The History Department offers three plans of study for the M.A. degree. Option 1 requires a formal M.A. thesis and twenty-four hours of graduate coursework. Option 2 requires an M.A. essay, which is a research paper of about 45-60 pages in length, and thirty hours of graduate coursework. Option 3 requires three major papers and thirty-six hours of graduate coursework.

The department admits students to its graduate program who wish to obtain a free-standing M.A. degree, who have earned an M.A. degree at another institution and wish to earn the Ph.D. degree, and who hope to earn both the M.A. and thStudents work closely with faculty members experienced in directing research.

Our students take a combination of theme seminars, which are organized around key areas of conceptual inquiry and encourage graduate students to explore these issues as they relate to their own areas and periods of interest; field seminars, which focus on the history and historiography of specific regions and periods; and research seminars, which help students develop their research skills and explore questions of scholarly interest. Students also take courses in other departments and programs, including but not limited to Appalachian Studies, Africana Studies, Gender & Women's Studies, Social Theory, and the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce .e Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky.