The Department of History offers M.A. students dedicated mentors, accomplished peers, professional development opportunities, teaching assistantships, and grants to support their research. The terminal Master’s degree provides them with experience in scholarly research, writing a thesis, and post-secondary teaching that prepares them either for further graduate study or for a career in education, government, or the private sector. Students graduate ready for careers in and beyond the academy.
This major is part of a Double Dawgs pathway: History AB/History MA For more information, go to doubledawgs.uga.edu
Jennifer Palmer, Associate Professor Director of Graduate Studies hiscoord@uga.edu Laureen Kane, Graduate Program Administrator history@uga.edu 706 542-2053 or 706 542-2298 history.uga.edu
30 hours
Apply to the UGA Graduate School and include the following: Three Letters of recommendation CV or resume Statement of Purpose (goals, objectives, and research ideas) 8-15 page research paper (writing sample) Unofficial transcripts International students: For students whose primary language is not English, proof of English proficiency is required. Students need to submit official university documents according to the UGA Graduate School requirements. Students will also have to show certificate of finances upon acceptance to the program. Application deadline is December 1 for the following fall. History accepts applications only for fall admission of each year.
| HIST 7000 | Master's Research | 1-9 |
| HIST 7300 | Master's Thesis | 1-9 |
| HIST 7900 | Theory and Practice of History | 3 |
All MA students must take a minimum of three 8000-level colloquia (9 credit hours). These courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s major professor, and complement the student’s thesis topic or support training in comparative fields.
Choose a minimum of 3 course(s) from the following:
| HIST(AFAM) 8005 | Colloquium in African American History | 3 |
| HIST 8027 | United States Women, Politics, and History | 3 |
| HIST 8040 | Colloquium in Southern History | 3 |
| HIST 8050 | State and Society in Modern America | 3 |
| HIST 8060 | Colloquium in United States Cultural History | 3 |
| HIST 8100 | The Early American Continent | 3 |
| HIST 8111 | Colloquium in North American History and United States History to 1865 | 3 |
| HIST 8112 | Colloquium in United States History: 1865 to the present | 3 |
| HIST 8220 | Colloquium in Latin American and Caribbean History | 3 |
| HIST 8321 | Colloquium in Premodern European History | 3 |
| HIST 8322 | Colloquium in Early Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 8323 | Colloquium in Modern European History | 3 |
| HIST 8600 | Colloquium in Asian History | 3 |
| HIST 8650 | Colloquium in Pacific World History | 3 |
| HIST 8700 | Colloquium in Comparative History | 3 |
| HIST 8705 | Colloquium in World History | 3 |
| HIST 8710 | Colloquium on Gender in History | 3 |
| HIST 8712 | Colloquium in Atlantic World History | 3 |
| HIST 8715 | Economy as History | 3 |
| HIST 8720 | Colloquium in Warfare in History | 3 |
| HIST 8740 | Gastric Geographies: Food as Power in World History | 3 |
| HIST 8750 | Colloquium in Environmental History | 3 |
| HIST 8755 | Colloquium in the History of the Senses | 3 |
| HIST 8760 | Colloquium on Science and Society | 3 |
| HIST 8765 | Colloquium in History, Museums, and Collections | 3 |
| HIST 8770 | Colloquium in Public History | 3 |
All MA students must complete at least two 8000-level research seminars (3 credit hours each) as part of their program of study. Seminars may be in any field, and should be chosen in consultation with the major professor to support the student’s thesis research or broader intellectual development.
Choose a minimum of 2 course(s) from the following:
| HIST 8010 | Seminar in Early American History | 3 |
| HIST 8020 | Seminar in Middle Period United States History | 3 |
| HIST 8030 | Seminar in Recent United States History | 3 |
| HIST 8310 | Seminar in Early Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST 8320 | Seminar in Nineteenth-Century European History | 3 |
| HIST 8325 | The Cold War | 3 |
| HIST 8330 | Seminar in Twentieth-Century Europe | 3 |
| HIST 8711 | The Atlantic World, 1500-1900 | 3 |
| HIST 8860 | Seminar in History | 3 |
A maximum of 6 hours of 7000 may be applied toward the minimum 30 credit hours required for the program of study.
| HIST 7000 | Master's Research | 1-9 |
A maximum of 3 hours of 7300 may be applied toward the minimum 30 credit hours required for the program of study. A minimum of 3 hours of 7300 must be listed on the program of study.
| HIST 7300 | Master's Thesis | 1-9 |
Choose 6 credit hour(s) from the following:
HIST 6000-8000 level courses
The Master of Arts degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours consisting of at least 12 semester hours of course work open only to graduate students (exclusive of 7000, 7005, and 7300). A maximum of 6 hours of 7000 and 3 hours of 7300 may be applied toward the 30 hours. A minimum of 3 hours of 7300 must be listed on the program of study.
| GRSC 7001 | GradFIRST: First-year Research and Scholarship Training Seminar | 1 |
| GRSC 7770 * | Graduate Teaching Seminar | 1-3 |
| HIST 7301 ^^ | Writing and Composition | 3 |
| HIST 7400 ^ | Professional Development for Historians | 3 |
| HIST 7900 | Theory and Practice of History | 3 |
*Required for all new graduate assistants ^Required in the first year of program ^^Required in the second year of program
Research Skills: Students have the option of taking a translation exam or graduate class appropriate to the research program as approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Choose from the following or submit a course to the Major Professor and Graduate Director for approval:
| GEOG 4370/6370-4370L/6370L | Geographic Information Science | 3 |
| GRMN 3500 | German for Reading Knowledge | 3 |
| HIST 7500 | History, Mapping, and Spatial Analysis | 3 |
The History Department prepares candidates for placement in the history profession and other career pathways. Working with their advisory committee and the graduate coordinator, job candidates develop techniques for crafting letters of application, writing an effective CV, and compiling a dossier of writing samples and letters of recommendation. Master’s students take a number of workshops in CV/resume writing, the job market, the diversity of career paths for graduate students, publishing and preparing to publish, and career presentations by visiting professionals.
Qualified students will be nominated by the Graduate Program Committee for Graduate School MA Fellows and for other fellowship and assistantship opportunities. All admitted students are considered for our available teaching assistantships. A number of annual awards are made each year to our graduate students (nominated by their faculty) for excellence in scholarship and leadership. Students also are encouraged to seek outside fellowships and scholarships. More funding sources and links may be found at https://hist.franklin.uga.edu/funding-graduate-students.
Students are encouraged to pursue research opportunities domestically and abroad, in alliance with their research and career goals.
The department has partnered with the Atlanta History Center to create the Sheffield Hale Fellowship, a paid internship at the History Center’s Buckhead campus. Some of the past projects that students have assisted with include the updated exhibit at the Margaret Mitchell House as well as topics such as the Atlanta airport and Civil War Era Atlanta. Students completing a history or Museum Studies internship gain invaluable knowledge about all aspects of the museum industry including exhibitions, collections, administration, and education.
A joint partnership between the department and UGA Press offers a yearlong graduate editorial apprenticeship with the press. In this role graduate students will learn how scholarly publishing operates. They will understand how books are acquired, peer reviewed, developed, and edited for publication.
Other internships our students have taken advantage of are the Gable Editorial Internship for the Public Historian, internships at the New Georgia encyclopedia, and student employment at UGA Special Collections Libraries.
Students are encouraged to present their research at conferences, professional meetings, and symposia. Students have the opportunity to apply for departmental travel grants for research and conference participation for use during the fall, spring, or summer semesters. All department graduate students are eligible to apply for this funding. Students may pursue graduate certificate programs in Museum Studies, or in other units such as Women's Studies, Latin American Studies, African American Studies, and more.
History Graduate Student Association (HGSA), Phi Alpha Theta, National History Honor Society, Inc.
PhD History Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies (Interdisciplinary)