Applied History

Tailored to Meet Your Needs and Interests

Shippensburg University's graduate program in Applied History is designed for college graduates seeking advanced historical training and educators seeking professional development opportunities. For those seeking careers in the field of public history, the program offers coursework and professional internships to prepare students for employment in museums and historical institutions. 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 that can also prepare students for further graduate work in history or library studies. Recent graduates have secured teaching positions at community colleges, obtained research and editorial positions in both the public and private sector, and started public history careers with organizations such as History Associates Incorporated, the U.S. Army Military History Institute, and the National Park Service.

The Program

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 computerized historical research methods

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.

Admission 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.
• 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 your reasons for pursuing graduate studies in Applied History. In your essay, please address how your education, training, and experiences have prepared you to pursue graduate studies in History. Also, please discuss how a Master's degree in Applied History fits into your personal or professional goals. Feel free to provide any additional information that will allow the History Department to assess your potential for graduate studies.

If you have less than a 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average, you may be accepted following an interview and the submission of a 500-word Statement of Purpose (described above).

Applicants are encouraged to have all of their materials submitted by the second Friday in September for spring admission, or by the second Friday in February for summer or fall admission. Qualified individuals who apply after those dates will be accepted to the program if space is available.

Degree Requirements

The degree can be earned in approximately one and one-half years of full-time study or several years of part-time study. To be awarded a master of arts degree in applied history, you must complete a minimum of 30 hours of graduate work, distributed as follows:

Required Courses (12 Credits):

• HIS 600: Computerized Historical Research Methods (3 credits)
• HIS 418: Introduction to Applied History (3 credits)
• A 6-credit thesis or 6-credit supervised internship

Restricted/Free Electives (18 credits) are chosen within the following fields:

• History of the Americas (9 credits)
• Global Connections/Comparisons (6 credits)
• Applied History Skills (3 credits)

Internships

Students can design a personalized internship experience that will meet their educational needs and professional interests. The university is ideally located for gaining practical public history experience. Within an hour's drive, students will find internship opportunities at national, state, and local historical sites. Opportunities are also available in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, less than 90 minutes away.

Some of our students' recent internship experiences include:

• Gettysburg National Military Park
• Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
• Military History Institute
• The Army Heritage and Education Center
• The White House
• Harpers Ferry National Historic Park
• Cumberland County Historical Society

Resources

Financial Aid

Shippensburg University provides financial assistance to graduate students through graduate assistantships, graduate residence director appointments, and student loans.

Graduate assistant appointments can provide you with the opportunity to participate in professionally related activities with faculty and administrators. These assignments can extend your learning experience beyond the classroom and enhance your professional development.

Graduate assistant appointments are awarded on a competitive basis without regard to financial need. They provide a tuition waiver as well as compensation for work performed. During each semester, graduate assistants are required to work 250 hours (approximately 15 hours per week). During the summer, they are required to work 150 hours.

To be eligible to receive a graduate assistant appointment, you must be admitted into a graduate degree program. Graduate assistants must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and must not have earned more than two grades of "C" or less in any course taken while a graduate student.

Assistantship application forms are available online here

Faculty

James H. Mike, Ph.D., dean, College of Arts and Sciences.

Susan Rimby, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1992. Specialty Areas: Teaching methods, women, U.S. labor.

Kwabena Akurang-Parry, Ph.D., York University, 1998. Specialty Areas: Africa, comparative slavery, labor and gender in colonial Ghana, and cultural studies.

John Bloom, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1991. Specialty Areas:  U.S. cultural history, oral history, Pennsylvania history.

Steven Burg, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1999. Specialty Areas:  Public history, modern U.S., public policy.

Catherine Clay, Ph.D., University of Oregon, 1989. Specialty Areas:  Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Russia, comparative women.

Betty A. Dessants, Ph.D., University of California-Berkeley, 1995. Specialty Areas:  U.S. foreign relations, 20th-century U.S., teaching methods.

Allen Dieterich-Ward, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2006. Specialty Areas: U.S. environmental, public history.

David Godshalk, Ph.D., chair, Yale University, 1992. Specialty Areas:  African-American history, U.S. social history, American South.

Kim Klein, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University, 1998. Specialty Areas:  Colonial and revolutionary America, Canada.

Chandrika Paul, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, 1997. Specialty Areas:  South Asia, Southeast Asia, comparative women, British Empire.

John Quist, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1992. Specialty Areas: 19th-century America, Civil War, Reconstruction.

Christine Senecal, Ph.D., Boston College, 1999. Specialty Areas:  Early medieval Europe, ancient Rome, Byzantium.

Robert Shaffer, Ph.D., Rutgers University. Specialty Areas:  U.S. foreign relations, 20th-century America.

Jonathan Skaff, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1998. Specialty Areas:  China, Japan, Inner Asia.

Mark Spicka, Ph.D., Ohio State University. Specialty Areas: Germany, Modern Europe.

Allan Tulchin, Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2000. Specialty Areas:  Early Modern France, religion.

Our historians are dedicated scholars and enthusiastic teachers eager to pass on their passion for the study of history. As you consider your options for the future, do not hesitate to contact us with questions about our M.A. program in applied history.

Testimonials

Julia Tutino '06M, Delone Catholic High School
"Shippensburg University's Applied History program is making me into a better teacher! The dynamic teaching styles of my professors serve as models for my own high school classes. I have used content from my Applied History courses to add depth to my government, economics, and sociology classes. I learn as much from fellow students as professors. I have made great friends who share my passion for history and enhance my understanding of American and world history."

John Alosi '94M, Retired
"Earning a master's degree in history at Shippensburg University was one of the most worthwhile endeavors I ever pursued. The course work enhanced my understanding of the world and gave me the opportunity to improve my research skills. This enabled me to write a book, Shadow of Freedom, published by the Shippensburg University Press.

In addition to developing research skills, I believe SU's history program can enhance anyone's critical thinking and analytical skills. Studying history gives wisdom and helps people become better voters and citizens. It will also help people who are in decision-making positions in government, business, and education."

Garry Adelman '01M, History Associates Inc.
"I shelved my obsession with the American Civil War to apply my business degree to the restaurant industry. It wasn't long before my passion took over, however. I relocated from Chicago to Gettysburg where I opened a small restaurant and began study and writing about the battle that took place there. When I at last decided to pursue a history career full-time, left the restaurant business and I enrolled in the graduate program in history at Shippensburg University. I had already written two articles for The Gettysburg Magazine and co-authored my first book, Devil's Den: A History and Guide (1997 Thomas Publications). I have since written two more articles and published two more books. While my experience has been diverse, I feel that both my business degree as well as my studies in history will make me a better historian."