Prospective Graduate Students
Why Study History at USM?
"The faculty is the best, they expect the best, and they cheer on their students through the difficult process of becoming historians." Kelly Cantrell, PhD Candidate. To learn more about why Kelly believes in a USM graduate education, click here.
"The atmosphere at the USM History Department is friendly, collegial, and small enough to provide a close relationship among faculty and students, while large enough to attract top faculty and upcoming scholars." Aaron Anderson, PhD Candidate. To learn more about why Aaron believes in a USM graduate education, click here.
"There it was. With one breath the man had just challenged me to embark on the most trying educational experience of my life and with another he had opened up his home to me. In a nutshell, those qualities are the history department here at Southern Miss . . ." Michael Doidge, PhD Candidate. To learn more about why Mike believes in a USM graduate education in War & Society, click here.
Degree Programs (M.A., M.S., and Ph.D.)
Master’s Program
Students may pursue a Master’s degree in the fields of United States, European, and Latin American history as well as international studies and war and society. Most students seek the Master of Arts degree, which requires the completion of a thesis. The Masters of Science, a terminal degree, is also offered.
Dual Master’s Programs
In cooperation with the School of Library and Information Science and the Department of Anthropology, the Department of History offers two dual master’s degrees. The History/LIS program prepares students for careers in academic and public libraries as well as archives. The History/Anthropology program prepares students for careers in public history, museums, and cultural resource management.
Doctoral Program
Students may pursue a PhD in the fields of American and modern European history. Students select a broadly-defined major field (for example, American History, 1607-present) and two minor fields of study (for example, medieval Europe and war and society). Once students pass comprehensive exams in all three fields, they must complete a dissertation which makes an original contribution to historical knowledge.
For more detailed information about degree programs in history, consult the University’s Graduate Bulletin and the History Graduate Student Handbook.
Please address specific questions about the program to the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Kyle Zelner, at Kyle.Zelner@usm.edu.
Instructions for Applying to the Department of History’s Graduate Programs
For more information on applying to the graduate programs in history at USM, visit our application page.
Department of History
http://www.usm.edu/history
601.266.4333 • history@usm.edu