Program Overview
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Location: Ross Hall 3270
Email: HSS@unco.edu
Website: unco.edu/hss/history/
The master's degree in history has been designed with several options in mind. It may be taken as a foundation for further advanced graduate work; as part of an individualized program that prepares students for a secondary teaching career; or as a terminal degree. Whichever option a student selects, faculty will stress the development of research techniques, analysis of historical data and expository writing skills.
Students receiving a master's degree in history will be competent in research methodology, writing skills and content in selected areas of history. Opportunities include advanced work in history, teaching at the secondary level (with licensure) or in junior and community colleges. Additionally, graduates may apply for professional schools, e.g., in law, library science, theology, museum curatorship and archival work.
Admission
Location: Greeley and Online
Start Term: Fall
General Master's Degree Admission Requirements
History M.A.
Admission Deadline
Fall Admissions: February 1 (to be eligible for funding and assistantships; rolling thereafter)
Please note: An accelerated (4+1) History B.A. and M.A. is available.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must apply to the Graduate School at the University of Northern Colorado before the program area reviews the applicant’s request for admission. Failure to submit all required materials will delay the evaluation and screening of your application.
Each applicant must:
Take the following steps to be considered for admission:
Step 1: Complete the Application
Complete the online application.
- Answer the application questions.
- Send your requests for letters of recommendation.
- Request three (3) academic or professional letters of recommendation from those who can attest to your academic potential and abilities. You will be asked to supply information for your recommenders in the application.
- Submit the application and pay the non-refundable application fee.
- Domestic Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- International Students: $50 non-refundable application fee
- The Graduate School is waiving application fees for all current UNC students and alumni! (The waiver applies only to the UNC Graduate School application.) Click for details.
Once you submit your application you will be assigned an Admissions Portal, allowing you to upload supplemental items, as listed below, and track your application through the admissions process.
Step 2: Request Transcripts
Request one official transcript from any Institutionally Accredited college or university where a bachelor’s degree or higher was earned or is in progress (if you have earned multiple degrees, bachelor’s level or higher, an official transcript is required from each college or university where a degree was conferred). If you received a degree from UNC, you do not need to request a transcript from UNC. The Office of Admissions reserves the right to request that applicants provide official transcripts from other colleges or universities as needed. Applicants who have earned or are directly pursuing a higher degree from a regionally accredited institution without receiving a bachelor’s degree (e.g., PharmD) may be eligible to apply to the Graduate School without the conferral of a bachelor’s degree.
Exceptions: If an applicant intends to use Veteran’s Education Benefits, an official transcript from all colleges or universities attended will be required in order to maintain compliance with Veteran’s Affairs policies.
Official transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent via mail directly from the educational institution in an unopened, sealed envelope or through an electronically secure digital program from the issuing institution.
Mailed transcripts should be sent to:
University of Northern Colorado
Office of Admissions
Campus Box 10
501 20th St
Greeley, CO 80639
Electronic transcripts from U.S. institutions should be sent directly from the educational institution to: grad.admissions@unco.edu.
The Office of Admissions does not accept email, scanned or PDF transcripts directly from applicants. All official transcripts, submitted as part of the application process, are retained by UNC and not returned to applicants or admitted students.
UNC retains submitted transcripts, from institutions other than UNC, for admitted students for up to five years after graduation or date of last attendance at UNC. Transcripts provided by applicants who were not admitted, denied admissions or did not complete their application are destroyed after one (1) year. The Office of Admissions will make every attempt to use previously submitted transcripts if they are within these timeframes. However, if the Office of Admissions cannot locate previously submitted transcripts, the transcripts fall outside the timeframes listed above or they are considered illegible, applicants must provide new transcripts.
Applicants with academic credentials from outside the U.S. will need to follow the requirements for submission of foreign transcripts. Click on the Transcripts tab for information about international transcripts.
Step 3: Note About the GRE
This program does not require GRE scores.
Step 4: Supplemental Items
Log back into the Admissions Portal to submit the following:
- Statement explaining interest in graduate school and academic history
- Writing sample based on primary sources
Once you apply to the UNC Graduate School and your application packet is complete, your application will be reviewed by the Graduate School and then sent to the faculty/program for an admission recommendation. The timing of the admission decision depends on each individual program’s deadline and review process.
International applicants (non-U.S. citizen/non-U.S. Permanent Resident) please refer to the International Admissions Requirements page for further information about submitting transcripts, English proficiency scores, passport copy and financial documentation.
For More Information
For more information about the admission process, please email the Office of Admissions at grad.admissions@unco.edu or call 970-351-2881.
Degree Requirements — 30 Credits
Required Courses — 9 credits
Students will take 6 credits of HIST 690.
Elective Courses — 21 credits
Elective courses may be taken from any HIST 500-level and 600-level courses.
Final Project
All students are responsible for completing two pieces of original historical writing of the length and quality of journal articles. Students will write the essays under the guidance of history faculty while taking two semesters of HIST 690 (one essay completed in each class). Combined, the two essays serve as the final project for the M.A. degree. Students must earn at least a B (B- is not acceptable) on the papers themselves, regardless of the grade earned for the course overall. Students who do not earn a B on either of their papers must take HIST 690 a third time; in this case, they may count the previous HIST 690 as an elective.
In order to complete the master's degree, students will also take 21 credits (7 classes) of electives covering any region or period of history. Please see "Variable Topics Courses."
Accelerated History M.A.
Motivated students may seek to complete the requirements for the B.A. and M.A. in History in five years. To obtain both degrees, students must complete all the requirements for the B.A. in History, either with a Liberal Arts Concentration or a Licensure Social Studies concentration, described in the Undergraduate Catalog (120 for Liberal Arts/121 credit hours for Secondary Teaching) and all of the requirements for the M.A. described above (30 credit hours). However, the accelerated B.A./M.A. program involves shared credit hours shared between the Bachelor's and Master's programs, so the total number of credit hours to complete the accelerated Master’s program is 141 for students with a Liberal Arts concentration and 148 for those with a Secondary Teaching concentration. Completing the requirements for both degrees is made possible by taking double-counted B.A./M.A. credits during the Senior year (paid for at the undergraduate tuition rate) and graduate-level credits (online – graduate-level tuition rate) in the summer following the Senior year and completion of the undergraduate program. While this is the most efficient route, students may also elect to complete the program at a slower pace. Students remain eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate; any Graduate School aid is not available until students are admitted to the Graduate Program.
Accelerated M.A. Admission
Due to its necessarily streamlined path of progression, admission to the Accelerated B.A. and M.A. in History occurs in the Fall semester only. Students interested in transferring into the accelerated program must:
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 to take graduate-level courses as a Senior.
- Meet with the History M.A. Director of Graduate Studies in the fall semester of the Junior year and apply during the spring semester of the Junior year (following the same procedure and meeting the same requirements as other M.A. applicants). Full admission is dependent on completing the B.A. requirements in the Senior year while maintaining a minimum 3.25 GPA. The program application will be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School with signatures of the program advisor indicating the approval of graduate course transfer.
- For students whose B.A. has a Liberal Arts concentration, complete HIST 500 (Historiography) in the fall semester of their Senior year followed by HIST 480/580 (Senior Seminar) and another 500-level graduate course in the spring. These are the nine credits double counted within the accelerated program.
- For students whose B.A. has a Secondary Teaching concentration, complete HIST 480/580 (Senior Seminar) and HIST 500 (Historiography) in the fall semester of their Senior year. These are the six credits double counted within the accelerated program.
- Students must apply for completion of their B.A. degree the semester before completing the degree (e.g., in the fall semester of their Senior Year). To apply, students must be registered for all remaining courses in their final undergraduate semester.
Accelerated M.A. Timeline (B.A. with Liberal Arts Concentration) — 30 Credits
Outline for degree completion of the Accelerated B.A. with a Liberal Arts Concentration and M.A. in History
Fall Semester, Junior year
Meet with faculty advisor or Director of Graduate Studies and apply for the program
Fall Semester, Senior year
HIST 500 Historiography (3 credits, double-counted)
Spring Semester, Senior year
HIST 580 Senior Seminar (3 credits, double-counted)
A Second 500-level Graduate Course in History (3 credits, double-counted)
Summer after Senior year
One online 6-week 500-level courses (3 credits)
Notes:
- Only two of these courses will be offered each summer.
- Because students are required to register for their three 500-level summer credits while they are still undergraduates, they must call the Office of the Registrar no later than the drop period for the summer semester to change their registration to graduate level
Fall Semester, fifth year
Two 500-level HIST courses (6 credits)
HIST 690 Writing Seminar (3 credits)
Spring Semester, fifth year
Two 500-level HIST courses (6 credits)
HIST 690 Writing Seminar (3 credits)
Accelerated M.A. Timeline (B.A. with Secondary Teaching Concentration) — 30 Credits
Outline for degree completion of the Accelerated B.A. with a Secondary Teaching Concentration and M.A. in History
Fall Semester, Junior year
Meet with faculty advisor or Director of Graduate Studies and apply for the program
Fall Semester, Senior year
HIST 500 Historiography (3 credits, double-counted)
HIST 580 Senior Seminar (3 credits, double-counted)
Spring Semester, Senior year
Student Teaching
Summer after Senior year
Two online 6-week 500-level courses (6 credits)
Notes:
- Only two of these courses will be offered each summer.
- Because students are required to register for their six 500-level summer credits while they are still undergraduates, they must call the Office of the Registrar no later than the drop period for the summer semester to change their registration to graduate level
Fall Semester, fifth year
Two 500-level HIST-coded courses (6 credits)
HIST 690 Writing Seminar (3 credits)
Spring Semester, fifth year
Two 500-level HIST-coded courses (6 credits)
HIST 690 Writing Seminar (3 credits)