The Master of Arts in History is designed to serve the needs of a variety of students, including those who plan to pursue a PhD, those wishing to improve their proficiency as secondary school teachers, and those who seek to enrich their intellectual lives. In addition to the General MA program, Public History and Accelerated Undergraduate to Graduate tracks are offered.
Students are served by departmental members whose areas of research include classical history, early Christianity, African history, American cultural and social history, local history, the South, the American Civil War, the American frontier, women and gender roles, Asian history, Middle-Eastern history, twentieth-century mass movements, Nazism and anti-Semitism in Central Europe, Latin American history, and European history, as well as other areas.
Program Prerequisites
A bachelor's degree in History (or an equivalent).
Degree Requirements
Required Courses (Core)
6 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- HIS6159 - Historiography (3)
- HIS6905 - History Capstone Class (3)
Required Courses (Specialization)
18 Total Credits
- Complete 1 of the following
- Students may specialize in one of the two areas below. Specialization courses must be approved by the student's adviser.
Eastern Hemisphere: African, Asian, European, or Middle Eastern - 18 Credit Hours- Complete at least 6 of the following:
- AFH5259 - Colloquium in African History (3)
- AFH5806 - The Historiography of Slavery in Africa (3)
- ASH5229 - History of the Middle East (3)
- ASH5408 - Colloquium in Modern China (3)
- ASH5485 - U.S. China Relations (3)
- ASH5925 - Colloquium in South Asian History (3)
- ASH6936 - Seminar in US-China Relations (3)
- EUH5419 - Colloquium in Roman History (3)
- EUH5546 - Colloquium: British History (3)
- EUH5579 - Colloquium in Soviet Russia (3)
- EUH5905 - European Imperialism (3)
- EUH5925 - Colloquium in Medieval Europe (3)
- EUH5208 - Colloquium in Early Modern History (3)
- EUH6939 - Seminar in European History (3)
- EUH5459 - Colloquium in French History (3)
Western Hemisphere: Caribbean, North American, or South American- 18 Credit Hours- Complete at least 6 of the following:
- AMH5116 - Colloquium in Early American History (3)
- AMH5169 - Colloquium in the American Early Republic (3)
- AMH5176 - Colloquium in Civil War and Reconstruction (3)
- AMH5296 - Colloquium in 20th Century U.S. (3)
- HIS5503 - History of Technology (3)
- AMH5391 - Colloquium in U.S. Cultural History (3)
- AMH5406 - Colloquium in American South (3)
- AMH5636 - Colloquium in US Environmental History (3)
- AMH5925 - Colloquium in US Military History (3)
- AMH6346 - Seminar in the History of American Automobility (3)
- AMH5077 - Colloquium in Twentieth Century Tourism (3)
- AMH6429 - Seminar in Community and Local History (3)
- AMH6939 - Seminar in U.S. History (3)
- HIS5067 - Introduction to Public History (3)
- HIS5083 - Cultural Heritage Management (3)
- HIS5925 - History in the Digital Age (3)
- HIS6096 - Seminar in Historic Preservation (3)
- HIS6165 - Digital Tools for Historians (3)
- HIS6167 - Spatial History (3)
- HIS5088 - Readings in Curation and Public History (3)
- HIS6094 - Seminar in Curation and New Media (3)
- LAH5920 - Colloquium in Latin American History (3)
- HIS5926 - Colloquium: History of Women and Gender (3)
- HIS6592 - Seminar in Oral History (3)
Elective Courses
6 Total Credits
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Students will choose history courses outside their area of specialization.
Thesis
6 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
Hours- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: HIS 6971 - Thesis The culminating event of the program is a minimum of six credit hours at the 6000-level developing and sustaining a historical argument in writing according to the accepted professional and ethical standards of the discipline.
Defense- The final step in completing the thesis requirement is a one-hour oral defense before the thesis committee.
Comprehensive Examinations
0 Total Credits
- Each candidate for the Master of Arts in History must pass written examinations in two fields upon conclusion of regular course work and before beginning a thesis. These examinations must be taken and passed as part of the requirements for the capstone course. Students are provided two attempts at successfully passing the examinations. Each student will also submit a thesis prospectus and preliminary bibliography, which the three members of the student's thesis committee judge acceptable as the preliminary step to beginning the thesis. An oral defense of the written exams and the thesis prospectus and bibliography is also a requirement of the capstone course.
Foreign Language
0 Total Credits
- Students will also be expected to demonstrate a reading competency in one foreign language translation examination. The foreign language examination (FLE) must be completed one semester prior to the thesis defense. For detailed information on the History Foreign Language Exam requirement and process, please see the department's MA program handbook.
Grand Total Credits: 36
Application Requirements
Application Deadlines
