Graduate Programs in History

Degree Information

Learn more about the curriculum requirements for the M.A. and Ph.D. in History.

GRAD

History, M.A.

Deepen your understanding of the past and advance your career prospects.

• Oxford

GRAD

History, Ph.D.

Develop advanced research skills and a strong understanding of history's theory and methodology.

• Oxford

Graduate Program Coordinator

"A PhD in History from the University of Mississippi will prepare you to conduct in-depth research, critically analyze historical artifacts, and write persuasively about the past. We’d love to talk to you about how our faculty can support you during this next stage of your career."

Rebecca Katherine Marchiel

Associate Professor of History

• rkmarchi@olemiss.edu
• 662-915-7148

Program Information

Learn more about both graduate programs. For assistance, contact our Graduate Program Coordinator.

Application Process and Deadlines

Applications for admission to the graduate program are due October 1 for the Spring and December 1 for the Fall. There are not graduate assistantship opportunities available for students admitted to start in the spring, so those looking for funding should apply for a fall start term. Applications can be downloaded or completed at the Graduate School’s website. 

Applicants must:

• complete the application form available on the Graduate School’s website
• ensure that official transcripts of post-secondary study are uploaded to the secure internet portal set up by the Graduate School
• ensure that three letters of recommendation from people who can speak with authority about their potential as a graduate student in history are uploaded to the secure internet portal set up by the Graduate School
• upload a statement of purpose that describes their intellectual background and future goals to the secure internet portal set up by the Graduate School,

The department’s Graduate Advisory Committee makes its decision regarding each application after assessing all of the application materials together, and not by applying any rigid standard or mathematical formula.

Assistantships and Scholarships

The Department of History offers graduate assistantships that require assisting faculty with teaching or research. We offer competitive funding packages for students that center around graduate assistantships in the department. Students with a half-time graduate assistantship, corresponding with 20 hours of work per week, will also receive a full-tuition waiver (including out-of-state fees, if necessary), as well as subsidized student health insurance. Students with a quarter-time graduate assistantship, corresponding with 10 hours of work per week, will receive a 75% tuition waiver, along with subsidized student health insurance.

The Graduate School has a recruiting fellowship program that promotes academic excellence and access to graduate education to groups who are historically underrepresented. See the Graduate School’s financial aid page. 

John Neff Memorial Fund

The John Neff Memorial Fund provides an annual fund that supports the academic work of the department’s graduate students, as well as their contributions to the intellectual life of the university and local community.

Information about requirements and eligibility, the application form, and the required post-receipt report form can be found below.

• Funding Information Sheet for Graduate Students
• Application Form for Graduate Students
• Report Form

Summer Writing Fellowships

In addition to providing graduate student research awards, the John Neff Memorial Fund also offers summer writing fellowships to graduate students nearing the completion of a dissertation or thesis.

For information about requirements and eligibility, and to be considered for a Summer Writing Fellowship, please contact your advisor.

Summer Writing Fellowships are awarded at the beginning of April every year.

M.A. student with a specific Major Advisor (thesis track)

The thesis option requires 24 hours of courses and at least 6 hours of thesis credit. The student will write the thesis under the direction of a faculty adviser and evaluated by a committee consisting of the adviser and two other faculty members. The student will identify a committee by the beginning of the third semester in the program.

The student will present a thesis prospectus by the end of the third semester in the program for approval by the committee. A thesis director may require a student to have a facility in a foreign language or in quantitative skills relevant to the thesis. To complete the thesis, the student must pass an oral defense before the thesis committee.

M.A. student with a specific Major Advisor (non-thesis track)

The non-thesis option consists of 36 hours of course work. To complete the non-thesis M.A., a student must pass an oral exam in the candidate’s field of study that a three-member faculty committee will administer. The student will choose which option to pursue in consultation with faculty members familiar with his or her research interests and career goals.

Ph.D. Fields of Study

To gain admission to the doctoral program, an applicant must have earned an M.A. in history or its equivalent and have demonstrated distinct promise of success in advanced graduate study.

Additional course work required beyond the M.A. will include a minimum of 12 hours of work in the major field, at least 6 hours of work in each of two minor fields, and one research seminar. Doctoral students concentrate on a major field in which they must pass oral and written exams and two minor fields in which they must pass written exams. The major fields are:

• Africa
• Atlantic World
• Early Modern Europe
• Modern Europe
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Late Antiquity
• Medieval Europe
• United States History through Reconstruction
• United States History since the Civil War

Minor fields include the ten major fields as well as African-American, East Asian, Gender, Middle East, Southern, and Twentieth-Century World history. Other minor fields inside or outside the department may be selected and designed by the student in consultation with the Graduate Advisory Committee and the student’s dissertation director. Students must have course work outside of their geographical field of expertise. Additionally, a student may pursue a Ph.D. with a concentration in Gender Studies, in conjunction with the Isom Center.

Doctoral students must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language. This requirement may be met in one of two ways: by attaining a grade of B or higher in a fourth-semester language course (SPAN 211, FR 211, or GERM 211, for example) at the University of Mississippi, or in an equivalent course which has been completed within three calendar years prior to enrollment; by attaining a passing grade on a departmentally administered translation exam. In certain fields, more than one language may be required by the Graduate Advisory Committee. After completing the required coursework and fulfilling the foreign language requirement, a doctoral student must pass final written comprehensive examinations in the major and minor fields and an oral exam in the major field before beginning work on a dissertation.

The student will undertake a dissertation on a topic in one of the major fields by mutual agreement of the student and the dissertation director. The dissertation will be evaluated by a committee consisting of three history faculty members and a member of another department. This committee will administer a final oral examination on the dissertation.

History Graduate Association

The History Graduate Association is the independent graduate student organization within the Department of History. All M.A. and Ph.D. students and candidates are members of the organization by default. The association aims to facilitate the professionalization and socialization of the graduate students in the department, as well as serve as the intermediary between the student body and department leadership.

• Bylaws
• Instagram: @hga_um
• Facebook: UM History Graduate Association

Learn More About Our Current Graduate Students

Our graduate students come from all over the country and the world to study at UM! 

Current Masters Students 

Name	Name
Noah Barron	Foster Biyignandam
Harrison Dillard	Mary Margaret Freeman
Julian Flesch	Seth Idhe
Charles Jenkins	Mary Margaret Freeman
Hannah Mooring	Miracle Nduka
Chukwuzitere Nkemdirim	Sochima Okafor
Jewelissa Rief	Jack Russ

Current PhD Students

Name	Name
Muinat Adekeye	Phil Agee
Scott Blusiewicz	Andrew Boldt
David Bruno	Jordan Cleveland
Kelsea DuVall	Antonia Eliason
Flynn Evans	Bruce Hodell
Summer King	Abdul Kuba
April Little	Colin Mathison
Paul Mora	Austin Nicholson
Oyedele Oluokon	Kelsa Pellettiere
John Ridge	Anthony Cazares Rios
Charles Savage	Amberly Sheffield
Joel Sturgeon	Jeannie Thompson
Robrecus Toles	Mary Bathory Vidaver
Alex Ward	Lingyun Wu