Program Options

The M.A. program offers two program concentrations: non-thesis or thesis.

Non-Thesis Concentration

Students selecting the non-thesis concentration complete 36 credits of coursework, which includes HIST 601 (Historiography and Methodology) and two research seminars. For the remainder of the coursework, students may choose any other history graduate courses, as well as up to six total credit hours in related graduate programs around the university (the latter with permission from the graduate director). The culmination of the non-thesis concentration is a two-hour oral examination in the final semester of study.

Thesis Concentration

There are several good reasons to consider choosing the thesis concentration. A thesis is a substantial challenge and thus can provide an exciting intellectual journey into a subject a student finds deeply interesting. Completing the research and writing usually leaves the student with a strong feeling of accomplishment. It is also a visible testament to the student's research, writing and historical thinking skills.

Students selecting the thesis concentration must complete and successfully defend a thesis, a work that is grounded in primary sources and typically around 100 pages in length. Students with this concentration complete 30 credits of coursework, including HIST 601 (Historiography and Methodology) and six thesis credits of HIST 698 (M.A. Thesis). For the remainder of the coursework, students may choose any other history graduate courses, as well as up to six total credit hours in related graduate programs around the university (the latter with permission from the graduate director).