Master of History overview
Master degrees from the likes of Australian National University and others offer the chance to study across a huge range of topics like ancient Athens, the Roman republic, the French revolution, the vikings, world wars and just about everything else. They also offer a research project in a subject area of choice, allowing students to become even better acquainted with their interests. These programs take two years of full time study to complete, or up to four years part time.
Employment options
Prospects mentioned here are ideal for master graduates, as they require exactly the skill set these programs offer. History graduates must be excellent written and verbal communicators, which make them well suited to secondary teaching and passing on their coveted knowledge to an enthusiastic next generation. Museum curators require expansive knowledge of artefacts, monuments, people and places relevant to their subject interests so as to bring the best exhibits to their museum.
Scholarships and funding
There are several sources of funding available to Master of History students, including:
- The ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions scholarships, providing $13,500 to students willing to travel to Europe. They must study the effect emotions had on pivotal events in Europe between 1100 - 1800 CE.
- The Lloyd Robson Memorial Award, which provides $2,900 to history students specialised in Australian history.
- The Ian Robertson Travel Prize, awarding $600 to travelling history students.
- The JH Bishop Postgraduate Scholarship, awarding $5,000 pa to students of Greek, Latin, classics or ancient history.
There are also a wealth of general scholarship opportunities available here, but students are advised to first apply for these due to their specificity. General funding is always in high demand from all disciplines.
Prerequisites and selection process
These programs accept either a bachelor degree in any discipline, a bachelor in cognate discipline or graduate qualification for entry. Each echelon of qualification has the potential to shorten completion times, with bachelors in cognate disciplines or graduate qualifications reducing completion to one and a half years. Competitive programs like those from Australian National University, particularly in their advanced program, demand a minimum credit GPA obtained in prior study (65%). This can be circumvented if entering via the graduate certificate or diploma route.