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History, M.A.

Investigating the Past

Our alumni work as:

History teachers educate students at the middle school and high school levels. Their primary goal is to help students understand and appreciate the processes and events of history.

Librarians purchase, catalog and study media necessary to the academic research process. Their mission is to make knowledge more accessible and to build information literacy.

Archivists use their knowledge of history to assemble, catalog, and preserve materials and artifacts for governments and public and private organizations, preserving these records of the past for posterity.

History majors learn skills that are vital for lawyers, including how to think critically about evidence, synthesize information, develop persuasive arguments, and communicate clearly and effectively.

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Learn To

Build historical knowledge

Develop historical methods

Recognize the provisional nature of knowledge, and the complexity and ambiguity of history

Apply the range of skills it takes to decode the historical record

Create historical arguments and narratives

“ The faculty is always very accessible and there is a good breadth of classes offered. ”
History, M.A. Student
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History, M.A. Program Overview

M.A. Degree Options

The Department of History offers the Master of Arts degree in a number of forms to meet the intellectual and professional aspirations of its students. It offers concentrations in U.S. history, European history, global history and public history.

M.A. students have two track options:

Public History Professional Track, Thesis Option

Public history students who intend to seek work at historic sites, museums and archives may opt to pursue that concentration's professional track.

Explore the Public History Track

Online Non-Thesis Option for History Educators

A non-thesis option in the geographic concentrations is available to students who intend to pursue teaching careers at the secondary and community college levels and to those who prefer not to pursue a research-intensive program.

The innovative online M.A. program for professional history educators serves the career needs of experienced teachers, museum educators, librarians and archivists who seek to augment their knowledge of history itself rather than pursue a graduate education degree.

Students in all concentrations may choose to pursue a thesis option in preparation for further graduate study or if they enjoy the challenges and rewards of a more intensive research and writing experience.

The History Department has an excellent record of placing its graduates into history-related jobs and selective doctoral programs.

Explore the Online M.A. for History Educators

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Sample Courses

Sample Courses 
HST 500 Historiography and Methodology
HST 107 Warfare in World History
HST 480/580 Digitizing Black Wilmington
HST 495/595 Christianity in the Roman World
See The Full Curriculum

Admission Deadlines & Requirements

Information: M.A. History

Apply Now

  • Complete applications are reviewed for admission by the program as they are received.
  • All application and supporting documents must be received by the published deadline.
  • Applications received on or before the priority deadline will receive priority review. Applications submitted after the priority deadline will be reviewed through the space available deadline if unfilled positions remain. Please submit your application prior to the priority deadline as cohorts fill quickly.

Coordinator

Location/Delivery Method

  • Main Campus - European, Global, Public, Public History Professional, U.S. 
  • Distance Education (Online with two main campus one-week Summer Institutes) - Online Option for Educators (Non-Thesis)

Concentrations

  • European (Thesis or Non-Thesis)
  • Global History (Thesis or Non-Thesis)
  • U.S. History (Thesis or Non-Thesis)
  • Public (Thesis)
  • Public History Professional (Non-Thesis)
  • Online Option for Educators (Non-Thesis)

Deadlines (11:59 p.m. EST)

  • Fall 2025: Online Option for Educators
    • Application Deadline: July 1, 2025 
  • Fall 2025: Main Campus Option 
    • Priority Consideration: February 1, 2025
    • Space Available Deadline: July 1, 2025

Transcripts

  • One official transcript is required from each U.S. post-secondary institution attended. Refer to the Getting Started page for international transcript instructions.

Test Scores

  • None Required

Recommendation

  • 3 recommendations to be submitted through the online application. At least 2 must be from academics.

Additional Requirements

  1. Upload Supplemental Documents After Submission
  2. Essay: Essay describing your interest in studying history as a graduate student at UNCW.
  3. Writing Sample: Separate Writing Sample (Research paper preferred).
  4. Online Option for Educators: Preferred applicants are North Carolina professional educators. in both public and private institutions e.g. teachers, librarians, archivist, museum educators. Contact the Program Coordinator if clarification is required.

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