By studying the past, we are better able to understand and communicate the importance of issues in our contemporary world. The IU Online Master of Arts in History explores geographic regions of the world in both modern and pre-modern time periods to identify historical actors, events of significance, and social movements.
What you study
Gain graduate-level historical knowledge, critical thinking skills, and techniques for clear and persuasive writing. Learn to recognize historiographic trends and their meanings, perform research, and construct original historical arguments. Your studies will culminate in at least one semester-long research project of original scholarship.
How you benefit
When you graduate from the program, you will have:
Effective oral and written historical communication skills.
The ability to perform research.
The ability to construct original historical arguments.
Competencies in digital and public history.
This 100-percent online program is taught by IU East, IU Bloomington, IUPUI, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast.
Your IU Online MA in History helps prepare you for such careers as:
General researcher
Writer or editor
Journalist or broadcaster
K-12 teacher
Library or museum worker
The stackable structure of the MA in History is ideal for those who want to teach dual-credit courses and who need to meet Higher Learning Commission dual-credit qualification standards. These standards require teachers wanting to teach dual-credit courses in history to hold either a master's degree in history or a master's degree in another discipline (such as education), plus at least 18 credit hours of discipline-specific graduate coursework.
If you need both discipline-specific coursework and a master's degree, the MA in History meets HLC standards.
If you already hold a master's degree in a discipline other than history, you can meet HLC standards by completing the Graduate Certificate in History.
To earn the MA in History, you must complete a total of 30 credit hours. Requirements are broken down as follows:
Core courses (9 credit hours)
Major courses (12 credit hours)
Minor courses (6 credit hours)
Additional research seminar or thesis (3 credit hours)
To be accepted to this program, you must have:
A bachelor’s degree
3.0 minimum undergraduate GPA
To apply to this program, complete an online application that includes:
Official transcripts
250-word personal statement explaining background and reasons for entering the program
Application dates
Fall semester: Aug 1
Spring semester: Jan 1
Summer session 1: May 1
Summer session 2: Jun 15
Andrew McFarland, Program Director
Andrew McFarland, program director for the BA in History, is chair of history, political science, and philosophy, and associate professor of history at IU Kokomo. He earned a PhD in Modern European History from the University of Texas at Austin. His specialties include modern Spanish and European history, and his research focuses on the development of physical education, sport, and soccer in early 20th-century Spain. Among courses taught are Western Civilization, Global History of Modern Sport, Russian Revolution and Soviet Union, Europe in the Twentieth Century, taught with the works of George Orwell, and History of Latin America.
In accordance with Federal Financial Aid requirements, IU has calculated a “Cost of Attendance” for this program based on the most common enrollments from students who are enrolled full time for the academic year. We’re showing you the estimated cost of attendance for the full 2023–24 academic year (fall and spring semesters). Cut these numbers in half to figure out the cost of a single semester. Your actual costs for housing and food, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses will vary based on:
• The number of credit hours you take • Whether you’re an Indiana resident • Your personal choices • Your travel habits
Your cost of attendance may differ from these estimates.
Full time Students
Part time Students
Direct Costs:
Tuition & Mandatory Fees
Indiana Residents
$332.44 per credit hour
Non-residents
$491.08 per credit hour
Direct Costs:
Tuition & Mandatory Fees
Indiana Residents
$332.44 per credit hour
Non-residents
$491.08 per credit hour
Indirect Costs:
Food & Housing $10,244
Books & Supplies $460
Transportation $2350
Personal Expenses $2200
Indirect Costs:
Food & Housing $10,244
Books & Supplies $184
Transportation $2350
Personal Expenses $2200
If you would like a more detailed estimate of expenses, please use IU's Tuition and Fee Calculator.
