The B.A./M.A. Program in History
The B.A./M.A. Program allows selected students to earn both a B.A. and an M.A. in History in five years. Students use up to four undergraduate history courses toward their M.A.: any two upper-division undergraduate courses, plus two more courses taken for graduate credit in the senior year.
Students in the B.A./M.A. program must meet all the specific course requirements for the undergraduate major as well as the formal requirements for the M.A., including the completion of the M.A. colloquium, another graduate-level colloquium, a research seminar, demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language, and an oral comprehensive exam in major and minor fields.
The application deadline is the end of spring semester of a student鈥檚 junior year.
Students interested in the program should first consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who will review the student's academic record and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the program.
Prospective applicants should have an overall GPA of 3.33 and a GPA of 3.5 in History. Applicants should complete the online application process and submit at least 2 recommendations. There is no GRE requirement.
Once accepted into the B.A./M.A. program, students should meet with the Director of Graduate Studies to devise a plan of study.
For students in the B.A./M.A. program, 4 courses taken as an undergraduate count toward the M.A.: 2 upper-division history courses + 2 taken for graduate credit during senior year:
- TWO upper-division courses* taken as an undergraduate are double-counted, ie) they count towards both the B.A. and the M.A.
- Courses that can NOT be double-counted are the Honors Seminar, the R&R for thesis writers, and the senior colloquium.
- A BA/MA student should also take TWO courses for graduate credit during their senior year. These can be either 7000-level courses OR upper-division electives* taken for graduate credit.
* Upper-division electives are mainly 4000-level courses but Making History Public, a 5000-level course, can also be applied towards either of these requirements.
Students must submit applications by the end of the second semester of junior year. The required application materials are a 500-word statement of purpose, a 12-15 page writing sample, at least two letters of recommendation, and an official transcript. Please see the MCAS Graduate Program Admission page for application instructions.聽
Do not send any materials to the History Department.