MA in History
Master of Arts Degree, History
The Department of History and Philosophy Graduate Program at MSU is designed to train students to think historically, to conduct research effectively, and to write lucidly. Students research and write in seminar settings as well as individually under the guidance of a faculty committee. The program seeks to expand students' intellectual horizons and expose students to the variety of roles played by historians in academic and public life through seminar discussions, classroom instruction, teaching assistantships, and internships.
The department offers concentrated training in three particular areas: the history of science, technology and society; environmental history; and history of the American West. While the degrees offered by the Department are grounded in American history, the faculty is committed to familiarizing students with critical theoretical concerns, the history of women in a multicultural context, and to encouraging students to think about the history of the United States in a global context.
The MA degree requires a total of 30 credit hours. The following required courses have been created to serve as the core of each graduate student’s program. Each student will work with a committee to design a program of study that fits their research interests. Students may also take up to 9 credits of 400-level courses in history or in related disciplines, such as historical geography. Internships at museums and historical societies may also count for credit.
Required Core Courses
| HIST 503 | America Before 1860 | 3 |
| HIST 505 | U.S. History 1860-Present | 3 |
| HIST 512 | Topics in World History | 3 |
| HIST 540 | History Methods | 3 |