KLZ

If you plan to do an MA thesis on U.S. foreign relations, one of the biggest things you should consider (after your foreign language) is how you are going to do research abroad, even if its just dipping into and out of a foreign archive for a week (and snapping photos like crazy while you are there). If you are interested in the 1960s, you can do a lot of your primary research for the U.S. side online using FRUS, the National Archives AAD, and a lot of databases that your university will likely provide access to. You should plan to visit at least one presidential library and perhaps the library of congress as well. All this is to say, its fine for you to go to a less prestigious university (MA ranking really does not matter); the thing you want to pay attention to is how likely it will be for you to get travel funding from your institution to do your archival research. I did my MA at a public university that wouldn't be considered highly ranked, but they offered me two years of tuition coverage (I worked as a TA), a non-negligible stipend & healthcare, and I received enough travel funding to support a 10-day trip abroad and a conference presentation across the US. I agree with TMP's assessment above. You can absolutely to diplomatic history. SHAFR is very active and exciting, and diplomatic historians are winning plenty of research grants and winning book awards. Some parts of the field are saturated, but many are expanding. If wouldn't go as far to say forget about Europe, but proceed with caution.

If the program is a really good fit for you and it has the resources to help you do what you want to do, then maybe you are worrying a bit too much about placement records. Its not to say they are unimportant, but you chose to apply to this program for a reason. I say take the call and ask the tough questions you want to know about how the program will prepare you for the job market and be open to hearing what your POI has to say---that is, don't take the call as a courtesy, but with as much sincerity and curiosity as possible. Ask about departmental, university, local, and regional resources. Ask about their professional development opportunities, university programs grad students typically get involved with, prestigious fellowship placement rates, etc. Find out more about why they dont have stellar placement rates before making your final final call not to take this opportunity. Next cycle is no guarantee that your prospects will improve: much of the acceptance process depends on fit and luck.

Did you apply for history or public history? I got my MA in history at NC State and cannot say enough good things about the program. Hopefully you are admitted into a PhD program, if that's what you want, but NC State is a great place to spend a couple years. My graduating year we sent 2 people to Yale's PhD program (1 direct from undergrad), and I was waitlisted there myself. What's your focus? PM me if you have any questions.

Nature's Metropolis is one of my favorite books. I'm currently reading In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. Well, I'm actually listening to it. I like to listen to a good audiobook while keeping up with my reading lists.

As little as possible. Don't take on more than you absolutely need.

I don't think you have to worry about prestige all that much to get into a top PhD program following your MA (especially given the schools that you listed, all of which have enough 'prestige' to suffice for PhD admissions). You want to attend whatever program will best prepare you to write a killer thesis, further your languages, and develop solid relationships with faculty. This means choosing one with sufficient resources to support your research and a strong team of advisors. I would also say that it is important not to take on debt for your MA, so don't choose a school that isn't offering you sufficient funding.

Just wanted to say good luck to everyone! Also, if anyone has any questions about NC State, Duke, or UNC (especially the first two), let me know. I have no insider's knowledge on this year's application process, but I've lived in the Triangle for over 10 years and have attended grad classes at all three institutions. I know the faculty well at NC State and Duke and have had many wonderful encounters with UNC.

It's perfectly appropriate to ask, but I'd probably direct the question to the DGS and copy the grad programs coordinator or assistant. Depending on the POI, she or he may not know. This is, of course, for the department's placement info. If you want to know a specific faculty member's advising record, then certainly direct your question to that person.

@historytothepplThis will not address all of your interests, but can help a bit on the public history part. If you are looking to obtain your PhD in Public History (as opposed to History while specializing in museum studies or something), then your choice of schools is limited. To my knowledge, the only schools that specifically offer a PhD in Public History are North Carolina State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Loyola University Chicago, and UC Santa Barbara and UC Sacramento (joint program). If your goal is not to get a Public History PhD, then I think your choices open up more. I think the type of program you apply to should be based on your career goals. As more and more people obtain specialized degrees in public history (there are several MA programs out there), museums, heritage sites, etc. are increasingly looking for people with those degrees, although it is completely possible to still work in the museum field without having a specific "public history" degree. I am very familiar with NC State's Public History program, if you have any questions.

I might be wrong, but I think the AHA only requests the following information from graduate programs on a yearly basis: # of new students enrolled in each degree program; total students enrolled (part & full time, per degree); # of degrees awarded per degree. I don't think they collect data on job placements, but I could be wrong. Anyone have a clear idea? The information on placements is notoriously difficult to track down. Each department (and graduate school by extension) has to collect this data from their graduates on an ongoing basis and keep it up to date. Some schools do a better job than others. The first place you will want to look is on the history department's website for each institution you want to consider (which it sounds like you are doing). Georgetown does a great job of keeping on top of their placements. Others, like Duke, may have a placement page listed on their website, but have not kept up with tracking this information. If you can't find any information on a given department's site, the next place you might look is the Graduate School's website. You could email the graduate programs assistant, or (possibly) the director of graduate studies, for each program you are interested in to request this information. They should have a better idea about recent placements.

If you apply to Duke for the MA, make sure you reach out to the DGS or your POI. Duke doesn't typically admit students for a terminal MA, unless there is a special case. I cannot speak to application cycles prior to 2016, but for the last 2 years the department has not admitted a single terminal MA student. The department does, however, advertise that it has an MA program because it admits many students directly from undergrad and allows them to get an MA en route to the PhD, which is common. All this is to say, just make sure speak with someone before spending time and money on your application.

Check out Duke. Your interests sound very similar to my own, except that I also look at social movements in an international/transnational context. In addition to faculty that fit your interests, Duke also has a Center for Documentary Studies, which has become a hub for research on and with SNCC activists.

Yes, you can omit the cover page; it is not necessary. If you are asking if admissions committees care that you wrote the paper for professor X, the answer is no, they do not care--- not even for your top choice program. It sounds like you are applying as an "Americanist." In this case, you should edit your *best* paper to fit the page requirements. By your best paper, I mean the one that showcases your historical interests (period, region, theme, theory, etc.), writing competency, and research skills (sources and methods). This may require some hard choices when it comes to cutting, but this can be a very useful exercise. Best of luck!

Mine ended up being 50,338 words, or 201 double spaced pages. This included my front matter, intro, 4 chapters, conclusion, and bib.

20 hours is a common way for the graduate school to classify your employee status for payroll purposes. It does not necessarily mean that you will be working 20 hours every week. The amount of work you will have will likely vary by week, with weeks in which they take an exam or turn in a paper being heavier workload weeks, since you will likely be doing most or all of the grading.