Royal Holloway’s MA in Public History was launched in 2009 and is the most well-established programme of its kind in the United Kingdom, attracting applicants from across the world. The Department of History, which forms part of Royal Holloway’s School of Humanities, is both a leading European centre for public history and one of the most innovative, diverse and widely recognised departments in the country. Members of faculty regularly appear on television, radio and in the popular print media and many of our staff are also engaged in community-based projects that make important contributions to policy development and national debates.

This MA offers a unique qualification for those who hope to forge a career in the public history sector, and to work at a heritage site, in a museum, or in film, television or print journalism. Through a variety of highly engaging modules, students are trained in the professional skills of historical interpretation and communication and provided with opportunities to meet leading practitioners in the field, including popular historians, museum curators, public archivists, publishers and TV and radio producers.

The programme thus provides a dynamic and challenging combination of practical and theoretical learning for historians who are keen to communicate with a wide public audience and offers students a unique gateway to the heritage sector and to the world of popular media. Many of our graduates have gone on to establish rewarding careers in the heritage and public history sectors, working for the National Archives, BBC, the Imperial War Museum, and a whole range of more local institutions.

To learn more about the MA you can watch our introductory video below and visit the course page on the Royal Holloway website.