GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN HISTORY
Students and faculty in the Villanova University Graduate Program in History create an engaged community of scholarship and research in the Augustinian spirit of Unitas.
Villanova is one of the few academic institutions in the country that offers only a master’s degree in History, rather than both the MA and PhD, meaning you will get the full attention of our faculty. The program is designed to serve your diverse academic interests and goals and prepares students for both PhD study and employment in a number of fields. With our location near history-rich Philadelphia, we are able to provide students with a number of opportunities for research, internships and employment.
WHY VILLANOVA GRADUATE HISTORY?
Students work side-by-side with exceptional faculty mentors who are invested in their students’ academic and professional success. The History Department creates an environment in which scholars work together to uncover truths from the past to encourage conversations about today’s issues. Villanova History faculty are top scholars who regularly publish influential works in their fields. Learn more about research and scholarship.
Villanova’s flexible graduate programs may be adapted to individual needs and goals. Students may begin taking courses in the fall, spring or summer sessions, and may take courses on a part-time or full-time basis. All courses are offered in the evening. With a broad range of master's degree concentrations and graduate certificates, our program is designed to serve the diverse academic interests, needs and goals of our students. The Villanova faculty endeavors both to encourage our students’ love of history and to help them strengthen their analytical and interpretive skills to meet a broad range of career or personal goals.
Located in the Philadelphia region steeped in history and with easy access to premier research facilities along the Northeast corridor, the department offers students unparalleled opportunity to grow as scholars, expand their teaching repertoires or make a career change.
The Villanova Graduate Program in History offers unique concentrations, certificates, combined programs and opportunities to with with influential centers in order to help you tailor your graduate experience to your career goals. A Graduate Certificate in Teaching Advanced History and Government, a Public History Concentration, a Combined MA in History and Certificate in Nonprofit Management, and opportunities to work with The Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest and on initiatives such as Last Seen and The Rooted Project are only a few examples
In recent years, our graduates have gone on to pursuing PhDs in History with full fellowships at top schools such as:
- Northwestern University
- Arizona State University
- University of Rochester
- Rutgers University
- Georgetown University
- Penn State University
- University of Delaware
- University of Oregon
- University of Tennessee
- College of William and Mary
- Notre Dame University
- University of California San Diego
- City University of New York
Our recent graduates have worked in the federal government, higher education, public history and private business.
History MAs are:
- Teaching history and social studies at high schools across Pennsylvania and the region.
- Holding positions in higher education administration such as the Manager of Advancement Services and Records at the University of Dallas and Director of Graduate Education at Villanova University.
- Working in museums of history, culture and art across the country.
- Holding tenured or tenure track positions at Virginia Tech, Syracuse University, University of Scranton and York College.
LEPAGE CENTER
Graduate students have the opportunity to work with the Albert Lepage Center for History in the Public Interest. This endowed center in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is founded on the belief that historical scholarship and historical perspective, when brought to bear on contemporary global issues, can help us make better decisions and create a better society.
DEADLINES
Fall Assistantship: February 16
Fall: Rolling until August 1
Spring: Rolling until December 1
Summer: Rolling until May 1
If you have missed a deadline, please contact Dr. Craig Bailey to discuss your options.
STUDENT NEWS
History Graduate Students Curate New Exhibit for Villanova Art Gallery
Graduate history students celebrated the culmination of their semester-long public history practicum project with the opening reception of a new exhibit, Dox Thrash: Painted, Not Printed, in the Villanova University Art Gallery. Under the direction of Associate Professor Whitney Martinko, PhD, these students curated the exhibit, which presents a new view of Dox Thrash, a Black artist working in Philadelphia in the mid-20th century. READ MORE
