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The deadline for Fall 2027 admission deadline is December 15th, 2026. Our program only makes admissions during the Fall semester.

Although admission to the Ph.D. program in history at UNT is competitive, the UNT Department of History takes a holistic approach in evaluating applicants for admission: GRE scores are NOT required (although they are highly recommended), we do NOT have a minimum GPA or GRE score requirement, and we do not have a minimum undergraduate credit-hour in history requirement. Applicants must nevertheless demonstrate their academic promise in their application. Letters of intent that contextualize a prospective student's application, for instance, play a significant role in our admissions decisions. The general guidelines below provide a broad picture of some of the common characteristics of successful applicants to our PhD program.

We do not require a MA degree for admission to the PhD program. However, many of our admitted students have already earned one, either in History or in a field of study related to their arena of specific research interest.

The general guidelines below provide a broad picture of some of the common characteristics of successful applicants to our PhD program.

  1. Score at the 60th percentile or higher on the verbal portion and 4.0 or higher on the analytical/writing portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
  2. Have a bachelor's or masters degree and 24 hours of history credits from an accredited university (6 hours of US history, 6 hours of world history, and 12 hours of upper level history); and
  3. Have a cumulative grade-point average (overall OR for the last sixty hours OR in at least 24 undergraduate history credit hours) of 3.5 on a four-point scale.

Applications to UNT can be submitted here.

Departmental documents (letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, ect.) can be submitted through the portal above.

Requirements for Doctoral Applicants:

  • Statement of purpose: The statement of purpose explains why you wish to pursue a PhD in History at UNT. This letter should describe the central insights and intellectual questions that motivate your interests in history; the specific fields of historical study in which you are interested; and the broader goals you hope to achieve through your research and scholarship.
  • Sample of writing: A piece of professional/academic writing from master's degree.
  • At least three (3) letters of recommendation: At least three letters should come from people who are familiar with your post-secondary academic record and are able to speak to your potential for success in the PhD history program. Applicants must include recommenders name and email address when filling out their History application, in order for each recommender to receive the link to upload their recommendation letters. There is no specific recommendation form required.

Please note: If an applicant's application file is incomplete by the department's current application deadline, they may register as a Non-Degree Seeking student and enroll in graduate history courses (with the written permission of the appropriate instructor; note instructors are not required to give permission) while they complete all of the history admission requirements. In such cases, students may transfer up to twelve (12) hours of history graduate course work to count towards the completion of their history degree if they are later admitted unconditionally to the History graduate program. Admission to the History graduate program is not guaranteed by enrolling as a non-degree student. Applicants should visit the Graduate Admissions website before applying. Transfer applications have the same deadline as our admission deadline.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ADMISSIONS

International applicants should consult with International Admissions for more specific information related to application deadlines recommended for I-20 processing, if admitted.

International Transcripts: International Admissions requires international transcripts to be provided in both English and your native language, if applicable. English translations must be from either the academic institution or a certified translator. They accept notarized or copied transcripts from foreign schools only for processing your application. If admitted, original and official documents will be required before you can register for classes.

English Language Proficiency: UNT degree program applicants must demonstrate English Language Proficiency. Minimum TOEFL score requirement is 79; Minimum IELTS score is 6.5; Minimum PTE score is 53. UNT-International provides a complete list of ways to demonstrate English language proficiency.

Admission Questions

Please contact the Graduate Program Specialist, Cairan Bergstrom, via email at historygradprogram@unt.edu or by phone at 940-565-2489.