Graduate study

Director of Graduate Education

Kathleen Hilliard Associate Professor [HIST]

ISU’s History Department takes a dynamic and flexible approach to new opportunities and challenges in the way 21st-century scholars study the past. Grounded in the land grant mission, we prepare our students with unique rigor and flexibility to become multi-skilled, outward looking professionals, ready to take up careers in academia, government, the public sphere, and private enterprise.

We build and nurture students from diverse backgrounds in a wide range of fields and methods, preparing them to recognize emerging questions and take up rewarding professional careers.

The Department of History is not accepting applications at this time. Please contact Director of Graduate Education Kathy Hilliard [khilliar@iastate.edu] with questions.

Master of Arts in History
Our Master of Arts program provides beginning graduate scholars the chance to pursue their own areas of interest, studying and researching the past under the personal direction of leading historians. Students participate in challenging seminars, complete a thesis or project grounded in original research, and have the opportunity to interact with other historians through talks, colloquia, conferences, and internships. Graduates often proceed to study at the doctoral level at leading universities or pursue rewarding careers in a range of history-related fields.
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Ph.D. Program in Rural, Agricultural, Technological, and Environmental History - Overview
Students in the RATE program address important and enduring questions about rural and agricultural communities throughout world history, technologies developed and employed by these communities, and environmental contexts in which they operate. RATE's unique focus brings diverse student and faculty interests into dynamic conversation about the past, preparing scholars to share and develop their expertise in a wide range of professional settings.
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Graduate Learning Goals for History

These goals apply equally to students seeking an MA or PhD degree, although expectations for appropriate mastery in various areas will be higher for PhD-seeking students.

1. Demonstrate appropriate command of scholarly literature in particular areas of historical study as well as an understanding of basic methodologies of historical study in general.

2. Develop research projects that expand historical knowledge and understanding in particular areas.

3. Conduct research and interpret results appropriately, integrating them into existing disciplinary knowledge.

4. Communicate research findings effectively in both oral and written form, and through the use of other media when appropriate, to a variety of audiences.

5. Exhibit professionalism and correct ethical practices in scholarship and other professional conduct.

6. Cultivate an awareness of the full range of career options available to historians and the applicability of historical knowledge in diverse contexts.