Oral History Master of Arts
Oral History Master of Arts (OHMA) is an interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree program in the field of oral history that focuses on interviewing methodologies and interpretative methods. OHMA links social sciences and humanities research across six disciplines: History, Sociology, Literature, Anthropology, Psychology and Public Health. OHMA also has practical applications in historic preservation, radio production, writing, and legal and human rights work.
OHMA trains students in how to conduct research through creating and analyzing interviews, and developing fieldwork projects to address historical and contemporary issues that require interdisciplinary investigation. The field of oral history supports research on immigration, migration, ethnicity, gender, politics, government and human rights. Students who are interested in conducting institutional and community histories will also benefit from this degree.
The program is designed for students who have a strong background and interest in social science and humanities research that is focused on living individuals, cultures and social groups. Students will be trained in field research methods, and encouraged to develop analytic skills to interpret their research from interdisciplinary perspectives.
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS AND COURSES
To complete the Master of Arts degree in Oral History at Columbia University, students take a minimum of 30 points of graduate courses credit, which includes an M.A. thesis. Specific requirements are listed below.
1. Completion of Four Core Courses
Oral History Method and Theory (4 credits)
This interdisciplinary course, taken in the fall semester, is an in-depth introduction to the theoretical writings in oral history on historical research, memory, interviewing methodologies, life history and the application of theoretical paradigms to specific fieldwork problems. Students will identify a field research project in the first three weeks of the semester and address the dynamics of the interview and fieldwork situation through theoretical analysis of the historic context in which the interview takes place. Students will also analyze the strengths and weaknesses of interviewing methods as they apply to existing disciplinary paradigms. The broader focus of the course is to introduce students to the wide array of theoretical issues raised by the intersection of history, memory and life story narratives in the effort to understand the recent past in relation to critical issues of interpretation in today's world.Oral History Fieldwork and Documentation (4 credits)
This course focuses on the methodology of oral history interviewing from the acquisition of digital sound files, to transcribing to the actual conduct of interviews in New York City communities. Students will conduct extensive interviews with one or more persons and write a methodological reflection on their own work as well as that of their peers. Issues of identity from gender, to sexuality, ethnicity, to class and other formations will be central to understand in relation to both the creation and interpretation of interviews. Students will explore the techniques of representing interviews in public presentations, multi-media environments and written essays. Students will also be exposed to best practices in recording, archiving preservation and disseminating oral history interviews, as well as ethical standards for the creation and use of interviews.Social Science Contributions to the Analysis of Narrative and Life History (4 credits)
This course considers the ways in which social scientists can utilize narrative and life history data. The focus throughout is on developing tools for the analysis of narrative and life history and using the analysis of life histories to inform basic problems in social science and historical research. The methodologies that social scientists use to work with sequential data in order to review temporal processes will be considered in some detail. The contexts that will be explored in depth are varied and critically important for the modern time; case histories for medical professionals, stories for human rights workers, historical accounts of complex event sequences, and the processes of becoming—an activist, a revolutionary, a drug-addict, and so on.Oral History Workshop (4 credits)
This course is organized as a year-long series of public seminars on the wide range of issues raised by a consideration of how oral history methodologies impact disciplines in the social sciences as well as the humanities. Scholars who have used oral history and narrative analysis in their research will be drawn from the New York area. Students will participate by responding to speakers, and drawing upon their presentations in their own thesis work.
2. Completion of Five Elective Courses
In addition to the core courses, OHMA students take five additional graduate-level courses. Two electives are designed specifically for OHMA students, From Oral History to Literary Narrative, and Oral History and Audio Documentary Production: Transforming the Word.
3. Completion of Thesis
All students complete an M.A. thesis under the supervision of the student's advisor and the OHMA program directors.
Well-prepared students can complete the degree in two semesters, though some prefer to study for three semesters.
FACULTY
Students will be advised by the directors of OHMA, or may choose an advisor from among the Columbia faculty. Some potential advisors are listed below; note, however, that this is not an exhaustive list of potential advisors.
ELAZAR BARKAN (INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS)
Human rights, history and reconciliation
PETER BEARMAN (SOCIOLOGY)
Comparative and historical sociology, social networks, social theory
ELIZABETH BLACKMAR (HISTORY)
U.S. history, urban history
ALEX BLUMBERG (JOURNALISM)
Radio documentary
MARY MARSHALL CLARK (ORAL HISTORY)
Oral history research methods, social memory, historic trauma
BARBARA FIELDS (HISTORY)
U.S. southern history, African American history
MANNING MARABLE (INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS)
African American history, contemporary history, oral history
MARIANNE HIRSCH (COMPARATIVE LITERATURE)
Cultural studies, gender studies, memory, trauma, performance
ELLEN MARAKOWITZ (ANTHROPOLOGY)
Ethnography, research on society and culture
PATRICIA O'TOOLE (NONFICTION WRITING)
U.S. history, nonfiction writing
LUISA PASSERINI (UNIVERSITY OF TURIN, ITALY; HISTORY)
History, memory, European politics, oral history
SAMUEL ROBERTS (HISTORY, PUBLIC HEALTH)
African American history, public health
DAVID ROSNER (HISTORY, PUBLIC HEALTH)
U.S. history, public health, public health institutions
LEO SPITZER (HISTORY)
South African history, oral history, memory
ANDERS STEPHANSON (HISTORY)
History, memory, historical research methods
ADMISSIONS
OHMA invites applications from students who have or will have received a baccalaureate granted by a college or a university of recognized standing by the time of enrollment. Required application materials include:
- Transcripts of all previous postsecondary education
- A personal statement
- CV/Resume
- Writing Sample (10-15 pages)
- Three letters of recommendation
- GRE scores
- TOEFL scores (if applicable)
Deadline Extended for Fall 2008 Semester, New Deadline: June 1, 2008
To Apply: Visit Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Application portal.
PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Mary Marshall Clark is Director of OHRO, a past president of the Oral History Association. Clark's recent work includes the formation of collective memory after traumatic events.
Peter Bearman is Director of ISERP and the Cole Professor of Social Science at Columbia University. His current research focuses on the autism epidemic.
