History - Graduate

Applications for admission are reviewed by the Director of Graduate Studies and the department's Graduate Committee. Minimum Requirements: The department requires applicants to have a minimum undergraduate grade point of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) and to have been a History major or to have taken twenty-four hours of History coursework (preferably at the junior and senior level).

The department usually considers courses in Classics and similar fields as coursework in History. Admission and Funding Decisions: Applicants are evaluated individually and in terms of the overall quality of the pool of applications. Often less than one-third of the applicants are admitted. Those applicants who are admitted -- and particularly those who are funded -- have usually earned a 3.5 GPA or higher as an undergraduate and have an even higher grade point in history courses. Most have scored in the 80th percentile or higher in one or more parts of the Graduate Record Exam.

The department prefers to admit students to its doctoral program only if it is able to offer them funding. It also prefers to admit students to fields requiring a command of foreign languages only if the applicant has had significant training in one or more languages.

1. CV
   • The CV should indicate the applicant's education, qualifications for graduate study (such as language training), and other appropriate accomplishments.
2. Personal Statement
   • ​The personal statement should be a one- or two-page statement indicating the reasons for the applicant's interest in graduate study at the University of Kentucky. It should indicate if the applicant is interested in obtaining a terminal MA degree, a PhD degree, or the MA and PhD degrees. It should also explain what field(s) the applicant hopes to concentrate on as a graduate student, and, if possible, with which faculty member the applicant wishes to work. Applicants should make intellectual and scholarly interests the focal point of these statements.
3. Writing Sample
   • ​We ask for two writing samples -- a longer research paper and a short book review.  Generally, applicants should combine them into one document to simplify submission.
4. Three letters of recommendation

Applicants must meet the Graduate School admission requirements.

The GRE is not required for Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 applicants.

Application Deadlines

​Fall: January 10 for Funding, February 15 if not interested in Funding