The History at Northeastern University is a Master program designed for students who want to build the knowledge and skills required for careers in this field. Delivered on campus at the Boston campus in United States of America, the program is taught in English and takes 2 years to complete. Students study in a Full Time environment while preparing for future professional opportunities. The next intake starts on January 1, 2027.

About Master of History

Emphasizing global and applied approaches to historical study, this program provides students with rigorous training in the theory and practice of history and digital humanities through coursework. By the time they graduate, all students will have the tools to analyze the past and its present legacies. Our Boston location allows us to develop a rich set of educational and professional opportunities for students. We also feature a dynamic faculty and a commitment to socially engaged scholarship and practice.

The program offers two concentrations: World History and Public History. MA students concentrating in world history learn to think comparatively and transnationally. Students focus on historical themes that span the globe, exploring histories of trade, migration, the environment, state formation, colonialism, and other themes that intersect and connect disparate parts of the globe. MA students concentrating in public history prepare to apply their intellectual training to apply history outside of the classroom, considering issues, methods, and questions faced in historical societies, museums, archives, documentary film production, and other cultural and historical organizations.

All students have opportunities to participate in co-ops or fieldwork in New England's wealth of historical, cultural, and nonprofit organizations.

Learn more about the Master of Arts in History from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.

More Details

Unique Features

Master’s students may choose to complete their studies with a master’s thesis or a comprehensive exam
Students may apply to the master's concentration in public history, one of the oldest programs of its kind in North America
Candidates for the MA in World History degree must demonstrate reading competence in one foreign language

Career Outlook

Graduates of Northeastern’s master's programs in both world history and public history have gone on to work in a range of academic programs and fields around the country. Graduates who have earned a master's degree in public history are employed as editors at Harvard University Press, Bedford/St Martin’s Publishing and Houghton-Mifflin; as museum curators at the JFK Library, the Indiana Historical Society, and the Texas State Library; and as researchers at the New England Historic and Genealogical Society and the Adams National Historic Site. The diversity of these positions, as well as their prestige, speaks to the quality of graduate education at Northeastern University.

The Master of Arts in History is a leading master’s program focusing on world history, public history, and the digital humanities. Our 16 full-time faculty members introduce students to a range of historical questions and methodologies through coursework, fieldwork, and research projects. Students learn to put the past in context and to discern its relevance to current conditions and future possibilities at the local, national, and global levels. Graduates have continued on to employment in an array of fields, as well as to PhD programs in history and related disciplines.

Master’s students may choose to complete their studies with a master’s thesis or a comprehensive exam
Students may apply to the master's concentration in public history, one of the oldest programs of its kind in North America
Candidates for the MA in World History degree must demonstrate reading competence in one foreign language

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Master of History at Northeastern University

Entry Requirements

Admissions Dates

Fall Term

Spring Term


Final deadline for international applicants:	June 15
Final deadline for domestic applicants (non-international):	August 15
Deadline for special student applicants (non-international only):	August 25


Final deadline for international applicants:	October 1
Final deadline for domestic applicants (non-international):	December 15
Final deadline for Special Student applicants (non-international only):	December 15

English Requirements

PTEMin 76
IELTSMin 8
TOEFLMin 108

English Program Requirements

Northeastern students will be exposed to not only a rigorous academic environment but also a fast-paced experiential one. In order to be successful in both, all first-year and transfer applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate proficiency in English to be considered for admission to Northeastern.

Once your application is submitted, received, and processed, you will be able to access your Application Status Check. If you are required to provide further information regarding your proficiency in English, you will be able to complete the requirement in several ways, depending on your familiarity with English, and the frequency with which you use English each and every day:

Non-native English-speaking applicants will be required to submit official and valid results from one of the following English Language Tests:
- C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (Cambridge English)
- Duolingo English Test (DET)
- IELTS Academic
- PTE Academic
- TOEFL Internt-based Test (CEEB Code: 3667) Northeastern will accept either the in-person version completed in a test center, or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition
However, based on your academic environment and the primary instructional language in either your high school or university, you may be eligible for a waiver. All waivers must be submitted through your Application Status Check. For additional information and to determine whether or not you are eligible for a waiver, please read the section below on waiving the English proficiency requirement.

Please note: Northeastern’s Admissions Committee reserves the right to request proof of English language proficiency from any applicant, regardless of citizenship or first language, at any time during the evaluation process.

Career Opportunities after Completing Master of History

Graduates of Northeastern’s master's programs in both world history and public history have gone on to work in a range of academic programs and fields around the country. Graduates who have earned a master's degree in public history are employed as editors at Harvard University Press, Bedford/St Martin’s Publishing and Houghton-Mifflin; as museum curators at the JFK Library, the Indiana Historical Society, and the Texas State Library; and as researchers at the New England Historic and Genealogical Society and the Adams National Historic Site. The diversity of these positions, as well as their prestige, speaks to the quality of graduate education at Northeastern University.

Tuition and Fee Information for Master of History at Northeastern University

Application Fee 75

How to Apply for Master of History at Northeastern University

1.Create your application
Submit your application through The Common Application or the Coalition Application (both are accepted). Once you have created your application, please select Northeastern University to directly submit your application to us. Application fee of $75 or need-based fee waiver* *Northeastern accepts need-based fee waivers from the Common Application, the Coalition Application, as well as organizations such as the College Board and ACT, or in a written request from a school official.
2.Submit all required materials
Double check to make sure that you have submitted all required materials. Even if your application has been submitted, we cannot begin reviewing your file until all of your required materials have been received. For applicants applying for the 2022-2023 academic year, Northeastern University is test-optional and does not require standardized testing to complete an application for admission.
3.Check your application status
Within seven days of applying, you should receive a confirmation email containing your Northeastern University ID number and instructions for setting up your Application Status Check account. To ensure all of the necessary documents have been submitted, and for updates or information about your application, visit your application status check.