The Loyola Department of History and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) of Dominican University in River Forest, IL, cooperate to offer a joint program leading to two separate degrees: Master of Arts in Public History and Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS).

The joining of two applied degree programs, public history and library science, provides interested students with the opportunity to combine historical training with a more focused educational background in archives and library science. The joint program allows students to complete work on the two degrees in a shorter time than if each degree were pursued separately. In addition, it provides a more focused and structured education in archives than either degree program does individually.

Curriculum

The Master of Arts in Public History/Master of Library and Information Science with Dominican University requires 24 credit hours (including an internship) taken in Loyola University Chicago's history department, a public history portfolio, comprehensive examination, and 30 credit hours from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University. Information about the MLIS course requirements can be found on the Dominican University website.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Courses
HIST 400	Twentieth Century Approaches to History	3
One 500-level Research Seminar		3
Three Public History courses		9
HIST 479	Public History Media
HIST 480	Public History: Method & Theory (Required)
HIST 481	Management of Historic Resources
HIST 482	Archives & Record Management
HIST 487	Management of History Museums
Two Minor Field courses		6
HIST 582	Public History Internship	3
Total Hours		24

Comprehensive Examination

Toward the end of their graduate program, public history students must pass a two-hour oral examination in the field of public history before a two-person faculty committee, one of whom must be the Public History Program Director. There is no examination in the minor field, but students must maintain at least a B average (3.0) in the three minor field courses.

Public History Portfolio

The portfolio, which represents the capstone of the program, documents the achievements of master’s students and thereby identifies their strengths, weaknesses and abilities as professional historians. Students begin compiling their portfolio during the first semester in the program. The portfolio will be evaluated by the student’s faculty advisor annually, and the final version will be submitted to the faculty committee a minimum of two days prior to the oral exam.

Graduate & Professional Standards and Regulations

Students in graduate and professional programs can find their Academic Policies in Graduate and Professional Academic Standards and Regulations under their school. Any additional University Policies supercede school policies.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MA in Public History and MLIS in Library and Information Science at Dominican University, graduates will be able to: 

• Use public history methods and theories to share historical interpretation with a broad range of public audiences;
• Apply new media digital tools to the preservation and presentation of archival material;
• Utilize the best professional practices to preserve, catalog, and present historical artifacts and records;
• Understand and employ local, state, and federal preservation rules to establish the significance of historic properties;
• Demonstrate the ability to work with public history institutions to make the past relevant to diverse communities;
• Perform historical research in archives and libraries and evaluate the provenance, context, validity, and biases of these sources from the past;
• Apply the necessary research skills to produce original scholarship on a chosen historical topic using primary sources while evaluating the validity, context, and biases of secondary source literature produced by other scholars;
• Demonstrate the ability to deploy multiple forms of communication (written, oral, and new media) to discuss their own historical scholarship and graduate-level knowledge of their chosen fields;
• Demonstrate expertise in archival management;
• Employ strategies and best practices for preservation planning and management of preservation programs and resources;
• Assume professional responsibilities in the library and information field.