MASTER OF ARTS IN HISTORY

Master of Arts in History

Wynn Gadkar-Wilcox, Graduate Coordinator	WA 218	Phone: (203) 837-8565
		wilcoxw@wcsu.edu
Patricia Lerner, Department Secretary,	WA 224	Phone: (203) 837-8484
		lernerp@wcsu.edu
		Fax: (203) 837-8905

Faculty

K. Allocco; S. Davies; J. Duffy; W. Gadkar-Wilcox; K. Gutzman; L. Lindenauer; M. May; M. Nolan; J. Rosenthal; A. Saad

Program Learning Goal

The goal of the Master of Arts (M.A.) in History degree program is for students to develop their skills in analyzing and interpreting historical events and interrelational developments in diverse areas of the world.

Program Learning Objective

Our objective is to provide an exciting and relevant curriculum specifically designed for students who are secondary school teachers, college graduates preparing for careers in college teaching, or professionals from outside the academic world who value the intellectual challenge afforded by the serious study history.

Program Learning Outcome

Through our required comprehensive examination and our MA thesis option, students will demonstrate a mastery of a body of advanced secondary literature, a mastery over key events and figures, and an ability to answer key questions in innovative ways appropriate to their specific track and chosen field of study within history.

Admission Requirements

August 1 is the fall deadline to apply to the M.A. in History program. Application deadline for the spring semester is January 1. Late applications may be considered. All admissions are made at the discretion of the History Graduate Admissions Committee.

Requirements include an earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7. The GPA in history courses should be at least 3.0. An applicant with an undergraduate degree and a GPA below 3.0 may submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores and an explanation of relevant circumstances to support his or her application.

The following materials must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Old Main, rm. 101:

- A completed graduate admission application form and fee.
- Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate courses and degrees.
- A statement of purpose, two to four pages, typed and double-spaced. The statement should describe the applicant’s relevant past experience, academic and career goals, and interest in the M.A. in History program.
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can effectively assess the applicant’s general academic potential.
- Acceptance by the History Graduate Admissions Committee.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 30 semester-hour credits is required for the M.A. in History. These semester hours should be obtained through following the Program for Teachers of History, the Research Program, or the Accelerated Program.

Program for Teachers of History

This program is designed to offer updated content courses for teachers of history, especially in secondary schools. It provides new content in the specific areas in which secondary teachers instruct. The program for teachers requires that students:

a. Complete at least 18 semester hours (six courses) in one of three major fields below:

American History (AH)
European History (EH)
World History (WH)

Courses that fulfill these major fields will be marked in the courses below, on OpenClose, on the history department’s announcement board, and/or in the instructors’ course syllabi as AH (American History), EH (European History), or WH (World History).

b. Complete at least 6 credit hours (two courses) of electives.

c. Take history and pedagogy (HIS 5XX), up to three times. HIS 5XX is a repeatable course that offers a one-credit practicum enhancement to our existing courses that offer the student the opportunity to submit a teaching portfolio explaining how the student will best use the course material to develop new instructional techniques in their educational setting. A teaching portfolio will be defined as including a minimum of three major classroom projects and a minimum 10-page narrative describing their application to the classroom.

d. Take HIS 543, Summer Institute for History Teachers, which will be a one-credit, one-week seminar in the summer on the newest curricular material and updates from the fields of American, European, and World history of use to secondary educators in history.

e. Pass a written comprehensive examination in the major field. To be eligible to take the comprehensive examination, the student must complete all course work prior to or within the semester in which the comprehensive exam is taken. The student must have at that time an average of “B” or better in his or her coursework. Students should contact the graduate coordinator to schedule the comprehensive examination.

Research Program in History

The Research MA in History is designed for those students interested in training in preparation for pursuing a PhD. It is also the appropriate degree for those pursuing a master’s in History for other non-teaching-related reasons, such as an interest in civil service, international relations, or general interest.

The Research MA in History requires the following:

a. At least 12 semester hours (four courses) in one of three major fields below:

Global Encounters (GE)
Ideas, Values, and Cultures (IVC)
Western Civilization (WC)
The Americas (A)

b. Complete 9 semester hours (three courses) in the student’s minor field, chosen from the three remaining major fields above.

c. Complete 9 semester hours (three courses) of electives.

d. Pass a written comprehensive examination in the major field. To be eligible to take the comprehensive examination, the student must complete all course work prior to or within the semester in which the comprehensive exam is taken. The student must have at that time an average of “B” or better in his or her coursework. Students should contact the graduate coordinator to schedule the comprehensive examination.

Accelerated Program in History

Students wishing to complete the MA quickly, who have the ability to take summer and intersession courses, can be admitted to the accelerated MA program in history, which offers the possibility of completing their MA degree in fifteen months. Upon admission to the accelerated program, students should complete the requirements of the research track (including the comprehensive examination) in history, through the following format:

a. Complete three courses (or equivalent combination of courses and independent studies) in the fall semester;

b. Complete one course in the intersession

c. Complete three courses (or equivalent combination of courses and independent studies) in the spring semester;

d. Complete two courses over the summer.

e. A similar arrangement can be made for students admitted for the spring semester.

f. As with all other majors, up to two 400-level courses may be used.

Acceptable Variations:

1. Students choosing to do a master’s thesis must complete the six (6) semester-hour thesis course (HIS 592) instead of two elective courses.

2. With the graduate coordinator’s approval, students may take a maximum of six (6) semester hours in 500-level courses in allied fields (such as English or Education) or in 400-level History courses.

COURSES OFFERED

Courses offered include, but are not limited to, the following:

HIS 505 New York City: Its History and Culture	3 SH	AH, A, IVC
HIS 506 Readings in American History to 1877	3 SH	AH, A
HIS 507 Readings in American History Since 1877	3 SH	AH, A
HIS 508 Readings in European History to 1500	3 SH	EH, WC, IVC
HIS 509 Readings in European History since 1500	3 SH	EH, WC
HIS 510 Fascism: Revolution or Counterrevolution	3 SH	EH, WC, GE, IVC
HIS 515 The French Revolution	3 SH	EH, WC, IVC
HIS 516 The American Revolution	3 SH	AH, A, WC, IVC
HIS 520 Origins of World War I	3 SH	EH, WH, WC, GE
HIS 521 Origins of World War II	3 SH	EH, WH, WC, GE
HIS 534 Islam in International Affairs	3 SH	WH, GE
HIS 535 African-American History and Culture	3 SH	AH, A, IVC
HIS 536 The Civil War Era	3 SH	AH, A
HIS 537 America in the Sixties	3 SH	AH, A
HIS 539 America in the 1950s	3 SH	AH, A
HIS 540 Islamic Intellectual History	3 SH	WH, GE, IVC
HIS 541 Conflict in the Modern Middle East	3 SH	WH, GE
HIS 542 Approaches to World History	3 SH	WH, GE, IVC
HIS 544 U.S. Immigration History	3 SH	A, GE
HIS 545 U.S. Urban History	3 SH	A, IVC
HIS 556 Colonial North America	3 SH	AH, A
HIS 557 The Early American Republic	3 SH	AH, A, IVC
HIS 558 History of the American South	3 SH	AH, A
HIS 570 Chinese Thought and Religion	3 SH	WH, WC, GIVC
HIS 571 China in the Twentieth Century	3 SH	WH, GE

Consult the graduate program coordinator for appropriate course selections.