Students in this joint program will earn both a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) and Master of Arts in Public History (MAPH) degree. Graduates of the program benefit from the joint preparation in public history and library and information science and increase their potential for finding employment in either field. Students are prepared to enter a new workforce with the skills to appraise and describe historical records, create and maintain websites, preserve electronic documents, and communicate with a public audience. Upon successful completion of this program students will be prepared for employment in a wide range of settings, including libraries, archives, museums, state and federal agencies and the private sector.

Public history is applied history, and the MAPH leads to employment in occupations as diverse as museum work, library and archival research, public policy analysis, documentary filmmaking, state and national parks, and tourism. Public historians provide an essential service by making historical scholarship accessible to a broad public audience. Libraries, archives and other institutions that hire information management professionals increasingly seek employees who can communicate with broad public audiences about their collections and holdings, and who can create exhibits and public programming. The MAPH/MLIS joint degree program responds to the changing professional expectations for librarians and archivists.

Amber Harrison, MLIS/MAPH graduate 

It was essential that I found an exploratory yet comprehensive program that ensured employability in the cultural heritage field. I've gained numerous diverse job experiences and expanded my professional network, all thanks to Wayne State's innovative joint degree program.

Requirements

Students complete a minimum of 55 credits total for both degrees (14 hours are double-counted). For the MAPH degree, students complete 33 hours of MAPH credits, inclusive of 8 hours of INF credits that will also count toward the student's MLIS degree. In SIS, students complete 30 hours of INF credits and 6 hours of History credits, for a total of 36 credits. The History credits would also count toward the student's MAPH electives.

Applicants to this program must be admitted to both the School of Library and Information Sciences and the Department of History MAPH program. (Please note, the MLIS/MAPH cannot be earned entirely online and prospective students should expect to complete some courses in person. Applicants wishing to earn an entirely online degree should instead consider the MLIS/MA degree.)