History, MA

The Master of Arts (MA) degree in History can be obtained at UCCS. The Department of History processes applications for admission to the program, offers courses required for the MA degree, and administers the final oral examination. See also Requirements for Advanced Degrees and the general requirements of the Graduate School in this Catalog.

The MA student should have a good foundation in history and a sufficient knowledge of the allied humanities and social sciences to afford an adequate background for graduate work. A candidate may be required to correct any apparent deficiencies.

Outcomes

Students with an MA in History will be able to:

Demonstrate understanding of basic historiography in chosen fields, as evident in the student’s portfolio of research papers and performance on oral examination
Formulate historical questions
Devise and apply strategies to research their questions using primary source material
Answer their questions in the forms of academic writing
Discuss their understanding and research in oral form

The following departmental rules with respect to the Master of Arts degree supplement, but in no way supersede, the requirements of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado.

MA Admission

Application Deadlines: All graduate applications must be completed by March 1 for admission for the following fall semester, and by October 15 for admission for the following spring semester.

Exceptions require the approval of the history department graduate faculty committee.

Writing Sample: For purposes of admission to the graduate program, a writing sample will be required.

MA Requirements

General Requirements

Thirty credit hours are required for the MA in History degree.
In history courses, no grade lower than B- will count toward the completion of course work for the Master’s degree. Candidates must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in their graduate courses, or face departmental probation.
MA candidates are required to pass an oral exam that covers the course work that they have completed. The oral examination committee will consist of three professors. Candidates will also present, and defend, before the history faculty a portfolio of three papers (submitted in triplicate) that they have written in research seminars. Candidates may have no more than six credit hours of course work pending at the time they attempt this examination. The examination, for which a student must register, will be given each semester, including summers, at times agreed upon by candidates and the history faculty.
The department offers to evaluate the academic progress of graduate students after two semesters of course work, if they request this review. The purpose is to apprise students of their progress in professional training as historians.

Required Course Work

All course work will be taken within the Department of History, with the possible exception of the elective requirement described below; further exceptions may be granted by the department’s graduate faculty and according to Graduate School regulations.

HIST 600, Historiography (3 credit hours) is required of all graduate students
Three Readings/Research sequences (see Historical Field Options)
HIST 960, Independent Study
Elective course, 3 credit hours

History 960

Students will also take three credit hours of Independent Study (HIST 960) to prepare for oral exams and presentation of a portfolio of three papers (in triplicate) to the history faculty (See General Requirements above).

Elective Requirement

In addition to History 600, History 960, and the three readings/research sequences, each MA student is to take one elective for three credits. This must be either an extra readings seminar; or, by permission of the history department graduate faculty committee, a 300-or 400-level history department undergraduate course; or, by permission of that committee, a course at the 300-level or higher in another department. Regarding these undergraduate courses, there is no guarantee of availability for any particular course; any prerequisites need to be observed; no course counted for the BA degree may count for the MA credit; and, at the discretion of the instructor, extra assignments could apply to graduate students.

Historical Field Options

Students must take courses from the specific historical fields offered by the history department (see a list of the historical fields below). Seminars in a historical field are offered over two consecutive semesters: “Readings” in a specific field will be offered one semester (with a 600 n umber); and “research” in the same field will be offered only in the following semester (with a 700 number). A “research” course at the 700-level may not be taken without having completed the prerequisite of the corresponding 600-level “readings” course. “Readings” courses are for 3 credits; “research” courses are for 4 credits. MA students must complete the readings and research in at least three historical fields for a total of 21 credit hours.

No course may be taken twice for credit.

Exceptions to the above requirements require the approval of the history department graduate faculty committee.

Historical fields and their course numbers are as follows:

European History

United States History

Asian History

Latin American History

Note:

Any of the above seminars may be offered only once over a period of several years. In order to plan their graduate careers, students should check the history department Web site at http://web.uccs.edu/-history to find out when specific historical fields will be taught and who will be offering them. Each year the history department usually offers a two semester, readings/research sequence in American History, and a two semester, readings/research sequence in a non- American field.

MA, History Sample Course Schedule

Below is a sample schedule for a full-time graduate student who will complete the MA degree in five semesters (including one summer) or two years. This is an ideal case; most students take slightly longer to complete the degree.

First Year

Fall Semester:

History 6 Readings in Field #1

HIST 600 - Historiography

Spring Semester:

History 7 Research in Field #1
History 6 Readings in Field #2

Second Year

Fall Semester:

History 7 Research in Field #2
History 6 Readings in Field #3

Spring Semester:

History 7 Research in Field #3
Elective

Summer Semester:

Oral exam

HIST 960 - Independent Study in History: Graduate

General Requirements

Thirty credit hours are required for the MA in History degree.
In history courses, no grade lower than B- will count toward the completion of course work for the Master’s degree. Candidates must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 in their graduate courses, or face departmental probation.
MA candidates are required to pass an oral exam that covers the course work that they have completed. The oral examination committee will consist of three professors. Candidates will also present, and defend, before the history faculty a portfolio of three papers (submitted in triplicate) that they have written in research seminars. Candidates may have no more than six credit hours of course work pending at the time they attempt this examination. The examination, for which a student must register, will be given each semester, including summers, at times agreed upon by candidates and the history faculty.
The department offers to evaluate the academic progress of graduate students after two semesters of course work, if they request this review. The purpose is to apprise students of their progress in professional training as historians.