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The M.A. Programs |
| ADMISSION Admission to the M.A. Program is at the discretion of the Department's Graduate Committee and Chair, which act within the framework of standards set by the University and the College of Arts and Sciences. Admission requirements are:
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In evaluating grades, test scores, recommendations, and other supporting
documents, the Department's Graduate Committee primarily seeks evidence
of promise in the field of history. No single item either qualifies or disqualifies
a student for admission. Someone with high GRE scores, but indifferent college
grades may have to explain convincingly why he or she is now ready for serious
professional work, whereas someone with lower GRE's and good grades may
present samples demonstrating real research and writing ability. Provisional admission may be extended in certain cases where students do not meet usual standards. To gain full M.A. candidate status, the provisional student must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Department an ability to pursue a degree program with reasonable promise of success. On the completion of 12 hours of courses taken for letter-grade credit, a provisional student must then apply for full standing, using the Graduate Academic Action form. Although an undergraduate major in history provides a desirable background for more advanced work, majors in other fields will be given full consideration. The Department recognizes that almost any major may provide an adept student with knowledge or methodologies useful in the field of history. REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM M.A. ADVISING The Chair of the Graduate Committee will usually make the initial appointment of a faculty advisor for an incoming M.A. student based on the principle of an equitable distribution of advisees among all the graduate faculty. M.A. students likely to continue on to the Ph.D. degree are to be assigned an advisor in their main field of interest. Any time in his or her M.A. program a student may request the assignment of another academic advisor. STRUCTURE OF THE M.A. PROGRAM The M.A. student should, in conjunction with an advisor, decide early in his or her first year on the basic configuration of a program. The three biggest options concern number of fields, choice of tool of research, and the writing of a thesis. The student and advisor should also work out a tentative timetable for the completion of course work, tool of research exam, and comprehensive examination. Most students choose one field of study without writing a thesis. In this format most of the student's course work falls within the confines of a particular historical field (e.g., History of the U. S., 1607-1865 or History of Modern Europe Since 1789) and is partly designed to help him or her prepare for the comprehensive exam in that field. Although the colloquia provide particularly important information and methods, students should use their elective courses to help them cover important areas within the field, and they should also expect to do additional reading on their own. An alternative structure for the M.A. involves work in two separate historical fields. This arrangement is designed for someone who has, for example, an interest in both American and European history, an interest in American history and public history, or a need for an interdisciplinary field. In the first field (the major field) the student takes at least one colloquium and one research seminar, and at the end of study, the comprehensive examination. The second field is not subject to a comprehensive examination, but it is covered by 12 semester hours of approved course work, completed with grades of B (3.0) or better. The definition of fields and the apportioning of courses should be done in careful consultation with the advisor. The Department has created a regular cluster of courses and internships for those who wish to do a minor field in public history. A separate option is the M.A. thesis, which involves a longer and more intensively researched work than the research seminar papers. Choosing to write a thesis can, and usually does, force a student to take longer to complete the M.A. program. Another choice for the student to make, in consultation with an advisor, is the designation of a tool of research. The tool of research should be related to the student's research interests and options. A student who enters the program without necessary techniques in his or her field will need to devote time, and perhaps also course work, to acquiring them. The student and his or her advisor are responsible for successful planning. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE The Department receives from the university a limited amount of financial assistance which it apportions according to merit, particularly when students enter the program (M.A. or Ph.D.) Some students receive full coverage of their tuition (tuition remission), some partial tuition, and some worthy students receive no aid. In addition, some students receive a stipend. In most cases students who receive financial assistance must perform service within the Department, usually as a teaching assistant or teaching fellow in a large course. Those who do not receive aid from the Department's limited fund may be able to find work elsewhere at the university or in the Washington, D. C. area. Financial constraints may require a student to do part-time academic work throughout his or her program or at some point in the program. Department awards (teaching assistantships and fellowships) are annual awards that are renewable, given appropriate academic performance. No M.A. student will receive more than two years of support. |
