Brown University Master of Arts in public humanities

Brown University’s Master of Arts in public humanities offers City Year AmeriCorps members, alums and staff

40% scholarships

All City Year applicants who are accepted to the Master of Arts in public humanities program are eligible for up to 40% annual tuition scholarships.

Scholarships are awarded to City Year AmeriCorps members and alums who complete at least one term of service and City Year staff employed for at least two years.

The scholarships described above represent the minimum awards; applicants will be considered for additional aid based on the strength of their application.

Additional benefits

• Application fee waiver
• Enrollment deferral: Admitted students may defer enrollment by one year if they decide to stay with City Year for additional time before starting their studies.

Why City Year loves Brown University’s Master of Arts in public humanities

The master’s program in public humanities offers a dynamic interdisciplinary opportunity for students interested in careers in museums, historical societies, cultural planning agencies, heritage tourism, historic preservation and community arts programs. The John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, home of the Master of Arts program in public humanities, sponsors many workshops, lecturers and visitors. Students undertake two practicums (one credited; one uncredited but required) gaining professional experience and the opportunity to reflect on the theory and practice of the field. Students are also encouraged to take courses in departments across the university and at the Rhode Island School of Design. Students are also able to cross-register for classes at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In recent years, students have found placements at museums; universities; state, city and federal agencies; and archives and libraries.

To apply

Admission to the program has been tentatively paused for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Please visit the public humanities’ application page for program updates and information about applying for future admissions cycles.

To identify your City Year affiliation

If available, please check the “City Year” box on the online application. Otherwise, please contact the admissions office and state your affiliation with City Year and reference our partnership.

To access the application fee waiver and apply for the scholarship

To request an application fee waiver, complete the “application fee waiver request” on the online application. In addition, you must send a service verification letter to publichumanities@brown.edu at least 3 days prior to the program’s application deadline. Failure to do so will result in an incomplete application and require you to resubmit your application with the appropriate payment. Within the email, state your full legal name and the name of the program to which you are applying and include “Fee Waiver Materials” in the subject line of the email.

To be considered for the scholarship, a service verification letter must be requested by emailing alumni@cityyear.org with “Brown University MA in public humanities” in the subject line. Within the email, include the site where you served and your AmeriCorps graduation month and year. This letter will be sent electronically by City Year to the admissions office and added to your applicant file.

To contact the admissions office

Please call (401) 863-1177 or email publichumanities@brown.edu to connect with the admissions office.

Please call (401) 863-6110 or email lubar@brown.edu to contact the Interim Director of Graduate Studies for the master’s program in public humanities, Steve Lubar, with any questions.

Please note that all admissions and scholarship decisions are made by the educational institution. AmeriCorps members, alums and staff interested in these scholarships must complete the full application process for the institution. Please pay close attention to deadlines and consider beginning work on your applications early in the year.