Inside Top Online Master's Programs in History for 2027

Southern New Hampshire University

Potential students who want to enroll in the online history master’s degree program at Southern New Hampshire University are required to have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum grade point average of 2.75. In addition to submitting transcripts from an accredited college or university, applicants should also send a written personal statement with their application.

When students enroll in this program, they take coursework designed to teach them how to use historical sources to understand past events, evaluate sources to determine their credibility, and present historical information based on ethical principles. Specific courses that provide these skills include historiography, comparative history, and historical research methods.

Additionally, SNHU requires that students choose a concentration in American, military, or public history and take a capstone course where they complete a project based on the knowledge they gained in their courses. Students may also choose to participate in an internship that provides field-specific learning opportunities.

Arizona State University

Whether you’re interested in using your historical knowledge to work at a nonprofit organization, federal or state government agency, national park, or historical society, Arizona State University’s Master of Arts in History degree helps students develop the analytical, organizational, research, writing, and speaking skills they need to thrive in their careers. The program’s specific classes cover topics like public history methodologies, North American history, and global history. Students must also complete a capstone course to demonstrate their knowledge of the curriculum and communicate the value of earning a history master’s degree.

To be admitted into ASU’s history master’s degree program, applicants are expected to earn a bachelor’s degree with at least 18 hours of coursework in history or other relevant social science or humanities classes. Prospective students should have at least a 3.30 grade point average and submit writing samples, letters of recommendation, and TOEFL scores if you are an international student.

University of Massachusetts Boston

For those who want to focus their careers on archives or public history, the University of Massachusetts Boston’s online history master’s program may be the right choice for them because the department offers specializations in those areas. In addition to concentration courses, the program requires that students take core classwork in historiography and research methods and electives covering American history, World War I, and socialism. Students are also required to complete a capstone project or a thesis that allows them to explore a topic related to their concentration using the research skills they acquired throughout the program.

People interested in enrolling at this school must submit college transcripts, letters of recommendation, a writing sample, and a statement of purpose. UMass Boston does not require that students complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), but it is highly recommended. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

1. Convenience

Many adult learners are not in a position where they can leave their jobs to earn a master’s degree. Thanks to robust online options and asynchronous programs that allow students to watch lectures at their convenience, you don’t have to choose between earning a living and earning your degree.

2. Increased Career Options

If you want to advance your career, a master’s degree can help you meet your goals. Depending on your interests, you may be able to finish a concentration in your degree program that makes you an expert in a specific area, which can go a long way toward opening up career prospects and increasing your earning potential.

3. Reduced Cost

Everyone is concerned about higher education costs, but you don’t have to let the price of a master’s degree keep you from achieving your goals. Online degree programs are often much more affordable than traditional in-person programs. Besides, you will save on the time and cost of transportation because you won’t be required to regularly go to campus.

4. Build Communication Skills

History at its core is a collection of stories that are communicated through written and verbal communication channels. As a result, history master’s degrees emphasize communication skills, which can help students build their competence in this area and increase their abilities when writing reports and giving presentations in the workplace.

Research Methods

This course teaches students how to use primary and secondary research sources to find the information they need and formulate a solid argument backed up by the sources they choose. Additionally, students learn the methods that historians use to conduct original research.

The Civil Rights Movement

This course takes a comprehensive look at the struggles and triumphs of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Students learn about the events of the movement and the key players involved and strategies for success that were used during that time.

North American History

Students learn about major developments in North American history and the important figures who were involved. The course reviews historical texts and allows students to formulate their own opinions about the events discussed based on their understanding of those sources.

Historiography

This course looks at the background of historical writing and how historians conduct research, create and defend a hypothesis, and interpret different narratives about historical events. Students also learn how historical writing plays a role in people’s interpretation of events.

Introduction to Public History

People in this class learn about the role of public history and the trends in this area. The course may cover major figures in public history, the ethical standards surrounding public history, and the controversies that have emerged from this subsection of the field.

Art History

From the ancient to the contemporary, students who choose the art history concentration get a look at the evolution of art as they learn about major movements and seminal figures that defined art during these periods. Also, artistic techniques throughout the ages may be covered, as well as art theory and criticism.

Archives

People in this concentration learn how to collect and preserve materials that can be grouped into an archive and how to present this material to the public. Students learn archival theories and methodologies, research methods, and practices when transferring paper archives into a digital format.

Military History

This specialization is for those who want to examine military history on a global level and how warfare affects society’s thread politically, socially, culturally, and economically. From military thought to specific wars, students in this concentration become well-versed in how the military touches every part of a country’s history.

Legal and Constitutional History

This concentration establishes the context of how legal and constitutional structures affect society. Students may take coursework about the branches of government and how they balance power, the role of law, civil rights, and how historians research legal and constitutional topics.

American History

From the colonial period to the current day, students who enroll in the American history concentration take classes about how the nation was formed and shaped into what it has become. The coursework may cover the Civil War, America’s participation in world wars, and different eras of history in the country.

Global History

Students in this concentration explore the histories of countries worldwide and how different nations influence each other during specific points in history. The curriculum may cover war, science, specific political figures around the world, and religion.