Program Highlight | Fall 2007
Oral History Master of Arts Launched
In fall 2008, students in the nation's first master's degree program in oral history will begin their first semester at Columbia University. A partnership between ISERP and Oral History Research Office (OHRO) at the Columbia University Libraries, Oral History Master of Arts (OHMA) is an interdisciplinary program that links social science and humanities research and focuses on interviewing methodologies and interpretive methods.
"Oral history is an emerging field that centers on the documentation and interpretation of historical and sociological phenomena from the perspective of first-person interviews," said OHRO Director Mary Marshall Clark, who will co-direct the program with Peter Bearman. "This new program will allow students to have a deeper understanding of these changes and be better prepared for their professional needs. The program will also enable students to use the oral history training to improve their job prospects, as many academic institutions are incorporating oral history into their existing curricula."
OHMA trains students 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.
For information about admissions, tuition and financial aid, and to apply online, contact the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Admissions Office at 212-854-4737. For information about the OHMA program, visit the OHMA website or contact OHMA at 212-854-0435 or ecb2125@columbia.edu.
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