate history courses are required. These courses place emphasis on learning to think with rigor, to assess evidence, interpret historical events and write with clarity and precision. Graduate courses are structured as seminars that meet once a week in which students discuss readings in depth and develop literacy in recent scholarship. All Public History concentration students are required to take HIS 601 (Historiography) which examines different theories of historical thought and models of historical methods. The remaining 9 credits in History can be taken from any elective courses. Examples of such courses include:

Courses
HIS 537 Race, Class and Ethnicity in the United States
HIS 543 Imperialism and Colonialism
HIS 551 Early Modern Atlantic World
HIS 553 Birth of the American Republic
HIS 556 Civil War and Reconstruction
HIS 559 America since 1945
HIS 560 African-American History
HIS 562 Myth and Memory in American History
HIS 585 Disease and History
HIS 592 History of American Women

History electives will be chosen based on each student's interest in consultation with the Graduate Advisor in History.

THESIS

Finally, like other concentrations in Interdisciplinary Studies, the Public History/Archives and Records Management concentration requires the completion of a thesis (IDS 707 and 708). A faculty member from the Palmer School of Library and Information Science will supervise the thesis and a faculty member from the History Department will serve as second reader OR a faculty member from the History Department will supervise the thesis and a faculty member from the Palmer School of Library and Information Science will serve as the second reader.