Mission
The Master of Arts in History is designed to serve the needs of a variety of students in the central Florida regional community. Some will eventually seek to enter a Ph.D. program at a doctoral-granting institution. Others are in the program to improve their proficiency as secondary school teachers. Some will seek professional opportunities in historically oriented careers such as museum education, archival management or public policy. Still, others simply wish to enrich their intellectual lives.
The main goal of the program is to provide all participants with the research and writing skills needed to undertake major historical investigations. We offer two areas of concentration: Eastern and Western hemispheres. By focusing on broad areas of concentration we seek to break down the traditional national and geographic boundaries within history. Our liberal areas of concentration will allow students to examine global processes from a comparative perspective.
The History Department at UCF has attracted a diverse and dynamic group of scholars who are committed to rigorous standards of teaching and research. Students in the M.A. program work with professors whose areas of research span the globe and who are proficient in a broad range of historical methods. Faculty areas of specialization include African, American, Asian, European, Latin American and Middle Eastern history as well as the history of women and gender, economic, social, cultural, diplomatic and military history, and history of the Atlantic world.
Degrees
- History M.A.: A History M.A. is designed to serve the needs of a variety of students, including those who plan to pursue a Ph.D., those wishing to improve their proficiency as secondary school teachers, and those who seek to enrich their intellectual lives.
- History M.A. – Public History Track: The Public History Track will train students who are interested in careers in administration, preservation and interpretation within public history.
Degree requirements
Application requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants must provide:
- One official transcript from each college/university attended.
- A bachelor’s degree in History (or an equivalent).
- A 3.25 GPA in all upper-division history courses taken as an undergraduate student.
- A Statement of Purpose (maximum of two pages) describing personal goals and objectives in seeking a graduate degree in history.
- Three letters of recommendation from former professors who can address the applicant’s ability to undertake graduate-level history courses.
- A substantial academic writing sample between 2000 and 5000 words illustrating the applicant’s ability to engage in historical research and analysis. Acceptable writing samples may include a chapter from an honors thesis, a conference paper, or a term paper.
- A computer-based score of 233 (or 91 internet-based score) on the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) if an applicant is from a country where English is not the official language, or if an applicant’s degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, or if an applicant did not earn a degree in a country where English is the only official language or a university where English is the only official language of instruction. Although we prefer the TOEFL, we will accept IELTS scores of 7.0.
- Applicants applying to this program who have attended a college/university outside the United States must provide a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA calculation. Credential evaluations are accepted from World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. only.
Applicants who hold an undergraduate degree in History but do not have a GPA of 3.0 in all work attempted while registered as an undergraduate student, or while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student (normally based on the last sixty attempted semester hours), or a 3.25 GPA in their upper-division history courses may take up to 9 hours of graduate courses as non-degree-seeking students. To be admitted into the graduate program, however, they must earn a 3.3 GPA or higher in the graduate-level history courses they take under this status.
Generally, applicants who meet all of the above requirements but do not have an undergraduate degree in History must complete 12 hours of history course work at the 3000 and 4000 level, with a 3.25 GPA in these courses, before entering the graduate program. These courses will not count toward the graduate degree. The History Department Graduate Committee can waive this requirement, in whole or in part, when applicants present evidence that they are capable of successfully completing graduate history courses.
If, in addition, applicants do not meet one of the other requirements for entry, such as a GPA of 3.0 in all work attempted while registered as an undergraduate student, or while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student (normally based on the last sixty attempted semester hours), they must complete 12 hours of course work at the 3000 and 4000 level with GPA of 3.5 before they can be admitted to the graduate program.
Meeting minimum UCF admission criteria does not guarantee program admission. Final admission is based on evaluation of the applicant’s abilities, past performance, recommendations, match of this program and faculty expertise to the applicant’s career/academic goals, and the applicant’s potential for completing the degree.
Graduate Ethics and Conduct
The UCF History Department is committed to introducing graduate students to accepted standards of professional ethics and conduct. The History Department requires students to understand the standards of academic conduct as defined by the university and the American Historical Association.
It is the responsibility of all students to familiarize themselves with UCF-5.008 Rules of Conduct, the UCF Golden Rule Student Handbook, the UCF History Graduate Student Handbook and the Graduate Student Handbook. Continue reading about Graduate Ethics and Conduct.