Students interested in pursuing a program of study in History or Public History should:
Have completed an undergraduate program containing at least 18 semester credit hours in history or in related disciplines, or have completed an undergraduate program with comparable experience in the field of history.
Have a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.
Submit to the Graduate Chair a letter of intent (500 word minimum) that describes the applicant's interests and goals in obtaining a graduate degree.
Submit evidence of the writing and analytical skills necessary for graduate level course work (a history research paper is preferred).
List at least two references.
Fill out the online application.
Admission deadlines set by the Graduate Office are August 10 for the Fall Semester, January 10 for the Spring Semester, and a rolling deadline for the summer term. Applicants who missed the deadline have the option to apply as a non-degree seeking student. Up to 12 credit hours taken as a non-degree seeking student can be applied to the degree program upon admission. Exceptions to the application deadlines may be possible. Please feel free to contact online coordinator Caroline Cooper at cooperc2@unk.edu or (308) 865-8596 with any questions.
In the absence of any of the above, admission may be granted on a conditional basis. If an applicant does not have a writing sample, they can apply as a non-degree student and take 1-2 courses in the program. This will allow an applicant to produce a graduate-level paper to submit with their application. Up to 12 credit hours can be transferred to a degree granting program from non-degree seeking course work. To apply as a non-degree seeking student go to Online Application.
The application deadlines for the History MA program are August 10 for the Fall Semester, January 10 for the Spring Semester, and a rolling deadline for the summer term.
If your undergraduate GPA is below 3.00, you may still apply to the program with the possibility of conditional admission.
The GRE is not required for admission.
The department prefers to see a research paper produced in a history course. Research papers in other fields will suffice if you do not have a history paper. If you have nothing to submit then you should apply as a non-degree student and take one course in the program. This will allow you to produce a graduate-level writing sample.
This is your chance to tell the graduate committee anything that may not be apparent in your application or transcripts, including but not limited to information about your background, education, career goals, occupation, and why you want to pursue a graduate degree in history.
Yes, you can apply as a non-degree student and take up to 12 hours of coursework that can be transferred into the MA program upon admission.
Graduate Admissions University of Nebraska at Kearney 1910 University Drive, CMCT 210 Kearney, NE 68849
Official electronic transcripts can be sent via email to: gradstudies@unk.edu
No. However, students do have the option of writing a thesis.
Yes, online students can pursue the thesis option. Those who want to pursue the thesis option must take HIST 894 Introduction to Thesis and apply to the graduate committee for approval.
The first step for those wishing to pursue the thesis option is to complete HIST 894 Introduction to Thesis, which can be taken after completing most of the required coursework of the program including HIST 801 & HIST 803. A 3.5 GPA is also required to take this course. In this course students will seek approval to pursue the thesis option.
Students who work full time usually take 1-2 courses per semester. Full time students take 2-3 courses each term.
Fall and Spring semester courses run 16 weeks. Summer semester courses run 8 weeks.
The History Department has a limited number of graduate assistantships available on a competitive basis. Students interested in graduate assistantships should contact the Graduate Program Chair.
Yes, students admitted to the MA program qualify for financial aid. Students must be half-time (5 hours) to qualify for federal student loans.
Students have 10 years to finish the program.
Students in the non-thesis option will compile a comprehensive academic portfolio that includes work completed in the program and comprehensive essays in the major and minor fields. Students must submit their portfolio to the History Department during the last semester of course work. A supervisory committee consisting of the graduate program chair and one faculty member each from the major and minor fields will evaluate the portfolio. If the portfolio is not approved, students may revise and resubmit it the following semester.
No, you can take up to two years off before having to reapply for admission.
No, the courses are not independent studies. They run on the same schedule as the on campus courses and require weekly readings, discussions, and writing assignments with the goal of recreating the traditional graduate school environment.
While each professor designs their courses individually, most courses follow a general format of a weekly reading (usually a book or several articles), online discussion with other students, and a writing assignment. You can expect to read the equivalent of 10-15 books for each course and write approximately 45-60 pages of analytical essays.
Students should begin the program by taking HIST 801 America Interpreted, an introductory graduate readings course in American historiography. The class examines the leading schools of historical opinion from the founding of American society through the modern era.
Students are eligible to take HIST 803 Historical Methods after completing at least 9-12 credit hours including HIST 801 America Interpreted.
The public history courses include HIST864: Public History Seminar, HIST865: Public History Methods, HIST866: Museums and Material Culture, HIST867: Historic Preservation, HIST868P: Digital History, HIST848: Death and Cemetery Culture, and HIST838: Issues in Public History (with varying topics, including Oral History, National Parks, and Historical Memory).
Major and Minor Fields of Study for students in the Non-Thesis Option include Early US History, Modern US History, European History, and World History. Within those Regional Fields, students are encouraged to focus their final essays more narrowly on particular subthemes based on their specific course work. Among those that have been chosen by previous students are: American West, Cultural History, Environmental History, Gender and Sexuality, German History, Indigenous History, Latin American History, Military History, Public History, Russian/Soviet History, Science and Technology, Social History. Many others, however, are available.
