History M.A.
General Graduate Program Requirements
Graduate School policies and standards can be found on the Graduate School Policies page.
The minimum GPA for any graduate program is 3.0. Individual programs may require more than a 3.0 to remain in good standing.
The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward any master’s or doctoral requirement is C. The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward a certificate program is B-. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.
Master of Arts - History
General Requirements
- Students must maintain a GPA of 3.3 or higher.
- Students are expected to earn a B+ or higher in a graduate research seminar (HSTA 594/HSTR 594) in their first year in the program. Exceptions must be approved by the student’s advisor and the Graduate Committee.
- Students are expected to earn a B or higher in a minimum of four (4) 500-level history
readings courses before receiving their degree.
Thesis, Professional Paper, or Portfolio Requirement
- M.A. students have three pathways to complete this degree: completing a Master's thesis and 30 credits; completing a professional paper and 36 credits; or, completing a professional paper, an in-house public history portfolio, and 30 credits. PhD students have the additional option of completing an in-house research paper portfolio and 36 credits.
- Master's Thesis Option - Students choosing this option must:
- Complete thirty (30) hours of coursework. A maximum of six (6) thesis credits may be counted toward the total of thirty required credits.
- Form a thesis committee composed of three faculty members: the student's advisor, who serves as the chair of the committee; one other member of the History Department; and one outside faculty member to be selected by the student and advisor. Students should consult with all members of their committee while constructing the thesis proposal and thesis.
- Submit for approval a proposal for the thesis project, which is reviewed by the student's committe during a thesis proposal hearing.
- Complete the thesis project. The thesis must be a monographic study, make an original contribution to scholarship, and be presented in acceptable literary form.
- Provide an oral defense of the thesis. Oral examinations are open to the public and guests may ask questions on recognition by the chair. Theses are assessed on a pass or fail basis, and students are informed orally, at the end of the defense, of the committee's evaluation of their thesis.
- Professional Paper Option - Students choosing this option must:
- Complete thirty (36) hours of coursework. A maximum of three (3) professional paper credits may be counted toward the total of thirty-six required credits.
- Form a professional paper committee composed of three faculty members: the student's advisor, who serves as the chair of the committee; one other member of the History Department; and one outside faculty member to be selected by the student and advisor. Students should consult with all members of their committee while constructing the professional paper proposal.
- Submit for approval a proposal for the professional paper project, which is reviewed by the committe during a proposal hearing.
- Prepare one professional paper of publishable quality. A professional paper is an article-length historical study of approximately 30-35 double-spaced pages based substantially on primary sources that makes an original scholarly contribution.
- Provide an oral defense of the professional paper. Oral examinations are open to the public and guests may ask questions on recognition by the chair. Theses are assessed on a pass or fail basis, and students are informed orally, at the end of the defense, of the committee's evaluation.
- Professional Paper & Public History Portfolio Option - Students choosing this option must:
- Complete thirty (30) hours of coursework. A maximum of three (3) professional paper credits may be counted toward the total of thirty required credits.
- Complete a professional paper following the process outlined in the Professional Paper Option.
- Submit a portfolio of public history projects.
- The public history portfolio must include a minimum of three projects completed by or with substantive input from the student during their time in the program and should include a description of each project, identification of its intended audience, images of the projects, a 3-5 page reflection per project on what was learned, and a list of collaborators.
- The student’s portfolio will be reviewed by the student’s advisor and a representative of the department’s Public History Committee before final acceptance and approval of degree completion.
- In addition, the student must complete the department’s Graduate Certificate in Public History before completing or concurrent with the completion of the M.A. degree.
- In-House Portfolio Option for Ph.D. students - Students using this option must:
- Be admitted to the History Ph.D. program.
- Complete thirty-six (36) hours of coursework.
- Complete a portfolio of scholarly research papers that includes two course research papers.
- Master's Thesis Option - Students choosing this option must:
- Students and prospective students may consult the UM History Department's website for additional information.
Course Requirements
- With approval from the student's Graduate Committee, students may apply up to six (6) credits in cognate fields towards the M.A in History.
- Graduate school rules require that a minimum of one-half of all coursework be done at the 500-level.
- Language Requirement - MA students, especially those working on topics outside of U.S. or British history, may need to work with sources in languages other than English. In such cases, the advisor, with approval of the Graduate Program Committee, may require the student to demonstrate suitable reading proficiency in any research language(s) necessary for the completion of the degree.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Research Seminar | ||
| Complete one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Research Seminar | ||
| Research Seminar | ||
| Reading Courses | ||
| Complete 12 credits of the following courses. Two of readings courses must be in the student's major field: United States, Europe, or the World. At least one must be in one of other two areas.. | 12 | |
United States History | ||
| Readings in Early American History | ||
| Readings in Modern American History | ||
| Modern America | ||
| The American West | ||
| U.S. Women's History | ||
| Law, Capitalism, and Democracy in U.S. History | ||
| Special Topics (must be approved as a U.S. readings course) | ||
European History | ||
| Readings in Early Modern History | ||
| Readings in Modern European History | ||
| Special Topics (must be approved as a European readings course) | ||
World History | ||
| Latin America | ||
| Special Topics (must be approved as a world readings course) | ||
| Electives and Options | ||
| Complete one of the following options: | 15-21 | |
| Thesis Option | ||
| Complete 15 credits of the following courses: | ||
Graduate-level History (HSTA or HSTR) courses | ||
| Thesis/Professional Paper (maximum: 6 credits) | ||
or HSTR 599 | Thesis/Professional Paper | |
| Professional Paper Option | ||
| Complete 21 credits of the following courses: | ||
Graduate-level History (HSTA or HSTR) courses | ||
| Thesis/Professional Paper (maximum: 3 credits) | ||
or HSTR 599 | Thesis/Professional Paper | |
| Professional Paper & Public History Portfolio Option | ||
| Complete 15 credits of the following courses: | ||
Graduate-level History (HSTA or HSTR) courses | ||
| Thesis/Professional Paper (maximum: 3 credits) | ||
or HSTR 599 | Thesis/Professional Paper | |
| Submit a portfolio of public history projects. | ||
| Complete the Graduate Certificate in Public History. | ||
| In-House Portfolio Option for Ph.D. Students | ||
| Complete 21 credits of graduate-level History (HSTA or HSTR) courses. | ||
| Complete a portfolio of scholarly research papers that includes two course research papers | ||
| Total Hours | 30-36 | |