Department of History

MA Program

The M.A. program lasts for two years and is for students who wish to obtain a Ph.D. degree but have not yet earned an M.A. in History from another school (since we do not offer a terminal MA, this program is not for students who only want an MA degree).  During the two years in the M.A. program students receive a graduate-level introduction to history as an academic discipline as well as methodological training in the craft of research and academic writing. Apart from this, they build their expertise in a regional field (Europe, United States, Asia, Latin America)  while at the same exploring transnational/thematic history across regions in our transnational field seminars. The culminating work of the M.A. program is the completion of a journal-article length work of original research, which should be of potentially publishable quality and significance. All candidates for the M.A. degree must demonstrate competency in a foreign language before sitting for the M.A. examination.

After a successful completion of the M.A. students may advance to the Ph.D. program, based on departmental approval. 

For detailed information on the requirements, please see the Graduate Handbook .