Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Applying to the History Graduate Program:
Can I mail in the three letters of recommendation, or do they have to be mailed by the recommender?
You may send letters of recommendation with the rest of your application so long as they are in sealed envelopes with the recommender's signature across the seal in the back. Or you can request that your recommenders mail their letters directly to the History Department.
What should I send as my statement of purpose and my writing sample?
Your statement of purpose should provide our admissions committee with an overview of your intellectual interests and development, both past and future. The statement need not, and in fact should not, provide a general biographical sketch but should instead focus your scholarly skills, inclinations, and aspirations. It is appropriate in the statement of purpose to discuss any significant research projects you have already undertaken (for example, an honors thesis, independent study, or M.A. thesis), any additional skills that will enhance your ability to conduct scholarship at an advanced level (foreign languages, related work experience), and the directions in which you anticipate developing as a scholar during your years of graduate study and beyond.
Your writing sample should demonstrate your critical and analytic skills as a reader and researcher in a field of History. Your writing sample should not be a work of creative or journalistic writing; instead, it should be a piece of scholarship similar to that which will be expected of you as a graduate student and a professional scholar. Please be sure to include your full name on both the writing sample and the statement of purpose.
Are there language requirements?
By the end of the third year of study, a PhD candidate must demonstrate
high proficiency in at least one foreign language or reading
proficiency in two foreign languages or by field-determined
alternatives. Level of recommended language skill upon entering the
program varies by field. Please contact a potential advisor in your
area of study.
When should I take the GRE?
In order for scores to reach us before our recommended December 1 admissions deadline, we urge applicants to take the GRE examination before the end of October in their application year. Applicants to the Department of History are not required to take the GRE Subject exam.
What are the average GRE scores of applicants accepted to your program?
In the 2004‑05 and 2005‑06 application years, the average GRE scores (in percentiles) for applicants accepted to our program were as follows: Verbal: 92%, Analytic / Writing: 95%, Mathematics: 68%. In 2005‑06, the median Verbal GRE score for students accepted to our program was 94%, meaning that half of the accepted students scored above the 94th percentile, and half below it.
What is the average G.P.A. of students accepted to your program?
In the 2005‑06 application year, the average G.P.A. (at the B.A. level) for students accepted into our program was 3.78, and the median G.P.A. was slightly below a 3.82, meaning that half of the students accepted into our graduate program earned a G.P.A. of 3.82 or higher.
What is the application deadline?
The Graduate School deadline for completed applications is December 15, but the Department of History strongly urges applicants to submit all application materials by December 1. Only students whose applications are complete by December 15 will be considered for university fellowships and departmental assistantships.
How do I know whether UNC has received all my application materials?
You can track your application on the web once you complete your official online application through the Graduate School. It is the responsibility of each applicant to confirm receipt of all application materials. Given the number of applications received each year by the Department of History, we do not notify individual applicants if their files are not complete, and applications are not reviewed until all material is received.
How many students do you normally accept each year, and what is the normal size of your entering class?
During 2007-08 and 2008-09 admissions seasons, the Department of History received, on average, 400 applications per year, and we accepted (on average) 35 students for an entering class of between 22 students per year, of which (on average) 5-6 were direct‑admit Ph.D. candidates. Our acceptance rate thus averages around 10% per year for all candidates.
Does your department encourage interdisciplinary work?
Absolutely. Graduate students routinely take courses in allied departments and curricula throughout the Humanities and Social Sciences, including American Studies, Anthropology, Classics, American Studies, English, Religious Studies, Romance Languages, and Germanic Languages. UNC also boasts several interdisciplinary institutes, curricula, and research groups such as the Institute for the Arts and Humanities, the Cultural Studies Program, and smaller, interdisciplinary groups devoted to Medieval, Renaissance, and Southern Studies. Doctoral students may also minor in any appropriate department or curriculum, and it is not unusual for faculty in other departments to serve on Ph.D. examination and dissertation committees.
If I have already begun graduate work at another institution (but not completed a graduate degree), how many credit hours can I transfer if I attend UNC?
You may transfer up to six credit hours, or the equivalent of two courses. This includes courses taken at UNC through the Continuing Studies Program.
When can I expect to find out if I have been accepted to UNC?
Application decisions are made on a rolling basis. You may receive notification any time from early February up until the middle of April. The Graduate School will mail official notification letters to all applicants.
What happens after I am admitted?
Once you have paid your deposit, the Department of History will contact you with relevant information.
What Are the Criteria for Admission?
Minimum standards for admission to graduate study at UNC‑CH are established by the Graduate School. Within the Department of History, admission is determined by faculty members in the field in which the applicant wishes to work. The faculty make their decisions based on the supplementary material you submit with your application.
How Selective is the Program?
Between 1996 and 2000, the Department offered admission to about 16% of applicants. Students with the M.A. from another institution are fully considered for admission into the doctoral program.
How Large is the Program?
The size of the average entering class in all fields is between 20 and 25 students. At present there are approximately 140 students in total in the program.
How Successful is the Program in Placing Its Students?
When the Department last surveyed its placement record, among those who received Ph.D.s between 1989 and 1994, more than 85% had received either tenure‑track positions or long‑term research positions; the others were teaching history in non‑tenure track positions; none had failed to receive employment in the historical profession.
In terms of more recent graduates, it is fair to say that a number obtain positions in their first year "on the market"; others achieve success in their second year; almost all are eventually successful.
We are currently engaged in a compilation of data on placement and will provide the data on placement as soon as it is available.
How Do I Arrange a Campus Visit?
We encourage applicants to visit our department. Contact by phone or email any faculty members with whom you would like to meet. Also, set up an appointment with the DGS.
Should I contact faculty with whom I might work directly?
By all means! Indeed, it is likely to be helpful to both us and you if you discuss your career goals and research interests with our faculty. The email addresses of our faculty are available here.