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 requirement is C. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.
MASTER OF ARTS - HISTORY
- 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 and Non-Thesis Options
Master's Thesis Option
Students may elect to earn their degree by writing a master's thesis. Students choosing this option will:
- Complete thirty (30) hours of coursework. A maximum of six (6) thesis credits may be counted toward the total of thirty (30) credits required for the M.A. These credits may be taken in any semester or semesters during which the student is working on the thesis.
- The thesis must be a monographic study, make an original contribution to scholarship, and be presented in acceptable literary form.
Thesis Proposal and Thesis Committee
Students are required to submit a proposal for a thesis project, which must be approved by the student's thesis committee. In consultation with their advisor, students choose members of their thesis committee and gain the consent of each faculty member concerned. Normally, committees are 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 thesis committee while constructing the thesis proposal.
The student and thesis committee will convene a Thesis Proposal Hearing where faculty members assess the strength of the thesis proposal. Thesis proposals will be assessed on a pass or fail basis. All members of the committee must agree that the student has passed. Students are informed orally, at the end of the proposal hearing, of the committee's evaluation of their thesis proposal.
Students are required to hold their Thesis Proposal Hearing no later than 3 months prior to the intended date of the oral defense of the thesis. To schedule the Thesis Proposal Hearing, students fill out the MA Thesis Proposal Hearing Scheduling Form and submit a copy to the History Department Office and to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Thesis Defense
The final stage will be an oral defense of the thesis. The student must provide the members of his or her thesis committee with completed copies of the thesis at least two weeks before the defense. Oral examinations are open to the public and guests may ask questions on recognition by the chair. The thesis will be assessed on a pass or fail basis. All members of the committee must agree that the student has passed. Students are informed orally, at the end of the defense, of the committee's evaluation of their thesis.
M.A. candidates must adhere to the schedule determined by the Graduate School, which stipulates that the approved committee draft of the Master's thesis must be submitted to the Graduate Dean at least twenty days before the end of the semester in which all degree requirements will be completed. The draft must be approved by the Graduate Dean before the final oral examination. The University must be in session and students must be enrolled at the time of the defense. No thesis may go to committee nor may any examination thereon take place until all other requirements for the degree have been fulfilled.
To schedule the thesis defense, students fill out the MA Thesis Defense Scheduling Form and submit a copy to the History Department office and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Non-thesis/Professional Paper Option
Alternatively, students may elect to earn their degree without writing a master's thesis. Students choosing this option will:
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Complete thirty-six (36) hours of coursework. A maximum of three (3) professional paper credits (HSTA 599 or HSTR 599) may count toward the 36 credits.
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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.
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The student, in consultation with their advisor, will put together a three-member professional paper committee comprised of the student’s advisor, one other History Department faculty member, and one faculty member from outside the department.
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In the student’s final semester, with approval of their advisor, they will schedule an oral defense and will provide all committee members a copy of the professional paper a minimum of two weeks prior.
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After the oral defense, the advisor will inform the student of the outcome, which may be (a) full pass, acceptance of the paper as is with only minor recommended changes, (b) conditional pass, recommended changes that must be completed within 30 days and approved by the advisor, or (c) not passed.
Non-Thesis/Professional Paper & Public History Portfolio Option
As a third option, students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Public History may elect to earn their degree without completing a thesis by preparing both a professional paper and a public history portfolio. Students choosing this option will:
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Complete thirty (30) hours of coursework. A maximum of three (3) professional paper credits (HSTA 599 or HSTR 599) may count toward the 30 credits.
- Complete a professional paper of publishable quality conforming to the existing expectations for that paper as described in the professional paper option.
- Submit a portfolio of public history projects. The public history portfolio operates in lieu of the additional six credits required of the existing non-thesis/professional paper.
- 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.
- The portfolio should be submitted to the student's advisor in electronic form as a single PDF file 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 from completing the public history project, 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 earn the department’s Graduate Certificate in Public History before completing or concurrent with the completion of their M.A. degree.
Required Coursework
- 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 | |
| Seminar | ||
| 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 | ||
| Dissertation (maximum: 6 credits) | ||
or HSTR 699 | Dissertation | |
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 | ||
Complete the Graduate Certificate in Public History. | ||
| Thesis/Professional Paper (maximum: 3 credits) | ||
or HSTR 599 | Thesis/Professional Paper | |
| Total Hours | 30-36 | |