M.A. History - Apply

Minimum Requirements for Admission

• Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.
• A grade point average of 3.0 or higher in the last 90 units of undergraduate course work.
• Previous coursework in History. (This may be waived at the discretion of the Graduate Coordinator.)
• Applicants whose preparatory education was principally in a language other than English will need to demonstrate English proficiency. This is typically done through the TOEFL exam. Please see Cal Poly Admissions’ page for international students for more information about this requirement.

How to Apply

Follow the directions below to ensure that you submit a complete application.

1. Go to Cal State Apply to complete a Cal Poly SLO Application.

• Enter all information requested, and have official transcripts sent to Cal Poly Admissions from your undergraduate institution(s).
• Note that you can only apply to one graduate program at Cal Poly and that you cannot defer your application from one quarter to another.

2. Applicants to the History M.A. program will be asked to provide the following materials:

• Statement of Purpose
• Unofficial transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• Sample of scholarly writing, approximately 4,000 to 5,000 words in length. Preferably the writing sample will be a research-based paper from a history course; please provide one or two sentences of context about the nature of the assignment and course. Important Note: This must be attached via one of the "Unofficial Transcript" boxes in Cal State Apply's Quadrant 4 (Program Materials).
• For tips on what constitutes a strong writing sample and statement of purpose, see our Program Guide to Graduate Study (PDF). 

3. After completing the Cal State Apply online application, please send a copy of your official transcripts to:
Cal Poly Admissions Office
1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

4. If, after consulting the above websites, you still have questions about how to apply, please contact the Graduate Education Office (grad@calpoly.edu; 805-756-2328). If you have questions about the status of your application, please contact the Cal Poly Admissions Office (admissions@calpoly.edu, 805-756-2311).