# 2026-2027 Course Catalog
**Source**: https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/history-ma/
**Parent**: https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/
*for the degree of Master of Arts in History*
---
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program can usually petition to earn a Master of Arts in History within three semesters.
The Department of History offers graduate courses leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree, complete details of which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the department's web site. Students are not normally admitted to a terminal master's degree program.
**Admission**\
Applicants should have a minimum of 20 semester hours of undergraduate work in history and cognate disciplines with an overall GPA of 3.25 in the last two years. Applicants who have a master's degree should have a grade point average of 3.5 for previous graduate-level work. All applicants are required to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (verbal, writing, and quantitative are mandatory; history is optional). All applicants are required to submit a writing sample. Language preparation may be weighted heavily, depending upon the field of specialization. International applicants from non-English-speaking countries must submit [proof of English proficiency](https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/instructions/04c) to be eligible for admission. The department is not currently admitting to the Teaching of Social Studies program. For additional details refer to [our website](https://history.illinois.edu/academics/graduate-studies-and-admissions/prospective-students/application-process-and-required).
**Graduate Teaching Experience**\
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in this program.
**Facilities and Resources**\
The extraordinary University Library is the department's main research facility; within it, the History, Philosophy & Newspaper Library, the Rare Book Room, and the area studies libraries (Slavic, Africana, Latin American, Asian Libraries) all serve faculty and students with expert bibliographers and focused collections. Among other special collections much used by historians are Afro-Americana and Women's Studies; the library is also a major repository for government documents.
**Financial Aid**\
Financial aid is almost always awarded on an academic-year basis. Applications by incoming students are considered with admission applications. All fellowships and assistantships include a stipend plus tuition and service fee waiver.
Both University and department endowment fellowships are available to entering students and to advanced doctoral students embarked on their research or the writing of their dissertations. Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships may support first- and second-year students who have special interests in foreign area studies. Entering students from underrepresented groups may be awarded one- to three-year Graduate College Fellowships. The Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Program (ICEOP) offers renewable fellowships to underrepresented minority students who are Illinois residents and plan academic careers within the state. Half-time teaching assistantships are the department's primary form of financial aid for graduate students in the Ph.D. program. Students who progress satisfactorily toward their degrees and demonstrate effective teaching will have their teaching assistantships renewed for a second, and usually a third, year.
*for the degree of Master of Arts in History*
---
For additional details and requirements refer to the department's [g](http://www.history.illinois.edu/graduate/current/requirements/)[raduate degree requirements](https://history.illinois.edu/academics/graduate-studies-and-admissions/current-students) and the [Graduate College Handbook](http://www.grad.illinois.edu/gradhandbook/).
### Thesis Option
Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [HIST 598](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20598 "HIST 598") (2 hours per term) is required of candidates who hold teaching assistantships, during each semester they hold an appointment | | |
| [HIST 593](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20593 "HIST 593") & [HIST 594](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20594 "HIST 594") | Approaches to History and Intro Historical Writing | 8 |
| Two additional 500-level courses in history | | 8 |
| Two courses in each of two of the fields of specialization offered by the department. | | 16 |
| Language Requirement: candidate must demonstrate ability to read one foreign language related to his or her field of interest as approved by the graduate advisers | | |
| [HIST 599](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20599 "HIST 599") | Thesis Research (8 max applied toward degree) | 8 |
| Total Hours | | 32 |
#### Other Requirements
Grad Other Degree Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: | 16 |
| At least one research seminar ([HIST 596](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20596 "HIST 596")) with a grade of B or better must be included. | |
| Students may take up to two of the required eight courses in departments other than History, if approved. | |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
### Non-Thesis Option
Course List
| Code | Title | Hours |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [HIST 598](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20598 "HIST 598") (2 hours per term) is required of candidates who hold teaching assistantships, during each semester they hold an appointment | | |
| [HIST 593](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20593 "HIST 593") & [HIST 594](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20594 "HIST 594") | Approaches to History and Intro Historical Writing | 8 |
| Two additional 500-level courses in history | | 8 |
| Two courses in each of two of the fields of specialization offered by the department. | | 16 |
| Language Requirement: candidate must demonstrate ability to read one foreign language related to his or her field of interest as approved by the graduate advisers | | |
| Total Hours | | 32 |
#### Other Requirements
Grad Other Degree Requirements
| Requirement | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Other requirements may overlap | |
| Minimum 500-level Hours Required Overall: | 16 |
| At least one research seminar ([HIST 596](https://catalog.illinois.edu/search/?P=HIST%20596 "HIST 596")) with a grade of B or better must be included. | |
| Students may take up to two of the required eight courses in departments other than History, if approved. | |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 |
**Graduate Degree Programs in History**
---
- [History, MA](https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/history-ma/)
- optional concentrations:
- [African American Studies](https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/concentration/african-american-studies/)
- [Medieval Studies](https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/concentration/medieval-studies/)
- [History, PhD](https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/history-ma/)
- optional concentrations:
- [African American Studies](https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/concentration/african-american-studies/)
- [Medieval Studies](https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/las/concentration/medieval-studies/)
- Teaching of Social Studies, MA
- Joint degree:
- [History, MA and Library & Information Science, MS](https://catalog.illinois.edu/graduate/is_las/history-ma-library-information-science-ms/)
*for the degree of Master of Arts in History*
---
**History Department**\
Chair of Department: Dana Rabin\
Director of Graduate Studies: Robert Morrissey\
[History Department website](https://history.illinois.edu/)\
309 Gregory Hall, 810 South Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801\
(217) 244-2591\
[History](mailto:history@illinois.edu)[email](mailto:history@illinois.edu)
**College of Liberal Arts & Sciences**\
[College of Liberal Arts & Sciences website](https://las.illinois.edu/)
**Admissions**\
[Graduate College Admissions & Requirements](https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply)