Course General Description

This cross-disciplinary degree with two interrelated emphases (material culture and public humanities) shares common intellectual issues and employment goals. Material culture is the study of material or physical objects, as well as the placement of those objects in critical, theoretical and historical perspectives as the products of distinct cultures. Public humanities bridges the divide between academia and the public by encouraging dialogue between scholars and communities on cultural and social issues. This MA degree prepares graduates to interpret material culture and engage communities with humanities issues within informed historical/ cultural frameworks, so that they are prepared for a wide range of careers in museums, historical societies, and community and cultural organizations. The curriculum entails a minimum of 30-credits of graduate courses. Those students who wish to also complete a thesis will take an additional 6 credits, for a total of 36-credits. Those seeking funding through a GA or GTA, applicants should apply by February 15; final application deadline is April 15.

School General Description

As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers about 280 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 34,000 students and manages a research portfolio of more than $531 million. The university fulfills its role as a land-grant institution by fostering a collaborative environment that integrates technology into all disciplines, so that the Virginia Tech community can serve as a force for positive change around the commonwealth, the country, and the world. Through experiential learning, future-focused research, and an inclusive, spirited culture, Virginia Tech strives to accomplish the charge of its motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). Virginia Tech has a 2,600-acre main campus, educational and research facilities across the state, a study-abroad site in Switzerland, and a 1,800-acre agriculture research farm near the main campus. The campus proper is located in the town of Blacksburg in Montgomery County in the New River Valley and is 38 miles southwest of Roanoke. Inspired by our land-grant identity and guided by our motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech is an inclusive community of knowledge, discovery, and creativity dedicated to improving the quality of life and the human condition within the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the world.