Graduate Student Resources
Graduate Student Resources
Resources for History Graduate Students
Learn more about professionalization and publication opportunities, professional organizations and policies, internships, and more ways History faculty support their graduate students.
Why Pursue an MA in History at UCCS?
UCCS's history MA is unique and includes many resources for supporting our students:
- Our students are exposed to a breadth of regions, time periods, and historical approaches by taking three distinct sequences, focusing on the history of various regions with different professors
- Within this structure students also have opportunities to tailor their program to highlight specific central thematic or theoretical interests
- The History MA trains graduate students in the process of writing primary-source-based research papers, which make well-evidenced arguments, grounded in historiography and theory
- The History MA program offers a high-quality educational experience since only graduate students may enroll in MA History seminars, all of which are taught by tenured or tenure-track faculty with appointments to the University of Colorado Graduate Faculty
- Our MAs apply their skills in many ways: presenting their work at professional conferences; teaching at universities, community colleges, and K-12 schools; and engaging in professional work (internships) at museums, archives, and other organizations regionally and nationally
- Many graduates of our Master's degree pursue doctoral studies. Our graduates are competitive and have secured admission domestically at the University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Utah, Temple University, University of Arizona, University of Minnesota, University of Cincinatti, Princeton University, University of Texas, as well as internationally at Oxford University (UK), Newcastle University (UK), University of Wuerzburg (Germany), and University of Toronto (Canada), among others
Upcoming Graduate Courses and Faculty 2023-2027
To help you plan your graduate career, please find here a list of the faculty teaching required courses each semester for the next five years.
Day of History
Each year, the Department of History hosts a Day of History Graduate Student Conference. Attended by faculty, students, and community members, this professionalization opportunity also gives students the chance to share their work and learn about their cohort's projects.
See programs for some of our past events:
Springs Graduate History Journal
Each semester, the UCCS Department of History publishes a journal of original research conducted by History MA students. Graduate students have the opportunity both to submit their own work to be considered for publication and to gain editorial and professional experience by serving as editors-at-large, digital editors, or peer reviewers. In addition to original historical research papers, students can also contribute scholarly book reviews or reflections on historical lenses or methodologies.
For more information on how to participate or contribute, please contact the Managing Editor.
History Department Blog
Students in the department are encouraged to contribute to the collective UCCS History Department Blog. All topics related to the study and scholarship of history are welcome. This gives students a space in which to launch their scholarly voice and become better known in the field.
Historical Organizations and Conferences
There are many national and regional conferences of relevance to historians that meet annually in different parts of the country. Students are encouraged to submit paper or poster proposals to these, or to attend when possible to learn more about their fields of interest and to meet other scholars.
Research Brown Bags
Once a semester, the department sponsors a brown-bag event in which a faculty member or student presents ongoing research that they hope to publish and receives audience feedback. Upcoming brown bags are announced in the UCCS History Blog.
Local Internships
Through internships at local museums and other institutions, history students learn how to create and preserve historical documents, conduct archival research, curate museum collections, fundraise, and participate in public outreach projects, gaining real-world experience and creating opportunities for future employment. Many of these institutions are now headed by our departmental graduates--one of the many ways UCCS History gives back to our community.
Local and National Libraries, Archives, and Institutes
As historians, we conduct much of our research in libraries, archives, and institutes dedicated to the preservation of historical documents and artifacts. Here are links to some of these resources to help you in your research projects.
Professional Association Policies and Standards
Graduate students are encouraged to join professional associations in the field and to present their research at related conferences. Professional organizations and associations have official statements of ethics that students should be familiar with. Here are two examples:
American Historical Association (AHA)
American Association for State and Local History (AASLH)
Graduate Student FAQs
Click below to learn more about the MA program in History at UCCS, including scheduling classes, funding and assistantship positions, other opportunities for grad students, and where our graduates go next.
Writing Center Consultants
UCCS Writing Center Consultants are experienced, knowledgeable, and accomplished writers who are committed to helping students
succeed. A student must complete the following items prior to being hired:
- Take English 4800/5800, which includes writing center theory and practices
- Spend a required amount of observation hours
- Be observed in consultation with students
UCCS history graduate student statements:
"Working at the Writing Center gives consultants a chance to not only help other students from across the disciplines with what they are working on at that moment, but also to work with them individually to become better all around writers and students. As a Writing Center Consultant you see students from every discipline on campus and as many styles of writing. We rarely edit. Instead we work with ideas and how to make them clear. Being able to help a frustrated student not only find their voice but also succeed in writing, whatever that may be, is really quite amazing."
Amanda King-Ndaya, 2011 Writing Consultant and current high school history teacher
"Being a Writing Center Consultant has numerous challenges, especially explaining to students that consultants are only a resource. We cannot magically fix student's writing, research, and thinking. Yet there are also immense rewards. As a consultant, you get to see the progress of a student's writing from an early stage to the final product with the student realising that s/he made it there fundamentally on her/his own. I always tell students my goal is to make myself useless to them. I want to help them to that point where they just take off on their own and can answer their own questions and make their own choices."
John Marsland, 2009-2012 Writing Center Consultant, 2012 Outstanding Undergraduate History student, current PhD student in the Department of History (Modern Europe) at SUNY-University at Buffalo
"For two years, I worked as a consultant in the Writing Center at UCCS, and I can say with great conviction that it was one of the best experiences that I encountered during my time at the school. Working in the Writing Center opened me up to several opportunities which I would not have had the occasion to experience otherwise. As a consultant, I was able to work closely with students from the History Department, and indeed from disciplines throughout the school. This access allowed me to become familiar with many different assignments, and many different styles of writing. Additionally, I was fortunate in that I was selected to work as a 'Writing Fellow' in several History courses. This further allowed me to work with students on their writing skills, as well as allowed me to work closely with professors on their assigned writing projects."
Beau Driver, 2010-2012 Writing Center Consultant, received PhD in History from CU-Boulder (Labor and Intellectual History)
For more information, please contact the UCCS Excel Multiliteracy Center.
Guest Lecturing Opportunities
The History Department is exploring new ways to offer professional development opportunities to our current graduate students as well as new ways to educate our undergraduates about historical research and evidence-based arguments. Each year we circulate a call for proposals for research-focused guest lectures. At that time, please provide the information requested below if you are interested in offering a guest lecture in one of our undergraduate courses during the upcoming academic year. Once compiled, the History Department Graduate Committee will circulate the volunteering student lecturers and their proposed topic areas among the department faculty. Any faculty interested in hosting one of the lectures in their classes will then contact the individual graduate students to discuss the possibility in more detail and to make specific scheduling arrangements. Guest lectures will be in the range of 25 to 45 minutes, at the discretion of the faculty and graduate lecturer. Lecturers will be selected solely based on the interest of the faculty to integrate the proposed lecture into their course. Participation in these guest lectures is purely voluntary. No financial compensation will be given. No academic credit is associated with this lecture. The lectures simply provide an opportunity for our graduate students to speak about an area of historical research where they have developed an interest and expertise based on their research and reading seminars. Of course, we fully expect that our undergraduate students, course content, and faculty will also benefit from these guest lectures.
Call for Volunteer Guest Lectures by History Graduate Students requirements:
- Please submit your name, semester in the grad program, email address, and other contact information.
- In a paragraph, please describe your area of research, including a specific description of the country/ region, time period, primary sources used in your research, and the overall theme/topics/historical arguments you would feel comfortable lecturing about.
- You should write SEPARATE paragraphs for each general AREA of expertise/research about which you would be willing to lecture.
All abstracts should be sent to the Department Program Assistant.
For further information, please contact the History Director of Graduate Studies.
Teaching Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis to currently enrolled UCCS graduate students in the Department of History. Typically, there are limited numbers of assistantships available. There will be an announcement circulated at the beginning of each academic year for interested students.
TA Application
Date:_______________
Name:__________________________________________
Number of History graduate courses completed to date: ___________
GPA (graduate courses only) to date: __________
Circle your subject matter preference: Preference for: US Western Civ Asian Latin American Middle East
Times you are available: Mornings Afternoons Evenings
Class days available: ________M, W ________T,R
Or single days: M T W R F (circle one or more days)
Optional question:
How might the experience of being a teaching assistant contribute to your professional growth?
For further information, please contact the departmental program assistant.
Career Information
Historians research, analyze, record, and interpret the facts and timelines of the past. Many historians specialize in a particular branch of history. This could include a particular country, state, or region of the world; a certain time period; or a particular person or group of persons. Historians may also specialize in less tangible subjects such as intellectual, cultural, political, or diplomatic history. History places emphases on relationships among events, developments, ideas, and culture from all times and places. While historians work to reveal valid analogies and comparisons, they also recognize uniqueness and avoid oversimplifications. With its deep attention to research and critical thinking skills and attention to broader processes, history provides an ideal focus for a liberal arts education and a basis for lifelong learning.
Career possibilities include the following:
- *Historian
- *Researcher
- Arts Foundation Manager
- *Archivist/Curator
- Foreign Service Officer
- *Lawyer
- *Executive Coach
- Park Preservationist
- Politician
- *Librarian
- *History Professor
- *Legislative Analyst
- Novelist/*Editor
*May require additional education or certification
Book a Career Coach Appointment: Meet one on one with UCCS Career and Innovation Center career coaches. We support students virtually or in-person on resumes, cover letters, internships and jobs, interviews, and graduate school applications. https://student.support.uccs.edu/
What Can I Do this with this Major? https://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/history/: Explore What Can I Do With This Major to discover the multitude of pathways your major(s)/minor(s) can take you, including a variety of areas, employers, concentrations, and specializations you can pursue within each major.
International Jobs and Internships: https://career.uccs.edu/channels/international-job-internship-search/
Colorado Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_co.htm
- 2023 Annual mean salary for Historians is $86,020 employment is expected to grow 4% from 2021 to 2031.
- 2023 Annual mean salary for Curators is $61,000; employment is expected to grow 12% from 2021 to 2031.
- 2023 Annual mean salary for Archivists is $49,450; employment is expected to grow 12% from 2021 to 2031.
- 2023 Annual mean salary for Lawyers is $141,760; employment is expected to grow 10% by from 2021 to 2031.
Resume and Cover Letter Guide: https://career.uccs.edu/channels/create-a-resume-or-cover-letter/When it comes time to apply for a job or internship, many of us feel stuck figuring out how to explain our background and experiences in a way that will be compelling to employers. While this process can be tedious, we’re here to help! Check out the resources below and schedule an appointment with us if you need guidance. It is very beneficial to have your documents reviewed and get feedback before submitting them.
Interview Preparation: https://career.uccs.edu/channels/prepare-for-an-interview/ Interviewing for an internship and job can be overwhelming, but we are here to support you! Check out these top interviewing tips and resource for more!
Handshake - As a UCCS student, you have access to Handshake: the #1 way college students find jobs. Join today to explore career options, find jobs and internships for students, and connect with employers during on campus career fairs and info sessions.
SEAN Student Employment Assistance Network - https://seans.uccs.edu/ On-campus jobs can be a great way to get professional experience in a flexible setting. These positions often allow you to support a specific department on-campus. Whether it’s research, lab work, administration, or campus outreach, these are excellent ways to dip your toes into getting professional experience at UCCS.
Clyde’s Closet – Free Professional Clothing: https://career.uccs.edu/channels/clydes-closet/ Clyde’s Closet is a free, gently used professional clothing closet for UCCS students and alumni to utilize for interviews, career fairs, special events, and everything in between. Students can select up to 7 items per semester (free of charge and no requirement to return the clothing). Clyde’s Closet carries hundreds of clothing items great for any career development event.
For more information:
