History - Archived 2018-19 Graduate Catalog

Chair: Amilcar Challú
Graduate Coordinator: Benjamin Greene 
Address: 128 Williams Hall
Phone: 419-372-2030
Email: greeneb@bgsu.edu
Program Web Page: http://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/history/graduate-program.html

Degrees Offered
MA

Programs Offered
MA in History
Graduate Certificate in Public History
Graduate Certificate in History for Educators and Professionals

Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Master's degree, students in the History program are expected to be able to:

• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of historical methods and the historiography of specialized fields within the general field of history.
• Create original arguments based on research in primary sources, and they will synthesize information from a variety of sources.
• Effectively communicate their arguments in both written and oral formats.
• Participate in professional activities in academic and non-academic environments.

Prerequisites to Graduate Work
Graduate study in history requires a minimum of 24 hours of undergraduate work in history. A maximum of six hours in related areas may be accepted as part of the 24-hour requirement.

Admission Procedure
Applicants seeking admission to the graduate programs in History should follow the instructions outlined in the Graduate Admission section of this Graduate Catalog.  All application materials should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office.  In addition, applicants should review the admissions requirements specific to the History graduate program:  

1. Submission of all undergraduate transcripts;
2. Submission of GRE scores;
3. At least three letters of recommendation from professors of history or a related field;
4. Evidence of ability to conduct research and writing, such as a copy of a seminar paper or thesis;
5. A statement of purpose describing your area of research interest, motivations for coming to graduate school, and aspirations following receipt of the graduate degree.

Degree Requirements

Master of Arts
Candidates may pursue the M.A. degree under one of two plans:

Plan I: Thirty semester hours of graduate credit are required. Candidates must write a thesis and complete an oral examination on the thesis and the field of history in which it lies. This plan includes a language requirement which may be fulfilled either through a dictionary reading knowledge of an approved foreign language or the satisfactory completion of an approved course in quantitative methodology; such as EDFI-6410 Statistics in Education. Plan I is recommended for students who plan to pursue doctoral work in history.

Plan II: Thirty semester hours of graduate credit are required. This plan includes a language requirement which may be fulfilled either through a dictionary reading knowledge of an approved foreign language or the satisfactory completion of an approved course in quantitative methodology; such as EDFI-6410 Statistics in Education. Candidates must complete a comprehensive oral examination in two fields of history. Preparation for the examination normally entails the reading of at least ten to twelve books in the major field and six to ten books in the minor field, selected in consultation with two examiners.

Under both plans, a student's program must include a History seminar designated by the Graduate Coordinator as a methods course, one course in historiography, and two graduate History seminars.

Graduate Courses
Please access a listing of graduate courses online at the following URL: http://www.bgsu.edu/registration-records/courses-and-classes/class-course-information.html. Graduate courses offered by the Department of History use the prefix: HIST. Graduate courses in other departments are limited to six credits in the degree program, and consultation with the Graduate Coordinator is strongly recommended before enrolling in a graduate course outside of History.