Historians who want to help the public embrace the wonders of history find that earning a Master’s degree in public history allows them to have a rewarding career of sharing their passion with others. Public historians develop creative new ways to convey interesting facts and ideas to the world in a variety of settings.
Public history requires historians to use their knowledge to create presentations of history that are friendly to the public. You may encounter uses of public history on documentaries presented on television, in museums, in projects that are focused on preserving history, and so on. Basically, any space that presents history to the public will require the use of a trained historian.
Generally, public historians are employed outside of academia in positions that require public interaction of some sort, whether directly or indirectly. This is the main difference between a public historian and an academic historian.
Any place that history is made accessible to the general public is a place there the services of a public historian have been utilized. One may interact directly with the public or perform a more behind the scenes position that indirectly conveys information to people. Any historical organization, publication, or site will employ the professionals.
In any field, it is becoming useful to have a Master’s degree; this is true of public history as well. Employers are inclined to hire someone with more education and experience, and also likely to offer them higher wages. With a Bachelor’s degree in the field, you will be able to gain employment; however, people with a Master’s degree usually get the positions that deal directly with history.
While earning your Master’s degree, you may not be majoring in public history, but that does not mean you cannot benefit from the practicality of the field. Some schools offer the opportunity to specialize in public history or take courses on it even if it is not your major. Many students would benefit from exposing themselves to information about the field, as it is a vast field and offers many career options.
Your salary as a public historian will be dependent on your education, location, employer, among other factors. Earning your Master’s degree is a great way to up your earning potential, as more education translates into more money in your career. Most public historians tend to earn between $40,000 a year and $50,000 a year.
Working as a public historian is an opportunity to have a fulfilling career, in which you have the flexibility to perform many different tasks as a part of your job. Apply to online colleges and learn for an incredible value. Public historians are needed in many areas, and those with Master’s degrees are more likely to get hired over people with Bachelor’s degrees. With education from graduate online degrees, you can find your niche. If you are someone who loves working with the public as well as being a lifelong learner of historical information, then a career in this field will be a great fit for you!