Graduate Programs

Why should you get a Master's Degree in History?

The History Graduate Program allows you to deepen your understanding—through research and analysis—of regions and eras that have been politically and socially influential.

Our faculty hold diverse thematic and geographic specialties. Graduate students at UNO can focus on the following topics:

• Holocaust and Genocide Studies
• Ancient Mediterranean Studies
• Medieval and Renaissance
• Race and Ethnicity
• the American West
• Immigration
• Other subjects in the United States, Latin American, and European history

Program Admission Requirements

Program Application Process

Program Expectations & Completion

Graduate Student Funding & Awards

Graduate Course Listings (Spring 2022)

History Graduate Minor

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Program Admission Requirements

You must meet the following minimum criteria* to be considered for placement in the UNO History Graduate Program:

1. Complete 21 semester hours of coursework in history
2. Complete a historical methodology and/or research course, with a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).
3. Earn an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale).

*Provisional entrance into the program may be considered if full criteria are not met. Students who have no undergraduate course in historical methodology and/or research must successfully complete HIST 2980 (Historical Methodology) during the first two semesters of their enrollment at UNO. Contact the Graduate Program Chair (Dr. Danielle Battisti) to inquire further.

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Program Application Process

Application Deadlines:

Fall Admission: February 1 (for funding consideration) and May 15

Spring Admission: October 15

1. Submit the following application materials to the Office of Graduate Studies:
2. UNO Graduate Studies Application (found through the UNO Graduate Studies website)
3. Cover letter essay of 250-500 words describing your interests in history and why you wish to earn an MA Degree.
4. Curriculum Vitae ("c.v.") or Résumé
5. A writing sample from an upper-division history course (at least 10-12 pages in length)
6. Two academic letters of recommendation. We urge you to submit letters from history professors, history professionals, or professors from a related field who can speak in detail about your academic background and experience.

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Program Expectations and Completion

Master of Arts in History: Thesis Option

Graduate students who elect the thesis option are required to identify a thesis advisor, develop a thesis committee, and write and defend the thesis before graduating. Further details about the thesis process are available here (MA in History Thesis Option) or you can contact the History Graduate Program Chair. The total credit hours for the thesis option is 36 hours (30 credit hours in courses + 6 credit hours of thesis).

Master of Arts in History: Comprehensive Exams (Non-Thesis) Option
Graduate students who do not elect to write a thesis are required to identify a comprehensive exams advisor, develop a comps committee, and complete their comp exams before graduating. Further details about the comps/non-thesis process are available here (MA in History Non-Thesis Option) or you can contact the History Graduate Program Chair. The total credit hours for the comps/non-thesis option is 36 hours of coursework.

MA Program Dismissal
The Department of History at UNO will automatically dismiss from the program any student who is awarded any grade below B- in two (or more) classes, regardless of whether or not they have complied with other requirements of satisfactory progress.

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Graduate Student Awards & Other Funding Opportunities

The A.V. Sorensen Award is given to an undergraduate or graduate student who has written the best paper or completed thesis on an urban topic (one involving the history of cities and towns at any stage of development) during the previous academic year.

The Virginia Dare Shuflata Award recognizes "excellence in history" students at the graduate level.

The Shuflata Master's Thesis Fellowship is available to outstanding graduate students to support the successful completion of their Master's thesis in history at UNO. For more information, please contact the Graduate Program Chair.

Graduate Research and Creative Activity (GRACA) - GRACA grants support faculty-mentored graduate student research and creative activity. Grants of up to $5,000 per student are available to UNO graduate students currently enrolled.

The University Committee on Research and Creative Activity (UCRCA) provides graduate students with funds for materials, research supplies, and other expenses related to the conduct of student research and creative activity.

A limited number of Graduate Teaching Assistantship positions are available in the department. Once students have been accepted into the MA program, they should discuss application procedures with the Graduate Program Chair. Graduate Teaching Assistantships are contingent upon acceptance into the MA program.

Please visit the Department of History's awards page to read more about recognizing UNO student work in history.

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Graduate Minors

Graduate students in the History M.A. Program may elect to add a minor from a different department or program from UNO. Examples include Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Native American Studies, and Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Discuss this option with your advisor or the History Graduate Program Chair.

To earn a History Graduate Minor, a student must be enrolled in a UNO Graduate Program and complete 9 hours of graduate-level history courses with the grade of a "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or better.