History, M.A.
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Program Overview
Our graduate program in history is an intensive introduction to the study of history in a wide variety of subject areas. You can choose areas of study ranging from the ancient to modern periods in African, Asian, European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern history to an all-encompassing examination of U.S. history, from the colonial period to today. Our highly respected and widely published professors will introduce those histories to you from every angle鈥攕ocial and cultural, political, diplomatic, environmental, and economic.
Program Details
The program information listed here reflects the approved curriculum for the 2025鈥�26 academic year per the 可乐视频 Bulletin. Bulletins from past academic years can be found here.
Matriculation Requirements
NYSED Program Code: 02107
Applicants must have completed at least 12 credits in advanced undergraduate courses in history or, with permission of the chair or graduate deputy, 12 credits in advanced undergraduate courses in related fields
Students admitted as matriculants in history must complete History聽聽with a grade of A or B by the end of their first fall semester or they will lose matriculated status.
Students admitted as nonmatriculants must complete History聽聽with a grade of A or B in order to achieve matriculated status in the Department of History.
General matriculation and admission requirements of Graduate Studies are in the section “Admission.”
Program Requirements (30鈥�33 Credits)
To fulfill degree requirements, M.A. students must complete either 30 or 33 credits in History Department courses. As detailed in the options below, students selecting the Thesis Option must complete 30 credits; students selecting the Portfolio Option must complete 33 credits.
Among the 30鈥�33 hours of course work undertaken to fulfill the general degree requirements, all students must complete three credit hours in each of three geographic areas: African, Asian, Caribbean, European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern history; Transnational and Comparative History; and U.S. history. One of these courses must cover in whole or substantial part the pre-1800 period (those courses are listed below with * after their numbers).
African, Asian, Caribbean, European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern history courses include: Medieval Europe (HIST ); Early Modern Europe (HIST ); The Enlightenment (HIST ); The Old Regime and the French Revolution (HIST ); Modern France (HIST ); History of Russia Since 1856 (HIST ); Stalinism (HIST ); Modern Latin America (HIST ); Topics in Caribbean and Latin American History (HIST ); Modern Ottoman History, 1700鈥�1923 (HIST ); Pre-Modern China (HIST ); Modern China (HIST ); Modern South Asia (HIST ); Imperialism and Nationalism in South and Southeast Asia (HIST ); Social Change in Africa, 1750鈥�1945 (HIST ); Themes in European History (HIST ); and Themes in Asian, African, and/or Middle Eastern History (HIST ).
Transnational and/or Comparative, and/or Global history courses include: Main Currents in Contemporary World History (HIST ); Global Environmental History (HIST ); The Industrial Revolutions of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries (HIST ); Ancient Explorations (HIST ); Ancient History and Culture On-Site (HIST ); The Imperial World at War (HIST ); Europe Since 1945 (HIST ); Slavery and Freedom: Comparative and Transnational Perspectives (HIST ); Gender, Race, and Empire (19th-20th centuries) (HIST ); Themes in World History (HIST ).
U.S. history courses include: The Colonial Period (HIST ); The American Revolution and the Constitution (HIST ); Civil War and Reconstruction (HIST ); The Gilded Age and the Progressive Era (HIST ); Twentieth-Century America (HIST ); History of American Political Parties (HIST ); American Economic History (HIST ); Modern American Diplomatic History from 1898 (HIST ); American Environmental History (HIST ).
The Environmental History of Urban America (HIST ); The History of the American Presidency (HIST ) American Constitutional History (HIST ); African American History (HIST ).
Race, Ethnicity, and Migration: Histories and Discourses (HIST ); Themes in United States History (HIST ).
Special Topics in History (HIST ) can apply to any one of the categories above, depending on the topic.
Students selecting both Thesis and Portfolio Options must also complete:
- History 7000X with a grade of A or B. All students must take History during their first fall semester in the program, and must receive a grade of A or B to satisfy graduation requirements; and
- History .
Thesis Option Requirements
Completion of general department requirements and six courses numbered from History 7110X鈥�7780X. After completing both History 7000X and 12 hours of course work, students who select the thesis option must take at least one Independent Reading (History ) or one Independent Research (History 7850G) course with their chosen thesis adviser. A second Independent Study or Independent Research course could, with permission, substitute for the sixth of the courses numbered from History 7110X鈥�7780X. Following the Independent Reading course, the thesis adviser will evaluate the student’s preparedness to write a thesis. A student approved to write a thesis will be required to submit a proposal to the adviser and to complete a Master’s Essay (History ).
Portfolio Option Requirements
Completion of general department requirements and nine courses numbered History 聽to History聽. With the permission of the chair or the graduate deputy, students may replace a maximum of two of these courses with History 聽and/or History聽. Students who select the Portfolio option must provide a portfolio containing two substantial papers written for graduate-level history courses taken in the History Department at 可乐视频, and must pass an oral defense before a departmental committee of full-time faculty. At least one of the two papers submitted must be a research paper based on an extensive use of primary sources.
Department Recommendations
Students should consult the graduate deputy early in their course of study and each semester thereafter.
Students who intend to study toward a doctoral degree should have completed at least two years of college-level foreign language study.
Students who intend to study toward a doctoral degree should ascertain the matriculation requirements of the graduate school they plan to attend.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- demonstrate advanced knowledge about key historical concepts (such as 鈥渙bjectivity鈥�) and historical terminology (such as 鈥減rimary source鈥�);
- demonstrate advanced knowledge about key historical actors and events across the department鈥檚 distribution requirements;
- articulate a clear research question, assemble a bibliography, and use citations properly;
- situate an original historical argument within a sophisticated historiographical framework;
- effectively incorporate primary sources into a historical argument; and
- express sophisticated historical ideas in writing using a clear thesis statement, a well-organized argument, and effective evidence.
Admissions Requirements
- Fall Application Deadline: April 15. Applications after this date may be accepted on a rolling basis until all places are filled.
- Spring Application Deadline: December 1. Applications after this date may be accepted on a rolling basis until all places are filled.
Supporting Documents for Matriculation
Submit the following documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions:
- Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree outside the United States need to submit a course-by-course international transcript evaluation. See Graduate Admissions for more information.
- Two letters of recommendation (preferably from history professors with whom you have worked)
- Personal statement (explaining your background, interest in studying history, and reason for choosing our program; no more than two pages)
- Writing sample (a formal 5鈥�10 page paper typically written for an undergraduate or graduate history class providing evidence of your writing and analytical skills)
Required Tests
- F-1 or J-1 international students must submit English Proficiency Exam: TOEFL鈥�79, IELTS鈥�6.5, PTE鈥�58鈥�63, Duolingo鈥�105鈥�160.
Non-Degree Applicants
This program accepts nondegree applicants. You must submit all documentation required of degree-seeking candidates, but letters of recommendation are waived.
I-20 Submission Deadlines
F-1 students who are not currently in the country should submit their I-20 by the following dates to allow sufficient time for visa processing and to meet the semester start date.
- July 15 for fall admission
- December 5 for spring admission
More Information
Refer to the instructions at Graduate Admissions.
The Support You鈥檒l Find
可乐视频 is an integral part of the cultural and artistic energy of New York City. Our faculty members in the Department of History offer incomparable expertise and tremendous talent, and each brings a unique perspective to their teaching and mentoring in and out of the classroom.
Internships and Employers
Through job fairs, the internship database, and internship panels, the Magner Career Center gives students in the history M.A. program access to internships at a variety of companies.
可乐视频 history alumni have found employment with many organizations, including:
- American Museum of Natural History
- The Corcoran Group
- New York Genealogical and Biographical Society
- New York University
- University of Hawaii
