Being part of Salem State’s history programs means having access to a world of knowledge. Salem State’s history department offers classes spanning from the ancient world to the present and focusing on a broad geographic range including the Americas, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, and Africa. Salem State also offers methodology courses in research and public history. Full-time members of the Salem State faculty or public history practitioners teach all graduate history courses. Most courses at the graduate level are conducted with approximately 15 students.
We offer two distinct graduate degree programs—the master of arts in history (MA) and the master of arts in teaching history (MAT)
Our MA students are often high school teachers who are completing an MA in history in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the professional license. Our other MA students are current or future professionals in area museums and historical agencies, those seeking a PhD in history, and others who are taking courses because they love history.
Students take our MAT program to achieve the initial licensure they need to begin a career as a history teacher in a middle or high school. The MAT degree contains both history and education classes, along with a teaching practicum (student teaching).
If you have already completed a practicum (student teaching), the MAT program would not be right for you. Instead, you should look into the MA program.
We also offer a graduate certificate in public history. This program can be completed entirely online. It prepares students aspiring to professional advancement in the field of public history. The program is directed at both students seeking entry-level positions and current professionals who want to learn new skills and refresh their knowledge of new developments within the field. The certificate program has been designed to accommodate students pursuing a stand-alone public history certificate and students who will incorporate the public history certificate as part of an MA degree.
MA students can also pursue an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in holocaust and genocide studies as part of their degree program. This program encompasses multiple learning opportunities including intensive seminars, communitybased work with survivors and refugees in the US and abroad, international study and travel institutes, and research and internship opportunities through affiliation with the Salem State Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies.
MEET YOUR FACULTY MENTORS
The Salem State University history department is an active community of scholars who regularly publish and contribute to their fields. The faculty prepare students for a range of professions, while remaining committed to the core tradition of investigating the changing human condition and sharing this scholarship with the university community as well as the broader public.
Brad Austin: Modern United States, Sports, History Education
Emerson W. Baker II : Museum Studies, New England, Witchcraft
Annette Chapman-Adisho: Modern Europe, French Revolution
Avi Chomsky : Latin America, Caribbean, Cuba, United States Latino
Andrew Darien: Modern United States, Oral History, Policing
Gayle Fischer : Gender and Women, 19th Century United States
Bethany Jay : 19th Century United States, Slavery, History Education
Alexandros Kyrou: Byzantium, Eastern Europe, Russia
Li Li : East Asia and International Relations
Michele Louro: Modern South Asia, British Empire, International and World History
Christopher Mauriello: Modern Europe, Holocaust Studies
Dane Morrison: Early America, Maritime History, Business
Kenneth Okeny : African History
Donna Seger : Medieval, Renaissance, Early Modern Europe
Margo Shea: Public History, Ireland
Jamie J. Wilson: African American, African Diaspora, 20th Century United States
OPPORTUNITY
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Edna McGlynn Scholarship provides partial tuition remission for one semester to one graduate student every year. The award is based on scholarly achievement.
The Gretchen Stone Cook Scholarships assist promising future teachers as they seek an initial license to teach middle or high school American history classes.
Graduate Research Assistantships provide tuition remission for up to 9 credits and a small stipend for 10 hours of work per week during the fall and spring semesters. These are competitive grants.
The Graduate School Professional Travel Grants provide up to $500 reimbursement for masters level students presenting at a conference or traveling to conduct archival research.
Salem State Scholarships are available on a limited basis to graduate students.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Professional Historical Societies : Many graduate students participate and present research as part of regional and national historical societies.
Phi Alpha Theta: All graduate students are encouraged to apply to Phi Alpha Theta, Salem State’s active chapter of the history honor society. Each year Phi Alpha Theta supports a select number of students to present their scholarship at one of the organizations regional or national conferences.
Salem State University’s Research Day : Graduate students and faculty present papers, posters and workshops about their ongoing research.
RESEARCH RESOURCES
Major repositories are located within a half-day’s driving distance of the university. Salem State’s own library offers students access to a rich variety of print and electronic resources. Students love the valuable subscription databases available through the website.
TRAVEL
Salem State history students can take advantage of opportunities to travel with the department to domestic and foreign locations. The department regularly offers summer and spring break trips to different European locations and the American South. These trips can be experienced as part of a travel/study course or as standalone travel experiences. Also, the department currently offers guided excursions to sites in New York City and Washington, D.C. because of the popularity of travel/ study programs, the department will expand its offerings around the United States and in Asia.
FLEXIBILITY
Students can pursue a graduate degree in history in a way that fits their schedule. Graduate history courses are offered in online, hybrid, or in-person formats in the evenings during the academic year and during two six-week summer sessions.
*Waived for admissions purposes through Spring 2026.
COST
Passing scores on the communication and literacy MTEL (reading and writing subtest) and history subject MTEL*
For Massachusetts residents, each credit costs $464.30*, which includes tuition and fees. For non-Massachusetts residents, each credit costs $559.40*. The MA program is 33-39 credits, MAT is 31-37 credits and each certificate is 15 credits.
For assistance funding your graduate education, options such as financial aid, graduate assistantships, employer reimbursement and tuition remission, and veteran’s benefits may be available.
Visit salemstate.edu/graduate to learn more.
*Please note that tuition and fees are subject to change.
INTERNSHIPS/JOBS
Salem State graduate history students can take advantage of the department’s relationships with practitioners in a variety of fields including archives and records management, museums, and education. Recent graduates have been offered jobs in area school districts, museums research institutions, and historical societies. Others have gone on to pursue PhDs.
If you would like more information about any of our graduate programs, please contact the faculty advisor.
