Public History and Heritage
Entry requirements
The usual requirement is a second-class honours degree (2:2) or above in a humanities subject, as well as references. We may request writing samples or ask you to attend an interview, if you don't meet the entry criteria but have non-traditional educational or professional qualifications/experience.
Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.
Months of entry
October
Course content
Why choose this course?
- This course is taught by experts in areas such as critical heritage studies, public history and policy, creative public history, community and family history, archaeological heritage, heritage futures, heritage and decolonisation. The impressive scope of this expertise ensures you can study history, from prehistory to the present, from a global and local perspective.
- You will join a vibrant and diverse cohort, studying alongside students who have a range of experience in the public history and heritage sector as well as those from our museum cultures and archaeology and heritage courses.
- You will also have the opportunity to undertake a work placement in public history and heritage, and complete a creative portfolio project alongside your dissertation.
What you will learn
This MA will introduce you to key aspects and issues of the practice. You will also develop the necessary theoretical and practical skills to undertake critical assessments of public history projects and intervention, and to create a project of your own.
Its focus on public history in practice will provide you with a wide range of examples of different types and methods of public history, from museums and material culture, to public history in the media, to the role of history in policy making. You will also be able to follow your interests by specialising intensively in public history and heritage and choosing option modules from a wide range of historical subjects.
How you will learn
On this course you will learn through a mixture of seminars, lectures, workshops and site visits. Classes follow an evening timetable and some modules may be available to attend online as well as on campus.
You will also have the opportunity to undertake a work placement to help you gain valuable work experience and networking opportunities in one of the most respected heritage sectors in the world.
This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.
If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
Highlights
- As well as being one of the leading universities for public history and heritage, Birkbeck is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions for radical and engaged history.
- We are at the heart of academic London with access to unparalleled research resources. Situated very close by are: the Institute of Classical Studies, with its library, training facilities and seminars; the British Museum, with its extensive collection of classical antiquities; and the British Library, the largest national library in the world.
- Birkbeck was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
- You will join a welcoming community of public historians during your studies and beyond, with many of our former students meeting up socially every year to network with current students.
- All Master’s students are eligible to apply for our prestigious Eric Hobsbawm Scholarships, subject to availability. One of the most influential historians of the twentieth century, Eric Hobsbawm taught at Birkbeck for over five decades and embodied what is central to our teaching and research: a continued commitment to critical enquiry and public engagement.
On successfully graduating from this MA Public History and Heritage, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:
- critical research, reading and writing skills
- knowledge of theory, policy and practice in the public history and heritage sector
- the ability to conceive and execute creative portfolio projects as well as academic research and writing projects
- the ability to support, encourage, develop and execute projects in your community, for yourself, or for your organisation.
Studying this course will prepare you for career paths in a range of fields and professions including:
- historian in academia and other areas
- work in a heritage organisation or institution
- community project manager
- self-employed historical professional, for example in tour guiding
- archivist or librarian
- journalist or writer
- heritage manager.
Graduates from this course have gone on to be employed at organisations such as the British Museum, the National Army Museum, the Wellcome Library and the BBC.
We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.
Information for international students
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, the requirement for this course is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests.
If you don't meet the minimum IELTS requirement, we offer pre-sessional English courses and foundation programmes to help you improve your English language skills and get your place at Birkbeck.
Please note, if you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
Qualification, course duration and attendance options
- MA
- full time12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- Distance learningis available for this qualification
- Online learningis available for this qualification
- part time24 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
- Distance learningis available for this qualification
- Online learningis available for this qualification
Course contact details
- Name
- Student Advice Service
- studentadvice@bbk.ac.uk
- Phone
- +44 (0)20 3907 0700