Shippensburg University

Program Information

Degree Offered

M.A.; M.A./M.S.L.S.

Program Description:

The graduate program in applied history is designed for college graduates seeking advanced historical training and educators seeking professional development opportunities. Students may also pursue a dual master’s degree in applied history and library science (M.A./M.S.L.S.) offered in coordination with Clarion University.

Shippensburg University’s Applied History Program is a flexible program designed to provide educators, public historians, and individuals wishing to pursue advanced graduate work with practical professional training. Our faculty will work one-on-one with students to design a program of study to meet their personal and professional needs.

For those seeking careers in the field of public history, the program offers coursework in archives, museum studies, oral history, local history, and historic preservation, as well as professional internships to prepare students for employment in museums, historical institutions, and at historic sites. Educators will find a diverse array of courses in United States history, world history, and historical methods that will deepen their historical knowledge and provide new resources for classroom use. (All courses can be used to help satisfy Pennsylvania’s Act 48 requirements.) The curriculum provides a rigorous historical training, including the option to write a master’s thesis, that can also prepare students for further graduate work.

Recent graduates have secured teaching positions at community colleges, received admission to doctoral programs, obtained positions in both the public and private sector, and started public history careers with local and county historical societies, as well as national sites such as Gettysburg National Military Park, the U.S. Army Military History Institute, Antietam National Military Park, Harpers Ferry National Historic Site, and George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

The M.A. program in applied history provides students with practical academic training and experience in the following areas: Professional development for teachers; advanced study in diverse historical fields and subjects; preparation for employment in museums, businesses, historical organizations, and government; advanced training in historical research and writing; specialized classes in Museum Studies, Historic Preservation, Archives, Oral History, and Local History Research; opportunities for hands-on experience and fieldwork through internships and service-learning projects.

You may enter the program as a degree candidate or take individual courses as a non-degree student. Graduate credits can fulfill Act 48 requirements and can be applied toward permanent certification in teaching or toward work on a doctorate or other advanced degree. The degree can be earned in approximately one and one-half to two years of full-time study or several years of part-time study (a maximum of seven years from the start of the program). To be awarded the Master of Arts in Applied History degree, you must complete a minimum of 30 hours of graduate work.

Students may enroll simultaneously in Shippensburg University’s Master of Arts in Applied History program and Clarion University’s Master of Science in Library Science program. Students who are enrolled in both programs may double-count 6 credits, enabling both degrees to be earned through a total of 54 credit hours of coursework. Students must apply to each program separately and be accepted into both programs to pursue the dual-degree option. The library science program is offered through a combination of distance education courses and classes offered at the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg. This degree prepares students for library and research careers in archives, libraries, and historical societies.

The secondary education certification program prepares students to teach in the secondary schools of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Individuals with a bachelor’s degree in history or a related field may seek their applied history master’s degree and their certification in secondary education at the same time. Because these constitute two separate programs, applicants must specify their interest in both programs when they apply to the School of Graduate Studies, and their application must be accepted by both the Department of History and the College of Education and Human Services. Applicants seeking to pursue the master’s degree in applied history and secondary education certification in social studies simultaneously should have at least a 3.0 GPA and are advised to have successfully completed the Praxis I exam.

Other options for graduate studies in history include a Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction with a History Concentration (36 credits) and a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership with a Concentration in Historical Administration (30 credits).

Accreditation:

Shippensburg University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, AACSB International, ABET Inc., American Chemical Society, Council on Social Work Education, Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, International Association of Counseling Services, Council for Exceptional Children and by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teachers.

Eligibility Requirements:

To be eligible to pursue a master of arts degree in applied history, you must: Have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and present an official transcript showing at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average for your undergraduate studies. All applicants are encouraged to complete a 500-word statement of purpose discussing their reasons for pursuing graduate studies in applied history. Prospective students are also invited to provide any additional information, letters of recommendation, or writing samples that will allow the history department to assess their potential for graduate studies. Individuals possessing less than a 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average may be accepted following an interview and the submission of a 500-word statement of purpose.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid Offered: Yes

Format: Campus

Classification: Master's Colleges & Universities I

Institution Sector: Public

Locale: Distant Town

Size & Settings: 5,000 - 9,999