History (M.A.)

Program Overview

A master’s degree in history will prepare you to become a teacher, historian, archivist, librarian or museum professional. It will allow you to focus on a variety of areas in American and European history. Library holdings at USD for graduate research are especially strong in regional, Native American and 20th-century United States history. As a master’s student, you will receive individual attention from faculty and have funds for research and opportunities to present papers at regional history conferences. Learn more at https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Graduate-Programs/History.

DELIVERY: On campus

Master of Arts, History (thesis)

Master of Arts, History (non-thesis)

Note:

• 50% of the program of study must be taken at the 700-level or above.

Accelerated Master’s Program:

History, M.A. (thesis)

Accelerated 4 +1 Program: Up to 12 credits applied toward the B.A. or B.S[LTR1] [MJ2] . program may be used to satisfy graduate credit. The following restrictions apply:

1. The student must apply to, and be admitted to, the accelerated program prior to taking courses to be credited toward the accelerated program. No course taken prior to admission to the accelerated program may be counted toward an accelerated graduate program.
2. Dual-listed courses and seminars taken at the 500-level can be applied to the B.S., B.A., and M.A. degrees.
3. After admission to the accelerated program, students may with pre-approval enroll in elective 700-level seminars and required 700-level courses.
4. Courses that are “double counted” for the B.A. or B.S. and M.A. must be approved by the program coordinator/director for inclusion in the program of study prior to registration for the course or the credits will not be applied toward the accelerated graduate degree.
5. Only courses taken at the student’s home institution are eligible for accelerated program credit. No transferred courses from other institutions will be allowed to count toward the accelerated master’s degree. 
6. A student joining the accelerated master’s program interested in writing a thesis must have an approved two-year plan of coursework prior to starting the program. 

History, M.A. (non-thesis/qualifying examination)

Accelerated 4 +1 Program: Up to 12 credits applied toward the B.A. or B.S. program may be used to satisfy graduate credit. The following restrictions apply:

1. The student must apply to, and be admitted to, the accelerated program prior to taking courses to be credited toward the accelerated program. No course taken prior to admission to the accelerated program may be counted toward an accelerated graduate program.
2. Dual-listed courses and seminars taken at the 500-level can be applied to the B.S., B.A., and M.A. degrees.
3. After admission to the accelerated program, students may with pre-approval enroll in 700-level seminars and required 700-level courses.
4. Courses that are “double counted” for the B.A. or B.S. and M.A. must be approved by the program coordinator/director for inclusion in the program of study prior to registration for the course or the credits will not be applied toward the accelerated graduate degree.
5. Only courses taken at the student’s home institution are eligible for accelerated program credit. No transferred courses from other institutions will be allowed to count toward the accelerated master’s degree.

General Application Requirements

1. Completed application
2. $36 application fee
3. Official transcripts*

*Requirements for admission vary by program and may require different documentation and have different deadlines. This list is not all-inclusive, to view specific program requirements and submission deadlines, follow the “Admissions Information” hyperlink at the top of this page OR visit the specific program/dept. page found here: link.usd.edu/grad-catalog

Location Matters for Non-Licensure Track Programs

This program is not designed or advertised to lead to a professional license or certification required for employment.

USD is permitted to operate under the terms of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) policies and standards in offering online courses/degree programs to residents in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  Online courses/programs may also be offered to residents of California (a non-SARA state) because it does not regulate out-of-state public institutions.

Additionally, this program is authorized to offer supervised field study experiences (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) in South Dakota. Please be aware that there may be some restrictions on your ability to engage in supervised field study outside of South Dakota. Please contact a program representative if you have questions regarding supervised field study.

Distance education courses or programs will not be offered outside of the United States without prior written approval from the University, which may be withheld for any reason. If you are taking distance courses while physically located outside of the United States, it is your responsibility to confirm the following: (a) if the country will recognize an online degree; (b) the availability of supervised field study opportunities in the country; and (c) if the country charges any additional taxes, withholdings or fees associated with online distance education programs.

For more information, please visit USD’s State Authorization page or contact your admissions counselor.

Questions?

Department of History
605-677-5218 | history@usd.edu | usd.edu/history

Graduate Admissions 
605-658-6140 | gradadmissions@usd.edu  | usd.edu/grad