MA in History

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

  • Baccalaureate Field Applicants must have either an undergraduate major in history or a minimum of 16 semester hours in history.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study. A GPA of 3.50/4.00 is recommended.
  • Minimum English Competency Test Score
    • TOEFL iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
    • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
    • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
  • Letters of Recommendation Three required, from former professors for the MA, MAT, and PhD.
  • Personal Statement Required.
  • Writing Sample Required.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 32.
  • Coursework At least 20 semester hours must be at the 500 level, and at least 16 semester hours must be in 500-level courses taught by the Department of History. Courses taken in a field other than history that are to count toward the degree need the approval of the advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Credit toward the degree is not given for any course in which the student received a grade of less than B.
  • Required Courses: 4 hours of the 500-level colloquia in the student’s major area. Students majoring in United States history must complete 8 hours of HIST 551 designated as the historiographical/bibliographical colloquium. Also included in the required 32 hours are 4 hours of HIST 552 and HIST 501, which are taken by all entering graduate students. 
  • Comprehensive Examination None required.
  • Thesis, Project, or Coursework-Only Options Coursework only. No other options are available.
  • Other Requirements Students must complete a significant research paper. The paper will originate in HIST 552, and a committee of three faculty (the instructor for HIST 552, the student's graduate advisor, and one additional faculty member in the student's area of concentration, to be selected by the director of graduate studies) will assess whether the student has passed this writing milestone. The research paper will present a historical analysis of an issue in the student's major field of study and be based on primary and secondary sources.
    Students must demonstrate reading knowledge in one (non-English) foreign language relevant to their course of study. Any additional foreign language requirement will be determined by the student’s advisor. 

Interdepartmental Concentrations

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include: