Graduate

The Department of History offers specialized study of world societies and their evolution to the present. The Graduate Faculty directs both seminars and specialized training leading to the Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Master of Arts Program

Students seeking the Master of Arts degree must complete at least 30 hours of history at the 5000-level and above.  These should include:

  • HIST 7023 Historical Methods
  • 6 hours of HIST 600V Master's Thesis,  
  • 12 hours of 7000-level seminar courses (either reading or research)

 Only three hours of independent study may be counted towards the degree.  HIST 7043 Historiography can be used to partially fulfill the seminar requirement.  Master’s candidates must complete and satisfactorily defend a master’s thesis in history as judged by a panel of departmental faculty. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in all course work for the MA degree.

For more detailed information on the MA program and application information, visit the Master of Arts information page.

4+1 MA Program

This program is designed to enable eligible U of A students to take History graduate hours during the final year of their undergraduate careers, be admitted to the Graduate School immediately following graduation, and complete much, or all, of their remaining coursework for the M.A. in History during the fifth year.

For more detailed information on the 4+1 MA Program, visit the History 4+1 MA Program information page.

Ph.D.

Applicants to the PhD program are expected to have earned a MA in History or a similar discipline. They must have earned at least a 3.25 GPA in previous graduate coursework.  PhD students develop four fields of inquiry and take, on average, between 30 and 40 hours of coursework beyond the MA degree. Students working in new fields may take additional coursework. For more information on the PhD program and application information, visit the PhD information page.

Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are available to candidates of demonstrable ability. PhD students are eligible for stipends of $12,700 for nine months and work for twenty hours per week within the history department.  There are a very limited number of assistantships available for MA students.  MA students are eligible for stipends of $12,082 for nine months and work twenty hours a week.  When a student applies to the doctoral program, he/she should indicate on their application that they would like to be considered for a graduate assistantship.  Visit the assistantship page for more information.

Graduate Scholarships

The Department of History offers numerous scholarships to support graduate student research, travel, and coursework. The Awards Committee of the Department of History evaluates nominations and applications for these awards each spring. For more information, see the Scholarships page.

Chancellor's Graduate Student Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship (NRTS)

The University of Arkansas Graduate School offers Chancellor’s Graduate Student Non-Resident Tuition Scholarship (NRTS) for US citizens or permanent residents who are not Arkansas residents.  This scholarship offers students an approximately 80% reduction of non-resident graduate tuition for the HIST MA Program.  Students receive the scholarship if they have at least a 3.20 GPA on the last 60 hours of the BA degree or a cumulative 3.20 cumulative BA GPA.