Online AA in Public and Digital History Build a Foundation in Public History, Digital Archives, and Historical Interpretation
60
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 75% of the degree total
Next Start Dates: January 18, 2027 | February 15, 2027 | March 22, 2027
Available Spring 2027
Bring History to Life with an Online AA Degree in Public and Digital History
History lives in letters, landmarks, archives, family records, museums, and the digital spaces people use every day. If you want to help preserve the past and share it with others, an online public and digital history degree can give your interest a practical direction. Public and digital history focuses on making historical knowledge useful, clear, and accessible beyond the classroom. That makes this field a strong fit for students who enjoy research, communication, culture, and storytelling.
Liberty University’s Associate of Arts (AA) in Public and Digital History brings together historical research, interpretation, preservation, and digital communication. In this public and digital history AA degree online, you’ll explore how historical information can be shared through museums, archives, social media, online platforms, and community projects. Our program connects the study of history with public-facing skills that can support further education or entry-level work in history-related settings.
For many students, a public and digital history AA degree is a meaningful first step toward a larger academic or professional goal. At Liberty, this program is designed as a pathway into Liberty’s bachelor’s in history. You’ll study history through a values-driven lens that emphasizes integrity, cultural awareness, and careful stewardship of the past. Along the way, Liberty’s online format can help you pursue your degree while balancing your current responsibilities.
For students enrolling today, who are placed on the current academic year’s degree completion plan, the officially conferred degree name will be Associate of Arts (AA) in Public and Digital History. Degree details, including name, may be subject to change between academic terms.
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What Sets Us Apart?
- Private Nonprofit University
- 600+ Online Degrees
- No Standardized Testing for Admission
- Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
- Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree
Why Choose an AA in Digital and Public History Degree Online?
An AA in Public and Digital History can help you connect your love of the past with tools used in today’s public history spaces. Liberty’s online program is built for students who want more than a general history overview. It focuses on research, preservation, digital media, and communication. These areas can help you explore how history reaches real people in real communities.
Because the program is offered online, you can study from where you are without relocating to campus. Liberty’s online learning environment gives you access to faculty support, digital resources, and coursework designed for distance learners. If you’re working, serving in the military, caring for family, or returning to school as an adult learner, this format can offer needed flexibility. At the same time, you’ll engage with a university community that values academic quality and ethical service.
Liberty’s public history degree online also gives attention to practical contexts where history is preserved and shared. Museums, libraries, historical societies, churches, community groups, and digital media spaces all rely on people who can handle historical information with care. In our program, you can examine how historical stories can be organized, interpreted, and presented to different audiences.
This online AA degree in public and digital history can also be a smart choice if you’re thinking ahead to a bachelor’s degree down the road. Many of the credits you earn can apply toward further study, including Liberty’s bachelor’s in history program, so you’ll have options to keep building on this degree if you choose, all while completing a focused, associate-level credential in the meantime. If you’re comparing types of history majors, this option stands out because it blends public engagement with digital communication. That blend can help you explore both traditional history work and newer ways of sharing the past online.
What Will You Study in an AA in Public and Digital History Degree Online?
Every artifact, interview, photograph, and record can carry part of a larger story. In Liberty’s digital history degree online, you’ll study how historians research, interpret, and communicate those stories with accuracy and care. You’ll explore the historical discipline itself, including research methods, historical interpretation, source evaluation, and career-related contexts. These core topics can help you understand how history is studied and presented responsibly.
Public history coursework will introduce you to the ways history is shared outside traditional academic settings. Rather than focusing only on textbooks or lectures, our program covers museums, archives, preservation projects, oral history, documentary editing, event planning, and public historical issues. You’ll examine how public historians connect evidence, place, memory, and audience. Through this focus, you can study how history becomes meaningful in community, cultural, and organizational settings.
Digital tools are another major part of Liberty’s AA in Public and Digital History. You’ll explore how technology can be used to research, interpret, and present historical content in accessible online formats. Topics such as digital media, online platforms, and history-focused communication can help you think about how people encounter the past through screens as well as physical spaces.
Historic preservation adds another practical layer to this public history degree. You’ll study the designation of historic sites, the documentation of structures and landscapes, and the principles connected to physical preservation. Genealogy, oral history, and social media topics will help you examine how personal stories and public platforms shape historical understanding. Together, these areas can help you build a foundation for further study and for exploring history degree jobs in public-facing settings.
Potential History Career Opportunities
- Church historian
- Digital collections librarian
- Heritage documentation specialist
- Museum technician
- Preservation technician
- Vital records specialist
Featured Courses
- HIST 300 – Historical Methodology
- HIST 305 – Introduction to Public History*
- HIST 306 – Digital History*
- HIST 311 – History and Social Media
*Course guide coming soon
Course Format
We offer both 8-week and full-semester sub-terms each semester. While many online courses can be taken in the 8-week format, some programs require courses that must be taken in the full-semester term. Some courses may require additional approvals or information prior to registration.
In addition to these formats, some courses may be required to be taken in intensive or alternative formats, which may include scheduled meeting times, travel to campus, or required login sessions.
You can view specific sub-term offerings and requirements in the Course Registration Tool.
Degree Information
- This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences.
- View the Undergraduate Arts and Sciences Course Guides (login required).
Degree Completion Plan coming soon
Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Tuition & Aid
At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Many of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2026 when compared to our leading online competitors.
To continue our mission of providing affordable education, electronic textbooks are provided for all undergraduate courses at no additional cost to you. As a full-time student, this could save you an estimated $800-2,000 per year on textbooks!
| Undergraduate Full Time | $410/Credit |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate Part Time | $475/Credit |
| Military Undergraduate | $250/Credit |
These rates are reflective of academic year 2026-2027. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for Our AA in Public and Digital History
Admission Requirements
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9595.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
- Send official high school transcripts or official GED test scores.*
- Students may be allowed to enroll in up to 12 credit hours with Liberty with the submission of our High School Self-Certification Form (login required – you will first need to claim your Liberty Account).
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system).
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
- Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
*Official high school transcript requirement may be waived with college transcripts from an accredited college/university showing at least 12 earned credit hours with an acceptable GPA.
Note: A 2.0 or above cumulative GPA is required for admission in good standing.
Transcript Policies
High School Transcript Policy
Applicants may submit a High School Self-Certification Form in lieu of a final official high school transcript in order to enroll in up to 12 credit hours at Liberty University.
- Applicants may submit a college transcript showing 12 or more credits from an accredited institution and a High School Self-Certification Form in lieu of high school transcripts.
Students must submit official high school transcripts, or official college transcripts showing at least 12 credit hours earned with an acceptable grade point average (GPA) from an accredited institution, in order to register for additional courses.
The official high school transcript, GED requirement, and High School Self-Certification Form can be waived if the applicant has earned an associate degree or higher.
Final transcripts must reflect all coursework and final grades received for grades 9-12, a graduation date, and an overall GPA. (Mailed transcripts must be in a sealed and unopened envelope.)
Unofficial College Transcript Policy
Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:
- Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
- Cumulative GPA
- A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
- Degree and date conferred (if applicable)
Official College Transcript Policy
An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.
If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Military Transfers
If you have military-only transfer credits (completed basic training and enlistment), you must request an official military transcript. Please go to the Military Transfer Credit webpage to request your military transcript.
International Applicants
If you are an international applicant, you may be required to have your international transcripts reviewed. Information regarding the transcript evaluation process for international students can be found by visiting NACES.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
Admissions Office Contact Information
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
Ready to Apply?
Submit your application online or over the phone.
Military
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.
Who May Qualify?
- Active Duty
- Reserve/National Guard
- Veterans/Retirees
- Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
- Current Department of Defense Employees
Available Benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $250 per credit hour for undergraduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $565 per course)*
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
- Potential college credit for military training
*Not applicable to certificates.
These rates are reflective of academic year 2026-2027. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Frequently Asked Questions About Liberty’s AA in Public and Digital History
What is an Associate of Arts in Public and Digital History?
An Associate of Arts in Public and Digital History is an undergraduate degree that combines historical study with public communication and digital tools. Liberty’s program covers research, interpretation, preservation, digital media, and public engagement. If you’re drawn to museums, archives, local history, genealogy, or online storytelling, this degree can help you explore those interests through an academic framework.
What careers can I pursue with a public history degree?
If you’re asking what you can do with a history degree, the answer depends on your experience, education, and long-term goals. Public history degree careers can include roles such as museum assistant, archival assistant, library services assistant, genealogy research assistant, historic site interpreter, digital history assistant, historical society program assistant, and community history project coordinator. Some roles may require additional education, training, certification, or experience beyond an associate degree.
Is Liberty University’s AA in Public and Digital History online accredited?
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). That institutional accreditation applies to Liberty University as a whole.
What is the difference between public history and digital history?
Public history focuses on sharing history with audiences outside traditional academic settings. It often connects to museums, archives, historical societies, preservation work, oral history, community education, and historic sites. Digital history focuses on using digital tools to research, organize, interpret, and present historical content. In Liberty’s program, both areas work together so you can explore how history is preserved and communicated in physical and online spaces.
Can I transfer credits toward a bachelor’s degree after completing the AA?
Yes, while there is no official connection, this degree is designed to help with a transition into our bachelor’s program in history, and all of your credits should apply smoothly toward that path. You may also be able to apply credits toward other bachelor’s degrees, though the fit can vary more depending on the program. Either way, your exact transfer pathway depends on grades, course selections, catalog requirements, and academic policies. An admission or advising representative can help you review how this AA fits your next step, whether that’s history or another field.
How much does Liberty University’s online history degree cost?
Tuition for Liberty University’s online programs can vary based on program level, enrollment status, military status, and current university policies. For the most accurate cost details, you can review our Tuition and Fees page. You can also speak with Liberty’s admissions team about available aid options, transfer credit, and military benefits. That conversation can help you better understand the total cost of your online AA degree in public and digital history.
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