Graduate Program Degrees
The University of Texas' graduate program in history is designed primarily for students seeking to pursue a doctorate; only in exceptional circumstances do we admit students seeking only a master’s degree. Most students either enter our program already holding an M.A. from another program or institution, or earn an M.A. in our program en route to their Ph.D. Students entering with a bachelor’s degree may also choose to proceed directly to a Ph.D. without taking an M.A.
Full details on requirements and procedures for earning both the M.A. and Ph.D. can be found in the Official Guide to Graduate Study in History (PDF, 158K). More information about graduate examinations is provided in the Guide to Comprehensive Qualifying Examinations (PDF, 229K) document. There are also sample degree plans in PDF format at the bottom of this page.
There are two ways to earn an M.A. in history.
1. Thesis option requires:
– completion of 30 hours of graduate coursework
– write a master’s thesis, 100 pages in length.
2. Report option requires:
– completion of 33 hours of graduate coursework
– write a master’s report, 50 pages in length (generally an expanded version of a paper written for a research seminar).
– reading knowledge of one foreign language (U.S. history students excepted)
No credits earned at another institution may be applied toward a master’s degree.
To earn a Ph.D. in history at the university, a student must complete at least 36 hours of graduate coursework, including specific requirements laid out in the Official Guide. Students who completed an M.A. at another institution before entering university may ask to transfer up to 12 hours of credit, which may be applied to any univeristy requirements.
Besides completing the required coursework, students seeking a Ph.D. must pass a written and oral comprehensive qualifying examination in their major field of study, meet the foreign language requirements set for that field, and complete and defend a dissertation that constitutes a substantial piece of original research.
Sample Degree Plans
