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Program Description

Pursuing a M.A. degree in History should be enriching both personally and professionally, providing the individual with a deeper understanding of the past and how scholars research and write about the past, as well as providing an appreciation for the complexities of the present. From a professional perspective graduate work in history prepares students for a number of careers.  Quite apart from its vocational promise, the serious study of history is a source of intellectual satisfaction and a lifelong endeavor.

Students pursuing an M.A. degree have the opportunity to develop critical, analytical, and writing skills that are of value in various fields.  They will have received what is widely considered an excellent preparation for careers in public relations, journalism, law, politics, and public service. A Masters of Arts degree in History is usually a requirement for teaching the subject at community colleges and it provides an excellent complement for teaching history and the social sciences at the high school level. For those considering pursuing a Ph.D. in history, and eventually teaching at the university level, the M.A. program introduces students to professional research and writing and prepares them for doctoral work.  

In the graduate program in history at Virginia Tech entering students choose one of three course concentrations: U.S. History; the History of Science and Technology, or Transatlantic Studies. The program offers both thesis and non-thesis options. Although most of our students pursue research interests in U.S. history, we encourage all students to broaden their training by taking at least one non-U.S. course.  They may also enroll in graduate courses offered by other departments. Previous M.A. students have taken graduate courses in such areas as English, sociology, political science, science and technology studies, and women's studies. Although the program does not require knowledge of a foreign language, students are strongly encouraged to develop a reading ability in a language other than English.

Applicants with a strong interest in Europe or Latin America and a background in literature may want to consider applying to the History Department's Area Studies M.A. Program, an interdisciplinary program in History, Foreign Languages and Literatures, and Geography. Proficiency in French, German, or Spanish is a prerequisite for admission. Thesis and non-thesis options are available.

Students interested in pursuing a career in teaching at the secondary school level should also explore the Master's program for History and the Social Sciences in Curriculum and Instruction. And those with a particular fascination with new media and its uses in education should peruse the curriculum in Instructional Technologies, which complements a number of the digital history approaches being explored by faculty in the History Department.

Virginia Tech also offers a Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies (STS) through the Department of Science and Society. History graduate students with a special interest in the history of science and technology may wish to register for STS courses cross-listed with history. Some students from the history program have gone on to further graduate work in STS.