All applicants must apply to the department through The Graduate School, submitting GRE general test scores and two letters of recommendation.  Inquiries regarding graduate assistantships should be made directly to the department; however, applications must be submitted to The Graduate School by the appropriate March deadline.  The ideal preparation for a master’s degree in history is an undergraduate major in the discipline, but talented students from other disciplines are encouraged to apply.  Such students may be required to make up deficiencies in historical background before being admitted to degree candidacy, and all applicants for candidacy must demonstrate basic acquaintance with historical methodology and research techniques.  This may be done in one of three ways: successful completion of a course in historical methodology as part of the undergraduate background; successful completion (grade of “B” or better) of HS 261 at John Carroll; testing out through department approval of a research paper based on primary sources.  Students may not register for 500-level courses without satisfying this requirement.  Students majoring in other departments on the graduate level may take those courses in history recommended by their advisors for which they have the requisite background.