Apply for Undergraduate Admission
Whether you are applying as a freshman, are looking to transfer to South Carolina or are planning to come to Columbia from another UofSC campus, you can apply now. Check the requirements based on your current status, and we can walk you through the application process online.
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions manages online applications to the university and provides the most comprehensive information on the application process. The admissions office also provides the latest information on application deadlines and university scholarships for S.C. residents and nonresidents.
Apply to Graduate School
The Graduate School coordinates online applications to our master's and doctoral programs. Supporting materials may be required with your online application, so be sure to review the degree requirements before you apply.
Graduate Applicants Welcome for 2023
The University of South Carolina welcomes graduate and PhD students in History and Public History to begin in the Fall of 2023. In order to offer you a highly individualized graduate experience, we expect to enroll six to ten new students. The deadline to apply for Fall 2023 is December 8, 2022.
Apply to Graduate School
Application fee waivers available
Application fee waivers are available to those applying to our graduate History and Public History programs for Fall 2023 admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Tyler McNamara to check for availability.
PhD and master's funding available
We are proud to provide tuition abatements and stipends to graduate students in history and public history.
GRE no longer required
The Department of History does not require the submission of GRE scores. In our holistic review of applicants, we will rely instead on your personal statement, writing samples, letters of recommendation and transcript(s).
Applying to Graduate School FAQs
The department considers grades, recommendation letters, the statement of purpose, and the writing sample. Candidates are successful with different mixes of relative strength in these components. Unlike admissions in some types of graduate and professional programs, the process is more qualitative than quantitative. The department will carefully consider an applicant with spotty grades or marginal test scores but a clear statement of purpose and strong, well-informed letters of recommendation. Conversely, the department is wary of applicants with an unclear purpose even if their grades and scores are excellent.
The statement is an opportunity for you to explain your plans for graduate study in history and show how thoughtfully you have developed them. This task will involve a reasonably precise (if necessarily tentative) description of exactly what you propose to study. The essay should indicate particular advantages that you will bring to your studies, and the department will be interested in life circumstances and experiences that inform your career goals. On the other hand, your general enthusiasm for the study of history and the importance of your field of specialization will require little elaboration. The statement should also indicate why USC is an appropriate graduate program for your objectives. This explanation should include identification of the faculty members whom you would like the department to consider as advisers for you.
A history thesis or seminar paper would be a helpful writing sample. Alternatively, the department would be interested in a shorter research paper or an essay that analyzes a body of scholarship. The writing sample might even be a paper prepared for a course in a field other than history, such as literature or anthropology. The sample should, however, be scholarly in purpose. There is no length requirement or limit; applicants should choose whatever sample of their work that best shows their aptitude and promise for graduate study in history.
The most useful letters are from faculty members who have had a good opportunity to evaluate you in classes or other settings that involved a significant amount of substantive discussion or have graded your written work.
Many students with undergraduate majors in other fields become historians. Applicants should, however, have sufficient background in history to satisfy the department that their interest has been tested and their aptitude demonstrated. Potential applicants with limited academic work in history might consider taking some courses on a non-degree basis to establish a stronger record. Applicants in the history of science, technology, and the environment who come from undergraduate programs in the sciences and engineering are also encouraged to apply.
No. The department accepts applicants who hold only a bachelor's degree directly into our doctoral program; candidates can choose whether to earn the MA en route or simply the Ph.D. The department also accepts Ph.D. applicants with a master's degree from another institution.