American University Department of History
THE BASICS
What the BA/MA is.
The BA/MA in history allows you to complete up to 9 credits (3 courses) of graduate-level course work that will be applied to both your history major and your MA in history. If you take the entire 9 allowed shared credits while an undergraduate student, you will formally enter the
MA program the semester after you graduate with your BA and automatically be one semester’s worth of credits ahead in the program. This will save you time and money. Along with being one semester ahead in your coursework, you will also be able to start the MA program without taking the GRE or paying the application fee.
What the BA/MA is not.
The BA/MA is not a way to complete a large amount of MA coursework while still completing undergraduate requirements. After completing the allowed 9 shared credits, you may not take any other graduate level courses until you formally graduate with your bachelor’s degree. You also may not take 700-level courses until after you formally graduate with your bachelor’s degree (i.e. Historian’s Craft, colloquia). You must complete all undergraduate degree requirements and formally graduate before you will be admitted into the MA program and allowed to take further graduate level courses.
What if I want to do the public history MA program?
You can absolutely do that. Since the public history program has a higher credit requirement, you may take up to 12 shared credits (4 courses) instead of the usual 9. All other rules concerning courses and credits still apply.
COURSES
Which courses can you take as part of the BA/MA while still an undergraduate?
You can take any 400/600 class at the 600 level. HIST-500 may also be approved to count towards both degrees.
Which courses can’t
you take as part of the BA/MA while still an undergraduate?
You may not take any 700-level course (i.e. Historian’s Craft, colloquia, Research Seminar) while still earning your BA. Courses that will not count towards both remaining major requirements and the MA, or are in excess of the 9 allowed shared credits, will not be allowed

under any circumstances. You also may not take an internship at the graduate level while still an undergraduate, or take any course you have already taken at the 300 or 400 level again at the 600 level unless it is a topics course that is repeatable for credit.
Why can’t I take a 700-level course while still an undergraduate student?
The department believes that you will be most successful if you wait until you are a graduate student to take these crucial foundation courses. This will also ensure that your transition into graduate study while still an undergraduate is as smooth as possible.
Why can’t I take a graduate level internship while still an undergraduate student?
Internships are an important part of the public history MA requirements. You will have to take certain 700-level courses to prepare for these internships, so they cannot be taken until the end of your MA. Internships at the graduate level will not count towards your history major requirements either. If you really want to take an internship course while still enrolled in the BA, you can take an undergraduate level internship that will count towards the major or as a general elective, but not towards the MA.
Why can’t I take more than 9 credits (12 credits for the public history MA) towards the
MA while still an undergraduate?
University regulations state that you may take 9 shared credits as part of the BA/MA for a 30 credit MA (general history), and 12 shared credits as part of the BA/MA for a 36 credit MA
(public history). No exceptions will ever be made regarding the number of shared credits.
Why does the graduate level course have to count towards one of my remaining major requirements?
Federal government regulations regarding financial aid for undergraduates taking graduate courses require that, if an undergraduate takes a graduate course, it is also counting towards their bachelor’s requirements.
No exceptions will ever be made regarding courses that only count towards the MA and do not count towards the bachelor’s degree while you are still officially an undergraduate student.
Can I officially start MA coursework in excess of the 9 shared credits once I finish my history major requirements?
No. If you have two majors or a major and a minor, you cannot begin the history MA while still completing remaining requirements towards the BA, even if you have finished all history major requirements.
You will not be allowed to take MA coursework beyond the 9 shared credits (12 shared credits for public history) until you have formally graduated with your BA. There are no exceptions to this rule.

The 600-level course I want to take will count both towards my remaining history major requirements and the MA. Can I definitely take this course?
It’s quite likely that you can, but this is at the discretion of the course’s instructor, the director of graduate studies, director of undergraduate studies, public history director (when applicable), the director of graduate academic programs, and the associate dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences. If any of these people do not approve the course, you cannot take it. You also cannot take a course at the 600 level that you already took at the 300 or 400 level unless it is a topics course that is repeatable for credit.
Can I take the department’s summer courses in Japan and Russia at the 600 level for shared credit?
Yes, as long as everyone approves and you have not already taken the course at the 400 level.
APPLYING
When should I apply?
You should apply during your junior year, or after you have completed 75 earned credits but before the semester in which you will reach 90 earned credits.
How do I apply?
As soon as you decide you are interested in the program, you should speak with the administrative assistant in the history department office. Together you will come up with a formal plan of study, which is required for BA/MA admission. After the plan of study is created, you will meet with the director of graduate studies, Dr. Eric Lohr, to go over your plan of study and ensure you understand the program’s requirements and regulations. If you will be pursuing a public history MA, you should also meet with the director of public history, Dr. Kathleen Franz, to discuss your plan of study and career goals. When you have met with all necessary staff and faculty advisors, you should apply to the MA program through the College of Arts and Sciences graduate application; make sure to check the BA/MA box on the application.
Any questions that are not answered here? Email the administrative assistant, Sarah Adler, at sadler@american.edu, or the director of graduate studies, Dr. Eric Lohr, at elohr@american.edu.