History Department

MA in History

The mission of the History Department’s Graduate Program is to serve the needs of students who intend to pursue doctoral studies at other institutions, teachers who wish to deepen their content knowledge, and those who simply seek a more advanced and specialized study of the past. Going substantially beyond upper-division undergraduate coursework, the graduate program will provide students with in-depth knowledge about the origins and development of peoples in the past and perfect their ability to conduct advanced research and writing. Graduates of the MA program will be equipped to make significant and independent contributions to the field of history and will be prepared for successful professional careers as secondary teachers, college or university professors, journalists, lawyers, and historians in government and private agencies. Contact Professor Stephen Lewis, the History Department's graduate coordinator, and download a copy of the History Department's Graduate Student Manual (PDF).

Culminating Activities for MA:
Requirements for Admission into the History MA Program

1. BA in History from an accredited college or university or a BA degree in another discipline with advance approval of the History Department’s Graduate Coordinator.

2. An undergraduate grade point average that clearly indicates the ability to thrive in our program. 

Application Instructions

Students meeting the above requirements are invited to submit a graduate school application through Cal State Apply.

All of the application materials below will be submitted through this online application.
  • Transcript(s)
  • Writing sample (essay, term paper or research paper)
  • Two letters of recommendation, ideally from professors who know you well
  • Statement of Purpose (roughly 500 words), which should address the following:
  1. Your purpose in graduate study and why you believe CSU Chico is a good fit for your goals.
  2. Your preparation for study of history at the graduate level.
  3. Three subfields of history that interest you, chosen from the list below.
US History to 1877
Prof. Michael Magliari
Prof. Robert Tinkler
Prof. Alisa Wade
US History since 1877
Prof. Jeff Livingston
Prof. Gloria Lopez
Prof. Michael Magliari
Prof. Shawn Schwaller
Middle East/Islamic History
Prof. Najm al-Din Yousefi
Latin America
Prof. Steve Lewis
Europe
Prof. Jason Nice
Late Antiquity
Prof. Dallas DeForest 
East Asia
Prof. Sinwoo Lee 
All incoming graduate students are automatically placed on the comprehensive exam track, which requires preparing for and passing exams in three historical subfields. Students may apply to the department’s Graduate Committee for approval to write a thesis after they have completed nine units in the program. The Graduate Committee will approve thesis applications based on project feasibility, the student’s relevant language training, and faculty workload and availability.
Deadlines
  • For fall admission, April 1
  • For spring admission, November 1
Questions About Applying?

Answers to most questions can be found here: Graduate Studies Admissions.

Information for international applicants can be found here: International Admissions and Outreach.

Or, contact the History Graduate Coordinator:

Professor Stephen E. Lewis

slewis2@csuchico.edu