M.A. in History Program

The Master of Arts in History at Rowan is designed mainly for students who desire increased competence in historical studies preparatory or supplementary for teaching in that field on the high school or community college level.  It is also appropriate for students who seek qualification for admission to a doctoral program at another institution and for students who wish to pursue a liberal education at an advanced level for intellectual challenge and personal self-fulfillment.

Our exciting new program is set in the tradition of a Liberal Arts education. Courses offer an opportunity for students to extend their knowledge and enhance their competence in historical studies through direct, face-to-face interaction with the Rowan's award-winning, full-time faculty members.

REQUIREMENTS for the M.A.

Masters students will take 30 credits in history (10 courses) to complete the degree.  Students may choose a thesis or non-thesis track.

Courses cover themes, practices, and research in:

* American History
* Latin American History
* European History
* Russian History
* Asian History
* African History
* Middle Eastern History

Students are encouraged to specialize in American, European, or Global History.  However, each student will be required to take one course (3 credits ) outside their specialty.

 Course of Study: Two Options

 M.A. Thesis Track
The M.A. Thesis Track is designed for those who are interested in pursuing original research and is strongly recommended  for those who are planning to do doctoral work in history.

 M.A. Non-Thesis Track
Students may choose to complete the degree by pursuing coursework without a thesis.  This track may be appropriate for those seeking professional development or broader content knowledge.

Why Choose Rowan
Admission
Academic Requirements
Suggested Sequence of Course Work
Courses
Program Guide

For more information about the program contact Dr. Scott Morschauser, either by phone 856-256-4500, ext. 3993 or by email at morschauser@rowan.edu.

 

Why choose Rowan

·         Collectively, the History Department faculty at Rowan are very productive as demonstrated through their numerous publications, professional awards, and grants of external funding.  The attention of these talented faculty members to M.A. students is one of the strengths of the program.     

·         Faculty in the History Department at Rowan research and teach a wide variety of historical periods ranging from ancient  to modern history, specialize in many parts of  the globe including the Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Russia, and work in various fields including social history, women’s and gender history, religious history, African American history, etc.

·         The master’s program at Rowan is small and provides extensive contact and interaction with faculty.

·         All classes are scheduled in the late afternoons and early evenings once per week.

·         Rowan is a public university, so tuition is reasonable compared to many private universities.

Admission

Applicants for the Master of Arts in History must demonstrate they have the potential for success in graduate study by fulfilling the following requirements:

1) Submission of the graduate application with a statement of objectives and current resume. 

2) Submission of an official transcript demonstrating that the applicant has earned an undergraduate degree from                     an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 undergraduate grade point average.

3) Two letters of recommendation from undergraduate professors or other qualified professionals.

4) GRE scores

5) Submission of a writing sample. 

 Foreign students must demonstrate advanced English language skills by scoring at least 90 on the TOEFL. The final decision to admit students will be made by an Admissions Committee, which will assess the applicant’s potential for successful completion of the program.  In some instances, a personal interview will be requested.  Students whose undergraduate degrees are not in history are advised to take foundation courses at the undergraduate level, which may help with the admissions process but will not count toward the graduate degree.  The Graduate Advisor, after consultation with the department’s faculty and the student, will decide whether to admit students with an undergraduate degree in fields other than history to the master’s program. 

To apply for the program, so to the Graduate School website at: http://www.rowan.edu/colleges/cgce/common/apply.php?sentfrom=graduate

Academic Requirements

All courses count as three credits, and students must take 30 credits: 2 required courses (6 credits) and 24 credits of electives, or ten courses. Students are encouraged to devote at least 12 credits of their electives to pursuing an area of specialization in American, European, or global history, but they must take at least one course in another area.  Up to 6 credits may be taken as independent study, and students may take one elective graduate course outside of the History Program, chosen in consultation with the Graduate Advisor.  

 Consistent with Rowan’s graduate policy, students in the master’s program must matriculate after 9 credit hours.  The graduate policy also allows that a maximum of 9 semester hours in graduate credit from another accredited college or university may be applied toward the required program credits for courses.  Following this policy, the student’s advisor, department chairperson, and Graduate Advisor must approve these courses before the transfer credits are accepted.  All Rowan graduate policies regarding maintaining matriculated status and grade point average will apply. 

 A. Required courses (6 credits):

1.  Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501)

2.  Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502)

  B. Electives (24 credits)

The master’s program includes two tracks: the non-thesis and thesis track. 

 1.  The Non-Thesis Track:

 This program is designed for the majority of students for whom the master’s will be their final degree, for students who enroll in the program to gain more content courses as background for their own teaching, to further their academic work, or for personal enrichment.  Students pursuing the non-thesis track will complete the 6 required credits, Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501) and Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502), and 24 elective graduate credits in history. 

 2.  The Thesis Track:

  The thesis track is designed for students who plan to pursue doctoral work in history and for students who wish to conduct original research in history at the master’s level.  In addition to the 6 required credits, Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501) and Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502), students in this track will complete 18 elective credits and enroll in Master’s Thesis in History I (HIST 05.601) and Master’s Thesis in History II (HIST 05.602), where they will conduct research and write their master’s thesis.   

In Master’s Thesis in History I (HIST 05.601), students will develop a prospectus for their thesis and defend it in front of at least two faculty members, and in Master’s Thesis in History II (HIST 05.602), they will continue researching and writing a master’s length thesis the following semester. Students on the thesis track are also encouraged to take additional undergraduate courses in language that will not count towards their graduate degree, but will strengthen their language skills in preparation for further graduate study.

 

Suggested Sequence of Course Work

 
1.  Full-time non-thesis master’s students.  These students will typically pursue the following sequence of coursework: 

 First Semester:

            Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501)

             1 course in specialization

             1 elective

Second Semester:

            1 course in specialization

            1 course outside specialization

            1 elective

Third Semester:

            Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502)

             1 course in specialization

             1 elective

            Fourth Semester:

                        1 course in specialization

            Alternatively, by taking one summer course, students could graduate in 1 ½ years.

 
2.  Full-time thesis students.  These students will typically pursue the following sequence of  coursework. Again, by taking one summer course, they could graduate in 1 ½ years:

 First Semester:

            Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501)

             1 course in specialization

             1 elective

Second Semester:

            Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502)

             2 courses in specialization

Third Semester:

            Master’s Thesis in History I (HIST 05.601)

             1 course in specialization

             1 course outside specialization

            Fourth Semester:

                        Master’s Thesis in History II (HIST 05.602)

 3.  Part time non-thesis master’s students.  These students will typically pursue the following sequence of coursework.  Note that students who take two courses in the summer could graduate within two years:

 First Semester:

        Readings and Research I (HIST 05.501)

         1 course in specialization

    Second Semester:

            1 course in specialization

            1 elective

Third Semester:

        Readings and Research II (HIST 05.502)

         1 elective

    Fourth Semester:

            1 course in specialization

            1 course outside specialization

                Fifth Semester:

                         1 course in specialization

                         1 elective

 4.  Part time thesis master’s students would pursue the same program, except that they would take Readings and Research II (HIST 05.502) in their third semester and substitute Master’s Thesis in History I (HIST 05.601) and Master’s Thesis in History II (HIST 05.602) for electives in their fourth and fifth semesters.

 

Courses:

Required Courses: 6  credits

 Readings and Research in History I

(prerequisites: admission to BA/MA or MA program)

This course is one of two courses, along with Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502), designed to strengthen the skills of students in historical research, writing, and analysis.  It will expose students to key recent theoretical influences on professional historians, cover key developments in historiography from ancient times through the beginning of the twentieth century, and provide students with brief surveys of the major issues, including both classic and contemporary debates, within the regionalized subfields of European and Global history.  The course will provide students with opportunities for peer presentations, discussion, and leadership not necessarily available in other graduate courses.  This course is required for all students enrolled in the Master’s program in History and is a pre-requisite for 600 level graduate courses but not for other 500 level graduate courses, including Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502).  This course is usually offered once a year

 
HIST 05.502………………………………3 S.H.

Readings and Research in History II

(prerequisites: admission to BA/MA or MA program)

 This course is one of two courses, along with Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501), designed to strengthen the skills of students in historical research, writing, and analysis.  It will expose students to key recent theoretical influences on professional historians, cover key developments in historiography during the twentieth century, and provide students with brief surveys of the major issues, including both classic and contemporary debates, within the regionalized subfields of United States history.  The course will provide students with opportunities for peer presentations, discussion, and leadership not necessarily available in other graduate courses.  This course is required for all students enrolled in the Master’s program in History and is a pre-requisite for 600 level graduate courses but not for other 500 level graduate courses, including Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501).  This course is usually offered once a year.

Electives: 24 credtis

Colloquium in American History I (HIST 05.511)
This course will be the first graduate colloquium on the topic of American history that a student in this program will take.  The course focuses students on the in-depth historical analysis of a selected theme in American history, including work with historical sources, critical reading of historians’ accounts, intensive research and writing, and class discussion.  Proposed topics include American Immigration History, Colonial North America 1500-1775, The American Revolution and Early Republic 1763-1820, Comparative History of the Americas, and Modern American and European Women in Historical Perspective. 

Colloquium in American History II (HIST 05.512)

(Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master’s of Arts in History Program; HIST 05.511)
This course will be the second graduate colloquium on the topic of American history that a student in this program will take.  Otherwise, the course is identical to Colloquium in American History I (HIST 05.511).

 

Colloquium in American History III (HIST 05.513)

(Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master’s of Arts in History Program; HIST 05.511; HIST 05.512)
This course will be the third graduate colloquium on the topic of American history that a student in this program will take.  Otherwise, the course is identical to Colloquium in American History I (HIST 05.511).

Colloquium in European History I (HIST 05.521)
This course will be the first graduate colloquium on the topic of European history that a student in this program will take.  This course focuses students on the in-depth historical analysis of a selected theme in European history, including work with historical sources, critical reading of historians’ accounts, intensive research and writing, and class discussion.  Proposed topics include Ancient Historians, The French Revolution, The Holocaust in Europe, Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe, Social History of Early Modern Europe, 20^th Century War and Society, Women in Early Modern Europe, and Modern American and European Women in Historical Perspective.

 

Colloquium in European History II (HIST 05.522)

(Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master’s of Arts in History Program; HIST 05.521)
This course will be the second graduate colloquium on the topic of European history that a student in this program will take.  Otherwise, the course is identical to Colloquium in European History I (HIST 05.521).

Colloquium in European History III (HIST 05.523)
(Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master’s of Arts in History Program; HIST 05.521; HIST 05.522)

This course will be the third graduate colloquium on the topic of European history that a student in this program will take. Otherwise, the course is identical to Colloquium in European History I (HIST 05.521).

Colloquium in Global History I (HIST 05.531)
This course will be the first graduate colloquium on the topic of global history that a student in this program will take. This course focuses students on the in-depth historical analysis of a selected theme in global history, including work with historical sources, critical reading of historians’ accounts, intensive research and writing, and class discussion.  Proposed areas of specialization include Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Colloquium in Global History II (HIST 05.532)

(Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master’s of Arts in History Program; HIST 05.531)
This course will be the first graduate colloquium on the topic of global history that a student in this program will take. Otherwise, the course is identical to Colloquium in Global History I (HIST 05.531).

Colloquium in Global History III (HIST 05.533)
(Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master’s of Arts in History Program; HIST 05.531; HIST 05.532) 

This course will be the first graduate colloquium on the topic of global history that a student in this program will take. Otherwise, the course is identical to Colloquium in Global History I (HIST 05.531).

 Graduate Independent Study (HIST 05.551)
Students may complete up to 6 elective credits through the independent study option if they wish to pursue specialized knowledge not available through regular coursework.  Students must take at least one colloquium related to the topic before engaging in independent study, then develop an individual study proposal with a full time professor in the History Department.  The proposal must be approved by the graduate coordinator prior to enrollment in the course.

 

Master’s Thesis in History I (HIST 05.601)

(Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master’s of Arts in History Program; HIST 05.501; HIST 05.502)

This course requires students to design and begin implementing their own research project to be used to satisfy the program’s thesis requirement.  Under the guidance of a member of the History Department faculty who agrees to serve as Thesis Advisor, the student will develop a Research Prospectus for their thesis that will consist of an Introduction and Statement of the Problem, a Literature Review, and a brief summary of the proposed research. The student will defend the prospectus before at least two History Department faculty.  Prerequisites are two courses in historiography and research methods, Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501) and Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502).  The student will begin implementing the research after obtaining the Committee’s approval.

 
Master’s Thesis in History II

(Prerequisites: Matriculation in Master’s of Arts in History Program, HIST 05.501; HIST 05.502; HIST 05.601)

 This course requires students to complete the researching and writing of a master's-length thesis, which they began in Master’s Thesis in History I (HIST 05.601) in order to satisfy the program’s thesis requirement.  Under the guidance of a member of the History Department faculty who has agreed to serve as Thesis Advisor, the student will complete their research and write their thesis.  They will combine their work from Master’s Thesis I and II into a completed thesis which they will present to the History Department for approval.

PROGRAM GUIDE: M.A. in History

Readings and Research in History I (HIST 05.501)	3
Readings and Research in History II (HIST 05.502)	3
Colloquium in Field of Specialization*	3
Colloquium	3
Colloquium	3
Colloquium**	3
Colloquium in Field outside of Specialization	3
Colloquium (or Elective***)	3
Colloquium (or Master's Thesis in History I (HIST 05.601)	3
Colloquium (or Master's Thesis in History II (HIST 05.602)	3

                                                                                                                                                                                       30 credits
NOTE:                                                                                                                        
*Students are encouraged, not required, to take at least 12 credits in one field of history:

American, European or Global History. 

 **Up to 6 credits may be taken as independent study instead of colloquium.

***Students may take one elective graduate course outside of the History Program.