History

Advance your career and tailor your studies, learn from experts, and enjoy flexible schedules. Apply now!

Home » Program » History, M.A.

History, M.A.

MTSU's MA in History is a great choice for students planning to pursue PhDs, secondary teachers, professionals seeking a graduate degree, and lifelong learners.

The MTSU History MA program enables students to work closely with faculty mentors and offers excellent training in historical research and writing. Our students can tailor their programs to suit their specific interests in many fields of history. Our departmental strengths in Environmental History, African American History, Russian and Soviet History, History of Science and Medicine, Women's and Gender History, and Warfare and Diplomacy offer a wide range of geographical and thematic options.

Nationally recognized faculty, close mentorship, afternoon and evening class schedules, and affordable tuition make our program a fantastic choice for full-time students and working professionals alike.

History MA Program Highlights

  • One-on-one mentoring from nationally recognized faculty
  • Individualized program plans that balance disciplinary training with personal interests and degree goals
  • Afternoon and evening classes accommodate work and family life
  • Affordable tuition and access to the regional Academic Common Market for many out-of-state students
  • Graduate Assistantships and scholarships offered on a competitive basis
  • Opportunities to participate in the Association for Graduate Students in History, which organizes professional development activities and social events
  • Research opportunities with our partner centers at MTSU— the Albert Gore Research Center, Center for Popular Music, and Center for Historic Preservation

If you live in one of these states: AL; you may be able to attend MTSU at in-state rates under the Academic Common Market program.

Careers
Requirements
Faculty
Information
Careers
Requirements
Faculty
Information

News Briefs

MTSU grad named Mellon Fellow for doctoral research

Jay Carroll, who earned an M.A. in History at MTSU, was awarded an Andrew Mellon Fellowship in Gender and Sexuality Studies to pursue his doctoral degree at Northwestern University. He chose MTSU to add a master's in American history to his previous M.A. in European cultural history, helping him prepare for doctoral work in transnational/comparative history. "The program is well-known for its Public History graduate degrees and rightly so, but the smaller history graduate program is equally thorough in its preparation of students for qualifying exams, producing a master's thesis, and repeatedly supporting its students through job-market or Ph.D. program searches," Carroll said. Carroll's thesis explored Russian ballet's impact upon Western masculinity and culture at the fin-de-siècle.

Thesis subjects cover topics from Vietnam to Virginia

MTSU master's candidates in history delve into an impressive array of topics during their thesis research. Recent M.A. thesis subjects have ranged from Williamsburg to Mexico and Vietnam to France. Brad H. Wright wrote about resistance movements in Guadalajara, Mexico, between 1968 and 1994. American history students have written about topics near and far. Alisha Linam studied the Tennessee Mormon Massacre of 1884 in Lewis County, Tennessee. Evan Buchanan wrote about psychological combat trauma among American veterans of the war in Vietnam. European topics have included Savannah Teague's thesis titled "Conspicuous Consumption Amongst the Aristocracy in 18th Century France" and Bethany Stoller's evaluation of the scholarly impact of Yale historian John Boswell, a pioneer in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history.

News Briefs

MTSU grad named Mellon Fellow for doctoral research

Jay Carroll, who earned an M.A. in History at MTSU, was awarded an Andrew Mellon Fellowship in Gender and Sexuality Studies to pursue his doctoral degree at Northwestern University. He chose MTSU to add a master's in American history to his previous M.A. in European cultural history, helping him prepare for doctoral work in transnational/comparative history. "The program is well-known for its Public History graduate degrees and rightly so, but the smaller history graduate program is equally thorough in its preparation of students for qualifying exams, producing a master's thesis, and repeatedly supporting its students through job-market or Ph.D. program searches," Carroll said. Carroll's thesis explored Russian ballet's impact upon Western masculinity and culture at the fin-de-siècle.

Thesis subjects cover topics from Vietnam to Virginia

MTSU master's candidates in history delve into an impressive array of topics during their thesis research. Recent M.A. thesis subjects have ranged from Williamsburg to Mexico and Vietnam to France. Brad H. Wright wrote about resistance movements in Guadalajara, Mexico, between 1968 and 1994. American history students have written about topics near and far. Alisha Linam studied the Tennessee Mormon Massacre of 1884 in Lewis County, Tennessee. Evan Buchanan wrote about psychological combat trauma among American veterans of the war in Vietnam. European topics have included Savannah Teague's thesis titled "Conspicuous Consumption Amongst the Aristocracy in 18th Century France" and Bethany Stoller's evaluation of the scholarly impact of Yale historian John Boswell, a pioneer in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history.

Related Media

Wonder if you can afford grad school?

CAREERS

Our graduates go on to do great things! Recent graduates have gone on to doctoral programs at Columbia, Vanderbilt, and the University of Alabama, as well as the Public History PhD program here at MTSU. Other recent graduates work at the Army War College Museum, the United Nations, the Tennessee State Legislature, corporate management at Amazon, or are successful secondary teachers and community college faculty across Middle Tennessee. 

Graduates with master’s degrees in history have the training to work not only as a historian, but also in a variety of other fields. In addition to writing, teaching, or preserving history, historians may find occupational opportunities in corporate, government, or non-profit settings.

Professional possibilities, with some requiring additional studies, include

  • Archaeologist
  • Archivist/librarian
  • Attorney
  • Collections manager
  • College professor/instructor
  • Documentary editor
  • Foreign service officer
  • Genealogy consultant
  • Government worker
  • Historian
  • Historic consultant
  • Historic site administrator/tour guide
  • Intelligence officer
  • Journalist
  • Legal researcher
  • Legislative staffer
  • Market analyst
  • Middle or high school teacher
  • Museum curator
  • Paralegal
  • Park ranger
  • Preservationist
  • Public relations/communications director
  • Researcher
  • Scholarly publishing
  • Technical writer

For more information on careers for M.A. in History graduates, please see the Organizationof American Historian’s publication, “Careers for Students of History.”

Employers of MTSU alumni include

  • The Dunham School (Baton Rouge, La.)
  • Graceland University
  • Middle Tennessee State University
  • Nashville State Community College
  • New Mexico Military Institute
  • Pinnacle Financial Partners
  • S.O.C.M. (Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment)
  • Tennessee National Guard
  • United Nations

M.A. History graduates have been admitted to Ph.D. programs at many fine universities such as 

  • Columbia University
  • Kent State University
  • Middle Tennessee State University
  • Northwestern University
  • Notre Dame
  • Texas A&M University
  • UNC-Greensboro
  • University of Buffalo
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of North Carolina
  • University of Tennessee
  • Vanderbilt University

REQUIREMENTS

Loading...

FACULTY

INFORMATION

Resources

On-campus partners

Organizations

Graduate Assistantships

To help support students pursuing graduate study, the Department of History offersa number of graduate assistantships at both the M.A. and the Ph.D. levels. These assistantshipsare awarded on a competitive basis and are renewable for up to two years for M.A.assistantships and up to three years for Ph.D. assistantships. Graduate assistantsreceive a tuition waiver plus a stipend to cover living expenses. In return, graduateassistants work a maximum of 20 hours a week during the semester on an assignmentdetermined by the History Department. These assignments include work as teaching assistants,research assistants, and other duties related to the ongoing work of the Departmentand its on-campus partners. To apply for a graduate assistantship with the HistoryDepartment, complete the College of Graduate Studies’ Graduate Assistantship Application and submit it to the Department of History along with the rest of your application.

Many M.A. and Ph.D. students in the History Department also work as research fellows,graduate assistants, and hourly employees for MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation. The Center has a separate application and review process for these positions. Youcan read full descriptions of these opportunities on the Center’s Academic Opportunities page and download the Center’s Application for Student Academic Support. The departmenturges students applying for a graduate assistantship with the History Department toapply to the Center as well.

FAQs

CONTACT US

Contact Us

Please fill in the form below and we will contact you very soon

Hidden
Hidden

Student and alumni success stories
Scroll to Top