Master of Arts/PhD in History - Public History in Santa Barbara United States | University of California, Santa Barbara

In 1976, UC Santa Barbara established Public History as a professional field through a Rockefeller Foundation grant, designed to prepare historians for careers outside traditional academia. Over the years, the program has graduated over 100 students who utilize their historical expertise in diverse public settings—including museums, heritage sites, corporations, government offices, nonprofits, and private foundations. To address the varied needs of different audiences, the UCSB curriculum equips students with comprehensive historical training, ensuring they master scholarly methods, literature, and interpretive discussions while remaining attuned to the unique demands of public-facing historical work. Public history students frequently collaborate with the History Department's extensive faculty to tailor their research and coursework. They also gain hands-on experience through local internships, such as at the Santa Barbara Mission Archives Library (home to the Franciscan Archives of the West) and the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, which operates public-facing sites like the historic Presidio and Casa de la Guerra, as well as the Santa Ynez Mills.