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Admissions

How to Apply to the History Graduate Program

Application Deadline is
December 15, 2023
for fall 2024 admission.

Begin Your Application Here

After an application is submitted, the applicant can login to their application status portal to track letters of recommendations, submit additional transcripts and other materials, withdraw their application, and view their decision.

Track Your Application Here

Prerequisites for Admission

Those who hold a BA or BS from an accredited college or university and who have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or above are eligible for admission to the Master's Program. Those who already hold a MA degree from an accredited college or university and who have a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or above are eligible for admission to the PhD program. In exceptional cases the grade point requirement may be waived.

The Department of History Graduate Program no longer requires GRE scores as part of the application materials.

 

Frequently Asked Questions


Required Application Materials

Please read this section with great care

All applications, writing samples, recommendations, and supporting materials must be submitted via the University of Utah Graduate online application system, Slate. The History Department will not accept applications nor materials that are submitted by mail.

Use the Graduate Application Materials Checklist to ensure that you have submitted all the required application materials. They are as follows:

The research statement of interest is an academically oriented discussion of the fields and themes that interest you. You should begin with your broad interests and then funnel down to a more specific research interest or project. You should reference any relevant skills (including methodologies like oral history, languages, digital skills, etc.) and work experience, and conclude with a discussion of three faculty in our program whose work most closely matches yours.

750 - 1000 words

Your personal statement should discuss your professional goals and how you see the University of Utah helping you further those goals. It should address your career path and be specific about the work you would like to do. That can be anything related to history including but not limited to: K-12 teaching, public history (work in archives, historic preservation, museums and state, federal or tribal agencies), and/or obtaining a PHD and college or university teaching.

100 - 250 words

Applicants must submit at least one example of academic or professional writing, e.g., a published essay, a masters thesis, an honors thesis, or a seminar paper (10 to 15 pages is the expected length for Masters candidates, 20 to 25 pages is the expected length for PhD candidates).

We strongly recommend that you select individuals to write references that can comment on your academic abilities. Letters from History or other academic faculty are highly valued. It is your responsibility to ensure that all three letters of recommendation reach us by the application deadline.

Letter of Recommendation Request Ettiquette

For the application, we need an unnoficial copy of your academic transcripts from all institutions you have attended. If you are admitted to your graduate program, you will be asked to submit an official copy of your transcripts, sent directly from your previous school(s) sent to the Admissions Office.

The application fee is $55.00 for domestic students and $65.00 for international students.

International applicants need to allow more time for their applications to be processed. We recommend that, if possible, you have all of your materials submitted by November 1, a month earlier than the stated deadline. For international applicants whose first language is not English, language proficiency scores on either the TOEFL or IELTS sent as soon as possible to the Admission Office. Admission to the graduate program requires a minimum TOEFL score  of 80 (Internet-based test) or 550 (paper-based test) or on IELTS: An overall minimum band score of 6.5.

 

GRADUATE Materials CHECKLIST

If you have any questions regarding the application process, please email our Academic Advisor, Amarilys Scott at amarilys.scott@utah.edu.

 

 

 

Last Updated: 11/29/23