Frequently Asked Questions:
Where and to whom should I send my application?
Your application will require two separate mailings: one to the Graduate School and one to the History Department.
1) Send the following to the Graduate School:
- Completed Application form
- Application fee
- Official Transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended
- Scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Address:
The Graduate School
University of Kentucky
Gillis Building
Lexington, KY 40506-0033
2) Send the following to the History Department, in care of the Director of Graduate Studies:
Statement of Scholarly Interest: Each applicant should prepare a formal two page statement indicating the reasons for the applicant’s interest in graduate study at the University of Kentucky. The student should discuss in as much detail as possible the fields of concentration that the student hopes to pursue and specific UK faculty with whom the student hopes to work. We encourage applicants to make their intellectual and scholarly interests the focal point of their applications.]
Writing Sample: Ideally this should be a substantial research paper in History that demonstrates the student’s analytical abilities and skill in working with primary sources. Applicants engaged in writing a senior thesis or a Master’s thesis should send the entire thesis or a draft version.]
Three letters of recommendation from current or former faculty
Address:
Director of Graduate Studies
Department of History
1715 Patterson Office Tower
Lexington, KY 40506-0027
What is the deadline for applications for the following academic year?
You should submit all materials to the graduate school and the History department by January 15th for full consideration for both admission and financial aid. Applications received after January 15th (or applications that are only partially complete by January 15th) will not be considered for financial aid, teaching assistantships, and fellowships. For students applying to the program but not seeking financial assistance, the department will accept and review applications until March 31st.
Can I apply to begin the program for the Spring Semester?
No, admission of new students is limited to the Fall Semester.
Can I track the progress of my application once it is submitted?
Yes, you can check the status of your application on line at: http://www.research.uky.edu/gs/gsapplication.html. If you have submitted all of the materials and see that your application has NOT been routed to the department for review, then you should contact the graduate school immediately to determine what is missing. The department cannot officially move on your application until it has been routed by the graduate school. The most efficient way to check on a problem with your application is to email the admissions officer, Maureen Barker at: mbarker@email.uky.edu
What happens to my application if it is incomplete?
Incomplete applications do not receive full consideration and usually result in a rejection.
I was not a history major in college, can I still apply to the program?
Yes, as long as you have had a substantial amount of history coursework.
If I have already earned a Master’s degree, do I apply to the Ph.D. program in History?
Normally, students who have earned a Master’s degree in history at an accredited university can apply to the doctoral program in history. Master’s degrees in other fields, unless they contained a substantial amount of graduate coursework in History, do not take the place of a Master’s degree in History. Applicants who have earned a Master’s degree in another field should apply to the Master’s program in History.
What issues should I discuss in my Statement of Scholarly Interest?
Each applicant should prepare a formal two page statement indicating the reasons for the applicant’s interest in graduate study at the University of Kentucky. The student should discuss in as much detail as possible the fields of concentration that the student hopes to pursue and specific UK faculty with whom the student hopes to work. We encourage applicants to make their intellectual and scholarly interests the focal point of their applications.
What would be an appropriate “writing sample” to include in my application?
Ideally this should be a substantial research paper in History that demonstrates the student’s analytical abilities and skill in working with primary sources. Applicants engaged in writing a senior thesis or a Master’s thesis should send the entire thesis or a draft version.
Whom should I ask to do the three letters of recommendation?
Faculty who have had you in class are the ideal candidates. Please do not ask family friends or former employers, unless those people have been in a position to assess your performance in history.
Do I need all three letters to be considered?
Yes.
Do you have a special form for the letter of recommendation?
No, please have your recommenders write a letter on college or university letterhead and also sign it across the seal of the envelope. If your recommending faculty member is running close to the deadline, please also encourage him or her to send an electronic version of the letter to Tina Hagee at: thagee1@email.uky.edu
How important are the GRE scores to the overall success of my application?
The department carefully considers the verbal and the analytical scores (not the quantitative). Students who score in the 90th percentile in one or more of the sections of the GRE can be nominated for university-wide funding opportunities. Students who score poorly on the GRE can still be considered for admission if they have strong undergraduate GPAs and letters of recommendation that attest to their analytical abilities and writing skills.
How important are foreign languages to the overall success of my application?
In fields such as the history of the ancient world, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America that require extensive language preparation, the department prefers to admit students who have begun their language training as an undergraduate and have demonstrated an aptitude for language acquisition.
What factors are considered when reviewing an applicant’s file?
The undergraduate (or Master’s degree) transcript is extremely important. For undergraduate applicants, an overall minimum of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and at least a 3.25 in the major is required. The department will also consider the type, variety, and level of difficulty of courses the student has completed. Faculty letters of recommendation are also weighed very heavily. How confident are your current professors about your ability to succeed in graduate school? The Statement of Scholarly Interest and Writing Sample are also considered very closely. Does the applicant have clearly defined historical interests and questions? How closely do those interests parallel the strengths of the department? Does the writing sample indicate the future promise of the applicant as an interpreter of history? Finally, each applicant will also be judged on the issue of language acquisition and aptitude. Is the student prepared with the linguistic skills to conduct research in the necessary languages?
Should I schedule a campus visit?
Students have found a campus visit to be very useful in making decisions about the future. On campus visits, we encourage students to attend classes, visit the library and archives, and meet with both students and faculty in your fields of interest. We also encourage students to email the faculty with whom they hope to work and to alert the faculty to their interest in the program. If you would like to schedule a visit, please contact the director of recruitment, Dr. Karen Petrone at: petrone@email.uky.edu
When can I expect to hear about my application?
Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis as applications are completed and subjected to the review process. If your application is completed by January 15th, you can expect to hear from the Graduate School by the middle of March with either an acceptance, a conditional acceptance, or a rejection. If, however, your application is incomplete, you will not hear from the Graduate School or the Department until later in the semester.
When are funding decisions made?
Funding decisions are normally made by the beginning of March. Funding offers are extended to applicants by the Director of Graduate Studies, usually by email. Students have until April 15th to accept or decline the offer of financial aid. Financial assistance that is declined will be offered to students placed on a waiting list.
If I am accepted into the program, when do I register for courses?
New students register for courses in August, only after an advising session with the Director of Graduate Studies.
If I am accepted, can I transfer credits from other graduate programs?
No, not if those credits have already been “used” toward a degree. If, however, you took graduate courses that did not result in a degree, then the Director of Graduate Studies can consider the appropriateness of those courses to a degree at UK.
Can I as a University of Kentucky post-baccalaureate student transfer credits into a graduate program in History at UK?
First of all, a UK post-baccalaureate student must be considered for admission into the Master’s degree program at UK. These students will be evaluated based on their grades and the evaluation of their faculty members. If admission is granted, a post-bac student can transfer up to nine hours toward a UK degree.
Can I be re-admitted into the program after taking a leave of absence?
If for some reason a student must suspend his or her pursuit of a degree, the Graduate School will automatically grant readmission to a student in good academic standing up to one year after leaving full-time status. After that time, however, the Graduate Committee of the History Department and the Graduate School may require another formal application for re-admission to a degree program.