School of Humanities
Prospective Graduate Students
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Degree Programs (M.A., M.S., and Ph.D.)
- Master’s Program
Students may pursue a Master’s degree in the fields of United States, European, and
War and Society. Most students seek the Master of Arts degree, which requires the
completion of a thesis. The Masters of Science, a terminal degree, is also offered.
- Dual Master’s Programs
In cooperation with the School of Library and Information Science and the Department
of Anthropology, the Department of History offers two dual master’s degrees. The History/LIS
program prepares students for careers in academic and public libraries as well as
archives. The History/Anthropology program prepares students for careers in public
history, museums, and cultural resource management.
- Doctoral Program
Students may pursue a PhD in the fields of American and modern European history. Students select a broadly-defined major field (for example, American History, 1607-present) and two minor fields of study (for example, medieval Europe and war and society). Once students pass comprehensive exams in all three fields, they must complete a dissertation which makes an original contribution to historical knowledge.
For more detailed information about degree programs in history, consult the University’s Graduate Bulletin and the History Graduate Student Handbook.
Please address specific questions about the program to the Director of Graduate Studies,
Dr. Kyle Zelner at Kyle.ZelnerFREEMississippi.
Instructions for Applying to the Department of History’s Graduate Programs
For more information on applying to the graduate programs in history at USM, visit
our application page.