History (MA) — Admission Requirements

Please see the general statement of admission requirements for all graduate studies programs in the “Admissions” section of this publication.

Applicants must submit evidence that they are able to perform graduate work at a high level of competence. Graduate Record Examination scores should be submitted if available (History and History Teaching Tracks). Applicants for the Historical Archaeology Track are required to present strong scores on the Graduate Record Examination (verbal and quantitative sections).

Students with insufficient background in history and/or anthropology may be required to complete prerequisite undergraduate courses before being fully admitted to the program.

Applicants interested in history will normally be expected to have maintained a 3.0 cumulative average in history courses as undergraduates. Applications from persons who did not major in history as undergraduates will be considered, but such persons, if admitted, may be asked to pursue a program of reading or course work designed to remedy any deficiencies in their preparation for graduate study.

Applicants for the historical archaeology track will normally be expected to have maintained a 3.0 cumulative average, with a major in anthropology, history, American civilization, or another related field. Any deficiencies in history or anthropology must be remedied by taking prerequisite undergraduate courses before taking the graduate courses in that field. These required background courses should be taken in the first year of study along with graduate courses for which students have completed the preparation.