Online M.A. for History Educators

Nationally Acclaimed

UNCW’s online History M.A. program is ranked among the top ten in the nation by the educational consulting websites Gradsource.com and Bestcolleges.com. It is also named among the very best programs by the online College Affordability Guide. Find out more about us!

UNCW's History Department offers a 30-hour, purpose-designed Master's Degree in History for professional educators. The specific goals of the program are:

to provide advanced opportunities for the study of history;
to prepare historical educators by providing them with knowledge of the most current research practices and questions in relation to historical problems;
to develop the professional practices of history educators to reflect deep understandings of content.

In short, the program is designed to strengthen and sustain a love of history in a learning environment created for dedicated teachers. It MAY qualify its graduates for salary increases and strengthens participants' existing ability to bring history to life in the classroom with new and deeper knowledge.

**Because of the COVID-19 situation the GRE requirement is waived for those applying to the online M.A. program for Fall 2021**

Application

Deadline for Fall 2021
Application for Fall 2021 opens October 1, 2020
Application deadline is July 1, 2021
Classes begin August 18, 2021

Cost of Attendance


	North Carolina resident	Out of state resident
Cost per credit hour	$259.01	$936.91
Total tuition cost	$7,770.30	$28,107.30

Note: This does not cover the cost of books for courses.

Curriculum

Courses for 2020-2021

	August - October	October - December
New cohort	HST 590, "The Historian's Craft: Issues & Approaches"	HST 560, "Scientific Revs."
Cont. cohort	HST 560, "Internal Combustion Revolution"	HST 520, "Indians & Settlers in Colonial America"

	January 21 - March 7, 2021	March 11 - May 1, 2021
New cohort	HST 560, "British Empire"	HST 590, "Internal Combustion Revolution"
Cont. cohort	HST 520, "Civil War & Reconstruction"	HST 560, "British Empire"

	June 28 - July 1, 2021
New cohort	HST 595, "Local and Regional History"
Cont. cohort	-

	July 12 - July 15, 2021
New cohort	HST 595, "Local and Regional History"
Cont. cohort	HST 595, "Capstone Course"

Curriculum

Courses for 2021-2022

	August 18 - October 3	October 4 - November 21
New cohort	HST 590, "The Historian's Craft: Issues & Approaches" (Fain)	HST 560, "Capitalism in World History" (LeZotte)
Cont. cohort	HST 560, "The European Holocaust" (Tanny)	HST 520, "Indians & Settlers in Colonial America" (LaVere)

	January - March	March - May
New cohort	HST 590, "End of the European Colonial Empires" (Abebayo)	HST 560, "Internal Combustion Revolution" (Pollard)
Cont. cohort	HST 540, "Ancient Gr/Rome" (Pilkington)	HST 520, "Everyday Life in Cold War America" (Fain)

	June/July 2022
New cohort	HST 595, "Local and Regional History"
Cont. cohort	-

	June/July 2022
New cohort	HST 595, "Local and Regional History"
Cont. cohort	HST 595, "Capstone Course"

Student Testimonials

“Being in the classroom, studying in the field, discussing topics with classmates, meeting my professors, browsing the bookstore -- and even eating in the dining hall -- was most rewarding. More importantly, being on campus provided a strong connection to UNCW that might not be obtained otherwise. Enrolling in this program was truly one of the best decisions I have made. Thank you again for a great educational experience.”

--Jennifer Bower (M.A. ’20) about the program’s Summer Institute

“Field experiences were incredible! It was also great to meet classmates in person.”

--Jamie Brooks (M.A. ’20) about the program’s Summer Institute

“In four days I was able to learn a lot of history that I would not otherwise have thought about.”

--Candice Workman (M.A. ’20) about the program’s Summer Institute

Online M.A. for History Educators Frequently Asked Questions

Who is your program designed for?

Our students come from many different backgrounds, but most are mid-career or aspiring history and social studies teachers, museum educators, librarians, and archivists.
Is this a degree in History or in History Education?

Our degree is the M.A. in History, and it is designed to bolster our students’ content knowledge of the field so that they can present the past more effectively to their audiences.
How often do you admit new students?

We accept new students to the program each Fall Semester. We do not enroll new students in the Spring Semester.
Do I need to have an undergraduate degree in History to apply?

No, our program accepts applicants from many different educational backgrounds.
Do I need to take the GRE to apply?

We require GRE scores, but we frequently waive the GRE requirement for applicants who have five or more years of teaching experience, have earned another graduate degree, or who have significant history-related work experience. You can complete the Test Score Waiver Request form, scan it, and send it to the graduate coordinator. The graduate coordinator will return it so you can include it with your other application materials. The form can be found here: https://uncw.edu/gradschool/admissions/formsdocs/testscore.pdf
What is the application deadline for the program?

The History Department will begin reviewing applications on February 1, 2021. Each cohort fills quickly, but in the event that spaces in the program remain, we will continue to entertain new applications until July 1, 2021.
How long does it take to complete the online M.A. degree?

Our 30-credit hour program is 24 months long. It begins in August and ends in July after the second year.
Can I specialize in a particular field of history?

Our program is designed to train well-rounded graduates who are trained in U.S., European, and Global history. Students in each cohort take the same courses at the same time. They do not concentrate on a particular geographic or thematic area.
Will I have to write a thesis?

No, ours is a non-thesis program.
Does the program accept any transfer credits from other institutions?

Yes, the History Department will accept a maximum of six transfer credits.
What are the Summer Institutes?

Our students participate in two, on-campus Summer Institutes, each year they are enrolled in the program. The Institutes last one week and are taught in late June or early July. These are a signature feature of the program and have been extremely popular with students. They allow you to meet one another and your professors and to experience student life on campus.

Class Updates

HST 520 - Indians and Settlers in Colonial America (La Vere)
- We will read four American history books that deal with American Indians and their interactions with the colonists entering the region. Taken together, these books cover American Indian culture, colonization, women, colonial politics, Indian relations, and slavery."
HST 540 - The Holocaust in European History (Tanny)
- In this historiographical colloquium, we will examine some of the major issues surrounding the Holocaust. Although we will primarily focus on the Nazi perpetrators and their Jewish victims, we will situate the destruction of European Jewry in its wider historical context, and what this may suggest about the legacy of medieval anti-Semitism, German history, science and modernity, genocide and ethnic cleansing, and the barbarization of warfare on the eastern front.
HST 560 - Capitalism and World History (Le Zotte)
- In the past decade and a half, a new field of history has coalesced: the history of capitalism. New histories of capitalism build upon older economic literature once indispensable to graduate educations but also incorporate essential social and cultural views intrinsic to current modes of historical analysis. Capitalism shapes our world, and this course examines the global origins, connections, and effects of modern capitalism, from the late eighteenth century to the present. With a slight emphasis on the United States' role in the phenomenon, HST 560 examines how capitalism intersects with slavery, governments, healthcare, corporate identities, and more. Topical focuses include International trade agreements, mass consumerism, and environmental concerns. As in any course on capitalism, competition is central to our analyses. We will think deeply about access to the rewards of capitalism and persistent inequalities based on race, gender, religion, class, sexuality, ethnicity, and nationality throughout the course.
HST 590 - The Historian's Craft: Issues & Approaches (Fain)
- This online course will introduce students to the graduate level study of history. It will explore just what professional historians do in their work and what they produce. It will examine the ways historians discuss their work and move the field forward. In doing this, it will require students to grapple with the differences between popular and academic history, the evolving nature of historical inquiry and the ways that it has been accepted or rejected by different publics. It will require students to think about the complex dynamic between history and memory and between received knowledge and revisionist accounts. It will also delve into the world of historical ethics and how the events of the past can be fairly and responsibly presented to the public.