Skip to main content
Skip to main content

Graduate Admissions

The Department of History offers a PhD program as well as an MA, one dual-degree MA, and two graduate certificates.

The next application deadline for Fall 2024 matriculation for Ph.D. and MA applicants is December 1, 2023.  For HiHP MA students and for HiLS MA students, the deadline is January 5, 2024. The Department of History does not consider applications for spring semester admissions.  

Please note that the History Department no longer requires GRE scores from applicants.

If you are interested in applying, please consult the pages in this section to see admission requirements, processes, and statistics.

For direct access to the online application portal, go to the TerpEngage Graduate Admissions System.

Graduate Admissions

Requirements

As a demonstration of our commitment to excellence in historical scholarship and education, admission to our degree programs is highly competitive. It is important that each applicant clearly articulate his/her academic preparation and qualifications for graduate study at Maryland.

In order to be admitted to one of our three graduate degree programs, an applicant must have completed the bachelor's degree, or equivalent, at an accredited institution of higher learning.

Applicants are required to submit a writing sample (written work of historical scholarship, such as a research paper or thesis); a Statement of Purpose; a Description of Research/Work Experience; official transcripts of all previous academic study; a CV/Resume and three letters of recommendation.  Additional materials may be requested.

Although there are exceptions, the minimum overall grade point average for admission to a master's degree program is 3.25 and 3.50 for admission to the doctoral program. The admissions committee will typically expect a higher grade point average in past coursework in history and related disciplines. 

There is no language requirement for the MA degree, but the command of one or more languages is required for admission into the PhD program in some fields within history. Please see the Language Requirements section of the Doctoral Program.

Applicants who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States should consult the guidelines posted by International Education Services.

Applicants to the History and Library Science (HiLS) dual-degree program need to meet application requirements for both the Department of History and the College of Information Studies. For additional information on application requirements, visit the HiLS webpage.

Applicants to the History and Historic Preservation (HiHP) dual-degree program need to meet application requirements for both the Department of History and the School of Architecture. For additional information on application requirements, visit the HiHP webpage.

Application Process

The University of Maryland’s Graduate School accepts applications through the TerpEngage Graduate Admissions System. Before completing the application, applicants are asked to check the Admissions Requirements site for specific instructions.

As required by the Graduate School, all application materials are to be submitted electronically:

  • Graduate application
  • Transcripts
  • Statement of purpose
  • Description of research/work experience
  • CV/Resume
  • Writing sample
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Program/Department supporting documents (as applicable)
  • Non-refundable application fee ($75) for each program to which an applicant applies

The electronic submission of application materials helps expedite the review of an application.  Completed applications are reviewed by an admissions committee in each graduate degree program.  The recommendations of the committees are submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will make the final admission decision.  Students seeking to complete graduate work at the University of Maryland for degree purposes must be formally admitted to the Graduate School by the Dean.  To ensure the integrity of the application process, the University of Maryland authenticates submitted materials through TurnItIn for Admissions.

Admissions for HiLS Program

Admission requirements for the HiLS dual-degree program combine requirements for the MA in History and the MLS. Successful applicants make the case that they maintain a strong academic interest in historical scholarship and research while also seeking professional training in areas such as archives and records management, digital curation, public history, special collections, reference librarianship, and/or information systems. Prospective students should consult the admissions guidelines for the Master of Arts in History and the Master of Library Science degrees.

HiLS applicants submit only one graduate school application online.  As part of the application, students must submit transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, a writing sample (typically a 20-page research paper), a resume/CV and a 500-word essay addressing questions outlined on the MLS admissions page.

HiLS applications are reviewed for admission separately by the iSchool and the History Department.  A joint history department/iSchool committee then reviews all those applicants recommended for admission by each program and decides which applicants will be admitted to HiLS.  Students in the program must be formally admitted both by the Department of History and the iSchool in order to be admitted to the HiLS program.  Students who are admitted by a single department have the option of pursuing the degree program in the accepting department.

Contact

Applicants are encouraged to contact the Graduate School's online application helpdesk for any technical issues.  For questions related to the admissions process, prospective students may contact the Graduate School.

Information for International Graduate Students

The University of Maryland is dedicated to maintaining a vibrant international graduate student community. The office of International Students and Scholars Services (ISSS) is a valuable resource for information and assistance for prospective and current international students.  International applicants are encouraged to explore the services they offer and contact them with related questions.

The University of Maryland Graduate School offers admission to international students based on academic information; it is not a guarantee of attendance.  Admitted international students will then receive instructions about obtaining the appropriate visa to study at the University of Maryland which will require submission of additional documents.  Please see the Graduate Admissions Process for International applicants for more information.

Application Submission

Applications to all degree programs must be submitted through the Graduate School's Online Application Portal.

Unless specifically instructed to do so, applicants should not send application materials to the Department of History.

To the extent possible, applicants should submit all required materials, including writing samples, the resume/CV and letters of recommendation, via the online application portal.  Instructions on the electronic submission of required materials are included in the Application Supplemental Form (ASF), which is sent via email within 3-4 business days after submitting the main application. In completing the ASF, applicants should pay careful attention to supplying each recommender's complete name, professional title, institutional affiliation and contact information, including electronic mail addresses.

Materials sent in hard copy should be directed to the University's Enrollment Services Operations (ESO), where the materials are scanned and uploaded to an electronic applicant file.

All hard-copy documents, including transcripts and letters recommendations, should be submitted together as a single package to ESO. The mailing address for ESO is:

Enrollment Services Operations

Application for Graduate Admission

Room 0130 Mitchell Building

University of Maryland

College Park, MD 20742 USA

NOTE: At the height of the main applications season, it may take two weeks or more for hard-copy materials such as letters of recommendation to be processed, scanned, and uploaded to the applicant record.  Therefore, applicants are strongly urged to use the electronic submission features of the Application Supplemental Form, which greatly speed uploads to the applicant record.

If you have any questions regarding the application process please contact the Graduate Studies Coordinator, Jodi Hall at jlhall@umd.edu.

What Makes A Successful Application

The admission decision is made after careful consideration of the entire application package. Each required component of the admissions package (i.e., the statement of purpose; the writing sample; the transcripts of previous academic study; and the letters of recommendation) should demonstrate the applicant's qualifications for excellence in graduate study in history. The overall package should make a strong case for the match between the applicant's interests in historical studies and the faculty, resources and opportunities available at the University of Maryland.

All prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to make contact with the faculty in the area(s) of interest to discuss the potential opportunities and expectations for graduate study at Maryland. Faculty play a central role in the admissions decision.

Prospective applicants are also encouraged to make contact with current graduate students to learn more about their experiences. The History Graduate Student Association (HGSA) can facilitate communications with current students.

 Application Statistics

For admission in Fall 2021 the Department received 72 applications for admission: 37 MA applications, 33 HiLS applications and 2 HiHP applications  (For a discussion of HiLS, please see the graduate programs page.)  We accepted 25 into the MA program, and 24 into the HiLS program.

 

 

Placement

Learn more about the career and life paths of our alumni, who work in fields ranging from academia to the nonprofit community.

 

 

Graduate Placement

Contact Us

Jodi Hall

Graduate Coordinator, History

2131 Francis Scott Key Hall
College Park MD, 20742

(301) 405-4268