The Department of History offers master's programs that prepare students for careers in teaching, in historical research, and in archives, historical agencies, museums, libraries and government.
The History Department offers four options at the master's level:
- A general master's degree in History;
- A general master's degree in History with a specialization in Urban Historical Studies for students who intend to pursue a PhD in Urban Studies or in Urban History;
- A master's degree in Public History for those interested in museum work, archival administration and historic preservation (see the catalog entry for History MA: Public History);
- A coordinated Master of Arts/Master of Library and Information Science degree program (see the catalog entry for History, MA/Library and Information Science, MLIS).
The Department also participates in the interdisciplinary master’s and doctoral programs in Urban Studies. For more information, see Urban Studies.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
To be considered for admission, an applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus these departmental requirements:
- An undergraduate minor or 18 credits in history or equivalent preparation.
- Two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s scholastic achievement and potential.
- A sample of the applicant’s written work that demonstrates their ability to conduct historical research and/or the ability to analyze critically the work of others.
Please visit the History department’s website for information on the History Department Application.
Applicants may be admitted with course deficiencies provided that the deficiencies amount to no more than two courses. The student is expected to satisfy deficiency requirements within three enrolled semesters. The deficiencies are monitored by the Graduate School and the individual graduate program unit. No course credits earned in making up deficiencies may be counted toward the degree.
Advising
The Director of Graduate Studies provides initial advising for students in selecting courses and assists in selecting a Major Professor for long-term advising; the Director may assign a provisional graduate advisor before students select a Major Professor. Students are required to consult periodically with, and have their schedules approved by, the Director of Graduate Studies, the provisional advisor, or the Major Professor. The Major Professor normally serves as the chair of the student’s academic review and supervises either the writing of the student’s thesis or the student’s reading for the comprehensive exam.
Credits and Courses
General History: Thesis Option
Minimum degree requirement is 30 graduate credits, at least 24 of which must be taken in History. Required credit distribution:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 712 | Historiography and Theory of History | 3 |
| or HIST 713 | Historical Research Methods | |
| Select 6 credits in two colloquia 1 | 6 | |
| Select 6 credits in two seminars | 6 | |
| HIST 985 | Master's Capstone (Thesis option students must take 6 credits) | 6 |
| Select 9 credits in electives in consultation with the student’s advisor | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Students may take 3 credits of either HIST 716 or HIST 717 as a substitute for 3 credits in one colloquium.
Academic Review and Thesis Prospectus
Within the first semester after completing 9 credits (including two of the following courses: HIST 712, HIST 713, a colloquium and/or seminar), Thesis Option students are subject to an academic review. The Review is a one- to two-hour meeting involving the student, the student’s Major Professor and two other members of the History Graduate Faculty who will serve as secondary readers of the student’s thesis. With the assistance of their Major Professor, the student must prepare a thesis prospectus in advance of the Review. The Review involves an evaluation of the student’s academic progress in master’s coursework, two unrevised course papers, and the thesis prospectus.
General History: Master's Essay Option
Minimum degree requirement is 30 graduate credits, 24 of which must be taken in History. Required credit distribution:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 712 | Historiography and Theory of History | 3 |
| or HIST 713 | Historical Research Methods | |
| Select 6 credits in two colloquia (800 numbers) 1 | 6 | |
| Select 6 credits in two seminars (900 numbers) | 6 | |
| HIST 985 | Master's Capstone (Master's Essay Option students must take 3 creditis) | 3 |
| Select 12 credits in electives in consultation with the student’s advisor | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Students may take 3 credits of either HIST 716 or HIST 717 as a substitute for 3 credits in one colloquium.
Master's Essay Requirements
Within the first semester after completing 9 credits (including two of the following courses: HIST 712, HIST 713, a colloquium and/or seminar), Master's Essay students are subject to an academic review. The Review is a one- to two-hour meeting involving the student, the student’s Major Professor and two other members of the History Graduate Faculty who will serve as examiners for the student’s comprehensive exam. The Review involves an evaluation of the student’s academic progress in master’s coursework, two unrevised course papers, and a proposal for a Master's Essay.
A Master’s Essay, in the form of an article of 7000+ words appropriate for submission to a popular or an academic history journal. The intended journal and its submission requirements should be included in the project proposal. The Master’s Essay will be supervised by the student’s graduate advisor. In addition, students taking the Master’s Essay Option are required to create an additional scholarly resource that builds upon their article. Possible additional resources could include a lesson plan for use in the classroom with an annotated bibliography, materials for a conference poster presentation, a digital primary source collection, or other option of the student’s choosing. Students are encouraged to create an additional resource that contributes to their career goals. The Master’s Essay option requires enrollment in 3 MA capstone credits. Students are responsible for submitting a proposal to their graduate advisor and securing the advisor’s approval of their plans before enrolling in their MA capstone credits and beginning work. The History Graduate Program will also consider other MA capstone projects not listed above. Students interested in an alternative MA project are responsible for consulting with and securing approval from their advisor and the DGS before proceeding with an alternative project. Students who successfully propose an alternative MA project must take 3 but no more than 6 MA capstone credits.
Urban Historical Studies Specialization
This specialization combines historical approaches with those of the social sciences in studying urban processes, organizations, and society. It is designed to meet the needs of students who intend to enter the interdisciplinary Urban Studies Ph.D. program or a similar program after completion of the Master of Arts degree. The Thesis Option is recommended for this specialization.
The minimum degree requirement is 33 graduate credits distributed in the following manner:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 712 | Historiography and Theory of History | 3 |
| or HIST 713 | Historical Research Methods | |
| HIST 595 | The Quantitative Analysis of Historical Data | 3 |
| Select 6 credits in History colloquia (800 numbered courses) | 6 | |
| HIST 971 | Seminar on the History of American Urban Problems | 3 |
| Select 3 additional credits in History seminars (900 numbered course) | 3 | |
| HIST 985 | Master's Capstone | 6 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Urban Social Structure | ||
| Seminar in Urban Political Process | ||
| The Internal Structure of the City | ||
| Seminar: Research Methods in Urban Studies | ||
| Total Credits | 33 | |
Additional Requirements
The History General MA, History MA/MLIS Coordinated Degree, and the Urban Historical Studies MA require the completion of a capstone to the degree program. This can take the form of either a traditional MA Thesis or a Master’s Essay. For the History MA: Public History, students in all tracks may apply to complete a Master’s Thesis if they so choose, but that option is intended primarily for those in the Cross-Disciplinary Studies Track with Thesis Option. Other Public History students pursuing the History MA: Public History will complete their degree capstone through their HIST 701 credits for the Graduate Internship in Public History.
All MA capstones must:
- be initiated by a student's project proposal, approved by the student’s faculty committee (for the MA Thesis option) or graduate advisor (for the Master’s Essay option)
- engage with the relevant historiographical or theoretical literature
- justify the methodological choices reflected in the project
- integrate original research adequate to supporting the key arguments or project goals
- make an original contribution to one or more fields of historical scholarship
- clearly articulate its significance
General History: Thesis Option
Thesis
The student must write an acceptable thesis.
Thesis Defense
The student must pass an oral examination in defense of the thesis.
Time Limit
The student must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.
General History: Master's Essay Option
Master's Essay
The student must complete a Master's Essay and create an additional scholarly resource that builds upon their article.
Time Limit
The student must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment
Urban Historical Studies Specialization
Thesis
A thesis is required in this specialization.
Thesis Defense
The student must pass an oral defense of the thesis.
Time Limit
The student must complete all degree requirements within five years of initial enrollment.