History, Master of Arts (M.A.)
General Information
The department strongly recommends that students who plan to seek a doctoral degree choose the thesis plan. At least one-half of the course work leading to the degree must be in 800-level courses.
Language
Though the department no longer maintains a language requirement, it strongly recommends that students who plan to seek a doctoral degree should acquire foreign language proficiency while completing the masters degree.
Admission Requirements
Admission is determined by the Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies in cooperation with the Office of Graduate Education and Research. To be considered for admission, applicants must meet the general admission requirements of the Graduate School. In addition, the following is required of each candidate:
Completion of at least a satisfactory undergraduate minor in history or the equivalent.
Applicants must arrange for submission of three letters of recommendation directly to the department.
Applicants who do not meet the GPA requirement for admission must submit official GRE scores to be considered for Probationary Admission. Expected target scores on the GRE for Probationary Admission are 153 on the Verbal and 4.0 on the Analytical Writing sections of the exam.
Program Requirements
CIP Code: 54.0101
Thesis Plan
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Course | ||
| HIS 800 | Historiography and Criticism | 3 |
| American History | ||
| Choose from nine hours of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Historical Research and Writin 2 | ||
| Readings in American History: | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| European History | ||
| Choose from six hours of the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Historical Research in Writing 2 | ||
| Readings in European History: | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Asian, African or Latin American History | ||
| Choose from three hours of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Historical Research and Writin 2 | ||
| Reading in Asian/African His:_ | ||
| Readings in Latin American His | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Thesis | ||
| HIS 899 | Thesis | 6 |
| History Electives | ||
| Choose from three hours of graduate courses in U.S., European, Asia/Africa or Latin American History | 3 | |
| Exit Requirements | ||
| GRD 857G | MA Hist Written Comp Exam | 0 |
| GRD 858H | MA Hist Oral Comp Exit Exam | 0 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
The department requires that at least one of the courses used to satisfy the eighteen credit hours represented by these three requirements cover in a substantial way a period before the year 1800.
- 2
The department requires successful completion of at least one of the following research seminars: HIS 802A Historical Research and Writin, HIS 802B Historical Research in Writing, or HIS 802C Historical Research and Writin.
Non-Thesis Plan
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Course | ||
| HIS 800 | Historiography and Criticism | 3 |
| American History | ||
| Choose from nine hours of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Historical Research and Writin 2 | ||
| Readings in American History: | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| European History | ||
| Choose from six hours of the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Historical Research in Writing 2 | ||
| Readings in European History: | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Asian, African or Latin American History | ||
| Choose from six hours of the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Historical Research and Writin 2 | ||
| Reading in Asian/African His:_ | ||
| Readings in Latin American His | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| History Electives | ||
| Choose from six hours of graduate courses in U.S., European, Asia/Africa or Latin American History | 6 | |
| Exit Requirements | ||
| GRD 857G | MA Hist Written Comp Exam | 0 |
| GRD 858H | MA Hist Oral Comp Exit Exam | 0 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
The department requires that at least two the courses used to satisfy the twenty-one credit hours represented by these three requirements cover in a substantial way a period before the year 1800.
- 2
The department requires successful completion of at least one of the following research seminars: HIS 802A Historical Research and Writin, HIS 802B Historical Research in Writing, or HIS 802C Historical Research and Writin.
Applied History Plan
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Course | ||
| HIS 800 | Historiography and Criticism | 3 |
| American History | ||
| Choose from nine hours of the following: 1 | 9 | |
| Historical Research and Writin 2 | ||
| Readings in American History: | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| European History | ||
| Choose from six hours of the following: 1 | 6 | |
| Historical Research in Writing 2 | ||
| Readings in European History: | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Asian, African or Latin American History | ||
| Choose from three hours of the following: 1 | 3 | |
| Historical Research and Writin 2 | ||
| Reading in Asian/African His:_ | ||
| Readings in Latin American His | ||
| Reading and Research:_________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Comparative History:__________ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Conceptualizing History:______ (if topic is appropriate) | ||
| Applied History | ||
| HIS 838 | Practicum in Applied History | 9 |
| or HIS 839 | Co-op Study in Applied History | |
| Exit Requirements | ||
| GRD 857G | MA Hist Written Comp Exam | 0 |
| GRD 858H | MA Hist Oral Comp Exit Exam | 0 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- 1
The department requires that at least one of the courses used to satisfy the eighteen credit hours represented by these three requirements cover in a substantial way a period before the year 1800.
- 2
The department requires successful completion of at least one of the following research seminars: HIS 802A Historical Research and Writin, HIS 802B Historical Research in Writing, or HIS 802C Historical Research and Writin.
Exit Requirements
Thesis (Thesis Plan only)
Each candidate must submit a thesis which demonstrates an appropriate level of skill in historical research and writing. Should the thesis topic selected require additional research skills (i.e. foreign language, statistics, or other), the candidate may be required by the graduate committee to acquire, through additional course work, the necessary skills. The student must complete six hours of thesis credit (HIS 899 Thesis) and may, if extra time is needed to complete the project, register for six additional hours of thesis credit, although this extra six hours does not count as part of the thirty total credit hours needed for completion of the History M.A. program. The thesis shall be submitted to the student’s major professor at least 30 days in advance of graduation. Acceptance of the thesis shall be decided by a special reading committee. This committee shall be composed of the major professor and two other faculty members recommended by the chair of the major department and appointed by the Dean of Graduate Education and Research. The committee shall complete its review of the thesis at least one week prior to the final oral examination.
Comprehensive Examination (Thesis Plan)
The program will culminate in a written comprehensive examination (GRD 857G MA Hist Written Comp Exam) designed to test the student’s general knowledge of history and an oral defense of the thesis (GRD 858H MA Hist Oral Comp Exit Exam).
Comprehensive Examination (Non-Thesis Plan)
Upon completion of course work, the student’s knowledge of history will be tested by a comprehensive written examination (GRD 857G MA Hist Written Comp Exam). The program will culminate in an oral examination designed to test the student’s mastery of graduate course work (GRD 858H MA Hist Oral Comp Exit Exam).