Application Fee (Required)
$65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
$80 for international students.
English Proficiency Test (Required)
This program uses the Graduate School's English Language Proficiency Score Requirements and Minimum Scores for Regular Admission.
Minimum Scores for Regular Admission
TOEFL iBT: 4.5 (no sub score less than 4) (or 79 for students who took the test prior to January 2026)
IELTS: 6.5 (no sub score less than 6)
Duolingo English Test: 120 (no sub score less than 110)
PTE: 59
More information is available at https://graduate.ua.edu/applicants/international-students/.
Letter of Recommendation (3 Required)
Contact information for three recommenders provided at time of application.
Resume (Required)
Statement of Purpose (Required)
This should be a short essay demonstrating writing skills, and the ability to conceive and express ideas. It should also describe your academic and intellectual development, interest in history, and reasons for pursuing an advanced degree in history (briefly – you should not spend more than a few sentences on autobiography), your background in the field, specific courses or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your interests and qualifications, and an explanation of why you have chosen UA including which professors you hope to work wit.. The Graduate Committee strongly encourages applicants to seek the advice and guidance of their undergraduate mentor or an undergraduate history professor when preparing their Statement of Purpose. Please refer to program website for details.
Transcript (Required)
Please upload an unofficial transcript for any institution of higher education at which you have completed 15 or more credit hours. Please include a grading scheme if your university does not use a letter-based (e.g. A, A-, B) grading scheme.
Writing Sample (Required)
A writing sample is required. It could be a seminar paper or chapter from a thesis. It should be attached to the electronic application. There are no minimum or maximum page requirement for writing samples. However, a strong writing sample will showcase your skills as a potential graduate student in history and should, therefore, reflect your experience working with both primary sources and secondary scholarship. Typical writing samples range between 15 and 30 pages. Writing samples should include all the appropriate scholarly apparatus (full footnotes etc). If you are sending a part of your senior thesis, it is advisable to include a cover sheet that puts your chosen sample in the context of the larger work.