Soaring Scholar (Accelerated BA/MA) Program

Information on the History Department's Accelerated BA/MA program.

History majors who are thinking about pursuing a Master’s degree (MA) in History can accelerate their education with this program, which allows them to take three graduate-level courses (9 credit hours) as undergrads. These courses can be counted towards both the BA and the eventual MA, shaving a semester’s worth of time and tuition off the MA program. This program is suitable for students capable of completing graduate level work during their senior year. It offers a fast track to the MA, which can be particularly valuable for students planning a career in the public history sector, as well as for those who seek to strengthen their skills in preparation for applying to PhD programs in History.

To learn more about the program, you can contact either the Undergraduate Director Dr. John McLeod, or the Graduate Director Dr. Jennifer Westerfeld.

Timetable

Application takes place in two steps. Step 1 (application to the Soaring Scholar Program) should be completed in spring semester in the applicant’s junior year. Successful applicants will normally have completed 60-90 undergraduate credit hours and will have fulfilled most of the undergraduate requirements for the major, including Cardinal Core courses. Preference will be given to applicants who have already completed HIST 304 (Historical Methods). Once admitted to the program, in their senior year the student will take three 500- or 600-level History courses that will be counted towards both the BA and MA programs. For each course, the student will be required to submit a form [link to form] signed by the instructor certifying that the coursework done is at the graduate level. Students must complete their remaining undergraduate semesters satisfactorily, retaining at least a 3.35 GPA or above.

Step 2 (application to the MA program itself) should be completed in spring semester of the applicant’s senior year, in line with regular applications to the MA program. Please note that admission to the accelerated program in Step 1 does not automatically guarantee admission to the MA program in Step 2. 

Application and admissions

A complete application for the Soaring Scholars program consists of:

  • online application form
  • one letter of recommendation from a faculty member, emailed to histgrad@louisville.edu
  • personal statement (1000 words max) outlining your interest in the program
  • writing sample (usually a paper from a History class that you think best represents your skills as a historian)
  • unofficial transcript(s) - only necessary if you attended any other universities prior to UofL
  • suggested flight plan (same as the flight plan for the BA, but substituting dual credit courses for the requirement of HIST 504/505 and an elective)

Visit the Soaring Scholar Program page for more information and to submit your application!