Joint Public History and Library & Information Science

Do you plan to work in a library or archives and want to create exhibits, digital projects or work with community partners? Are you aiming to build a career in collections management at a museum, historical society or government agency? The MAPH/MLIS may be the right degree for you!

Students in the joint degree program earn both a Master of Arts in Public History (MAPH) and a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) from Wayne State's School of Information Science (SIS). Wayne State's M.L.I.S. program is fully accredited by the American Library Association, which means graduates of our joint degree program are certified to work in secondary school, public, private, and academic libraries. Wayne State offers the only joint MAPH/MLIS in Michigan and is one of only a few such programs in the country. 

The joint degree program combines intellectual rigor with convenience and flexibility. All M.L.I.S. courses are offered online, and public history courses are offered both at our campus in the heart of Detroit's cultural center and online. (Please note, the MAPH/MLIS 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 MA/MLIS.)

Students interested in the archival field may elect to complete a Graduate Certificate in Archival Administration, which requires two additional courses beyond those taken for the joint degree. Students interested in the administration of libraries or historical agencies may elect to complete a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management, which requires one course beyond those taken for the joint degree.

International applicants must complete the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor's degree, including all state and external/internal examinations required for the degree. Some three-year general degrees (from Canada, India, Pakistan, France, Lebanon, etc.) may not be equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree. However, if you have completed an honors degree, additional undergraduate coursework beyond the three-year bachelor's degree, or a graduate degree, you may be considered for admission.

If you are applying to a master's program, your minimum undergraduate GPA must be 2.75 or its equivalent in upper division coursework. If you are applying to a doctoral program, your minimum undergraduate GPA must be 3.0 or its equivalent in upper division coursework.

Submit your transcript(s)

To begin the application review, upload unofficial copies of English-translated international transcripts from all post-secondary educational institutions from which you earned a bachelor's degree or higher, including Mark Sheets, if applicable. If you are admitted, you must submit an official course-by-course academic evaluation of your completed bachelor's degree.

Demonstrate English proficiency 

Non-native speakers of English must demonstrate English proficiency by meeting the minimum requirements. You are required to submit an official qualifying score meeting minimum Graduate School requirements. Send official test scores to Wayne State University Graduate Admissions, using the school code 1898.

To begin the application review, upload an unofficial copy of your English proficiency test score(s). Once admitted, an official test score must be submitted to Graduate Admissions.