Graduate Application Requirements

GRE requirements for the graduate program in the Department of History have been waived through April 2024.

The Department of History at Western Michigan University offers students a rich intellectual environment, with approximately 26 graduate faculty members and numerous opportunities for research and professional development.

Academic 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.
  • All candidates must take the Graduate Record Examination and submit the scores to WMU.

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.
  • All candidates must take the Graduate Record Examination and submit the scores to WMU.
  • 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.

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.

Waivers: Any request for a waiver of any requirements for admission must be made in writing to the director of graduate studies, who will rule on waivers after consultation with the Graduate Admissions Committee.

Application 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. Guidance for international students is found here.

If you are ready to apply, proceed to the Graduate Application Process page.