Department of History

Master's Degrees

You may chose between three master's degree options:

  1. Most entering students seek the Master of Arts degree, which requires 30 graduate credit hours
  2. Master of Arts for Teachers prepares students to teach social studies in secondary schools
  3. Dual master’s degree in history and library science leads to careers in libraries, archives, museums, and historic preservation.

Master of Arts Degree Requirements

Courses

  1. A total of 30 credit hours; at least 20 of these credit hours must be in the Department of History.
  2. Complete H601 and at least one seminar and two colloquia; the remaining credit hours in history must be completed in graduate colloquia, seminars, or readings courses. Graduate students will be allowed to receive credit for undergraduate courses only in special cases (such as in the study of fields not commonly available at the undergraduate level, or in small fields).

Foreign Language

Reading proficiency in one of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, ancient Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, or another language appropriate to the student's program of study, if approved by the University Graduate School. The student should consult with his/her adviser of field about appropriate languages. Entering students should obtain certification of reading knowledge or begin appropriate language study in the first term of enrollment.

Field Review

All candidates must undergo a review during their third semester, when the work for the M.A. degree is normally completed. The review consists of a conference at which the student and field committee members discuss the student's performance and future plans. The review has two purposes:

  1. Confirm the awarding of the M.A.
  2. Determine whether or not a student wishing to continue his or her studies is to be accepted into the Ph.D. program.

M.A. candidates wishing to enter the Ph.D. program and those terminating their program with the master's degree must be recommended for the M.A. degree by the appropriate field committee.

Please see the Graduate Guide to History and the Graduate School Bulletin for more detailed information on this degree requirements.

Master of Arts for Teachers Requirements

Courses

Requirements are a total of 20 or more credit hours in history and 36 credit hours in all courses. Students are required to complete H601 and at least one seminar and two colloquia; the remaining credit hours in history must be completed in graduate colloquia, seminars, or readings courses. Graduate students will be allowed to receive credit for undergraduate courses only in special cases (such as in the study of fields not commonly available at the undergraduate level, or in small fields). M.A.T. students are strongly encouraged to complete one of the pedagogy courses offered by the History Department: H580, H591, or H593.

Secondary Teaching Certificate

Each candidate must have earned a certificate for teaching in secondary schools by the time the degree is conferred. To the extent necessary in each case, credit hours in education needed to complete certification requirements will be included among the 36 hours required for the degree (to a maximum of 16). In order to identify any deficiencies, students should contact the Certification Office in the School of Education upon admission or very early in their program.

Students preparing to register for M.A.T. course work should see Jeane Novotny, the Academic Advisor for Graduate Teacher Certification in the School of Education. Ms. Novotny counsels M.A.T. candidates about the specific requirements for the degree, and, in consultation with the School of Education and the Director of Graduate Studies in History, she recommends the specific courses that M.A.T. students should take.

To pursue this degree, students must be admitted to both the History Department and the School of Education.

Although the M.A.T. is usually a terminal degree, those wishing to take course work beyond the 36 hours can enroll as special students. Those who desire to move toward the Ph.D. must meet the department's requirements for admission to the Ph.D. program but need not hold an M.A. degree.

Please see the Graduate Guide to History and the Graduate School Bulletin for more detailed information on this degree requirements.

Dual Masters: History and Library Science

A dual program for the M.A. in History and the Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) is available to students interested in careers in libraries, archives, historical societies, museum collections, and other related fields. The combined program allows an overlap of elective credit for the two degrees. A student takes only the required 30 hours in Library Science and the required 20 hours in History—a total of 50 credit hours, rather than the 66 hours normally required to attain the two degrees separately. Credits earned in Library Science fulfill the ten elective hours for the History degree, while credits taken in History meet the Library Science elective requirement. M.A./M.L.S students are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language.

To pursue this degree, students must apply and be admitted to both the History Department for the M.A. and the School of Library and Information Science for the M.L.S. Sometimes students who have already begun one of the two degree programs wish to move into the dual degree program. To do this, application to the second unit must be made and admission must be granted before the completion of the first program. No fee is charged in such cases.

Please see the Graduate Guide to History and the Graduate School Bulletin for more detailed information on this degree requirements.