Thesis Option

Foundation Course (3 hours)

HIS 800 Historiography and Criticism

American History (9 hours*)

Choose from HIS 716, 860, and/or, if topic is appropriate, 849, 864, or 865

European History (6 hours)

Choose from HIS 861, and/or, if topic is appropriate, 849, 864, or 865

Asian, African or Latin American History (3 hours*)

Choose from HIS 842, 863, or, if topic is appropriate, 849, 864, or 865

Thesis (6 hours)

HIS 899

History Electives (3 hours)

Choose from graduate courses in U.S., European or Non-Western or Latin American history.

TOTAL (30 hours)

*NOTE that the department requires that at least one of the courses used to satisfy the eighteen credit hours represented by these three requirements cover in a substantial way a period before the year 1800.

A complete listing of Course Descriptions can be found here.

Thesis

Each candidate must submit a thesis which demonstrates an appropriate level of skill in historical research and writing. Should the thesis topic selected require additional research skills (i.e. foreign language, statistics, or other), the candidate may be required by the graduate committee to acquire, through additional course work, the necessary skills. The student must complete six hours of thesis credit (HIS 899) and may, if extra time is needed to complete the project, register for six additional hours of thesis credit, although this extra six hours does not count as part of the thirty total credit hours needed for completion of the History M.A. program. The thesis shall be submitted to the student’s major professor at least 30 days in advance of graduation. Acceptance of the thesis shall be decided by a special reading committee. This committee shall be composed of the major professor and two other faculty members recommended by the chair of the major department and appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. The committee shall complete its review of the thesis at least one week prior to the final oral examination. Two unbound copies of the accepted thesis, signed by the committee, must be deposited with the Dean of the Graduate School at least two weeks before summer commencement and three weeks prior to the end of either the fall or spring semesters.

Language

Though the department no longer maintains a language requirement, it strongly recommends that students who plan to seek a doctoral degree should acquire foreign language proficiency while completing their master’s degree.

Comprehensive Examination

The program will culminate in a written comprehensive examination designed to test the student’s general knowledge of history and an oral defense of the thesis.