Preparing an Application
- What is the application deadline?
- What steps should I take before applying?
- What if some of my materials don’t arrive on time?
- Can I be admitted to any term other than the fall?
- Can I apply online? Must I apply online?
- What is the application fee?
- What are the required application materials?
- What should my statement of purpose and writing sample look like?
- Where should I send my application?
Follow the link to the Graduation Admission Application at the bottom of the page under “Where Should I send my application?” This will take you to Slate, where you will submit your online application.
What is the application deadline?
We will be accepting applications for Fall 2023 admissions September 1–December 12, 2022.
[back to top]What steps should I take before applying?
Prior to applying to our program, prospective students should examine the list of Graduate Faculty, paying special attention to their fields of study and the focus of their research. We encourage you to contact directly those faculty members with whom you propose to work to determine whether they are willing and able to advise you and oversee your proposed research project. (Please be aware that those faculty who are designated as “instructor” may not serve as graduate advisors.) Admission into our PhD program is rare for students who wish to study fields beyond our particular strengths: North American West/ Borderlands, Indigenous People/Native Americans, Environmental history, African American/African history, the history of Women/Gender/Sexuality, Asia (especially China and Japan), Latin America, Russia, Transnational history, and intellectual history.
[back to top]What if some of my materials don’t arrive on time?
(GRE tests are not required for the history department’s admissions process.)
We understand that the submission date of some materials, such as letters of recommendation, is not entirely under your control. If you believe your materials are going to arrive late, please contact us. The department will make a note of it in your file.
[back to top]Can I be admitted to any term other than the fall?
No. We admit students once a year for fall term only. There are two reasons for this. First, it ensures that each student starts with all the others in our required introductory sequence, HIST 612, 615, 616 (Historical Methods and Writing, Professional Development, and Conference) which is offered from fall to spring quarters each year. Second, it allows every applicant a fair chance to receive an appointment as a Graduate Employee (UO’s term for teaching assistant).
[back to top]Can I apply online? Must I apply online?
Yes. The department only accepts online applications.
[back to top]What is the application fee?
A $70 fee, payable by credit or debit card, is collected by the UO Graduate School as part of its online Graduate Admission Application (see immediately below).
[back to top]What are the required application materials?
All applicants must submit the following materials online:
- Graduate Admission Application
- Statement of purpose
- Transcripts of all college work
- Writing sample
- Three letters of recommendation. Ideally, these should be from professors with whom you worked as an undergraduate or M.A. student.
Applicants must have official copies of the following sent to us directly (though you may send an uploaded copy as well):
- Unofficial transcripts of all college work. Official transcripts only need to be sent if an applicant is offered and accepts admission to the history graduate program.
- As of 2022, GRE tests are not required for the history department’s admissions process.
International students should also submit:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test scores (again, uploaded scores are accepted temporarily, but we are required to obtain an official copy directly from the testing agency as well).
- Financial statement
- Bank statement (if required)
If you are interested in applying for a position as a Graduate Employee (UO’s term for a teaching assistant), make sure that you fill out the appropriate section of the online application.
[back to top]What should my statement of purpose and writing sample look like?
The statement of purpose is used by the Graduate Committee to evaluate your ability to write, your interest in a specific field of history, and your goals as a future historian. Reading the applicant’s statement of purpose, the committee looks for a good fit between the applicant’s goals and the department’s program. It should be 1–2 pages, single spaces, in length. Please upload it into your online application.
The sample of written work can be a seminar paper, a term paper, or a chapter of a master’s thesis. It need not be lengthy, but it should reflect your ability to do research, analyze historical sources, and write. Ideally, it should also be in the area of study that you intend to pursue in our program. Please upload it directly into your online application.
[back to top]Where should I send my application?
Submit the main Graduate Admission Application, which includes your uploaded statement of purpose and writing samples, as well as the names and email addresses of your letter of recommendation writers, online, along with your $70 fee. Of the other materials, some go to the History department while others go to the Graduate School.
The following materials should be mailed to:
Graduate Admissions
Department of History
1288 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1288
- TOEFL and/or IELTS scores (if required; official copies from ETS/IELTS)
- As of 2022, GRE tests are not required for the history department’s admissions process.
The following materials should be mailed to:
Office of the Registrar
5257 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403Division of Graduate Studies Official Transcript Requirement
- For MA and BA-to-PhD applicants: official transcripts from the institutions that granted you a bachelor’s degree (Official Transcripts only need to be sent to the Registrar from applicants that have been offered and accepted admission to the history graduate program. For submitting applications, uploading copies of unofficial transcripts will suffice).
- For other PhD applicants: official transcripts from the institutions that granted you an master’s degree (Official Transcripts only need to be sent to the Registrar from applicants that have been offered and accepted admission to the history graduate program. For submitting applications, uploading copies of unofficial transcripts will suffice).
- Financial statement and supporting documents (international students only)