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Department of History

Graduate Degree Requirements

The History graduate program gives you every opportunity to explore your disciplines extensively while meeting some basic requirements:

  • Students are required to take Philosophy of History and Historiography (HIS 496), an introduction to the literature and concepts that guide our discipline.
  • Students must meet a research requirement, generally by completing the departmental research seminar, Research in History (HIS 497), or by completing a thesis.
  • Students must meet a capstone requirement, either a thesis or a field of study. 
  • Students on the thesis track must take a minimum of 15 credit hours of 400-level seminars, and the students on the Field of Study track must take a minimum of 18 credit hours of 400-leel seminars.

Tracks of Study

Having flexibility when choosing courses gives you the opportunity to explore areas of history that interest you the most. Our program's capstone requirement offers you the ability to bring your studies into greater focus. You can choose a thesis option or a field of study option.  

Thesis Option

The thesis option requires a total of 30 hours of graduate credit to complete.  Students selecting this option will take 24-26 hours of course credits, including HIS 496, plus 4-6 hours of thesis credits that students can take towards the research and writing of their thesis.  

By the end of their second semester, the student should identify and secure a faculty member to serve as the thesis advisor. The student will work with the advisor to prepare a thesis proposal, work out a schedule for completion, and select at least one other faculty member to serve on the thesis committee. The thesis should be at least 75 pages and no longer than 150 pages. Students will defend the thesis before final submission and the thesis committee will need to approve the thesis before the student can graduate.

Field of Study Option

The field of study option requires a total of 33 hours of graduate credit to complete.  Students selecting this option will take 30 hours of course credits, including HIS 496 and HIS 497 (Research in History), plus three hours of directed readings on a sub-field of historical study, known as a "field of study" (HIS 490).

The student will work with a faculty member who will serve as the advisor. Students will identify a comprehensive list of readings in the chosen field and will master those readings in preparation for a final examination. The exam will be evaluated by the advisor, along with a second reader. The student must earn a grade of B or above on the exam to pass HIS 490 and be eligible to graduate.