Mar 28, 2024  
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog 
    
2009-2011 Graduate Catalog ARCHIVED CATALOG: CONTENT MAY NOT BE CURRENT. USE THE DROP DOWN ABOVE TO ACCESS THE CURRENT CATALOG.

History M.A.


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The Department of History offers a Master of Arts degree with concentrations in the following areas: United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Public History (minor). The program is designed to broaden and deepen the student’s understanding of the heritage of human experience. It also sharpens scholarly skills and provides for some specialization in specific fields or periods of history.

Admission Requirements

Students must meet the following requirements for admission to graduate standing.

  1. An overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00.

  2. A grade point average of at least 3.30 in history courses.

  3. Recommendations from two former instructors addressing the applicant’s preparedness for graduate work in history.

  4. A minimum of 18 credits in history.

  5. Submission of a writing sample, preferably a research paper, representative of undergraduate work.

  6. Submission of a statement of purpose in which the applicant describes historical areas and approaches of particular interest, background and training for advanced work in history, and academic and professional goals.

Degree Requirements

There are three tracks for the master’s degree in history. Each requires that a student’s advisor and graduate committee approve all course work plans. A field outside of history may be presented as part of a student’s program. A grade of C or below will not be accepted for graduate credit, but will be averaged into the student’s grade point average. A minimum GPA of 3.00 must be achieved in all graduate work attempted toward the degree. A minimum of 16 credit hours of course work must be at the 700-level. The student is required to have a reading knowledge of a foreign language if that language is necessary to do research in the selected field. The specific track requirements are as follows:

1. Thesis Track

A minimum of thirty-two graduate credits, including six credits of thesis. In addition to the major area of study, the student must complete nine credits in a minor area.

A maximum of nine credits at the 600-level can count toward degree requirements. Students must successfully complete a written examination in their major area of study. This may be taken at the completion of twenty-two credits of course work, and must be taken no later than the completion of twenty-six credits. Students prepare reading lists of approximately 20-30 books (or an appropriate number of articles can be included in place of some books) for each of their two fields within the major area in conjunction with the members of their advisory committee. The lists are based on scholarly works read in coursework, but substantial additional reading is required. Coursework along does not constitute preparation for comprehensive exams. In addition, an oral defense of the thesis will be required. The Public History minor requires an additional three credits of internship, HIST 795.

Course Requirements

Three credits of historiography, six credits of colloquium, and four credits of seminar.

2. Non-Thesis Track

A minimum of thirty-five graduate credits. In addition to a minimum of twenty five credits in the major area of study, students must complete nine credits in a minor area (the Public History minor requires an additional three credits of internship).

Students must also successfully complete a written examination in the major and minor areas of study. This may be taken at the completion of twenty-four credits, and must be taken no later than the completion of thirty-five credits. Students prepare reading lists of approximately 20-30 books for each of their two fields within the major area of study and for their minor area in conjunction with their advisory committee members. The lists are based on scholarly works read in coursework, but substantial additional reading is required. Course work alone does not constitute preparation for comprehensive exams

Course Requirements

Three credits of historiography, six credits of colloquium, and four credits of seminar.

3. Teachers’ Track

Minimum of thirty-two graduate credits (thirty-four for Public History option). Coursework is divided into three required fields: 

Field 1: Historical Content

13 credits of History focused on a Geographic Region: Europe, United States or World (Latin America, Asia, Middle East, Atlantic World). A minimum of 7 credits must be taken at the 700-level, including:  

   

(1 credit), 3 credits of Historiography:  

   

and three credits of colloquium:

Up to 6-credits may be taken at the 600-level.

 

Field 2: Teaching Materials

   
  10 credits of 700-level coursework in History with a coordinated topic   al, thematic, or comparative focus, a three-credit colloquium:
 

 ,  ,  ,  ,   ,  , or  

   
  four-credit seminar:
   
   
   
   
   
   
  or   and three-credits
   
  (Capstone Project)
   
 

A field in Public History can count as the Teaching Materials field and would include    

  and any two additional Public History courses (at least one of which must be at the 700-level, and the HIST 7XX: Thesis Equivalent course.

   
  Field 3: Educational Methods
   
 

9 credits* of coursework in the College of Education divided into the following subfields:


  Educational Foundations: Select one
     
     
     
   
  Curriculum Development: Select one
     
     
     
     
     
  Educational Technology: Select one
        
     
     
     
     

*Matriculants with extensive background in one of these sub-fields may, with the permission of their advisor in the College of Education, take an additional course from one of the two other sub-fields in place of a course in the field of existing expertise. Matriculants with an extensive background in two of these sub-fields may, with permission of the student’s advisor in Education, take 3 credits related to their program of study in another field outside of Education.

Students must successfully complete a written examination in Field 1: Historical Content. This may be taken at the completion of 25 credits, and must be taken no later than the completion of 32 credits (34 for those doing Public History as the Teaching Field). The examination consists of two parts; each part contains two essay questions. Students write on one essay in each part of the exam (total of two essays, two hours for each; four hours total). Questions are written by the student’s committee member/s in the Historical Content field, and each part of the exam is based on a list of approximately 20-30 books prepared in conjunction with the members of the advisory committee.

 

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