Graduate Application

GRE requirements for the graduate program in the Department of History have been waived indefinitely.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION

Master of Arts

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
• Undergraduate major in history or a closely allied discipline in the social sciences of humanities. Applicants with substantial course work in history, together with preparation in allied social sciences and humanities, also may be considered.
• An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4-point scale; GPA in history and course work in allied disciplines preferably will be higher.
• Students with outstanding academic records but lacking in requisite course work may be admitted subject to completion of additional undergraduate course work.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Master’s degree in history or a closely related discipline.
• GPA in undergraduate and previous graduate course work of at least 3.25 GPA in history and course work in closely allied disciplines preferably will be higher.
• Applicants with outstanding undergraduate records may be admitted directly to the doctoral program only under extraordinary circumstances.

Master’s candidates admitted to the doctoral program without a completed degree must finish their master’s degree by the end of the first semester of doctoral course work or they will be placed on a conditional admission status.

Graduate Certificate Program

• Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
• Submission of a letter of intent stating your intended academic professional objectives and fields for specialization. Indicate why the Department of History is the best place for you to pursue those goals and the faculty members with whom you would like to work. This statement should be double-spaced and between 750 and 1500 words.
• Three letters of recommendation from persons able to evaluate the applicant’s potential for graduate study.
• A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) 
• A detailed description of your preparation in languages including the number of semesters of university-level coursework. 

M.A. & Ph.D Application Requirements

1. An application form, which will include information on educational background.
2. A curriculum vitae (c.v., or résumé) that describes the applicant’s employment or activities aside from education.
3. Three confidential letters of recommendation, preferably from the applicant’s former professors. [Note: the online system will tell recommenders that letters are optional. The applicant must inform recommenders that the letters are not optional.]
4. A detailed statement from the student indicating: a) the student’s background and education; b) the student’s interests (field, topic, etc.); c) why the student wants to pursue a graduate degree in history at the Western Michigan University; d) which WMU faculty members would be most appropriate to working with them in their field of interest; and e) what the student plans to do with the degree upon completion. This statement constitutes a very important part of the application review process and should indicate the student’s understanding of the professional nature of the training that the student is about to begin.  It is recommended that before applying, prospective students contact faculty members with whom they are interested in working.
5. Official and Recent Graduate Record Examination scores. (Western Michigan University institution code # 1902) Test scores are not considered official if provided by the applicant. [Note: Graduate Certificate applicants need not provide GRE scores. AGDP applicants need not provide GRE scores, but to be considered for funding in the second year of the M.A., GRE scores must be received by the January 15 deadline.]
6. Transcripts. Request one official transcript from each post-secondary institution (college or university) that you have attended.  Transcripts are not considered official if provided by the applicant. [Note: AGDP applicants need not provide an official WMU transcript.]
7. A representative writing sample of at least 20 pages. We strongly prefer a research paper, article, seminar paper, or thesis chapter. Notes and bibliography, as may be appropriate to the sample, should be included. [Note: Graduate Certificate applicants need not provide a writing sample.]
8. Language proficiency statement. You should include in the online application a detailed description of your preparation in languages including the number of semesters of university-level coursework. Transcripts documenting language courses must accompany your application. Indicate how well you speak, read, and write the language(s). Native English speakers should focus on describing preparation in Non-English language courses. Non-Native English speakers should indicate their native language(s) and language preparation in English.

All eight components must be submitted on time in order for an application to be considered.

Admission Types

Regular admission

Applicants who meet academic requirements for admission.

Conditional admission

Applicants to the M.A. program who meet general academic requirements but not specific program requirements may be admitted, but only with conditions. These are stipulated at the time of admission and must be addressed satisfactorily within the first calendar year of study.

Applicants to the PhD program admitted conditionally who fulfill the conditions of admission may continue in the program only after a formal review by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Probationary admission

Applicants to the M.A. program who do not meet academic requirements may receive probationary admission, subject to available space in the programs. Specific requirements for probationary admission, subject to available space in the programs. Specific requirements for probationary students are stipulated at the time of admission. A maximum of 9 semester hours of graduate credit taken under probationary admission may be applied to a degree program.

Non-degree admission

A student with a bachelor's degree who wishes to enroll in courses, but does not plan to pursue a program leading to a graduate degree, or is not presently eligible for admission, may enroll in the Graduate College under non-degree status. Non-degree students may enroll in graduate History courses-subject to any listed prerequisites on a space-available basis. The department reserves the right to drop non-degree students from courses in order to accommodate degree students in History as well as other disciplines.

Up to nine credit hours of non-degree classes can be counted toward a master's degree if the student is admitted to the program.

Maintaining active admission status

Graduate students retain active admission status for one calendar year from the date of admission, or one calendar year from the date of most recent enrollment in courses. If your active admission status lapses, you must apply to the Graduate College for readmission subject to departmental approval and current program requirements; you may also need to complete the history department application again.

Deadlines

• For students seeking admission and funding for the fall semester the deadline is January 15.
• For students seeking only admission for fall semester all applications should be submitted as early in the spring as possible. To be guaranteed full consideration for admission, applications are due no later than April 15.
• For students seeking only admission for the spring semester all applications should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than November 1 to be guaranteed full consideration.
• Occasionally late applications may be granted admission, but only if faculty are available to serve as supervising professors and if there is adequate space in the program.
• International students generally have earlier application deadlines, due to the need to obtain educational visas.