Priority will be given to students that submit all application materials by December 1st.
- All application materials for the MA and PhD program will be collected through the UW-Milwaukee Graduate School Application Form.
- Applicants from select Midwest states to the History MA and PhD programs can take advantage of the Midwest Student Exchange Program and pay a discounted tuition rate. For information on this program see the UWM Graduate School or the Midwest Student Exchange Program site.
How to Apply to the History Graduate Program
These instructions are for applicants who wish to apply to pursue one of the following degree options:
- MA in History—General History Option A: Thesis Option
- MA in History—General History Option B: Non-Thesis Option
- MA in History—Urban Historical Studies Specialization
- MA in Public History— 1) Public History Specialization; 2) Museum Studies Track; 3) Archives Track; 4) Historic Preservation Track 5) Thesis Track
- MA in History/MLIS in Library and Information Studies Dual Degree *(application requirements may be slightly different for MA/MLIS dual degree.)
- PhD in History—applicants must already have a master’s degree in history or in a related field.
Important: Admission to the PhD program in History is only considered for the fall semester. However, students may immediately start taking classes as “non-degree” graduate students and have those credits count toward their degree after gaining graduate admission. See Non-degree Candidate Admission for the application process. History admits MA students for both the Fall and Spring semesters although priority will be given to applicants that submit all their application materials by December 1.
Applicant Process
- Review the admission requirements on the Graduate School’s Admission Information page.
- Review the step-by-step presentation below to learn about the application process.
- Complete the Graduate School’s Online Application. Required elements of the application include:
- Application fee
- Selection of a degree option
- A “reasons” statement – The History Department evaluates the reasons statement to determine the appropriateness of the applicant’s desired degree program for the applicant’s educational and professional goals. The reasons statement also serves as an example of the applicant’s writing. A reasons statement should include the following:
- Why you wish to pursue graduate study in history at UW-Milwaukee
- Discussion of relevant academic background, knowledge, experience, or skills
- A list and explanation of relevant academic awards or honors
- One (1) transcript from every undergraduate and graduate institution attended by the applicant. Note: If the online system only accepts a limited number of transcripts, upload the most recent and those in which a degree was conferred.
- Two (2) Letters of Recommendation for master’s students and three (3) letters of recommendation for doctoral applicants.
Applicants must input their recommenders’ email addresses into the online application system which will then generate a request for a letter. Recommenders will then upload letters directly to the online system. - Writing Sample – Applicants must upload a research paper to the online system. For MA applicants, the writing sample should be at least ten (10) pages and not more than twenty (20) pages in length. For doctoral applicants the sample should be at least twenty (20) pages and not more than forty (40) pages. The sample should demonstrate the applicant’s ability to analyze primary and secondary sources and should include properly formatted footnotes or endnotes and a properly formatted bibliography.