How to Apply

In order to apply to the graduate program in history you must also be accepted as a graduate student by the university. The FSU Office of Graduate Studies has all of this information online, including university admissions and re-admissions deadlines. If you are interested in submitting a graduate application, then go to the FSU Admissions Office online graduate student application to begin this process.

In addition to the University application, you must include:

  1. a statement of purpose (500-1000 words) describing your long-term goals, as well as your desired major area of historical study at FSU (specify both time and region). List up to three faculty members with whom you would like to work. Please visit our Faculty page for a list of our faculty. In addition, indicate whether you would like to be considered for a departmental assistantship/ fellowship;
  2. a writing sample of at least 1200 words in length, preferably one demonstrating your facility with primary documents;
  3. a Curriculum Vitae or Resumé to include your honors (scholarships, fellowships, academic honors), publications (if appropriate), professional experience (museum volunteer, secondary school teacher, etc.), foreign language(s) taken (indicate the language, level, year, grade and institution).

Three letters of recommendation, preferably from professors who are familiar with your academic work, must be submitted online as part of your University Online Application.

The deadline for Fall admission is December 1. There are no admissions for Spring and Summer. Contact Madeline Robertson at 850-644-2610 for additional information or refer to the Graduate Handbook.

The online system requires you to submit your application as the first step in the process. Once your application has been submitted you will be able to view your status page, which will indicate the remaining documents you have to upload and where to upload them. Missing documents will delay the processing of your application.

Deadlines:

To be considered for a University Fellowship or a Departmental Assistantship, your COMPLETED application packet must be received by December 1st.

Navigating the Process

Professor Michael Creswell from our department wrote an article for the AHA's Perspectives offering advice on how to navigate the admissions process. You can access it at: Navigating the Graduate Admissions Process.

Departmental Requirements:

Master's:

  • A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with at least a 3.3 upper-division grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale. Applicants must have completed 18 semester hours of history course work. 

Doctoral:

  • A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with at least a 3.3 upper-division grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale OR a Master's Degree from an accredited/approved institution with at least a 3.65 grade point average  

All Master's and Doctoral applicants must provide the following:

  • Statement of Purpose – Your statement (500-1000 words) should describe your qualifications and long-term goals, as well as your desired major area of historical study at FSU (specify both time period and region). List up to three faculty members with whom you would like to work. Please look over our faculty list. Also, indicate whether or not you wish to be considered for a departmental assistantship/ fellowship.
  • Writing Sample - Submit a writing sample that represents your best work. It will be evaluated on its analytic power, creativity, and clarity of expression. Ideally it should be a research paper which demonstrates your facility with primary documents.
  • Transcripts - To expedite the review process submit unofficial copies of transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.  Please note official transcripts must be sent directly to:  Florida State University, Office of Admissions, 282 Champions Way, P.O. Box 3062400, Tallahassee, FL  32306-2400. International applicants or applicants with degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through the SpanTran pathway portal, or from another NACES approved evaluator. SpanTran has created a custom application for Florida State University that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. Learn more on the International Admissions page.
  • Curriculum Vitae or Resumé - Please submit your most recent curriculum vitae or resumé. Be sure to include the following: Publications, Honors (scholarships, fellowships, academic honors), Foreign Language(s) taken (indicate the language, level, year, grade and institution), Professional Experience (museum volunteer, secondary school teacher, etc.).
  • Letters of Recommendation - Please submit three letters of recommendation preferably from university faculty who are familiar with your academic work.

International Applicants:

  • Official English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English. Please see the International Admissions page for more information on what English language exams are accepted the University. 

 

Understanding the Graduate Application

International Admissions