We sometimes suggest that applicants who have been out of college for awhile take an upper level history course that will provide them with an opportunity to write a substantial paper, if they can find an appropriate class at a nearby college. The Department's admissions committee, which consists of the Director of Graduate Studies and two other faculty members, meets as soon as the second semester begins and works rapidly to identify the most promising candidates for our programs. The very best students have their files forwarded to the Graduate College to be considered for the prestigious Iowa Fellows graduate awards. Iowa Fellowships are highly competitive awards, and the History Department usually does well in receiving Fellowships for one or more of our applicants. We also forward the files of our best minority applicants to the Graduate College to be considered for the fellowship support available for recruiting and retaining qualified minority candidates.
Applicants frequently ask what our criteria are for admission to graduate work.
The minimum GPA required is the same as the minimums enforced by the Graduate College, which currently stand at 2.5 for applicants for the M.A. and 3.0 for applicants for the Ph.D. degree. We do take GRE scores and GPAs into consideration, of course, but we do so in light of our evaluation of all the application materials. The Department's admissions committee reads the student's writing sample very carefully, and an excellent research paper can offset less than stellar GRE scores. Lastly, we look closely at the applicant's letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, application form, general course of study pursued, and the quality of undergraduate or graduate institution from which degrees were earned. All of this information informs our assessment of the applicant's potential to become a professional historian.