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Simmons offers several dual master’s degrees that provide opportunity for further specialization.

History and Archives Management (M.A./M.S.)

Increasingly, archival employers have recognized that archivists require both technical skills and historical knowledge, and they seek applicants with master’s degrees in both library and information science and history. In government jobs, an understanding of U.S. history and politics is particularly important. To meet the needs of students who are pursuing archival positions, Simmons’s Graduate School of Library and Information Science (GSLIS) and the College of Arts and Sciences history department offer a dual-degree program in history and archives management leading to a Master of Science (M.S.) in Library and Information Science and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in History. The M.A. in History is offered only in conjunction with the dual-degree program.

The 56-credit archives management/history dual-degree program includes required courses in library and information science, archives management, historical methods and research, and history. Students do internships at Boston institutions such as the Massachusetts State Archives, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the John F. Kennedy Library, and the U.S.S. Constitution Museum, and complete a thesis project based on archival research. Full-time students may complete the program in approximately two years. Part-time students must complete the program within six years of enrollment. Applicants to this dual-degree option must be admitted to both programs.

To learn more, please visit the opens in a new browser window Graduate School for Library and Information Science site and download the program fact sheet.

Teaching and Liberal Arts (MAT/M.A.)

Simmons’s innovative dual-degree program prepares students for teaching licensure while simultaneously providing a concentration in a chosen area of liberal arts. This 60-credit program leads to a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) plus a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Children’s Literature, English, Gender/Cultural Studies, or Spanish. Students work simultaneously toward both degrees and, upon successful completion of the program, are certified as elementary, middle, or high school teachers. Full-time students can complete the program in approximately two years. Part-time students must complete the program within six years of enrollment. MAT/Liberal Arts graduates are well positioned for leadership roles as department heads, lead teachers, or curriculum coordinators.

To learn more, please visit our Liberal Arts Program pages: Children’s Literature, English, Gender/Cultural Studies, or Spanish, and our Master of Arts in Teaching page.

Communications Management (M.S.) and Gender/Cultural Studies (M.A.)

Adding a theoretical and culturally progressive approach to Communications Management and a practical component to Gender/Cultural Studies, this unique dual degree combines the intellectually rigorous approach to gender studies and cultural theory of the Gender/Cultural Studies program with the strategic thinking and practitioner approach of Communications Management. Responding to a constantly changing professional culture and the increasing number of corporations working to broaden their definitions of diversity, this program incorporates issues including cultural diversity, gender equality, and effective communication strategies, while focusing on communications, cultural theory, diversity, gender politics, and the marketplace. Career options for graduates of this program include positions in diversity consulting, human resources, employee communications, advocacy organizations, and more. To learn more about this dual degree program, view the program fact sheet.

Writing for Children (M.F.A.) and Children's Literature (M.A.)

Recognizing the number of adults concerned with sharing a rich literary heritage with young people and dedicated to more effectively eliciting refined responses to literature, the Center for the Study of Children's Literature offers a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Writing for Children and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Children's Literature. This dual degree program engages students in a rigorous and disciplined academic study of children's literature. The MFA program has a strong theoretical underpinning and applies a high level of scholarly analysis to children's literature in order for students to develop a critical vocabulary essential for appraising text and illustration. The M.A. program engages students in a rigorous and disciplined academic study of children's literature, providing specialized study to those who are, or intend to be, involved in academia, library services, editing, publishing, or affiliated fields. The curriculum emphasizes historical and critical analysis, including feminist, ideology, and multicultural perspectives, with interdisciplinary coursework drawing upon art, history, education, sociology, psychology, and media studies. This 14 course program requires the following courses: CHL 401, CHL 403, CHL 413, CHL 414, CHL 421, one historical course, two writing courses, three electives, and three courses of independent study with a mentor. To learn more about these individual degree programs, view the Writing for Children or Children's Literature fact sheets, or visit the program websites.

Children's Literature (M.A.) and Library Science (M.S.)

This dual degree program offers a unique opportunity for students interested in the synthesis and comparison of two unique approaches to children's literature to earn a professional (Master of Science) and an applied (Master of Arts) degree. As children's literature has re-entered mainstream discussions of both adult's and young people's reading, librarians, teachers, booksellers, and publishers are becoming more interested in critical and pragmatic discussions of this diverse and growing body of texts. The Center for the Study of Children's Literature at Simmons has administered a Master of Arts in Children's Literature that studies historical, critical, and theoretical contexts in works for children. The Graduate School of Library and Information Science has offered specialized literature and services courses to those students interested in increasing their familiarity with these materials with an eye towards professional youth services in libraries. While both graduate degree programs reference the same literary history and body of material, each is characterized by distinct perspectives and methodologies. To learn more about this dual degree program, download the fact sheet.

English (M.A.) and Children's Literature (M.A.)

To learn more about these individual degree programs, view the English or Children's Literature fact sheets, or visit the program websites for English and Children's Literature. You may also contact the Office of Graduate Studies Admission.

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Hobson Woodward

“Simmons can offer great assistance with internship and permanent job placements because they’ve got wonderful connections and established relationships in the field. I’m thrilled to be working at the Mass Historical Society where I am transcribing original letters to and from President John Adams. The experience is valuable and I know the professional contacts I establish here will help me to achieve my career goals.”

—Hobson Woodward ’04 M.A. History, M.S. Archives Management
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