Program Options

The M.A. program offers two program tracks: course work or thesis.

Course Work Track

Students selecting the course work track complete 30 credits of course work, which includes 5 core required courses. For the remainder of the course work, 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 this track is a two-hour oral examination in the final semester of study.

Thesis Track

Students selecting the thesis track must complete and successfully defend a thesis, a work that is grounded in primary sources and typically around 100 pages in length. Students who choose this track complete 30 credits of coursework, including the 5 core requirements and six thesis credits of HIST 698 (M.A. Thesis). For the remainder of the course work, 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).