PS Your statement of purpose is a crucial component of your application. First, the statement should describe the academic training and other experiences that have prepared you to undertake graduate work in history. If relevant, this section might also describe your language skills. Second, the statement should describe your specific research interests and the wider significance of your proposed topic, keeping in mind that this is a provisional statement of intent. Third, the statement should describe why attending the graduate program at UNC would help you reach your professional goals. Here you might state the faculty members who might be interested in mentoring you or working with you in another capacity. The statement should be approximately two pages in length, single-spaced, and in 12-point font. GPA The average grade point average of both applicants and admitted students is about 3.6 on a 4‑point scale. Fee The application fee is $85 RL At least three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to evaluate your academic and professional qualifications are required. No fewer than two of these letters should come from professors or instructors who have had the opportunity to observe your scholarly skills in History or in related fields. Recommendation letters should testify to your intellectual maturity and your preparedness to undertake graduate study. Letters that speak in detail about your academic work and your scholarly promise are more persuasive and useful than those which speak in generalities, however glowingly. The most helpful letters are those written by faculty who know the student well and take the time to assess carefully his or her aptitude for graduate education. We especially value letters that discuss the applicant’s demonstrated skills at and experience with sustained historical research. (A letter from a professor of an undergraduate seminar or from a honors thesis adviser, for example, is likely to be more influential than a letter from a professor in a large lecture course.) Letters from employers are acceptable, but generally address issues of secondary importance in the admissions process. Transcript Official Transcripts: While the vast majority of applicants accepted into the program majored in history as undergraduates, a history undergraduate major is not a prerequisite for admission into our program. Many successful applicants have previously received degrees in area studies or in complementary disciplines. Careful attention is given to what history courses applicants have taken and how well they have done in them. The average grade point average of both applicants and admitted students is about 3.6 on a 4‑point scale. Applicants should notify the graduate school if their transcript is in a different name.