Foreign Language
Knowledge of a foreign language is not required for admission to the master’s program, although all applicants are asked to give evidence of experience in at least one (1) foreign language. A student’s major professor may require a departmentally administered written translation examination in one (1) or more languages for completion of the MA degree. The stipulated language requirement must be fulfilled prior to registration for the Master’s Thesis, Research, and/or Examination (History 700), or by the beginning of the student’s third semester in the program. If a student has English as a second language and if it is appropriate to his or her program, the student may count the native language as the foreign language. Students are encouraged to satisfy this requirement as soon as possible.
Program Requirements
The program consists of 30 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree; 6 of the 30 credit hours must be Master’s Research, Thesis, and/or Examination (History 700). At least 21 hours must be in courses and seminar work at the 400 and 500 level taken for traditional letter grades (A–F). Of these 21 hours of course work, up to 6 credits of non-graduate credit may be used. Six (6) of these credit hours may be taken outside the Department of History from courses listed in the Graduate School Bulletin. At least 15 hours must be taken in the Department of History; these must include Historiography (History 580), one (1) 3-credit research seminar that is linked with three (3) credits of History 700: Master’s Research (taken with student’s major professor), one (1) field course in the general or primary field and one (1) field course in an area outside the primary and general fields. Course work outside of these core requirements at the 400 or 500 level should be taken in the student’s fields of study. All M.A. students are expected to take at least 3 graduate-level, 3-credit, letter-graded courses in their primary or general field, and at least 2 additional graduate-level, 3-credit, letter-graded courses. If required courses are not available during the student’s tenure in the program, appropriate substitutes may be taken (History 597, independent readings, etc.) with the approval of the major professor and the director of graduate studies.
Primary Fields of Study
The Primary Field is embedded in the General Field. The Primary Field provides expertise for student’s research focus as expressed in the master’s thesis.
- Colonial and Early Republic
- 19th Century U.S.
- Modern U.S.
- U.S. Foreign Relations
- U.S. Women and Gender
- U.S. Environment
- U.S. West
- U.S. Race and Ethnicity
- Atlantic World
- Reformation Europe
- 18th Century Europe
- Modern France
- Modern Germany
- Modern Britain
- Modern Russia/Soviet Union/Post-Soviet
- Modern China
- Modern Japan
- West Africa
- Colonial Africa
General Fields
The General Field provides a broader geographical, chronological, and historiographical framework for the primary field.
- U.S.
- Early Modern Europe
- Modern Europe
- Public
- East Asia
- World
Note: For students looking to study with a General Field in World History, the additional course requirements of History 570 (World History Theory and Methods) and History 571 (Topics in World History). History 570 and History 571 will serve as the field course requirements. The student must secure approval for the thesis topic from the major professor and the coordinator of world history.
The Master’s Thesis
Students taking the thesis option in the MA program must complete a master’s thesis for the purpose of demonstrating advanced research skills in preparation for the pursuit of the doctoral degree. The student must file a program of study with the Chair of the Department of History by March 1 of the second semester of enrollment in the masters program. The program of study establishes the student’s committee (with the major professor as chair), outlines a course of study, and proposes a thesis topic. MA students in the thesis track are expected to hold a T-1 meeting by the end of the second semester of enrollment. At the T-1 meeting, the student will present the committee with a thesis proposal for the committee’s approval. If necessary, meetings with the thesis committee will continue until such approval is achieved. The major professor will place a memo in the student’s file when agreement has been reached and will provide a copy to the student and other members of the committee.
Oral Examination
When the master’s thesis has been accepted by the thesis committee, the student will present him- or herself for an oral examination. The oral examination must be scheduled in advance by the student in consultation with the major professor and should ordinarily be attended by members of the student’s thesis committee. It will be conducted in accordance with the Policies and Procedures of the Graduate School and will center primarily on the thesis and only secondarily on course work. The student is required to provide the Department of History with a hardbound copy of his/her thesis once the degree is completed. Any departmental expenses incurred in submitting the completed thesis (office printing, thesis binding) will be charged to the student’s account.