Graduate Program in History: Admissions Information
This year, the Department of History at Rutgers University welcomes applications in all fields for admission to our PhD program. The application deadline for students to begin the program in Fall 2026 is December 15, 2025.
The History Department ordinarily admits new students to the graduate program only in the Fall Semester of any given academic year with an application deadline of December 15th. Currently we are enrolling classes of ten to fifteen full-time students, of whom many are offered long-term funding packages. (The others typically arrive with external funding). Those interested in applying to the doctoral program, should apply on-line. The complete application consists of the application form, three letters of recommendation, official transcripts of previous academic work, a personal statement of approximately 1,000 words, a resume, and a writing sample (approximately 25 pages). All these items must be submitted electronically through the application. GRE test scores are optional.
Graduate Admissions provides online graduate admissions information, with documents on application materials, application procedures, schools and programs, costs and financial aid, and recruitment activities. The Office of Graduate Admissions grants application fee waivers to the following groups only: active U.S. military and military veterans who plan to apply for educational benefits under the GI Bill, current Rutgers students and alumni, and participants in various scholar programs. All questions for Graduate Admissions can be submitted through this link.
Within the Rutgers-New Brunswick History Website, potential applicants will find complete information about all aspects of our departmental graduate program. The most detailed document is the Doctoral Program Description. Another useful page outlines the major areas of specialization in our doctoral program. These pages likewise provide a convenient guide to the relevant faculty in each area of specialization. Our website includes, in addition, a complete faculty directory, and also a graduate student directory—both of which incorporate up-to-date email addresses, should you want to write a particular professor or student for information. Finally, a good way of sampling the overall flavor of the department is to peruse the Alumni/ae Newsletter, which summarizes the activities and achievements of faculty, students, and alumni/ae and friends.
Those interested in applying, or simply exploring for further information about the history graduate program, are invited to email the
Within the history department, the processing of applications to the graduate program normally begins in December. All applications are carefully examined, and particular attention is paid to the quality of applicants' personal statements, writing sample(s), and letters of recommendation. Evaluation is made by the Vice-Chairperson for Graduate Education, in concert with various faculty area committees. Typically, the department receives hundreds of applications per year to the doctoral program. Since only 10-15 are admitted, the competition is stiff and selection is a difficult, often agonizing process..
Other Resources
- Graduate Student Association
- The Graduate School's list of resources
- Information on the City of New Brunswick
Information about Graduate Study at Rutgers
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is one of America's top-ranked public research universities and an exceptional choice for graduate study. Discover the advantages Rutgers offers, including 100 graduate programs of study, sixteen graduate and graduate-professional schools, a renowned faculty, favorable costs, a diverse environment, and three regional campuses in Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick.
