The UW History Department's applications for Autumn 2027 admission to our Graduate Program will open on September 1, 2026. The applications will close on December 1, 2026 (this is a firm deadline--no exceptions).
All graduate applications and materials must be submitted through the UW Graduate School's online application system.
Questions about graduate admission requirements and the graduate application process should be directed to the History Graduate Office (histgrad@uw.edu)
Important information for prospective graduate applicants for Autumn 2027 admission:
Due to faculty leaves, teaching and research plans, and departmental curriculum considerations, for Autumn 2027 the UW History Department will not be admitting new graduate students in primary (first) MA or PhD fields supervised by the following History faculty: Arbella Bet-Shlimon, Elena Campbell, Vanessa Freije, Christoph Giebel, James Gregory, Bruce Hevly, Raymond Jonas, Hajin Jun, Laurie Marhoefer, Matthew Mosca, Ileana Rodriguez-Silva, Stephanie Smallwood, Charity Urbanski.
Please be advised that in recent graduate admissions cycles, the UW History Department received about 120 applications per year, for both the MA and PhD programs. We expect that this number of applications will be comparable for the Autumn 2027 graduate admission cycle, for which the History Department aims to admit a total of 5 or fewer new graduate students for both the MA and PhD programs.
Why Study History at the UW?
The University of Washington Department of History currently enrolls more than 30 scholars pursuing MA and Ph.D. degrees in a wide range of fields. Ours is in the top third of History Ph.D. programs nationwide, and benefits from a large and vibrant university community and a location in beautiful Seattle. Our graduate students and faculty are award-winning scholars and teachers, active in the historical profession nationally and globally, and engaged in digital scholarship, public and applied history, and interdisciplinary collaborations.
The graduate program in history—its coursework, credits, writing and research requirements, field and examination preparation, professional preparation, as well as funding considerations--is designed at both the MA and Ph.D. level for students who intend the complete the doctoral degree in our program. Consequently, our graduate program is not designed for students who want to complete a terminal MA program only. If your goal is to get a terminal MA in history, you should look elsewhere for a graduate program that accommodates your needs.
As you consider the UW, we encourage you to contact prospective faculty advisors to tell them about your interest and learn if they will be taking on new graduate students. In your application, you will need to propose fields of study (two at the MA level, and four for the Ph.D.). A list of graduate fields offered by our faculty can be found here.
Your application for admission is also your application for funding. Students admitted to our graduate program receive financial support from the history department or other units (including tuition, insurance, nine-month stipend) that takes the form of a combination of fellowships and service appointments (teaching, research, and staff assistantships). In addition, students are eligible and encouraged to apply for outside sources of funding, and in the past have had an excellent track record of winning competitive university and national fellowships.
Applying to the Graduate Program
The history department admits new students each autumn. The admissions process is managed online through the UW Graduate School. Applicants should submit ALL materials via the electronic application process; do not mail any hardcopy materials directly to the department. Applicants should check the status of their graduate application via the UW Graduate School's online application system.
We accept applicants who hold a BA or MA. Applicants with an MA in history are eligible to apply to the Ph.D. program. Applicants with a BA only, or with an MA in a field other than history, must apply to our MA program. Students who complete the MA in our graduate program and who have the support of their supervising faculty typically promote to the history Ph.D. program. If you have an MA in a closely related field, you may note in your statement of purpose that you would like to be considered for admission into the Ph.D. program.
The history department does not defer offers of graduate admission to a later quarter or a later year.
Further information about application criteria, required materials, and other FAQs about the process can be found on the Graduate Admissions Overview page.
All graduate application materials must be submitted electronically through the UW Graduate School's online application system.
For information about Visiting Graduate Student status, contact the History Graduate Office for application requirements and procedures. The Department of History's application deadline for Visiting Graduate Student applications is the same date as for the submission of the department's regular MA and Ph.D. applications, to begin study in the following academic year.