During a year in the Oral History MA program at Columbia University, students hone skills in digital audio and video production, editing, archiving, project design, interviewing, and historical/social science analysis. Working with an OHMA faculty member and an outside advisor, each student is guided through the process of creating an oral history thesis project. Many of our students work at the intersections of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Past projects have taken the form of academic and creative essays, film and audio documentaries, performances, exhibits, and multimedia websites.

On ORAL HISTORY WORKS, you will find a selection of student projects, including short audio and video pieces produced as part of classes, work from our annual student exhibits, and thesis projects.

This website was developed (and in 2021 was updated) in partnership with Columbia University’s Center for Teaching and Learning, with support from the Digital Humanities Center and Columbia University Libraries. Special thanks to CTL staff Andre Laboy and Ellen Maleszewski, OHMA student and digital humanities fellow Mario Alvarez, OHMA project coordinator and event photographer Erica Fugger, and Digital Publishing Librarian Michelle E. Wilson for their collaborative contributions.