University of Minnesota
Department of History
history@umn.edu
612-624-2800


Department of History's home page.

Home > Graduate Studies > Graduate Study Admissions : General Qualifications

General Qualifications

Admission to graduate work in History is granted by the Graduate School to applicants who both meet the general requirements of the Graduate School and are selected for admission by the Department of History. The following qualifications are normally required for admission to graduate study:

  1. A demonstrated aptitude for history. This normally includes:
    • An overall average of "B+" or higher in history and related social sciences and humanities subjects
    • Competitive GRE scores on the basic general test (not the specialty tests). GRE scores must be within the last 5 years.
    • Strong letters of recommendation from faculty
    • Strong writing sample to demonstrate research skills
      (GRE Institution code: UMN-6874, Interest Code: History-2799)
  2. Coursework in history and related areas:
    • The completion of general undergraduate survey courses in two or three broad areas of history, e.g., African, ancient, Asian, English, European, Latin American, medieval , United States.
    • Two years of advanced undergraduate work in two of the named areas.
    • Training in a foreign language.

We recognize that not every applicant will possess all of these qualifications and that in some cases other coursework or personal experience may make it possible for us to be flexible.

Application Deadlines

The deadline for filing of applications for admission and financial aid is December 1. Incomplete applications may provide us with an inadequate basis for a positive decision. Materials received after December 1 may not be your file in time to be considered.

Admission Decisions

Nearly all admission decisions are made by early February for students planning to enroll in the fall, including awards of teaching assistantships and fellowships.

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Graduate Features

Graduate Studies
Rachel Ayers
1130 Heller Hall
271 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Phone: 612-624-5840
Email: histdgs@umn.edu

  • 'Best Dissertation' Arts and Humanities

    Congratulations to Nicole Phelps for winning this year's 'Best Dissertation" Award in the Arts and Humanities for her dissertation, "Sovereignty, Citizenship, and the New Liberal Order: US-Habsburg Relations and the Transformation of International Politics, 1880-1924."

    Nicole will receive an honorarium of $1,000 and a special certificate. She will also be honored during a luncheon and ceremony at the Campus Club in early June.

     May 14th, 2008

  • 2007-08 Fulbright Scholarships

    Tovah Bender (Italy), Aeleah Soine (Germany), and Elizabeth Swedo (Iceland) were awarded Fulbright scholarships to support their dissertation research abroad during this academic year. Congratulations!

    To read more, visit the Graduate School Announcement.

     January 25th, 2008

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