Program Type: Graduate
Degree Awarded: M.A. in Public History Select the degree to view its requirements.
Department: History
Welcome to the Master’s in Public History Program at Northern Kentucky University!
Public history invites you to engage with the past in meaningful, tangible ways. Imagine not just reading about the War of 1812, but holding in your hands a musket left behind by a soldier at a nearby fort. You start to wonder: Who was this soldier? What challenges did he face, and how did his experiences shape his world and ours? These are the questions that fuel the work of public historians.
At the heart of public history lies the vital connection between historical research and the communities we serve. Whether through museums, historical sites, archives, digital storytelling, or cultural resource management, public historians bring history to life for diverse audiences. Today, the vast majority of people engage with history outside the classroom, through the places they visit, the media they consume, and the cultural heritage preserved in their communities. Public history extends beyond traditional academic boundaries, embracing oral histories, material culture, and innovative technologies to make the past relevant to contemporary issues.
Our program equips you with the tools to explore these rich intersections of history and public life, preparing you for a dynamic career in which you can inspire, educate, and engage communities with the past in inclusive and accessible ways.
Kevin Eagles
Visiting Assistant Teaching Professor and Director, MA in Public History
446 Landrum Academic Center
(859) 572-5337
eaglesk1@nku.edu
Graduating Year: 2011
Education: M.A. in Public History
Career: Assistant Director of African American History, Culture and Digital Humanities Initiative at Coppin State University, Washington, DC
Aleia Brown’s work utilizes objects as portals to understanding both historic and contemporary issues of civil and human rights. By looking at craft during and about the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, she illuminates the nuanced, interior, and personal narratives that big history often omits. Her current manuscript traces Black women’s ideologies on the Black Freedom Struggle through their quiltmaking and oral histories.
Brown co-founded and leads two digital humanities projects #MuseumsRespondstoFerguson and #BlkTwitterstorians.
Our campus is more than classrooms. It’s a hive of activity and connections that instantly feel familiar. Come walk it, take it in, check it out.
A variety of financial assistance is available, from grants to scholarships, loans to veteran benefits.
