History, M.A.

Required Courses

• HIST 511 - Historiography Credits: (5)
• HIST 700 - Master’s Thesis, Project Study and/or Examination Credits: (1-6)

Total Credits: 45

Degree Options

M.A. students may choose from among three different capstone options: thesis; project; and written examination. All three options will be fulfilled via History 700.

Thesis: This option is appropriate for those who wish to pursue a Ph.D., either immediately after receiving the M.A. or at some point in the future. A thesis is a lengthy monographic work (usually 50, 60, or 150 pages long) that addresses a topic of importance to historians in an original way. Before beginning thesis research, a student must choose an advisor and submit to her/him a short research prospectus. The prospectus must be approved on or before the third week of the fourth quarter of study or before the completion of 30 credits, whichever comes last. After the thesis is completed, the student will defend his/her findings before his/her thesis committee. Students opting for the thesis option must meet the department’s foreign language requirements.

Project: Occasionally, when stsudent background or experience allows, and when faculty availability and expertise exists, a student may complete a project in lieu of the traditional thesis. Before starting an M.A. project, the student must choose an advisor and submit to her/him a short research prospectus. The prospectus must be approved on or before the third week of the fourth quarter of study or before the completion of 30 credits, whichever comes last. After the project is completed, the student will defend his/her work before his/her committee. Students opting for the project option do not have to meet the department’s foreign language requirement.

 Written examination: This option is typically for students who do not plan to pursue a Ph.D. in history. It is especially useful for seconday school teachers who want to attain the M.A. in a timely manner. Students who chose the exam option must select an advisor by the beginning of the fourth quarter of study or after completion of 30 credtis, whichever comes last. The advisor will help the student choose two additional faculty members to serve on an exam committee. The committee’s job is to draw up questions for the exam and review the student’s answers. In advance of the exam, each member of the committee will work with the student to delineate fields and suggest appropriate readings. The eight-hour exam consists of three (3) questions in a major field and two (2) questions in a minor field. After the exam is completed, the student must defend her/his answers before the committee. Students opting for the exam option do not have to meet the department’s foreign language requirements.

Choosing an Advisor

Choosing and advisor and writing a prospectus are among the most important tasks required of a graduate student, particularly those who intend to advance to doctoral work. A thesis- or project-track student will work closely with an advisor who will guide her/him in developing bibliographies and in formulating and defining arguments. An exam-track student will also work closely with an advisor who will help choose preparation materials (books, articles, course materials) and who will meet regularly with the student to discuss  those materials. The advisor’s work or training should have some geographic, thematic, or chronological connection to the student’s proposed thesis, project, or exam topic(s).

Choosing a Committee

Together with an advisor, students will choose a committee whose role is to provide additional counsel regarding the thesis, project or exam. The committee also assembles to hear the student’s defense of her/his thesis, project or exam. A committee will consist of three (3) faculty members, including the advisor. One of the committee members may be from outside the department, or in rare cases, from outside CWU. Second and third members are typically less active than the advisor in shaping a thesis, project or exam.

The Prospectus

For the thesis and project options, a prospectus must be submitted to, and approved by, the student’s advisor on or before the third week of the fourth quarter of study or before the completion of 30 credits, whichever comes last. The advisor will be the primary reader for the student’s prospectus. The prospectus is a proposal of about eight to ten pages that covers the topic and scope of the student’s thesis or project, the sources (secondary and primary) to be used and the methodology to be employed. The advisor must approve the prospectus before the student may continue toward completion of the thesis or project.

Foreign Language Requirement

Thesis-track students (but not project- or exam-track students) must meet the department’s foreign language requirement. The requirement can be met in two ways: 1) by attaining a grade of B in the final course of a two-year sequence of undergraduate-level foreign language instruction (the sixth quarter or fourth semester) either during the student’s undergraduate or graduate career; 2) by passing the department’s foreign language exam. the department’s foreign language exam requires students to translate (usually a paraphrase rather than a word-for-word translation) two short passages, one from a primary source and one from secondary literature. Students taking the language exam may use dictionaries. Faculty members with the appropriate language skills will grade the exam on a pass/fail basis. If you plan to enter a Ph.D. program in the future, we strongly urge you to gain proficiency in at least one foreign language furing your M.A. career.