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Public History and Heritage at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS

Course options

2025 - 2026
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

This MA Public History and Heritage offers you the chance to understand public history and heritage and all its dynamism and diversity. You will explore public historians’ shared commitment to making history relevant, beneficial, informative and instructive. This course also equips you with the tools to critically engage with the challenges, controversies and possibilities of the field. 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 have the opportunity to undertake a work placement 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 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 choose from a wide range of option modules. How you will learn You will learn through a mixture of seminars, lectures, workshops and site visits. Classes follow an evening timetable and some modules may offered online as well as on campus. You will also have the opportunity to undertake a work placement and networking opportunities in one of the most respected heritage sectors in the world. This course is part of our new Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of studying on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both. Highlights
  • 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, the British Museum and the British Library.
  • 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, 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.
Careers and employability On successfully graduating from this course, you will have gained an array of 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, academic research and writing projects
  • the ability to support, encourage, develop and execute projects.
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.

Modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.

Assessment method

Assessment is via written work, with a different essay for each module, and a dissertation of 15,000-16,000 words.

How to apply

International applicants

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.

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.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £5535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £5535 Year 1
Scotland £5535 Year 1
Wales £5535 Year 1
International £10170 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases.
Public History and Heritage at Birkbeck, University of London - UCAS