History

Master of Arts (MA)



Meet Sara Poulin, MA candidate in History

“The supportive administrative staff in our department, the excellent faculty, and the sense of community among our graduate students is what enables me to thrive and be successful in the History program at Western.”

Supervisor: Jonathan Vance

Describe your research.
I am hoping to research Canada’s contribution in liberating the concentration camps established by the Nazis across Europe at the end of the Second World War, specifically in the Netherlands and Germany.

What are you most passionate about?
History, learning, and teaching.

Have you worked as a TA or RA?
My work as a TA has been extremely beneficial to my academic career because as someone who hopes to teach one day, this is a great way to experience a possible career in academics.

Do you serve on any Department, Faculty, or University committees?
As chair of our student association I sit on various committees within our department as a graduate student representative.

What’s the best advice you could give to someone considering applying to your graduate program?
Talk to people and ask questions. Getting to know the people you will interact with is the absolute best way to know what to expect from the program and if the program is a good fit for you.

Program Websites


Program Contact

Kara Brown (kbrow@uwo.ca)
Graduate Program Advisor

Department of History

Western University
Lawson Hall Rm 2201
London, Ontario N6A 5B6

t. 519-661-2111 ext. 84961
f. 519-661-3010

The Master of Arts in History at Western is a one-year, fully-funded program that emphasizes the deep study of history and the development of research, writing, and analytical skills. Our students explore the histories of Canada, the United States, Britain and Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as international, transnational, and global history.

The Master of Arts in Public History program combines traditional historical skills with experiential learning to prepare graduates to work as public historians in museums, archives, government agencies, consulting and heritage management.

Students in both the History and Public History streams have access to both academic and applied course offerings, and are well-prepared to continue their education at the Ph.D. level.

Program Length

  • 3 Terms (1 year)
  • 4 Terms (1.33 years) cognate essay option in Public History
  • 6 Terms (2 years) thesis option

Program Design

Master of Arts in History

  • Full-time study
  • Course-based, thesis-based

Master of Arts in Public History

  • Full-time study
  • Course-based, internship-based

Funding Information

  • Western Funding Package: A Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) or Research Assistant (RA) appointment and a Western Graduate Research Scholarship. Values vary by student and year.

Applicants (domestic and international) are encouraged to apply for the following scholarships:

Admission Requirements

Master of Arts in History

  • 4-year B.A. degree or equivalent from an accredited university, with a major or specialization in History.
  • 78% average or better on last ten courses.

Master of Arts in Public History

  • 4-year B.A. degree or equivalent from an accredited university, with a minor, major or specialization in History.
  • 78% average or better on last ten courses.

Additional Requirements

Master of Arts in Public History

  • Resume of related course, volunteer or paid experience.
  • Reference letter from a Public History employer or supervisor.

English Language Proficiency

Applicants whose first language is not English must furnish evidence of their proficiency in the use of the English language:

Application Deadline

  • February 1
Acceptance notification begins in March.

The Graduate Committee will begin reviewing applications on February 1 and will stop reviewing applications on April 30. Applications received on or before February 1 will receive full consideration for scholarships.