Graduate Studies

MA Program

The Masters program in History at UC offers well-qualified students a diverse and challenging postgraduate training in History. Our MA students typically complete their degrees in two years (6 academic quarters), and most of their coursework takes place in graduate seminars and reading colloquia that offer them the chance to work closely with faculty and their graduate student peers. Over the course of their MA training, all of our students have the opportunity to present papers and conduct primary archival research in the US and abroad, often with funds provided by the Department or through other university-based sources. Many of our MA graduates use their degree to propel themselves into successful careers in museum work, historical societies, government service, and secondary education.  Our students also often choose to continue their graduate study by enrolling in doctoral programs in History, both in our own Department and in other top-flight History programs around the country.

The MA requires students to develop one major field of concentration and one minor. Major fields usually include US History, European History (Medieval period to the Present), Public History, Comparative World History, Comparative Women’s and Gender History, and the histories of Modern China and Modern India. The minor may include any of the above as well as other thematic or geographical areas, such as urban and environmental history, the history of film, historical preservation, Latin American History, and Middle Eastern history. In addition to study in their chosen major and minor fields, all of our MA students take an Introduction to Historical Methodologies course that challenges them to think critically about the nature of historical thought and practice. We encourage our students to think and study broadly, taking advantage of the wide range of different courses and specializations provided by the Department faculty.

If you are interested in the possibility of pursuing an MA in History at UC, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies for information on admission requirements and application procedures. Application deadline for admission with scholarship funding is January 2, 2008. For overviews of the extensive funding opportunities available to our graduate students as well as for a list of current graduate courses, click on the tabs on the left of this page.