If you are thinking of applying to a graduate program in the Department of History, please read this FAQ before contacting us as many of the questions you have in mind will likely be addressed here.
The Graduate School also has easy-to-read FAQ pages that answer most common questions from applicants.
Applying and Admissions
Test Questions
Doctoral Program Questions
Master’s and Certificate Program Questions
Applying and Admissions
- Do I need to hold a BA in History in order to apply to your graduate programs?
- Is there anything I can do to strengthen my application if I did not major in History as an undergraduate?
- What should I include in my statement of purpose?
- What is the department looking for in the writing sample?
- What is the minimum undergraduate GPA needed to apply?
- Do early applications receive priority?
- Is there any information about your graduate programs you can mail to me that is not online?
- Can I take a campus tour?
- Can I speak to a current student or alumni of the program?
- When will I receive a decision on my application?
Doctoral Program Questions
- Do I need to have a master’s degree to apply to the doctoral program in History?
- Are all PhD students fully-funded?
- Can I study part-time?
- What is the job placement record for graduates from the doctoral program?
- How many people apply to the doctoral program each year? How many are accepted?
- What is the foreign language requirement? Do I need to enter the program with proficiency in a foreign language?
Master’s and Certificate Program Questions
- How long does it take to complete this degree? Can I study party-time in the program?
- Do I need to have a master’s degree to apply for an advanced certificate in Archives or Public History?
- What is the foreign language requirement? Do I need to enter the program with proficiency in a foreign language?
- How much does the MA Program cost?
- Is funding or financial aid available for MA students?
Applying and Admissions
1. Do I need to hold a BA in History in order to apply to your graduate programs?
No. The History Department accepts students from a variety of educational backgrounds and fields.
2. Is there anything I can do to strengthen my application if I did not major in History as an undergraduate?
Evaluating applicants requires making judgments about their promise for successful advanced study in history. Competitive applications might include evidence of strong writing ability, prior research experience, overall academic excellence, and the capacity to explain clearly the reasons for pursuing history rather than another field.
3. What should I include in my statement of purpose?
There are no set requirements for the contents of the statement of purpose. The statement of purpose will be especially useful in the evaluation if it helps us to understand your goals in pursuing an advanced degree in history, the academic experiences that led you to choose to study history, and the topics or approaches to history that you find especially engaging. Feel free to include other information that you think is important for us to have in evaluating your application. The statement should be written in clear and correct prose; it is an opportunity to showcase your writing ability.
4. What is the department looking for in the writing sample?
The required academic writing sample should not exceed 35 pages double-spaced and works cited won't count toward the page limit. Choose a sample that shows writing skills relevant to the study of history, for example, the ability to draw on primary historical evidence to form and support an argument, or the ability to assess and connect with the interpretations of other historians. If you do not have training in history, choose a writing sample that demonstrates an ability to formulate arguments and mobilize evidence to support them.
5. What is the minimum undergraduate GPA needed to apply?
There is no required minimum GPA. Our successful applicants generally show an undergraduate grade point average of 3.3 or higher.
6. Do early applications receive priority?
No. Applications received on or before the deadline are reviewed equally regardless of when they were submitted. The review process begins after the deadline when the applicant pool is complete.
7. Is there any information about your graduate programs you can mail to me that is not online?
A: In the interests of going green and making information readily available, we have placed all information about applying to our graduate programs and about the Department of History online. We do not have any material to send in the mail. You will find information about the Department on our website http://history.fas.nyu.edu and information about applying to the Graduate School of Arts and Science by visiting http://gsas.nyu.edu/page/grad.admissions.
New York University is currently hosting in-person guided tours for prospective graduate students. For more information and to register, please visit the Campus Tours page. If you would like to tour campus on your own, you may use the campus map as a guide. Please note that you are not able to enter most NYU buildings without an NYU ID card.
9. Can I speak to a current student or alumni of the program?
You are welcome to reach out to current doctoral students or master's students via email.
10. When will I receive a decision on my application?
Most decisions will be sent within 4 to 8 weeks of the application deadline. To prevent our emails going to a spam folder, Please be sure you have allowed emails from "Graduate Enrollment Services" <gsas.admissions@nyu.edu>. Admissions decisions are provided online by GSAS, not by individual departments.
Test Questions
GRE Test Scores are not required and will not be considered as part of your application to any of our standalone history graduate programs. Below is a list of our joint programs and the GRE requirements.
- All History standalone
- Joint program with Middle Eastern Studies is "optional."
- Joint programs with Hebrew and Judaic and French Studies are "required."
As part of admission to the department, we review all aspects of the application.
2. Do I have to take the TOEFL or IELTS?
The Graduate School requires applicants who are not native English speakers to submit official TOEFL or IELTS score results. The TOEFL/IELTS requirement is waived if your baccalaureate or master’s degree was (or will be) completed at an institution where the language of instruction is English. The TOEFL/IELTS requirement is also waived for US citizens and permanent residents. For more information, please visit the GSAS Testing Requirements FAQ.
Doctoral Program Questions
1. Do I need to have a master’s degree to apply to the doctoral program in History?
No, an MA is not required to apply to the doctoral program. Some of our students enter the doctoral program with a previous MA, and many do not.
2. Are all
History doctoral students receive full funding support for five years (four for students entering with an M.A. who choose to count those credits) through the Henry M. MacCracken Program. The MacCracken Program is a fellowship that covers tuition, registration, service fees for your degree program, student health insurance, and a 9-month stipend towards expenses. For the 2022-2023 academic year, the MacCracken amount is $31,070. In addition, students receive summer funding as outlined in their admissions offer letter.
The Graduate School views teaching as a vital part of any doctoral degree. It has resonance for a student's intellectual development and professional preparation, especially for students pursuing academic careers or indeed, any career in which you must clarify ideas and speak about them persuasively. If you choose to participate in our teaching program, you will be compensated for each teaching opportunity into which you enter. This compensation is in addition to your MacCracken award.
PhD students cannot study part-time. All students are fully-funded to pursue the
4. What is the job placement record for graduates from the doctoral program?
Our top-tier students have been successful in securing faculty positions at public and private research universities, and at the most selective liberal arts colleges, across the nation. Please take a look: Graduate Placement & Alumni News.
5. How many people apply to the doctoral program each year? How many are accepted?
We receive roughly 400 applications annually. We are able to enroll about 12-15 new students each year.
6. What is the foreign language requirement? Do I need to enter the program with proficiency in a foreign language?
For doctoral students, proficiency in one modern foreign language must be demonstrated by passing the GSAS Foreign Language Proficiency exam. The exam should be passed during the first
1. How long does it take to complete this degree? Can I study party-time in the program?
Students vary on the amount of time they take to complete the degree. The master's programs are both 32 credit programs (typically 8 courses).
Students have a maximum of five years to complete the degree. Students who are attending the program full time (12 credits per semester) can complete it in three semesters. Classes are offered in the evening in fall and spring semesters and meet once per week. This allows many students to work full- or part-time while completing the program.
2. Do I need to have a master’s degree to apply for an advanced certificate in Archives or Public History?
Yes, students applying for an advanced certificate must hold an MA degree (or foreign credentials equivalent to the US Master’s degree).
3. What is the foreign language requirement? Do I need to enter the program with proficiency in a foreign language?
There is no foreign language requirement for students in our MA and Certificate programs.
4. How much does the MA Program cost?
The NYU Office of the Bursar offers a tuition calculator for students who are trying to plan ahead for funding their education. You will need to complete 32 credits to graduate from either of our MA programs. Visit the NYU Bursar webpage for more information on current tuition and fees.
5. Is funding or financial aid available for MA students?
A small number of GSAS support awards are offered to APH MA students each year; these include tuition, fees, and health insurance; all program applicants are automatically considered for these support awards.
The Graduate School’s Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) encourages students to apply for external grants and provides matching tuition points (from 50 to 100 percent) to eligible recipients of external awards from recognized, academic sources of funding outside NYU. For applications and specific details about TIP eligibility criteria, please visit https://gsas.nyu.edu/admissions/financial-aid/graduate-school-fellowships-and-assistantships.html#TIP.
Information about financial aid, loans, methods of payments and payment plans is available at the Financing Graduate Education site.
Admitted Master's students are also encouraged to apply for a Foreign Language And Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship through NYU, if applicable.
Additionally, this Fellowship Finder may be a helpful resource as you are seeking external funding (including fellowships for international students): https://app.grad.illinois.edu/fellowship/