History (M.A.)

About Our Program

In pursuit of their M.A. degree, students will complete either a research portfolio containing multiple projects or write a multi-chapter thesis on one research question. All students have the option of completing a certificate in public history. Students are supported every step of the way through course work, professional training, close partnerships with faculty, and collaboration with peers. We offer a 2-year terminal program; most students receive funding through graduate teaching assistantships.

The program will prepare you for numerous career options. Our alumni have taken their degree in multiple directions, including museum work, teaching, archival collection, legal practice, and serving their communities.

Campus:

Virginia Tech Blacksburg Campus

Type of Instruction:

Residential/On Campus

Meet our Faculty

Meet our Current Students

Meet our Recent Alumni

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33 hrs
Total Credit Hours

15 hrs
Core Requirement

12-15 hrs
Elective Courses

3-6 hrs
Project and Report or Research and Thesis

Inside the MA in History Program

Curriculum

The centerpiece of your M.A. experience is independent original research. Required courses in historical methods, research methods, and writing skills prepare you to undertake this research and contribute meaningfully to the field of history. The courses will push you outside of your boundaries –- everyone has to take a class outside of their geographic area of focus, and all classes build new skills for practicing history in the 21st century.

Our program highlights U.S. and African histories, with strengths in the history of science, technology, environment, and medicine; urban history; and digital and public history. With these distinctive thematic areas, you’ll gain the tools to ask bold questions, engage communities, and shape the stories that matter.

Many students add on the public history certificate, which features hands-on experience through an internship.

Graduate Catalog: M.A.

Graduate Catalog: Public History Certificate

Admissions and Application Information

Students are admitted on a full-time basis for the fall of each academic year. In addition to the admission standards prescribed by the Graduate School, students applying for the M.A. History program must also meet the following requirements:

A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution
Three letters of recommendation, preferably from former professors
A personal statement describing research goals, relevant experience, and motivations for pursuing a masters degree in history
An academic writing sample. The recommended length is between 10 and 30 pages, double-spaced and excluding the bibliography, that demonstrate your writing and interpretive ability. Writing samples are not evaluated for length, but for engagement with primary sources, ability to support an argument, and writing ability.
A 3.0 minimum GPA (on a 4 point scale)

TOEFL/ IELTS score is required for all non-U.S. citizens or non-U.S. permanent residents Click here to learn more about testing requirements.

To apply to the graduate program, students must submit the Virginia Tech Graduate School online application.

A $75 fee is required with the application for degree-seeking students, though you can check to see if you qualify for a fee waiver.

Applicants will need to include a scanned copy of their college transcripts with the online application and then arrange for an official copy to be sent to the Graduate School upon an offer of admission. Official transcripts should be sent directly from your institution(s) to Virginia Tech Graduate Admissions. Click here to apply now!

Applicants may want to contact potential faculty advisors before applying, but this is not a requirement.

To apply to the graduate program, students must submit the Virginia Tech Graduate School online application.

Domestic Application

Submission deadline for full consideration for funding: February 1
Submission deadline to be considered for admission only: April 1

International Application

Submission deadline for full consideration for funding: February 1
Submission deadline to be considered for admission only: April 1

On the online application, please select the following options when prompted:

Application Type: First Time Graduate Study or Readmission
Program: History
Degree Type: M.A.
Campus: Blacksburg (Main Campus)
Term: Fall

Graduate Assistantships

Students wishing to pursue a master’s degree at Virginia Tech are eligible for funding support from the program. Each year the program awards graduate assistantships with tuition waivers to most graduate students. These assistantships offer students pre-professional training in historical pedagogy or historical research as they support the work of individual faculty members. Students interested in careers in library or archival administration should ask to be considered for a Graduate Assistantship in Special Collections at Virginia Tech’s Newman Library.

Duration of funding: We normally offer 2 years of assistantships for funded M.A students. Contracts are for one year, with renewal depending on progress in the degree program and satisfactory performance of assistantship duties.
Benefits of assistantships: stipend, tuition waiver, health insurance program
Applying for funding: A question on the Graduate School application for graduate admission asks whether you want to be considered for a teaching assistantship. If you check yes, you will respond to additional questions and be added to our list of candidates. All new positions begin in the fall semester. Please note that you do not need to submit a separate application to be considered for Graduate Assistantships.
Deadline to apply: February 1

VCCWS Graduate Scholarship

The Virginia Center for Civil War Studies (VCCWS) Graduate Scholarship awards $5,000 annually, renewable for a second year.

This scholarship supports research interests in any aspect of the American Civil War era, roughly 1840s-1880s.
Candidates for these scholarships may pursue a wide variety of research approaches (including social, political, cultural, military, or economic history) and topics (including—but not limited to—race, slavery, gender, memory and memorialization, violence, political protest, science and medicine, transformations in everyday life, industrialization).
Recipients of this scholarship are also eligible to hold graduate assistantships

To be considered for this scholarship, please indicate your interest in the scholarship in your statement of purpose in the graduate school application.