Sorry if this is the wrong subreddit for this, but I'm just wondering how difficult it is to complete a public history program. I'm currently working on a bachelor's in history, and I'm thinking about getting a master's in public history, but I'd like to get some insight as to how difficult it is, and what it involves. How did it compare to getting a bachelor's?
I went back and got my MA in public history a few years ago. For me it wasn't that hard. I always did well in class, enjoy reading, and had a good amount of professional experience to draw on for discussion. But I'll kind of outline a few things here for you to consider.
How are you currently doing academically? Graduate programs require a step up in effort. Are you a good writer? You're going to need to write a lot, and not just for your thesis. I generally had a written assignment every week for one of my classes. How do you do with undergrad readings for class? I had 2-300 pages of reading a week in my program. I was taking 3 classes a semester and we finished at least one book every week. As long as you can read and write, and aren't afraid to engage in meaningful discussion you'll be okay. The last thing to consider academically, at least for my program with anything under a B was considered a failure. I knew someone that the percentage rounded down to a B- and they had to retake the class.
Why do you want the MA? It's going to be stressful at times (maybe most of the time), so knowing why you're doing it will help you keep momentum.
Who is paying for this? Honestly if you are thinking of taking on debt for this, don't do it. Find a program that is funded, you might have a weird job while you're in, but don't pay for this yourself.
Use how you want to apply your degree when choosing your program. My degree is from a school that offers a specific public history MA. I also paved the way for others to follow by taking GIS coursework and getting that added to my degree. I'm currently working at a SHPO and have enjoyed applying my public history knowledge to historic preservation. I kind of knew where I wanted to go and that helped me when I was trudging through my GIS courses and producing that data for my thesis.
Once you start just keep moving forward. The workload is a lot, and balancing that with a job or internship can be a lot. But keep driving forward and work on time management to get it done. I learned a lot about life organization and workflow management while I worked full time and went to grad school.