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Public History and Heritage

MA

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:
October 2026
Study route:

  • One year full-time, on campus

  • One year full-time, online

  • One year full-time, flexible learning

  • Two years part-time, on campus

  • Two years part-time, online

  • Two years part-time, flexible learning

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | Flexible learning | On campus | Online

Course overview

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 also have the opportunity to undertake a work placement in public history and heritage, and complete a creative portfolio project alongside your dissertation.

  • What will I learn?

    This MA will introduce you to key aspects and issues of the practice. You will also develop the necessary theoretical and practical 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 follow your interests by specialising intensively in public history and heritage and choosing option modules from a wide range of historical subjects.

  • How will I learn?

    On this course you will learn through a mixture of seminars, lectures, workshops and site visits. Classes follow an evening timetable and some modules may be available to attend online as well as on campus.

    You will also have the opportunity to undertake a work placement to help you gain valuable work experience and networking opportunities in one of the most respected heritage sectors in the world.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time: Two to three evenings a week, October to July.

    Part-time: One to two evenings a week, October to July.

  • Flexible Master's - remove this section if not on live course page

    This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.

    If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • As well as being one of the leading universities for public history and heritage, 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, with its library, training facilities and seminars; the British Museum, with its extensive collection of classical antiquities; and the British Library, the largest national library in the world.
  • 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 during your studies and beyond, 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. One of the most influential historians of the twentieth century, Eric Hobsbawm taught at Birkbeck for over five decades and embodied what is central to our teaching and research: a continued commitment to critical enquiry and public engagement.

Modules and Teaching

School of Historical Studies

The school is intensively interdisciplinary and its research and teaching covers every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century.

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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.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement 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. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

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Fees

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, online, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, flexible learning, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this MA Public History and Heritage, you will have gained an array of important 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 as well as academic research and writing projects
  • the ability to support, encourage, develop and execute projects in your community, for yourself, or for your organisation.

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.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

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Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

Related courses

Study routes for Public History and Heritage (MA)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in October 2026

Full-time

Part-time