History, M.A.

General Admission Requirements

Students admitted are required to demonstrate an ability to discover and interpret historical evidence and to write cogently and lucidly. In addition to general regulations for gradutate admissions, applicant must:

1. Attain an undergraduate major in history. Students whose undergraduate major was in a subject other than history, but who nevertheless with to complete a history graduate degree, must have completed at least 20 undergraduate, upper division history credits with at GPA of 3.0 or better prior to full admission to the graduate program.
2. Attain a 3.0 cumulative GPA for undergraduate work and a 3.25 GPA or better in the history major. Applicants with a GPA deficiency may petition the Hisotry Department Graduate Committee for special consideration.
3. Submit offical G.R.E. scores for the genral examination.
4. Submit a 7-10 page writing sample.

Required Courses

• HIST 511 - Historiography Credits: (5)
• HIST 512 - History Graduate Readings Seminar Credits: (5)
• HIST 515 - History Graduate Research Seminar Credits: (5)
• HIST 700 - Master’s Thesis, Project Study and/or Examination Credits: (1-6)

• Must take 6 credits.

Total Credits: 45

Degree Options

MA students may choose from among three different capstone options: thesis; project; and written examination.

Thesis: This option is appropriate for those who wish to pursue a PhD, either immediately after receiving the MA 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. By the end of the sixth full quarter, the student must submit at least one completed chapter of the thesis to the thesis director for approval. 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 student 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 MA 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 PhD in history. It is especially useful for seconday school teachers who want to attain the MA 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 preparing a prospectus and/or field bibliography are among the most important tasks required of a graduate student.  For those pursuing the thesis option, your advisor will work closely with you an many aspects of your thesis.  For those pursuing the examination option, your advisor will (in consultation with other faculty) select the book list over which you will be examined. Your advisor’s work or training must have some geographic, thematic, or chronological connection to the topic of your proposed thesis, project, or exam.

Choosing a Committee

Together with an advisor, students will choose a committee whose role is to counsel you as you proceed with your MA thesis, project or exam. The committee also assembles to hear your defense of your thesis, project, or exam. Your committee will consist of three (3) faculty members, including your 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, you must write a prospectus by the third week of your fourth quarter or after the completion of 30 credits, whichever comes last. Your advisor will be the primary reader for your prospectus. The prospectus is a proposal of about 8-10 pages, including the following:  the topic and scope of your student’s thesis or project; a tentative theses statement; the primary sources you intend to use; a historiographical review, including a statement of your wour’s place within it; and a preliminary chapter outline. Once the prospectus is completed and approved, your advisor will asist you in assembling a committee (composed of three people) before which you will defend your thesis or project. This committee should be chaired by a historiean, but can include faculty from other departments.

The Field Bibliography

For the examination option, you must draw up a major field bibliography, in consultation with your advisor. Typically these contain at least thiry books, which you must read in preparation for the exam. You must also select a minor field advisor who will help you to make a minor field bibliography of at least fifteen books.

Foreign Language Requirement

Those who choose the thesis option 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 PhD program in the future, we strongly urge you to gain proficiency in at least one foreign language furing your MA career.