MA in History Program Overview
A Flexible Learning Experience Tailored to You
Our MA in history program is offered in an asynchronous, 100% online format that allows you to complete coursework anywhere, 24/7. This affordable program can be completed in as little as two years and the GRE is not required for admission. You can also select a thesis or non-thesis option for your degree. For the thesis option, you’ll complete 24 credit hours of coursework followed by a 6-credit thesis. The non-thesis option devotes all credit hours to coursework and includes written and oral exams.
Online MA in history students are also eligible to enroll in graduate-level synchronous live-remote courses offered by the history department. The live-remote courses differ in topic from those provided asynchronously. Please consult with the program head for the MA in history program for more information.
Vast Coverage of American and World History
History isn’t just about the past—it helps us understand the people and events that shaped the world we live in today. Our online Master of Arts in History enables you to dive deeply into consequential historical topics ranging from the Industrial Revolution to the Third Reich. Designed with your future success in mind, our MA in history program equips you with broadly applicable skills that will prepare you to become a leader in any profession, including the ability to:
- Write and speak authoritatively
- Think critically
- Analyze comprehensively
Alumni Pathways
As a graduate of our online MA in history program, you’ll be poised for success as a historian or history teacher — but that’s just two options among many. The knowledge and skills you’ll gain in our program, including communication, research, and critical-thinking, will make you a high-value candidate in the eyes of employers everywhere. Here are just a few of the organizations our MA in history alumni work at:
- The UT System
- Ector County ISD
- Midland ISD
- Panasonic
- The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
- ScionHealth
- UKG
- Enverus
A Future Full of Potential
A graduate degree brings with it the potential for career advancement. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that master’s degree holders earn an average of 20% more than those who have a bachelor’s degree alone. With the new credential and skills you’ll gain in our program, you’ll be able to pursue a variety of academic and professional paths, including:
30 credits. NOTE: Thesis students must complete 24 credit hours (8 courses) from those offered and 6 hours of thesis work upon approval by the history graduate program head.
30 credits. NOTE: Students must complete 30 credit hours (10 courses) from those offered.
Admission Requirements
Regular Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
- GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 credit hours of coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree.
- Applicants must submit an undergraduate paper demonstrating writing and analytical skills. Applicants unable to submit an academic paper will submit:
- A 3-page statement of purpose explaining: motives and goals for choosing to study history at the graduate level; indicate how the UTPB MA program would assist in achieving these objectives and your aptitude/strengths for success in graduate study.
- 18 semester credit hours of combined upper- and lower-division history courses. Applicants lacking the 18 hours might be required to complete leveling courses.
Conditional Admission Requirements
Applicants who do not meet the regular admission requirements may be considered for conditional admission. The Department will assign conditional admission by determining if the applicant's letters and writing skills are suitable for success in the graduate program. Evaluation of materials is done on a case-by-case basis. If the applicant is conditionally admitted, he/she must then earn a "B" grade or better in the first 12 graduate hours.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
- GPA between 2.5 – 3.0 in the last 60 credit hours of coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree.
- Applicants must submit an undergraduate paper demonstrating writing and analytical skills. Applicants unable to submit an academic paper will submit:
- A 3-page statement of purpose explaining: motives and goals for choosing to study history at the graduate level; indicate how the UTPB MA program would assist in achieving these objectives and your aptitude/strengths for success in graduate study.
- Applicants with a GPA below 3.0 must submit a 500-word book review of a scholarly work that influenced their decision to pursue a history degree:
- Scholarly book review should include the author's basic argument(s), kinds of evidence the author uses, how the author applied the evidence in support of the argument, your overall assessment of the work, and what is the general significance of the book.
- 18 semester credit hours of combined upper- and lower-division history courses. Applicants lacking the 18 hours might be required to complete leveling courses.
- OTHER EVIDENCE:
- Applicant's performance in upper-level history courses and other comparable upper-level courses that stress writing/analysis/research (such as English, philosophy, and political science) will be used to evaluate an applicant's abilities.
- Grades of "B" or better reflect potential success in graduate-level work.
Program Options
Candidates for the Master of Arts in History must complete 30 credits of graduate work. They may choose between the thesis option and the non-thesis option.
- Students who elect to write a thesis will complete 24 credit hours in history and 6 credit hours upon acceptance of a thesis. Thesis students must successfully complete and defend their thesis.
- Students who elect the non-thesis option will complete 30 credit hours in history.
MA degree candidates who select the non-thesis option must pass an oral and a written examination. MA degree candidates who elect to write a thesis must pass an oral defense of their thesis. There is no general foreign language requirement for the master’s degree in history. However, when mastery of a language is requisite to purposeful study, the demonstration of language skills may be required. For example, candidates writing a thesis on a topic in Latin American history must demonstrate the ability to comprehend written Spanish with reasonable accuracy.
Transfer Credits
Up to 6 credit hours may be accepted as long as certain parameters are met. Please contact Dr. Martinez-Catsam for more information.
Official Transcripts
Official copies of transcripts must come directly from the school in a sealed envelope and can be mailed to:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies Office
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Official transcripts in electronic format can be sent to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Supporting Documents
All supporting documents related the graduate program should be sent to the Graduate Studies Office:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762-0001
Electronic versions of supporting documents may be emailed to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Application Fee
The application fee is $40.
Veterans and Active Duty Military: Your application fee is waived for this program. Get details now.
If you have any questions regarding the admission requirements, please email gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Professor of History
Department Chair
Head of the History Graduate Program
martinez_a@utpb.edu
Dr. Martinez-Catsam received her degrees from Texas A&M University (BA), St. Mary's University in San Antonio (MA), and Texas Tech University (PhD). Dr. Martinez-Catsam's active research agenda emphasizes the Gilded Age and Progressive Eras, focusing on newspapers, epidemics, and the Mexican American experience. Her recent publications and current projects explore community responses to early 20th-century epidemics.
Professor of History
Kathlyn Cosper Dunagan Professor in the Humanities
catsam_d@utpb.edu
Dr. Catsam received his degrees from Williams College (BA), the University of North Carolina, Charlotte (MA), and Ohio University (PhD). He is also senior research associate at Rhodes University in South Africa. His work on race and politics focuses on the U.S. and southern Africa. Dr. Catsam’s internationally recognized publications also explore the intersection of politics and sports.
Associate Professor of History
Dean of Student Success
frawley_m@utpb.edu
Dr. Frawley received his degrees from Pennsylvania State University (BA), Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (MA), and Louisiana State University (PhD). His research and publications focus on the American South with a concentration on economic issues. Dr. Frawley’s current research projects explore industry in the antebellum South on the eve of the Civil War, as well as penitentiaries as centers of industry during the pre-and post-war South.
Associate Professor of History
spickermann_r@utpb.edu
Dr. Spickermann received his degrees from the University of California, Berkeley (BA) and the University of Michigan (MA, PhD). His research emphasizes modern Germany, with his current projects examining the history of adoption in 20th-century Germany. Dr. Spickermann participates in seminars for the advanced study program at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Associate Professor of History
washburn_j@utpb.edu
Dr. Washburn received his degrees from the University of Idaho (BA, MA) and the University of Mississippi (PhD). Dr. Washburn joined the UT Permian Basin History Department in the fall of 2020 after receiving his doctorate in the spring of the same year. His research focuses on the Native American experience during the 18th and 19th centuries. His current project explores Chickasaw economic history.
