History, M.A.
Deepen your understanding of the past and advance your career prospects.
About the Master of Arts in History
The Department of History in the College of Liberal Arts offers the M.A. in History as either a thesis or nonthesis option. Students may study a variety of topics and chronological sweeps of American and European history, as well as much of the histories of Africa, Latin America, and East Asia.
Accelerated Master's Degree in History
Undergraduate history majors who have completed 90 credits as an undergraduate with a GPA of 3.0 or greater can begin earning credit toward an M.A. in history, while completing their B.A. in history. They can thus earn the M.A. in only one additional year of graduate work after completion of the B.A. degree.
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Program Information
Degree
M.A. in History
Required Credit Hours
30 hours
Program Type
Master's Program
Program Location
School
Duration
2 years
Reach out to our Graduate Program Coordinator
I'm excited to answer any questions you may have about the Master of Arts in History at the University of Mississippi. If you have any questions or need any additional information about our wonderful program and the opportunities it offers, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Rebecca Katherine Marchiel
Associate Professor of History
M.A. in History Program Details
Explore the Master of Arts in History—how to apply, the classes you'll take, and funding opportunities!
APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 1 (for Spring entry) or December 1 (for Fall entry)
The Department of History welcomes student applications with the following materials. Additional details about the application process are found on the department website.
- Complete the Graduate School’s Online Application.
- Pay the application fee ($60).
- Submit official transcripts.
- International applicants whose first language is not English may be required to submit scores from an acceptable English language proficiency test.
- Upload Supplemental Application materials for the Department of History to the link provided in the online application.
- Statement of purpose: describe your intellectual background and future goals.
- Three letters of recommendation: provide contact information for three recommenders.
- Sample of written work: email sample directly to the Chair of the Graduate Advisory Committee, Dr. Rebecca Marchiel.
To gain admission to the graduate program, an applicant should have at least a B average as an undergraduate and should have majored in history (or have taken a significant number of history courses).
Students in the M.A. in History program complete either a thesis or a nonthesis option. The thesis option requires 24 hours of graduate-level course work and 6 hours of thesis work. The nonthesis option requires 36 hours of course work.
With either option, students complete:
- Hst 550: Historical Methods and Philosophy of History
- Hst 601: Professionalization and Colloquium I
- minimum of 9 credit hours of 500-level courses
- minimum of 3 credit hours of 700-level research seminar
With approval, students may take 3-9 credit hours of graduate courses outside the department.
Nonthesis option: Students must pass an oral examination.
Thesis option: Students will complete the thesis and pass an oral examination.
The department offers several competitive graduate assistantships every year based on merit. All applicants are automatically considered for these assistantships that cover some or all of the tuition and non-residency fee, if applicable, for regular semesters and subsidized health insurance.
The Graduate School has a recruiting fellowship program that promotes academic excellence and access to graduate education. See the Graduate School's financial aid page.
Video: Get to Know the Department of History
Hear firsthand from students and faculty about the History program.
Next Steps
Explore Affordability
We have a variety of scholarships and financial aid options to help make college more affordable for you and your family.
Apply to the University of Mississippi
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