History, M.A.

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The Master’s degree is designed to prepare students for careers in applied history, teaching and for application to Ph.D. programs in history.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

identify major themes, theoretical or methodological frameworks, and debates within the historiographies of their chosen fields.
formulate an original research question and develop a plan for investigating it, using appropriate historical sources and methodologies.
present their arguments clearly and persuasively in written work, oral presentations, or other formats.
apply historical thinking, research, and presentation skills to a variety of academic and non-academic careers.

Contact Information

Edward Schoolman, Graduate Program Director

Department of History
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, Nevada 89557-0308
(775) 682-89647
eschoolman@unr.edu

Graduate Handbook *

Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

Scholarly understanding of the discipline of history demonstrated in written work and in seminars.
Demonstrated comprehension of historiography and methods.
Demonstrated ability to frame scholarly questions.
Knowledge and ability to write analytically and historiographically in three fields demonstrated in three examination essays.
Ability to frame a research question and present scholarly finding demonstrated in a thesis and thesis oral examination.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year college or university, with a major or 24 semester credit minor in history or a closely related discipline (acceptable fields outside history are determined on a case-by-case basis by the Graduate Studies Committee). A cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (unless the applicant has demonstrated unusual promise during his or her junior and senior years) and satisfactory scores on the GRE general test are also required for admission to Graduate Standing in History.

I. Program Requirements

A. Required Courses (9 units)

HIST 780 - Seminar in Methodology (3 units)
HIST 783 - Historiography (3 units)
Choose at least one of the following:
HIST 700 - Cultural Studies and History (3 units)
HIST 701 - Philosophy of History (3 units)
HIST 781 - Historiography: the Americas (3 units)
HIST 785 - U.S. Historiography (3 units)

B. Fields of Study (15 units)

Five (5) additional courses to be determined by the student’s committee or the Graduate Program Director, at least one must be a seminar.

C. Thesis Requirement (6 units)

Student will write a thesis in their major field of study that demonstrates knowledge of historiography, use of primary sources, analytical and expository skill.

HIST 797 - Thesis (1 to 6 units)

D. 700-Level Requirement

Students are required to complete at least 18 units in 700-level courses, including 6 units of thesis credit.

E. Language Proficiency

Students undertaking thesis research that employs non-English source material may be expected to undertake study in the principal language of those sources. The selection of the language and the nature of language study would be determined by the student’s committee in concert with the Graduate Program Director.

II. Program Total Hours (30 units)

The MA program requires a total of 30 units, including a six-unit thesis and 24 units of course work; reading knowledge of one foreign language; a public prospectus colloquium; and a final oral examination (thesis colloquium).
MA students are required to complete at least 18 units in 700-level courses, including 6 units of thesis credit.