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Master's in History (MA)

College of Arts and Sciences

The study of history is critical to the creation of a just society. Like Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, for whom our University is named, our history master’s program encourages students to take this ethos and put it to work as teachers and experts across a variety of fields. Students in the MA program have the option to earn an additional certificate at a partner institution for work in archives or other institutions devoted to preservation of historical resources.

DifferentiatorsExpectationsOutcomesFacultyTestimonialsAdmission RequirementsRelated Programs
Roosevelt University's Wabash tower and Auditorium building in Chicago


Location: Chicago
Start Term: Fall, Spring
Program Type: Master's

The Master of Arts in History offers classes at convenient times, including nights and occasionally online. Our faculty members understand the work and life commitments masters' students must balance as they pursue their degree. Classes are small, and professors make personal connections with you and your classmates. Students choose from a thesis or non-thesis track.

Margaret Rung
, Department Contact
mrung@roosevelt.edu
312-341-3724

What Differentiates Us

Certificate in Archival and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services

Certificate in Archival and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services

As a master’s student in history at Roosevelt, you have the option to also earn a Certificate in Archival and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services from Dominican University. This partnership benefits those who plan to work in public history, such as museums, archives, libraries and similar settings.

Center for New Deal Studies

Center for New Deal Studies

At Roosevelt, we’re proud of our legacy. The Center for New Deal Studies promotes knowledge of the Roosevelts and the history of the New Deal Era. The center organizes educational programs and lectures, supports course offerings, and partners with outside groups to further its mission. It also houses a remarkable collection of books, photographs, oral histories, manuscript collections and thousands of artifacts of interest to Roosevelt scholars and those who study the New Deal.

Expectations & Requirements

Standards

Students can expect to work closely with faculty as well as engage with outside scholars and activists. They will learn to read deeply and thoughtfully; analyze shifting and competing historical interpretations of the past; and devise and carry out substantial research and writing projects. The program emphasizes local, national and global histories, and the necessity of uncovering stories of people whose voices have not often been heard. MA students have gone on to PhD and archival graduate programs at University of Illinois-Chicago; Loyola University Chicago; University of Southern Mississippi; University of Wisconsin, Madison; University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Dominican University; University of Liverpool (England), among other universities.

Sample Courses

  • Readings Seminars in the following fields:
    • African-American History
    • Early Modern European History
    • Modern European History
    • United States History to 1877
    • United States History Since 1877
    • Latin American History
  • Politics and Culture in the American Revolution
  • Tudor Stuart England
  • 1960s America
  • Latin America Since Independence
  • Gender, Race and Power in the Atlantic World
View Academic Catalog View Certificate Requirements

Outcomes

Roosevelt’s MA in History provides the tools necessary to develop a mastery of content knowledge and methodology in the field. Many of our students go on to teach history at the high school level or in community colleges. Others go on to PhD programs or enter career paths that require sophisticated research and writing skills, such as positions in journalism, public policy, higher education administration and public history.

Testimonials

“The MA in History changed my life because it provided me with access to outstanding professors as well as the framework to establish a career. Within weeks of graduation, I was hired as an adjunct instructor of history at two community colleges.”
Wendy Maier-Sarti - History MA '02
Professor of History, Oakton Community College
Admission

​MA in History students may apply for graduate assistantships and/or the Tesler Scholarships for students who plan to attend a PhD program. For information regarding applications and deadlines, contact graduate advisor Margaret Rung at (312) 341-3724 or mrung@roosevelt.edu.

historical photo of students on stairs of Auditorium Lobby

  • Online Application
  • $40 Application Fee
  • Official transcripts from all previously attended colleges/universities within the United States. Coursework completed outside the U.S. requires a Foreign Credential Evaluation to be submitted.
  • Essay addressing one of the following: "What field in history interests you and why?" or "How does history help you understand a problem in the world today?" (approximately 500 words in length)
  • Two letters of recommendation 
  • English Language Proficiency: All international students and individuals who completed a degree program outside the United States are required to meet this requirement. 
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