Unveiling the Past, Shaping the Future: History Programs at the University of Cincinnati

Introduction

An understanding of the past is fundamental to an understanding of the present. The study of history is the story of human origins - and therefore, an exploration of who we are. The University of Cincinnati (UC) offers a robust History program designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the past and equip them with valuable skills for the future. With a varied curriculum, personal attention from faculty, and a lively intellectual community, UC provides an excellent environment for history enthusiasts to explore their passions and prepare for diverse career paths.

Why Study History?

History is unique among the liberal arts in its emphasis on historical perspective and context. Historians insist that the past must be understood on its own terms; any historical person, movement, idea, law, culture or belief must first be understood by how it came to be that way. The analysis and interpretation of history provide tools to evaluate today's institutions, politics and cultures.

Comprehensive Programs and Specializations

The University of Cincinnati boasts an excellent mid-sized Department of History. With around 25 active graduate students and 40 full-time and affiliated faculty (tenured and tenure-track, with PhD’s), UC offers a variety of programs and specializations. Each student designs a course of study tailored around those elements of the past that most fascinate them, whether a geographic region (e.g. Europe, Asia, the United States, Latin America) or a theme that crosses regional and temporal boundaries (e.g. the history of war and society, the environment and urban history, women and gender, African Americans and race, imperialism, science and medicine, technology, law and society, religion, human rights, politics and international relations, narcotics, and cultures of commerce and capitalism).

Undergraduate Program

The History program provides an excellent general education foundation for students who wish to pursue a baccalaureate degree at the College of Arts & Sciences. Students in UC's College of Arts and Sciences enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-intensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities.

This program is open to all students with a high school diploma or GED and the desire to succeed in college. As a first-year student, you will need to take an English and mathematics placement test if you have not obtained the minimum ACT/SAT score required for exemption. These tests do not affect your admission; however, the results are essential for your proper placement in classes. You must complete placement tests before you register for English or mathematics courses.

Master's Program

The Master’s program is designed to give students a strong grounding in a particular major field - United States, Europe, World, or Public History - while providing professional training in both teaching and researching history. The Director of Graduate Studies advises all Master’s students on matters of curriculum, graduation, and, when appropriate, applications to the doctoral program. While students may seek the advice and guidance of any faculty member, students should meet with the Director of Graduate Studies at least once per semester to discuss their progress and plan their curriculum.

Doctoral Program

Applicants to MA program must have a Bachelor’s degree before matriculating and applicants to PhD program must have a Master’s degree before matriculating (or the international equivalents). PhD applicants in particular commonly communicate with one or possibly more prospective advisors during the application process.

Admission Requirements and Funding

Deadline: January 1 each year, for fall matriculation. Only one admission and matriculation cycle for students wanting to attend full-time with funding. The Admissions Committee can only consider those application materials submitted to the UC Admissions office as part of the official application process. If applicants are admitted or waitlisted, they will typically be informed by later February or earlier March.

Required application materials: academic transcripts, CV, statement of purpose, writing sample, and (for international students, as relevant) English proficiency scores. The applications portal offers further details on the requirements. In the past, the department has often allowed for a short grace period for the letters of recommendation to be submitted by your referees, of perhaps several days to a week. The writing sample must be of your own work, preferably one that gives the departmental committee a sense of your ability to engage in original research or at least an ability to cogently analyze and communicate complex information. Most questions about the application process are typically handled through the UC Graduate College and UC Admissions office rather than the History Department. The UC Admissions Office, for instance, handles application logistics, fee waiver requests, required documents, and related inquiries. Admissions decisions are handled by History Department’s Graduate Admissions Committee, which changes yearly, with input from the broader departmental faculty.

Incoming, full-time MA and PhD students are nearly always funded, including full tuition, a Graduate Assistantship (GA) stipend, and the option of a health insurance award. GA stipends were between $17,000 and $18,000 for MA students and over $24,000 for PhD students. Our graduate students regularly receive additional funding - especially from the department, university, and Taft Research Center - for things like research and conference travel, technology, transcription services, and opportunities to enhance their professionalization, language, and technical skills.

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A Thriving Intellectual Community

At the University of Cincinnati's Department of History, graduate students are connected directly with faculty, with interests in many areas. We also have conferences, symposia, colloquia, and many visiting speakers throughout the year to both inspire new ideas and give students a chance to show their work professonally. The university and surrounding libraries have a multitude of collections to facilitate research.

Transferable Skills and Career Opportunities

One of the most valuable aspects of a history major is the transferable skills that give graduates a step up in any career path they choose. As Longfield Karr puts it, those with history majors are often the ones that get the promotions. “History is a training of different skills like research, analysis, synthesis, presentation, empathy, and awareness that you have to ask questions,” she says.

While many history students pursue higher education upon graduating, a history major opens a door to a vast range of career opportunities for graduates. History majors must possess the ability to learn how to analyze primary sources and historical facts, to participate in informed discussion of conflicting historical perspectives and to appreciate the diversity of human experience over space and time. We emphasize the importance of these skills because History, like other departments in the Arts & Sciences, focuses on helping students develop valuable transferable skills that will make you highly adaptable in a rapidly changing global economy, and make you an astute participant in politics and society. In addition, you will have the wisdom that comes with learning how we got to this moment in history so that you are better prepared to interpret the extraordinary complexity of the present and future.

There are many career options open for Historians, including museums, historical preservation, archives, editing and publishing, positions in historical agencies (federal, state, and local) and of course, public school teaching. Students graduating with an MA from our department have gone on to a variety of fruitful and interesting careers. Some have first continued their graduate and professional education through the pursuit of a History PhD, including at both competitive programs in the region like University of Cincinnati, Ohio State, and University of Kentucky, and at internationally elite programs that are further afield like Princeton, Columbia, Northwestern, and University of Pennsylvania. Some have advanced their training in history-adjacent fields like library and archival sciences before pursuing careers in those areas. Others have found careers in such areas as secondary education and digital and public history, with the latter working in museums, historical preservation, historical consultancy, and public-facing research. Still others among our MA alumni have put their historical knowledge and analytical and pedagogical skills to use in government and the private sector, including with jobs in public-policy consultancy, financial analysis, dispute resolution, and the marketing of historical artifacts.The information provided is sourced from a third party, Lightcast. It provides insights on industry, occupation, compensation, and projected growth for each profession. Economic and workforce information is available for various geographic regions.

Interdisciplinary Opportunities

Because History is the study of reality, from politics and economics to society and culture, it fits naturally with interdisciplinary interests. It’s common for students to double major or pick up minors and certificates. “UC is unique in the ways our history program is integrated with other programs,” says Susan Longfield Karr, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies.

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This major welcomes eligible students who would like to earn a bachelor’s degree and a UC law degree in just six years, saving a year of tuition and time over the traditional path to becoming a lawyer. Students will receive careful advising to complete their major and A&S core degree requirements in 3 years. Earn at least 120 credits. This can include transfer credit, AP credit and free electives, but does not include preparatory coursework.

Student Support and Resources

We are committed to providing advice and assistance throughout your academic journey. Questions? UC Clermont students have access to free tutoring and academic support services through Learning Commons. The Learning Commons provides centralized academic support for all University of Cincinnati students by bringing together faculty, best-practices in teaching and learning, and hundreds of outstanding peer educators to create flexible academic success programming.

Free services available to UC Clermont students include academic coaching, group review sessions, success skills workshops, and tutoring in writing, math, science and more. Services are available on-campus or virtually.

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