Master of Arts in History

 

Department of History 416 Varner Hall  (map) (248) 370-3510 • Fax (248) 370-3528 www.oakland.edu/history/

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Graduate Coordinator:
Don Matthews
404 Varner Hall
(248) 370-3525
matthews@oakland.edu

 

Program description

This program may serve either as a terminal degree or as a bridge to more advanced study and is designed to accommodate both full-and part-time students. In addition to a complete daytime schedule, late afternoon and evening courses are also available.

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

• July 15 for fall semester
• November 15 for winter semester
• March 15 for summer semester

Readmission and program transfer

Requests for readmission and program transfers must be completed and approved prior to the beginning of a semester.

International application deadlines

International applications are reviewed for fall and winter admission only. To ensure adequate time for review, international applications must be completed at least six months before the desired date of intended enrollment in the University. All international application materials must be submitted by May 1 for fall admission and by September 1 for winter admission. International applicants are not eligible for Special Graduate classification.

Special Graduate classification

Applicants who are seeking a graduate degree or graduate certificate, but are unable to meet the deadline for filing all required application materials or credentials for graduate admission, may contact the department and request Special Graduate temporary admission.  The applicant must submit an Application for Admission to Graduate Study, plus a copy of a transcript providing evidence of a bachelor’s degree awarded and any specific evidence concerning their qualifications for graduate study as required by the department.  Up to 12 credits may be earned in the Special Graduate classification. Admission as a special graduate student in no way assures subsequent admission to a degree or graduate certificate program.

Students may request special graduate classification beginning  with the dates below.

• August 1 for fall semester
• December 1 for winter semester
• April 1 for summer semester

Note: Special Graduate classification will not be granted after the first week of classes in a semester

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all of the following university and program application documents by the published application deadlines.

University graduate application requirements

• Application for Admission to Graduate Study        
• Official transcripts providing evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, OR a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a college or university of government-recognized standing.
• Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned a degree (beginning with the first baccalaureate) and for all enrollment in graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. International university transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service.
  • As part of the admission requirements, graduate programs may require official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned an associate’s degree and all enrollment in coursework both pre- and post-bachelor’s degree.
• Two official and original Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms.
• Proof of English language proficiency

• International supplemental application and supporting documentation must be submitted before international applicants can be issued the Certification of Eligibility (I-20). This certificate is required to apply for a student visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate. 

Program application requirements

• Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree in history from a regionally accredited institution or provide proof of a U.S. equivalent degree for foreign educated applicants. The department reserves the right to waive the requirement of a history degree for students with outstanding undergraduate records.
• Applicants should have a minimum GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in undergraduate history courses with a cumulative GPA of 3.2.
• Two Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms, listed above under University graduate application requirements, which give evidence of academic distinction. (At least one should be from the applicant’s current or former professor.)
• Detailed statement of purpose or justification for entering the graduate program, which demonstrates that the candidate’s interests coincide with the strengths of the department.
• Academic writing sample (preferably a history research paper).
• Applicants of superior promise, but with deficient undergraduate preparation in history may be considered for admission with limited standing to the graduate degree program. Applicants who qualify for this admission status must complete a minimum of 8 credits in their first two graduate courses, with a GPA of 3.5 or above in each course within the first year of their program, to be advanced to full admission.
  
  Other applicants of superior promise, but with deficient undergraduate preparation in history may be recommended for admission in a post-baccalaureate status to complete specified undergraduate history courses. Upon successful completion, the applicant would be considered for admission to the graduate degree program.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to graduate study at Oakland University is selective. In making admission recommendations to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning, each department assesses the potential of applicants for success in the program by examining their undergraduate records, goal statement, letters of recommendation, prerequisite courses and any other admission requirements established by the academic department.