Admissions

The terminal M.A. program is for applicants who do not wish to continue beyond the M.A. degree in History at Stanford. Admitted students may not apply to enter the PhD program in History while they are working toward their M.A. degree in the Stanford History Department.

Admission to the History Graduate Programs is for autumn quarter only. Interested applicants can apply online at https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/applying opens in a new tab and submit the following documents: 

• Statement of Purpose (included in Application)

• Three letters of recommendation

• A copy of official transcripts from each university/college attended

  •  Transcripts are required from all prior college-level schools attended for at least one year; a scanned copy of the official transcript is submitted as part of the online application (Do not mail transcripts to the department. We will ask only the admitted students to submit actual copies of official transcripts)

• One writing sample on a historical topic (10-25 pages; sent via Stanford’s online application system opens in a new tab only)

• The GRE is not required for the autumn 2025 admission cycle

• TOEFL for all international applicants (whose primary language is not English) sent via ETS. Our university code is 4704.

• Application fee $125 (subject to change)

  • Application Fee Waiver opens in a new tab

  • The department is not able to provide fee waivers. Please see the link above for the available fee waivers and how to submit a request. Requests are due two weeks before the application deadline.

The application deadline for autumn 2027-28 is Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 11:59 p.m. EST. This is a hard -not a postmark- deadline. 

All application material is available online. No information is sent via snail mail. Interested applicants are invited to view a Guide to Graduate Admissions opens in a new tab. Also, consider reviewing the Stanford School of Humanities & opens in a new tabSciences’ Guide on Getting into Grad School opens in a new tab to explore which graduate program may best suit your interest, what graduate committees look for, and the benefits and challenges of pursuing a graduate degree. 

Each year the departments admits a limited number of undergraduates to its program, leading to a coterminal BA/BS and MA degree in History. Some students apply in their junior year and complete their MA studies in their fourth year at Stanford. Others apply in their senior year, planning their MA coursework for their fifth year at Stanford. Students applying for coterm admission must specify a field of study, select a faculty advisor, and have a 3.75 GPA in history courses (or the equivalent if they enter without a history major). 

Applicants must meet the same general standards as those seeking admission to the MA Program. For admissions information, please visit our Coterminal Masters Program opens in a new tabwebpage. 

Students from departments other than History should have done sufficient work in History. Students should finish their undergraduate major by the program’s start. Conferral of the BA is restricted to the quarter after admission to the coterminal program. For instance, if admission is for spring quarter, the conferral of the BA/BS  must be for spring quarter or later.

Remember that courses cannot be “double-counted” towards both degrees. For more information about the Co-terminal Program, please refer to the Graduate Admission’s Coterminal Online Application opens in a new tab webpage.

Please also consider reviewing the Stanford School of Humanities & opens in a new tab Sciences’ Guide on Getting into Grad School opens in a new tab to explore which graduate program may best suit your interest, what graduate committees look for, and the benefits and challenges of pursuing a graduate degree. 

The spring quarter 2026-27 application deadline is Tuesday, December 1, 2026.

Contact Arthur Palmon opens in a new tab (Assistant Director of Student Services) for more information.