2023 Most Affordable Online Master's Degrees in History

Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public institution offering an online Master of Arts in History and a Master of Arts in Public History. With either major option, students can enroll in a thesis program for 30 credit hours or a non-thesis track for 36 credit hours. It generally takes full-time students two to three years to complete these graduate-level history programs. FHSU accepts 91% of applicants and 57% graduate with degrees.

FHSU uses the learning management system (LMS) Blackboard to deliver online instruction and coursework and in order to promote student engagement. Online history graduate students enroll in classes such as History of Science, The Classical World, and Renaissance and Reformation. Graduation requires passing a comprehensive exam. Some graduates may go on to earn a PhD, while others may choose to directly apply their education to museums, academia, and public service settings.

Fitchburg State University (Fitchburg State) is a public, four-year institution offering an online Master of Arts in History, with a thesis and non-thesis tracks available. Students who want to write a thesis must complete 30 credit hours, while those in the non-thesis track must complete 36 total. Programs are designed to take full-time students three years to complete. Fitchburg State's acceptance rate is 88%, with a 59% graduation rate.

Fitchburg State provides the Blackboard LMS so online students can engage with their peers and instructors and access coursework. Distance learners in this master's program choose from classes such as Amerindian History, Teaching Historical Literacy, and Beyond Antiques: Artifacts and History. Students must also complete a comprehensive exam to graduate. Alumni may pursue careers as writers, researchers, and teachers in various public and private settings.

Northeastern State University (NSU) is a public Native American, non-tribal institution offering an online Master of Arts in American Studies - American History. The thesis track requires 30 credit hours of coursework and 6 of thesis work. In comparison, the non-thesis track requires completing 36 credit hours of coursework to graduate. A public internship option requires completing 30 credit hours of coursework and 3 in fieldwork. It may take full-time students at least two years to graduate. NSU has a 99% acceptance rate and a 44% graduation rate.

NSU uses Blackboard for online coursework and instruction delivery. Courses for this history program include Rhetoric of U.S. Women's Movements, Contemporary American History, and Native American Law and Justice. Passing a comprehensive exam is also required to graduate. History program alumni work in various environments, from museums and cultural centers to academia and the government.

Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) is a private, nonprofit institution affiliated with the Assembly of God church. SAGU offers an online Master of Arts in History - Education requiring the completion of 33 credit hours, which takes full-time students at least two years. Students who are uninterested in education may opt for an online Master of Arts in History with a thesis or non-thesis track that requires completing 30 or 27 credit hours, respectively. Overall, SAGU accepts 89% of applicants, and among those enrolled, 44% earn degrees.

SAGU delivers its online master's in history via Blackboard. History students can choose from classes such as Historiography, American West, Biblical Backgrounds, and Military History. Additionally, completing a comprehensive exam is required to graduate. Alumni may explore careers in writing and editing, libraries and museums, civil service, or the film industry.

Missouri State University (MSU) is a public university system with several campuses offering an online Master of Arts in History through its Springfield campus. MSU offers thesis and non-thesis options in one of three tracks: (1) United States History, (2) World History, and (3) U.S. and World History. Each pathway requires completing 30 credit hours, which may take full-time students approximately two years. MSU accepts 87% of applicants and 57% graduate with degrees.

MSU uses Blackboard for asynchronous online instruction and course delivery. For example, distance learners in the history program can choose from classes such as The American Revolution, Victorian and Edwardian England, and African American Leaders and Movements. Thesis students may apply to a PhD program, while others may choose careers in journalism, administration, and the government once they graduate.

Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public institution offering a Master of Arts in History to distance learners. This 30-credit program has a thesis option for prospective doctoral students and a non-thesis option for those interested in teaching at the high school level. Either option may take full-time students two years to complete. JSU has a 64% acceptance rate and a 47% graduation rate.

JSU delivers online program content through the Canvas LMS. Online history students may choose classes such as Comparative Frontiers, Contemporary American Women, and History of American Advertising. Graduation requires all students to complete a comprehensive exam. This online degree can help prepare alumni for careers in historic preservation, genealogy, public history, and politics.

American Public University System (APUS) is a private, for-profit university offering an online Master of Arts in History with a capstone option. However, a practicum option is also available. Students complete 36 credit hours to graduate, which may take at least two years if attending full time. Concentrations include American History, Global History, European History, Public History, and Ancient and Classical History. Similarly, APUS offers an online Master of Arts in Military History. APUS has a 100% acceptance rate and an 18% graduation rate.

APUS delivers education via Brightspace to its remote learners. Depending on the concentration, online history students may choose from classes such as History of Colonial America, World War II in Context, and History and Digital Preservation. Graduates can apply the communication, writing, research, and analysis skills they developed during their studies to various careers and disciplines.

Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is a public institution offering an online Master of Arts in History for those interested in becoming teachers. Though primarily online, this 32-credit program does require a one-week, on-campus summer residency. Full-time students can complete this course of study in three years. EIU accepts 56% of applicants, of which 61% graduate.

EIU uses Brightspace so online students can access instruction and coursework while engaging with peers virtually. For example, history master's students may be interested in classes such as Europe in the Nineteenth Century, The World in the Twentieth Century, Europe Since 1945, and Colonial America. Additionally, a capstone and independent study are required to graduate, though a comprehensive exam is not. Graduates may go on to teach at the secondary or community college level.

Pittsburg State University (Pitt State), a public institution, offers an online Master of Arts in History with thesis, applied research, and coursework options. The thesis option requires completing 30 credit hours, and the applied research and coursework options require 33, which generally takes full-time students two years to finish. Pitt State has a 91% acceptance rate and 55% of enrolled students end up graduating.

Pitt State uses Canvas to deliver online program content. Distance learners in this graduate program can enroll in classes such as The French Revolution and Napoleon, Reconstruction and New South, and European Imperialism. Graduates completing a thesis may enroll in doctoral programs, while applied research program graduates may choose careers in education or cultural centers. Finally, coursework program graduates may choose jobs within their chosen specialization.

Florida International University (FIU) is a public, Hispanic-serving institution offering an online Master of Arts in History. Students can choose the report option to attend fully online, which requires completing 30 credit hours of coursework focusing on Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S. The program generally takes full-time students two years to complete. FIU accepts 58% of applicants, of which 65% graduate.

FIU delivers online lessons and lectures to its distance learners via Canvas. Online history students take courses such as Public History Theory and Practice, Advanced Readings in Atlantic Civilization, History of Social Thought, and Topics in African History to fulfill graduation requirements. Program alumni work in diverse settings, such as government and federal agencies, universities and other institutions of higher learning, and private industries.