Shared-Credit Degree Program in History

THE PROGRAM

The Shared Credit Degree Program in History is designed for outstanding undergraduate history majors to obtain BOTH a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in only five years. 

Traditionally, students are not able to begin the MA program until the BA degree is completed. In a shared credit program, however, students are allowed to apply up to 18 credit hours of shared coursework to their graduate degree while they are completing their undergraduate degree. More specifically, 6-18 of the MA graduate credits (2-6 courses) are taken during the senior year of a student’s BA degree program and are applied to both the BA and MA degree requirements.

This program thus reduces the time needed to complete the two degrees by a full academic year compared to the traditional model, and results in significant savings of time and money.

The program is designed primarily for students expecting to complete an MA degree for anticipated job requirements or to attend graduate school. The graduate training that the student receives is exactly the same of a graduate student who enters our MA program after attaining a BA. The History BA requires a minimum of 120 undergraduate credit hours and the MA requires 30 graduate credit hours.

 

Download the shared-credit flyer 

REQUIREMENTS

All the following requirements are rough guidelines to help students finish the program on time. Just because you have not met every single suggestion does not disqualify you from applying or the program. We expect students to have roughly a 3.5 GPA in History (overall GPA can be lower).

Because this is an accelerated program, it is imperative to plan ahead! If you have any questions about the requirements or possible exceptions, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies (dushistory@unm.edu).

 

by TWO SEMESTERS BEFORE GRADUATION
  • Complete lower-division History BA requirements (4 courses; 12 credit hours)
  • Complete 4 upper-division History courses, including HIST 491 or 492 with grade of “B” or better
  • On track to complete 90 credits by beginning of Senior year
  • Apply by February 15 of the Spring semester (or October 15 if graduating the following Fall term)

 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

  • Prepare a ~2-page letter of intent describing your interest in the program and your qualifications and future plans.
  • Request two letters of recommendation from UNM faculty members (preferably in the History Department), who will submit letters directly for you. You must fill out, sign (either in hard copy or digitally), and present each recommended with the Shared Credit Program Letter of Recommendation Form.
  • An unofficial transcript
  • All application materials must be submitted in hard copy by February 15 of your junior year to our History Graduate Administrator, Dana Ellison (dellison@unm.edu).

FUNDING THE SHARED-CREDIT PROGRAM

Students in this program will be eligible for one year of departmentally controlled graduate funding in their fifth year of the program. Until they receive their BA, students will continue to have undergraduate status and, thus, will continue to be eligible for undergraduate scholarships or Pell Grants.