Admission Requirements
Master of Arts : Students seeking admission to the master of arts program (including those applying to the MA Program in Public History or the Transatlantic Masters Program) should have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in history. Application requirements include transcripts (a minimum of a 3.0 average in history courses is expected), three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, writing sample, and résumé. GRE scores are not required but will be considered if they are provided. Please find more information in the Graduate Catalog for the History MA and Public History MA.
Doctor of Philosophy : Students seeking admission to the doctor of philosophy program should have the equivalent of a master’s degree in history. Application requirements include a transcript (a minimum of a 3.0 average in graduate history courses is required), and three letters of recommendation. GRE scores are not required but will be considered if they are provided. Students should also include a statement of purpose, a writing sample that is an example of a piece of original research, and a résumé as a part of the application. Please find more information in the Graduate Catalog PhD in History. There are additional requirements for international students explained in the Academic Catalog Admissions Text.
Direct Admission Track to Ph.D. Program. Students who have compiled an outstanding record in an undergraduate history major may apply for direct admission to the doctor of philosophy program. They are not required to obtain a master’s degree. Admission directly to the Ph.D. program is highly selective and limited to exceptionally qualified students with superior standing in their bachelor’s degree. Students of this caliber are generally expected to have a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.9 or higher. GRE scores are not required but will be considered if they are provided. In addition, students must provide evidence that they have experience conducting a substantial piece of original historical research, such as a senior honors thesis or major capstone paper.
Application Process
Application Deadline: For Fall Admission to the Ph.D. program all materials must be received by the History Department by January 15. For Fall Admission to the M.A. program all materials must be received by February 1st to have priority consideration for funding. For Fall Admission to the M.A. program, without priority consideration for funding, the deadline is April 1st.
The application can be completed online at WVU Graduate Admissions: How to Apply. All supporting documents (see below for list of supporting documents) should be uploaded as part of the application, with the exception of official transcripts, which should be mailed directly to:
Office of Admissions
One Waterfront Place
PO Box 6009 | Morgantown, WV 26506-6009
Phone: 304-293-2121 | Fax: 304-293-8832
Email:
GraduateAdmissions@mail.wvu.edu
For FedEx or DHL shipments, use this address:
1 Waterfront Place,
Morgantown, WV 26506
Admissions and Records
West Virginia University
PO Box 6009
Morgantown, WV 26506-6009
*Please be advised that you should allow at least two weeks for your online application to be sent to the History Department from Admissions & Records.
List of Supporting Documents to be included in the Application:
Statement of Purpose – should indicate your goals as a history graduate student and the area in history in which you expect to concentrate. Please note that applicants must indicate clearly which graduate program they are seeking admission to: M.A. Program in History (Regular M.A.); M.A. Program in History, with Area of Emphasis in Public History; Transatlantic M.A. Program in International History and Security Studies; Doctor of Philosophy Program, Doctor of Philosophy Program, Direct Admission Track.
Writing Sample – should be an example of a piece of original research such as a senior honors or M.A. thesis, major capstone or research seminar paper, or a term paper you have written for an advanced history class.
Three letters of Recommendation – should be by people who are in a position to evaluate your academic strengths.
Résumé – should indicate your past educational, professional and voluntary experience.
The Profession of Historian
Graduates of the department have fared very well in a variety of different positions as professional historians. Recent graduates are teaching at universities and two- and four- year colleges in several states and abroad, serving as historians for public and private institutions, and working in libraries, archives, and museums, and in administrative positions and as development officers. Students who are attentive to a variety of career options and who are prepared to use their knowledge and training to pursue these options often find early success in the job market.