UMass Boston

History Certificate

Build your future around preserving the past.

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About the Program

Build a deeper understanding of history with UMass Boston’s graduate History Certificate. This specialized program provides teachers with coursework for professional licensure or renewal, while also giving students the flexibility to explore history more deeply and transfer into the History MA program at any point. Designed to fit a working student’s schedule, it features small, seminar-style courses in U.S., European, and non-Western history, where you’ll gain advanced research, analytical, and writing skills while developing a broad, in-depth understanding of the field.

Learn in the heart of Boston, where archives, libraries, museums, and historical institutions are part of your academic experience. Courses offered in the late afternoon and evening are designed to work around your schedule.

Here’s your chance to:

  • Strengthen your research, writing, and analytical abilities through thorough historical exploration, opening opportunities for professional work or further academic study.
  • Use historical research and analysis to tackle real-world questions, drawing on primary sources and case studies to see how the past shapes today.
  • Explore history where it happened. Visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute, and the Massachusetts State Archives near campus, and then take in the Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall, and Boston Common—all right in the heart of Boston.
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UMass Boston Survey Data, 2026
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projected job growth through 2034 (faster than the average job growth rate)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Attend the Online Graduate Open House on October 7!

Join us for an online open house to get your questions answered about graduate programs and the admissions process. Meet admissions staff, financial aid professionals, faculty, and academic advisors from various graduate programs. Learn more about your journey at UMass Boston.

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Career Possibilities

As a graduate, you’ll take critical thinking, research, and analytical skills into careers across education, public service, cultural institutions, and research. The History Certificate will help you analyze complex information, communicate with confidence, and make an impact wherever they go.

Here’s where this degree can take you:

  • Instructor
  • Museum Professional
  • Archivist
  • Public Historian
  • Writer
  • Researcher
  • Cultural Program Manager
  • Editor/Publisher

Student Stories

Michael K.
I came to UMass Boston sure of two things: the switch from high tech would be hard, and prospects for success uncertain. I had not reckoned with faculty as much committed to academic excellence as to leaving office doors ajar for students seeking support. It was also heartening to be one of many students of all backgrounds and ages seeking new paths in life. My transition from software to history was not always smooth, but much of my success can be credited to UMass Boston's student-first ethos.
Michael K.
Student reading historic book.
As I’m currently working towards my History PhD, I would be lost without my year in UMass Boston’s History Certificate program. The courses taught me the foundational skills of the profession, and these skills will forever be imprinted upon my approach to historical research. The professors were committed to building engaging courses and it was great interacting with mid-career professionals like myself who were returning to graduate school after a long gap.
Neil I., ’25

Plan Your Education

How to Apply

Deadlines: 

  • Fall Priority Deadline: February 1
  • Fall Final Deadline: April 1

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Applicants must meet general graduate admission requirements in addition to the program-specific requirements.

Apply as a Graduate Student

Financing Your Education

Estimate Your Program Cost: Get a feel for your expected program costs using the Graduate Program Cost Calculator.

Program Cost Information: Significant on-campus tuition discounts are available to residents of Massachusetts, the other New England states, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. For more detailed information on costs, visit the Bursar's website to learn more about Regular Session Tuition & Fees for in person courses and Special Price Tuition & Fees for online courses. Please refer to Financial Aid for more information.

Apply for Financial Aid

Graduate Scholarships

Program Details

History Certificate Application Requirements

  • A minimum, cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (or international equivalent) in all undergraduate work
  • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution of recognized standing or an international equivalent at the time of enrollment
  • Official transcripts for all institutions where you have earned more than 6 credits
  • Statement of purpose
  • Writing sample
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation
  • Official GRE scores (GRE recommended but not required)
  • If applicable, request official TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, or Duolingo scores to be sent to the University of Massachusetts Boston

Curriculum

Required Courses (6 Credits)

  • HIST 600 - Research and Methods 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 605 - Introduction to Historiography 3 Credit(s)

Electives (9 Credits)

Complete three from the following:

  • HIST 602L - Historical Sequence I: American Society and Political Culture: 1600-1865 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 620 - Introduction to Public History and Popular Memory 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 625 - Interpreting History in Public Approaches to Public History Practice 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 626 - Introduction to Archives and Information Management 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 627 - Archival Methods and Practices 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 630 - Transforming Archives and History in the Digital Era 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 636 - Weimar Germany 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 638 - World War I 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 639 - World War II 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 641 - Socialism: The International History of a Revolutionary Idea 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 642 - Fascism 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 644 - Topics on the History of the American Revolution 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 664 - Boston History 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 667 - The Progressive Era 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 668 - Age of FDR: Depression, War, and the Birth of Modern America 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 670 - Cold War America, 1945-1989 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 681 - Topics in European History 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 682 - Topics in American History 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 685 - Topics in Atlantic History 3 Credit(s)
  • HIST 687 - Genealogy and Family History 3 Credit(s)

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

Learning Outcomes

  • Engage with international and intercultural perspectives on the study of the past.
  • Express their ideas according to the norms of professional historians and demonstrate their sensitivity to the audience in their writing and speaking.
  • Make original arguments using primary sources, including both printed and archival materials.
  • Demonstrate proficiency at analyzing historiography relevant to their research interests, identifying themes and trends.
  • Know how to document their research according to prevailing professional standards, including use of the current edition of The Chicago Manual of Style for all citations.

Graduation Criteria

Complete 15 credits from five courses including two required courses and three electives.

Statute of limitations: Five years

Contact

Graduate Program Director Kelly Colvin
kelly.colvin@umb.edu
(617) 287-6860

Graduate student, Phill, working with students at the Commonwealth Museum.

Student Voices in History

Students and alumni preserve and bring history to life through a blog showcasing their public history work, research, and community projects. They document local and regional stories, connect with archives, museums, and community groups, and share their findings with public audiences. Through their posts, students make history accessible, inclusive, and relevant, applying their studies to the real world.

Explore Our Blog

Program Faculty

Benjamin Johnson, Associate Professor, History

Benjamin Johnson

Associate Professor

Elizabeth McCahill, Department Chair, History Department

Elizabeth McCahill

Department Chair

Heidi Gengenbach, Department Chair, History

Heidi Gengenbach

Associate Professor

Jane Becker, Director of Public History

Jane Becker

Director of Public History

Kelly Colvin, Assistant Professor, History

Kelly Colvin

Graduate Program Director/Associate Professor

Maria John, Program Director, Native American & Indigenous Studies

Maria John

Associate Professor

Nicholas Juravich, Assistant Professor, History

Nicholas Juravich

Associate Professor

Olivia Weisser, Graduate Program Director/Associate Professor, History

Olivia Weisser

Professor

Photo avatar

Roberta Wollons

Professor U of M

Sana Haroon, Professor, History

Sana Haroon

Department Chair

Timothy Hacsi, Associate Professor, History

Timothy Hacsi

Associate Professor

VanJessica Gladney, Assistant Professor, History

VanJessica Gladney

Assistant Professor

Photo avatar

Vincent Cannato

Professor

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Academic Community

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Next Steps

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