Master of Arts in History

Collaborative Online Degree

This 100-percent online program is taught by IU South Bend, IU East, IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, and IU Southeast. This consortial model allows you to take coursework from several campuses and learn from a wide range of faculty.

Many online support services are available to assist you as you progress through the program.

By studying the past, we are better able to understand and communicate the importance of issues in our contemporary world. The IU Online Master of Arts in History explores geographic regions of the world in both modern and pre-modern time periods to identify historical actors, events of significance, and social movements.

As a student in the program, you gain graduate-level historical knowledge, critical thinking skills, and techniques for clear and persuasive writing. You learn to recognize historiographic trends and their meanings, perform research, and construct original historical arguments. Your studies will culminate in at least one semester-long research project of original scholarship.

Specific areas of focus include:

• Early America (1400–1800)
• The long 19^th century in the US (1800–1917)
• Modern United States (1917–present)
• The US and the world
• European history
• Latin American history
• Asian history
• African history

When you graduate from the program, you will have:

• Effective oral and written historical communication skills.
• The ability to perform research.
• The ability to construct original historical arguments.
• Competencies in digital and public history.

Your IU Online MA in History helps prepare you for such careers as: 

• General researcher
• Writer or editor
• Journalist or broadcaster
• K-12 teacher
• Library or museum worker

Of Special Interest for Teachers/Instructors Needing to Meet HLC Dual-Credit Standards

The stackable structure of the MA in History is ideal for those who want to teach dual-credit courses and who need to meet Higher Learning Commission dual-credit qualification standards. These standards require teachers wanting to teach dual-credit courses in history to hold either a master's degree in history or a master's degree in another discipline (such as education), plus at least 18 credit hours of discipline-specific graduate coursework. 

• If you need both discipline-specific coursework and a master's degree, the MA in History meets HLC standards.
• If you already hold a master's degree in a discipline other than history, you can meet HLC standards by completing the Graduate Certificate in History.

Admissions

To be accepted to this program, you must have

• A bachelor's degree
• 3.0 minimum undergraduate GPA

To apply to this program, complete an online application that includes:

• Official transcripts
• 250-word personal statement explaining background and reasons for entering the program

Application Dates

• Fall semester | August 1
• Spring semester | January 1
• Summer session 1 | May 1
• Summer session 2 | June 15

M.A. Requirements (30 cr.)

Requirements are broken down as follows:

• Core Courses (9 cr.)
• Major Requirements (12 cr.)
• Minor Courses (6 cr.)
• Additional research seminar or thesis (3 cr.)

• All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.

Core Courses (9 cr.)

• HIST-T 510 Historical Methodology
• HIST-T 570 Introduction to Digital and Public History

Major Requirements (12 cr.)

Select one of the following options:

Option 1 | United States History

Select four from the following:

• HIST-T 520 Teaching College History
• HIST-T 530 Early America, 1400-1800
• HIST-T 540 The Long Nineteenth Century, 1800-1917
• HIST-T 550 Modern United States, 1917-Present
• HIST-T 560 The United States and the World: Comparative History

Option 2 | World History

Select four from the following:

• HIST-T 531 European History
• HIST-T 541 Latin American History
• HIST-T 551 Asian History
• HIST-T 561 African History
• HIST-T 571 World History

Minor Courses (6 cr.)

• Select two courses from the Option list not selected

Research Seminar or Thesis (3 cr.)

Select one from the following:

• HIST-T 590 Research Seminar in History
• HIST-T 591 Research Seminar in Digital and Public History
• HIST-T 592 Thesis