History, MA
Master of Arts Degree in History
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Overview
Admissions and Requirements
Courses You’ll Take
Tuition & Fees
Program Overview
The online Master of Arts in History teaches students to interpret historical evidence, connect events and ideas, think critically and communicate effectively. Through a combination of historical coursework and research, students are given opportunities to collaborate and network to prepare them for success in their career.
Students choose online History, MA because:
- Thesis and non-thesis options
- The program paves the path to teach dual credit and/or community college courses
- Low teacher/student ratios fostering student/professor relationships
- Extensive online course offerings each semester with emphasis on areas such as the history of the American West, Early Modern Europe history, Gender history, Military history and Modern US history
- Public/digital history specializations available
- A respected, affordable University of Nebraska degree
- Flexibility in degree completion to accommodate busy schedules, no residency requirement
The program is highly customizable and is designed to fulfil the needs of each student. Whether students are teachers, those starting a graduate career or enthusiasts desiring further professional development, course offerings include American, European, World, Public and Digital History.
Students study the many ways people interact politically, economically, militarily and culturally in both the U.S. and international history.
Coursework is taught by faculty members who are recognized for the high quality of their scholarship, teaching and service.
The program seeks to serve those in active military duty and their families, those interested in becoming community college educators and students wishing to pursue a Ph.D. in history.
Career Outlook: A focused, yet eclectic, professional online program, the Master of Arts in History program can launch a potential career in a number of promising directions such as academia, libraries, museums, historical sites, government and more.
Career paths include:
- Archiving
- Curating
- Education
- Government
- Historian
- Museums
- Research
As a program that pinpoints specific students' interests yet provides extensive knowledge in the field, this program can provide graduates with many promising career opportunities. This is proven in the achievements of our students, which include:
- The 2013 Texas History Teacher of the Year
- Several James Madison Fellows
- Students pursuing doctoral programs
- Lecturers at universities and community colleges
- Public history positions in museums and archives
- Student presentations at professional conferences
- Student and alumni research leading to publications
- Several students with campus-level thesis awards
Admissions and Requirements
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
A Bachelor's degree
Including completion of at least 18 semester hours of history or closely related humanities courses.
2 letters of recommendation
Official transcripts from all previous schools
A 3.25 undergraduate GPA, or submit GRE scores
Evidence of the writing and analytical skills necessary for graduate level course work
NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states
To apply to this program:
- Complete and submit the online application for admissions
- Pay the $45 non-refundable application fee
- In the absence of any of the above, admission may be granted on a conditional basis. If an applicant does not have a writing sample or academic letters of recommendation, they can apply as a non-degree student and take 1-2 courses in the program. This will allow an applicant to produce a graduate-level paper to submit with their application and request a letter of recommendation from a UNK professor. Up to 12 credit hours can be transferred to a degree granting program from non-degree seeking course work.
Courses You’ll Take
Course Information
Additional details about the thesis and non-thesis options:
Thesis Option A - 36 total credit hours Students pursuing the thesis option must submit and defend a thesis within two years after the completion of coursework.
- 15 credits history core courses
- 6 credits history electives
- 6 credits public history electives
- HIST 894: Intro to Thesis
- HIST 896: Thesis
Non-thesis Option B - 36 total credit hours
Students pursuing the non-thesis option must complete a comprehensive academic portfolio for non-thesis history students instead of the comprehensive examination. For further details, contact us to speak to an advisor.
- 15 credits history core courses
- 9 credits history elective
- 6 credits in public history electives
- HIST 875: Internship
- HIST 891: Directed Research
Core Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 801 | America Interpreted | 3 |
An introductory (required) graduate readings course in American historiography. The class examines the leading schools of historical opinion from the founding of American society through the modern era. | ||
| HIST 803 | Historical Methods | 3 |
This required course will introduce graduate students to the history profession and to the tools and methods used by historians. | ||
| HIST 848 | Readings in American History | 3 |
A variable themed graduate level course. Topics in American history will include both key issues and periods in history as well as historiographical disputes. May be repeated for credit. Some examples of course topics are: Age of Jackson, American Borderlands, American Constitutional History, American Religion, American West, American Women's History, Civil Rights, Civil War, Cold War, Colonial America, Great Depression, Hispanics in America, Historical Preservation, Indians & Empires, Modern West, Native American History, Nebraska History, Plains Indians, Popular Music, Popular Culture, Public History, Reconstruction, Revolutionary Origins, Sports History, U.S. Latin American Relations, World War II, etc. | ||
| HIST 849 | Readings in World History | 3 |
A variable themed graduate level course. Topics in European or World history will include both key issues and periods in history as well as historiographical disputes. May be repeated for credit. Some examples of course topics are: 17th Century Europe, 19th Century Britain, 19th Century Britain, 19th Century European History, The British Empire, English History, Ethnic Conflict, French Revolution & Napoleon, Gender & War, German Unification, Holocaust, Imperial Russia, India, Medieval England, Medieval Europe, Modern Britain, Modern Germany, Nazi Germany, Reformation, Russian Revolution, Seapower in History, Stalin's Russia, Tudor/Stuart History, Vikings, War & Society, Wars of Religion, Weimar Republic, World War I, WWII in Asia, etc. | ||
| HIST 894 | Introduction to Thesis | 3 |
A required course for graduate students pursuing the thesis option. Prepares students to conduct primary research, construct historical arguments, identify historiographical patterns, and begin the writing process. | ||
Elective Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 838 | Issues in Public History | 3 |
This graduate course examines contemporary issues and practices in the field of public history. The format of this course will vary depending on the topic, instructor, and the needs of the students. May be repeated with each new offering. | ||
| HIST 848 | Readings in American History | 3 |
A variable themed graduate level course. Topics in American history will include both key issues and periods in history as well as historiographical disputes. May be repeated for credit. Some examples of course topics are: Age of Jackson, American Borderlands, American Constitutional History, American Religion, American West, American Women's History, Civil Rights, Civil War, Cold War, Colonial America, Great Depression, Hispanics in America, Historical Preservation, Indians & Empires, Modern West, Native American History, Nebraska History, Plains Indians, Popular Music, Popular Culture, Public History, Reconstruction, Revolutionary Origins, Sports History, U.S. Latin American Relations, World War II, etc. | ||
| HIST 864 | Public History Seminar | 3 |
This course introduces graduate students to the theory and practice of public history. A growing body of scholarship on public history has emerged over the past few decades, seeking to develop a better understanding of the underlying principles of the field and the challenges of doing history in public. This class will expose students to both foundational as well as new scholarship on public history, explore several key issues facing the practice of public history today, and offer hands-on, practical experience through the preparation of a grant proposal and the completion of a real-world public history project. | ||
| HIST 865 | Public History Methods | 3 |
This course introduces graduate students to the practice and methodologies of local and community history research. Students will be exposed to key readings and issues in local history scholarship, gain a strong understanding of the characteristics of quality local and community history, and become extensively familiar with the kinds of primary sources used to explore and interpret history at the local level. The course will culminate in a substantial project that results in the production of a real-world product for a community partner. | ||
| HIST 866 | Museums & Material Culture | 3 |
This course introduces graduate students to the major themes, debates, and issues in museums and material culture studies. Students will be exposed to key readings and issues in museum studies and material culture scholarship, gain a strong understanding of the history of museums and their evolving role among diverse groups of public audiences, and explore the principles and methods behind the use of material culture in a variety of public history settings. The course will culminate in a major artifact analysis assignment and a substantial project that results in the production of a real-world product for a community partner. | ||
| HIST 867 | Historic Preservation | 3 |
This graduate course introduces students to the major themes, debates, and issues in the dynamic field of historic preservation. Students will read several significant works on the history of historic preservation in the United States, the power of history and historic places to shape communities and a sense of place, relevant historic preservation laws and practices, and the many challenges facing historic preservationists in the twenty-first century. Guided by these readings, students will also conduct original research into a historic property and prepare a National Register nomination. | ||
| HIST 897 | Public History Project | 3 - 6 |
This course serves as an alternative to the traditional thesis requirement and is designed as an opportunity for graduate-level public history students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities in public history practice. Students pursuing this option will be required to develop, complete, and defend a substantial, original public history project. Exact details will vary and should be developed in consultation with the student's advisor. Students may take this course for 3-6 credits per semester. | ||
Tuition & Fees
Nebraska Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $315.00
- Fees
- $52.25
- Total
- $367.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $945.00
- Fees
- $156.75
- Total
- $1101.75
Out of State Residents
Per Credit Hour
- Tuition
- $504.00
- Fees
- $52.25
- Total
- $556.25
3 Credit Hours
- Tuition
- $1512.00
- Fees
- $156.75
- Total
- $1668.75
Linda Van Ingen, Ph.D.
Professor
Linda Van Ingen focuses her research on modern U.S. political and social history with a special interest in issues of gender, race, class and aging. Van Ingen’s publications contribute to the historiography of women in politics by exploring the limits of state suffrage for women candidates and by introducing the concept of a gendered politics of accommodation. She advises graduate student thesis projects in areas of civil rights, women’s history and modern U.S. political history.
Application Deadlines
- Fall SemesterJul 10
- Spring SemesterNov 10
- Summer SemesterApr 10