Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
53 Washington Square South
Room 704
New York, NY 10012-1098
United States
Contact
Degrees/Certificates Offered
- Advanced Certificate in Archives
- Advanced Certificate in Public History
- M.A. in Archives and Public History with a concentration in Archives
- M.A. in Archives and Public History with a concentration in Public History
- M.A./MSLIS dual degree in conjunction with Long Island University
- Ph.D. in History with Advanced Certificate in Archives
- Ph.D. in History with Advanced Certificate in Public History
Programs Offered
Program Philosophy
The program seeks to provide students with a solid theoretical grounding, exposure to contemporary professional trends, and collaboration with broader communities necessary for success in the archives and public history fields. Specific goals include providing a dynamic intellectual environment where students:
- Receive the conceptual tools, practical skills, and intellectual engagement necessary to engage a rapidly changing profession
- Explore theoretical issues relating to such topics as memory, heritage, commemoration, historic preservation, and the role of the archive.
- Participate in research projects in which faculty and students systematically study and explore issues of significance to the broader professional community.
- Explore the multi-disciplinary roots of the archival profession and receive adequate training in relevant humanities, social science, and information science subjects.
- Engage in free and open professional discourse, remaining receptive to multiple voices, opinions, and methodological approaches.
- Develop an ethical approach to archival practice. -Study the significance, limitations, and historical context of the current information revolution and changing informational technologies.
Facilities
The program operates in close conjunction with the Elmer Holmes Bobst Library and Study Center, one of the largest open-stack research libraries in the nation, with more than 2.9 million books and journals, plus microforms, video- and audiotapes, and other materials. Major archives and special collections at NYU that are affiliated with the program include: the Tamiment Institute/Ben Josephson Library on the history of radicalism in the United States; the Robert F. Wagner Archives on the history of the New York City Labor Movement; the New York University Archives; and the Fales Library of English and American Literature since 1750. The program also works closely with the University's Academic Computing Facility. A variety of state-of-the-art facilities and computer laboratories exist on campus where students can develop web sites, craft multi-media presentations, and explore other technological applications to archives. The program also cross-lists courses with several other established and respected NYU programs, including the Museum Studies Program and the Tisch School's program in Moving Image Archives. The program has fostered a number of cooperative relationships and internship opportunities with the rich array of archival and manuscript repositories in the New York City metropolitan area as well.
Practicum/Internships/Assistantships Offered?
The Program offers several types of Practicum experiences. Students enroll in an Internship Seminar course during their second semester, where they are required to complete 120 hours working in an approved archival repository on a project that has been defined in conjunction with the Director. Students enrolled in advanced courses and independent studies also have engaged in a variety of Practicum experiences, including such activities as: mounting on-line exhibits; participating in digitization studies; working with institutions to develop institutional archival and history programs; and implementing automated description programs.
Research
All M.A. students are required to complete one seminar course that involves conducting an independent project based on primary source research. Various archives courses throughout the program also mandate research papers, and a capstone "Research Seminar" class provides students with the opportunity to craft a thesis or some other project, developed in conjunction with the Director. Students also have the opportunity to work on ongoing research projects within the history department, including the Margaret Sanger Papers Project and the Papers of Jacob Leisler. The Wagner Labor Archives, University Archives, and Fales Collection also have several possibilities for collaborative research projects.