History (Master of Arts)

Application Deadlines

Deadline dates for applications and receipt of all required application materials are:

Date Event
July 1 Fall Admission
November 1 Spring Admission
April 1 Summer Admission

Any exceptions to these deadlines must be granted by the graduate program chair.

Application Materials Required for the MA with a Major in History

Applicants for the MA with a major in History will be permitted to enroll for one semester of graduate coursework (only after degree posted transcripts have been received) while completing all other general application procedure requirements.

Applicants for the MA with a major in History must submit all of the following documentation to Graduate Admissions to be considered for admission:

Graduate Admissions
Jacksonville State University
700 Pelham Road North
Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602

  1. Completed JSU Graduate Application for Admission.
  2. Non-refundable $35.00 application processing fee.
  3. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities with degrees posted. To be considered for admission, applicants must hold a degree from an institutionally accredited institution or its foreign equivalent. (Students who have previously attended JSU do not need to request a transcript from the university.)
  4. Three Graduate Reference Forms completed by individuals who can provide qualitative assessment of the applicant’s potential for success in graduate coursework. Reference forms will be submitted electronically. Instructions for submission will be sent through email to the applicant upon submission of the online graduate application.
  5. International student applicants must see the International Student Applicants section of this catalog for other application and enrollment requirements.

Admission Requirements for the MA with a Major in History

In addition to meeting general admission requirements of Graduate Studies, applicants for the MA with a major in History must have an undergraduate minor in History or its equivalent, as determined by the head of the History Department.

Unconditional Admission

Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of at least a 3.00 (on a 4.00 grade point scale) are eligible for unconditional admission.

Conditional Admission         

Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of less than a 3.00 may be conditionally admitted with the recommendation of the graduate faculty in the applicant's major and approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Applicants who are granted conditional admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.00 on the first 12 graduate hours attempted. Failure to meet these conditions will result in the student being dropped from graduate studies.

Minimum Requirements for the MA with a Major in History

An overall 3.00 GPA is required on all coursework attempted for the master’s degree. Transfer credit cannot be used to raise the GPA to the required 3.00.

Non-Thesis Option

Total of 30 graduate semester hours. Minimum of 27 hours in approved history courses, including HY 501 Historiography and Historical Methods (3). Up to three hours may be taken in a related field approved by the head of the History Department.

Thesis Option

Total of 30 graduate semester hours. Minimum of 21 hours in approved history courses, including HY 501 Historiography and Historical Methods (3), and six hours of thesis. Up to three semester hours may be taken in a related field approved by the head of the History Department.

Thesis students should contact Graduate Studies to receive an orientation to the thesis process prior to enrolling in the first three semester hours of thesis, 599. This orientation can be completed either in person or via email. The purpose of the orientation is to provide the thesis student with information concerning required forms, due dates, and to answer any questions concerning thesis options and/or procedure. For further information concerning this orientation, please contact LaRilda VanSandt, vansandt@jsu.edu, 322 Bibb Graves, (256) 782-5345. See Thesis Options and Procedures in this catalog for more information.

Upon advisement, students may be required to demonstrate foreign language proficiency when a chosen program of study requires translation skills.

Graduation and Comprehensive Exam

A comprehensive exam is required for this degree; please see the graduate advisor for full details. For students choosing the Thesis Option, the thesis defense serves as the comprehensive exam. All students must apply for graduation by the given deadline of the semester in which they plan to graduate. Please see the Graduation and Comprehensive Exam section of this catalog for more information.