Degree Requirements

Master of Arts

The degree is offered in three options: with thesis, with report, and without thesis or report. The thesis option requires at least thirty semester hours of coursework, including one research seminar; the report option requires at least thirty-three hours, including two research seminars; and the option without thesis or report requires at least thirty-six hours, including two research seminars. All options require at least six hours of supporting coursework taken outside the major field of specialization in history; some or all of these six hours may be taken either within or outside the department. With the exception of the major field in United States history, all options require demonstrated competence in a foreign language. Each student’s Program of Work must be approved by the student’s primary adviser and the graduate adviser.

Doctor of Philosophy

The Graduate Program Committee maintains close control over admission to the doctoral program; students are reviewed each year until they enter candidacy, and are approved for continuation only if the committee believes the student will excel in doctoral work.

Students who enter the department with a master’s degree are evaluated for admission to the doctoral program after completing their first semester in the department; those who enter with a bachelor’s degree, after their second semester.

The doctoral degree student must complete at least thirty-six hours of graduate work, at least twenty-four of which must be in history. At least six of the required twenty-four hours must be in research seminars (or at least three of the twenty-four hours if the student has written a master’s thesis at the University). The student must also complete a twelve-hour supporting field outside the major field of interest in history; some or all of these twelve hours may be taken either within or outside the department. Courses taken at the University for the master’s degree are counted toward the hours required for the doctoral degree. The graduate adviser may also permit transfer of up to twelve hours of graduate credit from another institution.

The student must fulfill the foreign language requirement for the major field as prescribed in the official Program of Work of the department.

To qualify for admission to candidacy for the doctoral degree, the student must pass both a written and an oral examination in the major field. He or she must then write a dissertation and defend it before a supervisory committee of at least five faculty members, including one member from outside the department.

The student must meet any other requirements prescribed individually by the Graduate Studies Committee or by the dissertation supervisory committee.