Master of Arts Degree in History
The Master of Arts Program in History at UNC Charlotte
is designed to give motivated students an opportunity
to pursue advanced studies in close collaboration with
accomplished scholars. The program emphasizes the development
of methodological, literary, and conceptual skills that
graduates can employ as students in a doctoral program,
as professional oriented history teachers in secondary
schools, or as citizens more acutely aware of the historical
evolution of their society. Offering both day and evening
courses, the Department of History attracts a diverse
group of traditional and non-traditional students. Candidates
may pursue the M.A. degree on either a full-time or
part-time basis.
The Department offers courses in African, Asian, European,
Latin American, and United States history, with particular
expertise in the following areas:
- American Society--Private Life and Public Culture
- American South, Old and New
- Comparative Industrialization and Urbanization
- European Culture and Politics, 1550-1950
- Gender, Race, and Slavery in Comparative Perspective
For a sense of past and current offerings, see the
following list. Graduate History
Courses
Requirements
for Admission to the History M.A. Program
In addition to the general requirements for admission
to the Graduate School, the following are required for
admission to the M.A. program in History:
| 1. A satisfactory undergraduate
GPA in History or a related discipline. |
2. Acceptable performance on the verbal and
math portions of the G.R.E. |
The priority deadline for admission to the History MA program is February 1.
The secondary deadline is March 1. No applications for full time students submitted after the March 1 deadline will be considered.
Students wishing to attend the MA program full time will only be considered for admission to the fall semester. We will consider applications for a limited number of students wishing to attend the MA program on a part time basis (taking only 1 course per semester) to the spring semester. Applications for the spring semester (for part time students only) are due no later than October 1. However, we encourage all students to begin the program in the fall, as our first year curriculum is structured sequentially. We do not accept any applications for admission during the summer sessions.
Degree Requirements (beginning Fall 2007)
The Master of Arts degree in History requires completion of one of the following options. All students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better to graduate. For more information on each type of course required, click on the link or scroll down to the definitions below.
The following requirements are valid for all students beginning their degrees in Fall 2007 or later. Students who registered before that date will be held to the old requirements.
M.A. in History (thesis option): 30 credit hours
Required Courses (15 total hours)
Electives/tutorials (9 total hours)
- at least 3 hours must be in 6000-level history courses
- No more than 6 hours of electives can be at the 5000-level, in independent study (HIST 6894) or outside the department of History (in any combination)
Thesis (6 hours)
At least 6 hours of History courses must be in fields other than United
States history
M.A. in History (examination option): 30 credit hours
Required Courses (15 total hours)
Electives/tutorials (12 total hours)
- at least 3 hours must be in 6000-level history courses
- No more than 9 hours of electives can be at the 5000-level, in independent study (HIST 6894) or outside the department of History (with no more than six hours of any one of these).
Examination (3 hours)
At least 6 hours of History courses must be in fields other than United
States history
M.A. in History, Public History Concentration: 36 credit hours
Required Courses (21 total hours)
Electives/tutorials (9 total hours)
- at least 3 hours must be a Public History elective
- No more than 6 hours of electives can be at the 5000-level, in independent study (HIST 6894), or outside the department of History
Internship (3 hours)
Thesis (3 hours)
For
more information on requirements for the concentration
in Public History see the program's web page.
Colloquia: [3 offered each Fall, one in the Spring]
- Broad readings courses in the following fields, each of which will be offered on a regular rotation: U.S. to 1865; U.S. since 1865; Europe in the Long 19th Century; Europe in the 20th Century; Colonial Latin America, Modern Latin America. The courses are conceived as the foundation for a comprehensive exam in that field.
- Emphasis on critical reading, analytical writing, and mastery of historiography in the given field.
- Students in traditional M.A. program must take 3 colloquia including one from outside of their national or geographical area of focus; students in Public History must take 2 differentcolloquia.
- Students in the traditional M.A. program must take two colloquia in the fall of their first year. Public History students taking only 6 hours in the fall of their first year may request an exemption to take only one colloquium.
Historiography/Writing Course (required for all students): [Spring]
- This course will introduce students to different theoretical approaches and methodologies for writing history. Over the course of the semester, students will, in conjunction with a faculty adviser, write a draft thesis proposal. All full-time students must take this course in the spring semester of their first year.
Thematic Electives [Fall and Spring]
- Courses addressing a particular theme, method, or problem, generally involving readings that cover more than a single nation/period. Examples might include courses on gender history, nationalism, industrialization, urbanization, or race.
- Final paper may be research paper or substantive historiographical essay; the former is encouraged for students on the thesis track.
Public History Sequence
- A sequence of three courses, History in the Digital Age, Museums, and Preservation, which introduces students pursuing a concentration in Public History to the basic outline of the discipline. These courses are taught in a three semester rotation. All Public History students should take one of these courses in each of their first three semesters.
Public History Electives
- Courses that address more specialized aspects of the field of public history; may address either methodologies (for example Oral History or Documentary Editing) or fields of practice (for example Preservation Law).
Seminars: [Fall and Spring]
- Small group research classes to be taken the semester following the related colloquium.
- Some common readings, but the focus is on student research skills and writing. All students will complete a major research paper based at least in part on primary sources.
Tutorials: [Fall and Spring]
- Small group readings courses on topics more specific and detailed than those covered in colloquia.
- Some common readings and some individual readings.
- Final paper may be research paper or substantive historiographical essay; the former is encouraged for students on the thesis track.
Course of Study
A. The course of study for first year full time students is shown below. Required courses are in italics.
Fall Semester:
- Colloquium
- Colloquium*
- Elective, or the first course in the Public History sequence.
* All full time students are required to take a minimum of 2 colloquia in their first semester unless given special permission by the graduate coordinator. Students in Public History who take 6 credits in their first semester will be granted this exemption, and will take one colloquium and the first course in the Public History sequence.
Spring Semester:
- HIST 6693/Historiography and Methodology
- Seminar in related field to a fall semester colloquia
- Colloquium, elective, or second course in the Public History sequence.
The department recognizes that some students will begin their degree in the spring or complete their degree on a part-time basis. Such students will need to develop a course of study in consultation with the graduate coordinator that adheres to the spirit of the curriculum.
B: Thesis / Exam track and the second year course of study.
At the end of the first year, students in the traditional M.A. program who are interested in writing a master’s thesis will apply for candidacy on the basis of the thesis proposal prepared in HIST 6693 and a portfolio of work from their first year colloquia and seminar. A committee composed of the graduate coordinator, the instructor of HIST 6693, the instructor of the student’s spring seminar class, and/or the student’s proposed thesis adviser will decide whether the student is sufficiently prepared to enter the thesis track or whether their program might be better served by the exam option.
In their second year, students on the thesis track will take appropriate seminars, tutorials, or electives (including the required third colloquium if needed) in order to prepare for completing the thesis. Students on the exam track will take additional colloquia, tutorials and electives in order to develop the broad field knowledge necessary for their exams or project. Public History students will complete their required courses in Public History and take additional electives, colloquia, or tutorials to prepare for their Public History thesis.
Thesis Defense/Comprehensive Examination
After completing the required courses, students must
either prepare a Master's thesis based on original primary
research or take comprehensive written examinations
based on reading lists compiled in consultation with
faculty members. In both cases, the candidate must then
pass an oral examination based on their thesis or written
examination.
An Examining Committee, consisting of two graduate
faculty members from the Department of History and a
third member selected from History or another department,
oversees the student's thesis work or conducts the comprehensive
written and oral examinations.
Assistantships and Financial Aid
The Department of History supports approximately eight
students with assistantships, which are currently funded
at $9,000 per year. Additional financial support for
students comes from internships, summer teaching in
the Department, archival work in the library's special
collections, and teaching opportunities at the local
community college. Students doing thesis research may
receive modest travel grants. The Department also has
a limited number of tuition waivers.
Research Experience and Internships
Internships may be available with the Mecklenburg County
Historical Commission and the Journal of Urban History,
both of which are headed by members of the Department
of History. The Museum of the New South, located in
uptown Charlotte, employs students for research and
design. Students also may serve as research assistants
for members of the Department of History. See the Graduate
Coordinator for other research opportunities.
Please
note that you MUST complete a simple
form before
receiving a permit for any of the 6000-level independent
study options
Admission to Candidacy
An Admission to Candidacy form must be submitted during
the semester preceding the one in which the student
plans to complete the degree requirements, either by
defending a thesis or taking a comprehensive examination.
For more information, please contact Dr. Melissa Feinberg, the graduate coordinator, at mfeinber@uncc.edu.
|
