Online Master's Degrees > Best Online Master's Degree Programs in History

ONLINE MASTER'S DEGREE INHISTORY

Table of Contents

TOP ONLINE SCHOOLS: MASTER'S IN HISTORY

Our Methodology and Sources

Methodology

To be included in the rankings, all colleges had to meet the following criteria:

Offer the particular graduate program online
Enroll full-time or part-time graduate students
Have at least 1 percent of their graduate students enrolled in distance education classes
Have awarded at least one graduate degree in any related subject between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016

Once we had our list of schools for each subject and degree level, we ranked them on four criteria:

Affordability, based on the in-state average tuition for full-time graduate students, National Center for Education Statistics, 2016
Flexibility, based on the percentage of graduate students enrolled in any distance education courses, National Center for Education Statistics, 2016
Program Prominence, The ratio of the number of students receiving master’s/doctoral degrees in that program to the total number of graduate students awarded a degree, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
Related Degrees, based on the number of programs the school offers that are in this particular subject and similar subjects, National Center for Education Statistics, 2016

Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2016-17, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/

Article Sources

Master's in History Program, Harvard Extension School, http://www.extension.harvard.edu/academics/graduate-degrees/history-degree

Prospective Students, Department of History, Cornell University, http://history.arts.cornell.edu/graduate-DGS%20Prosp%20Students.php

Curriculum, Master of Arts in History, Sam Houston State University, http://www.shsu.edu/programs/master-of-arts-in-history/curriculum.html

Master's in History Online, Southern New Hampshire University, http://www.snhu.edu/online-degrees/masters/ma-in-history

History Program Curriculum, Master of Arts in History, Norwich University Online, http://online.norwich.edu/degree-programs/masters/master-arts-history/curriculum

History, Graduate Catalog, University of West Florida, http://catalog.uwf.edu/graduate/history/

Master of Arts in History, National University, http://www.nu.edu/OurPrograms/CollegeOfLettersAndSciences/SocialSciences/Programs/MastersofArtsinHistory.html

Historians, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, accessed November 5, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/historians.htm

High School Teachers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, accessed November 5, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/high-school-teachers.htm

Archivists, Curators and Museum Workers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, accessed November 5, 2015, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/curators-museum-technicians-and-conservators.htm

Sort By ::

Rank	School	Tuition	% Grad Students in Online Courses	% Grad Degrees Conferred	Related Degrees
5.	Sam Houston State University	Tuition$5,139	% Grad Students in Online Courses63.57%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.38%	Related Degrees1
6.	University of North Alabama	Tuition$5,598	% Grad Students in Online Courses82.21%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.07%	Related Degrees1
12.	Southwestern Assemblies of God University	Tuition$10,350	% Grad Students in Online Courses97.06%	% Grad Degrees Conferred3.53%	Related Degrees1
15.	Louisiana Tech University	Tuition$6,593	% Grad Students in Online Courses46.94%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.75%	Related Degrees1
16.	Jackson State University	Tuition$7,141	% Grad Students in Online Courses47.61%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.69%	Related Degrees1
4.	Arizona State University-Skysong	Tuition$6,024	% Grad Students in Online Courses97.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.78%	Related Degrees1
8.	University of North Carolina Wilmington	Tuition$4,448	% Grad Students in Online Courses42.61%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.69%	Related Degrees1
9.	Missouri State University-Springfield	Tuition$4,644	% Grad Students in Online Courses44.23%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.88%	Related Degrees1
13.	University of Louisiana at Monroe	Tuition$6,490	% Grad Students in Online Courses46.83%	% Grad Degrees Conferred3.7%	Related Degrees1
17.	Troy University	Tuition$7,146	% Grad Students in Online Courses58.64%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.08%	Related Degrees1
19.	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania	Tuition$11,592	% Grad Students in Online Courses73.62%	% Grad Degrees Conferred3%	Related Degrees1
22.	University of Memphis	Tuition$8,820	% Grad Students in Online Courses37.3%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.61%	Related Degrees1
24.	Harvard University	Tuition$43,296	% Grad Students in Online Courses13.58%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.39%	Related Degrees1
1.	University of Nebraska at Kearney	Tuition$5,418	% Grad Students in Online Courses96.07%	% Grad Degrees Conferred10.22%	Related Degrees1
2.	Texas A & M University-Central Texas	Tuition$3,928	% Grad Students in Online Courses61.35%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.82%	Related Degrees1
3.	Norwich University	Tuition$17,073	% Grad Students in Online Courses98.97%	% Grad Degrees Conferred12.99%	Related Degrees2
7.	Emporia State University	Tuition$5,922	% Grad Students in Online Courses83.71%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.43%	Related Degrees1
10.	Columbia College	Tuition$6,585	% Grad Students in Online Courses85.82%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.9%	Related Degrees1
11.	Pittsburg State University	Tuition$6,218	% Grad Students in Online Courses65.19%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.46%	Related Degrees1
14.	Indiana State University	Tuition$7,128	% Grad Students in Online Courses53.7%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.98%	Related Degrees1
18.	Wayland Baptist University	Tuition$10,620	% Grad Students in Online Courses72.23%	% Grad Degrees Conferred2.49%	Related Degrees1
20.	Southern New Hampshire University	Tuition$18,810	% Grad Students in Online Courses94.85%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.79%	Related Degrees1
21.	Western Kentucky University	Tuition$11,400	% Grad Students in Online Courses59.45%	% Grad Degrees Conferred1.45%	Related Degrees1
23.	Johns Hopkins University	Tuition$50,410	% Grad Students in Online Courses47.5%	% Grad Degrees Conferred0.12%	Related Degrees1

MASTER'S IN HISTORY PROGRAM DETAILS

Most institutions that offer an online master's degree in history encourage students to specialize their study in one of several available concentrations. The full range of specialized areas is nearly as vast as history itself, but here's a list of a few options that are especially common:

World history
American history
European history
Public history
Military history
Ancient history

Graduate history programs typically contain some core history courses as well as classes covering the specifics of a student's chosen specialty. The exact course titles may vary from one school to another, but the following concepts can be found in just about any curriculum for an online master's degree in history:

Historical methods
Comparative history
Historical theory
Research methods
Graduate research seminar
Historiography

Students with a bachelor's degree in a subject other than history can still enroll in a graduate-level history program. It's uncommon that programs require extensive undergraduate training in history to qualify. Generally most bachelor's degrees will suffice. However, students may need to meet certain course prerequisites and general graduate admissions requirements to be accepted into a program. Prospective students should check a school’s requirements before applying.

TOP CAREERS IN HISTORY

An online master's degree in history can be especially helpful for several careers. Here is an introduction to some of the history careers on today's employment market:

1. High school teacher

High school teachers of history classes can benefit greatly from a graduate degree in history, even though it isn't always listed as a requirement for employment. Candidates who have advanced study in their classroom subject may be preferred for desirable teaching positions, and the additional context that graduate study provides can be a great help in answering your students' unexpected questions. A few courses in secondary education pedagogy can be a big help as well.

Average Salary

$65,930

Projected Job Openings

80,300

Job Growth Potential

3.6%

2. Historian

Historians focus on the collection, analysis, classification and interpretation of historical information. They often work in academic settings, but some businesses, nonprofits, historical associations, government agencies and other organizations employ historians to help provide historical context for current issues they're facing. Working as a historian typically involves quite a bit of writing, whether it is news articles, data-driven reports or entire books on their subject of study, and some historians may be called upon to perform lectures, television appearances or other public speaking engagements.

Average Salary

$68,690

Projected Job Openings

400

Job Growth Potential

6.3%

3. Curator

Curators typically work for museums, historic sites and other institutions that handle objects or information of a historical nature. They typically hold a master's degree in a division of history that is relevant to the material in which an organization specializes — curators at art museums may need a degree in art history, for example — although positions at some smaller museums may only require a bachelor's degree. Taking business administration, marketing or public relations courses alongside your regular history curriculum can prepare you for the administrative side of curatorial work.

Average Salary

$59,130

Projected Job Openings

1,700

Job Growth Potential

9.5%

ADDITIONAL HISTORY JOBS AND SALARIES

JOB TITLE	AVERAGE SALARY	PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS	JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL
Personal Service Managers, All Other; Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling; and Managers, All Other	$118,710	91,300	6.3%
History Teachers, Postsecondary	$84,210	2,400	6.3%
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$63,550	48,300	3.5%
Archivists	$57,500	1,000	9.4%
Museum Technicians and Conservators	$48,030	1,800	8.7%

Personal Service Managers, All Other; Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling; and Managers, All Other

AVERAGE SALARY$118,710

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS91,300

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL6.3%

History Teachers, Postsecondary

AVERAGE SALARY$84,210

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS2,400

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL6.3%

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

AVERAGE SALARY$63,550

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS48,300

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL3.5%

Archivists

AVERAGE SALARY$57,500

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS1,000

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL9.4%

Museum Technicians and Conservators

AVERAGE SALARY$48,030

PROJECTED JOB OPENINGS1,800

JOB GROWTH POTENTIAL8.7%

HISTORY SALARIES BY STATE

Average Salary for History

Average Annual Job Openings

Hourly Mean Wage

TOP

ONLINE MASTER'S DEGREE INHISTORY

GETTING A MASTER’S IN HISTORY

TOP ONLINE SCHOOLS: MASTER'S IN HISTORY

MASTER'S IN HISTORY PROGRAM DETAILS

TOP CAREERS IN HISTORY

ADDITIONAL HISTORY JOBS AND SALARIES

HISTORY SALARIES BY STATE