Master of Arts In History

Overview

The Master of Arts in history is specifically designed to meet the needs of students from a variety of backgrounds and with many different career goals. The department offers graduate courses that cover a wide variety of topics and geographic areas, with a particular focus on the United States, Europe, and Latin America, as well as borderlands, transatlantic, and transnational history.

About The Program

The history Master of Arts prepares our graduates to work in public history, as history instructors, or in any career requiring well-developed skills in research, critical thinking, and writing. Along with traditional colloquia and seminars focusing on a variety of geographic and chronological topics that develop our students' ability to research and write, we offer certificates in professional areas such as archival administration and public history. Those interested will also find skill-developing workshops and coursework on community college teaching, digital humanities, and GIS. For students who take a full course load (nine hours per term), the program can be completed in two years. However, many of our MA students are working professionals and enroll on a part-time basis. We offer most courses at night and permit a wide latitude in time-to-degree. Applicants should have either a BA in history, 18 hours in upper-division undergraduate history courses, or preparation in related subjects.

Career Opportunities

• History instructor at secondary and community college level
• Museum professional
• Archival administration specialist
• Jobs requiring research, content creation, and writing
• Work in government and nonprofit sectors

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Degree Options

Thesis

• Thirty hours of coursework including a minimum of six hours devoted to the composition of an original work of historical research and writing under the guidance of a history faculty member.
• Well-suited for students interested in the historian's craft and may benefit those considering future studies at the doctoral level.

History - General Non-Thesis

• Thirty-six hours of courses, including more electives and requiring a portfolio rather than an independent thesis project.
• Well-suited to educators and other professionals who wish to enhance their careers by demonstrating advanced mastery of historical content and methodologies.

Archival Administration OR Public History Non-thesis tracks

• Designed specifically for students interested in pursuing careers as archivists
• Thirty-six (36) hour option includes a six-hour internship (in either archives or other public history venue), expanded elective classes, and a final portfolio project.

Archival Administration Certificate

Those who have already earned either an MA in history or a Master of Library Science may complete 12 hours—Archives I, Archives II, and a six-hour internship in archival administration—to earn an Archival Administration Certificate. Because this certificate is attached to a graduate degree, it cannot be earned by those with only a BA.

Degree Plan

Requirements for Non-Thesis option

• HIST 5339 --- Historical Theory And Methodology --- 3
• HIST 5340 --- Issues And Interpretations In U.S. History --- 3
• or HIST 5341 --- Approaches To World History
• Content courses (reading colloquia and research seminars) in U.S., European, African, Latin American, Transatlantic or Transnational history --- 30

Students may take up to 9 hours in another discipline that has a history-related focus with advisor approval.

Final Term: Portfolio submitted; portfolio project completed and defended

Total Hours --- 36

Requirements for the Thesis option

• HIST 5339 --- Historical Theory And Methodology --- 3
• HIST 5340 --- Issues And Interpretations In U.S. History --- 3
• or HIST 5341 --- Approaches To World History
• Content courses (reading colloquia and research seminars) in the U.S., European, African, Latin American, Transatlantic or Transnational history --- 18

Students may take up to 6 hours in another discipline that has a history-related focus with advisor approval.

• Thesis --- 6

Total Hours --- 30

Requirements for Archival Administration option

• HIST 5339 --- Historical Theory And Methodology --- 3
• HIST 5340 --- Issues And Interpretations In U.S. History --- 3
• or HIST 5341 --- Approaches To World History
• Content courses (reading colloquia and research seminars) in the U.S., European, African, Latin American, Transatlantic or Transnational history --- 18

Students may take up to 9 hours in another discipline that has a history-related focus with advisor approval.

• HIST 5342 --- Principles Of Archives And Museums I --- 3
• HIST 5343 --- Principles Of Archives And Museums II --- 3
• HIST 5644 --- Archival/Public History Internship --- 6

Final Term: Portfolio submitted; portfolio project completed and defended

Total Hours --- 36

Requirements for Public History option

• HIST 5339 --- Historical Theory And Methodology --- 3
• HIST 5340 --- Issues And Interpretations In U.S. History --- 3
• or HIST 5341 --- Approaches To World History
• Content courses (reading colloquia and research seminars) in the U.S., European, African, Latin American, Transatlantic or Transnational history --- 12
• HIST 5342 --- Principles Of Archives And Museums I --- 3
• HIST 5343 --- Principles Of Archives And Museums II --- 3
• HIST 5345 --- Introduction To Public History --- 3
• HIST 5348 --- Topics In Public History --- 3
• HIST 5644 --- Archival/Public History Internship --- 6

Final Term: Portfolio submitted; portfolio project completed and defended

Total Hours --- 36

Students electing to complete an internship in archival management will also earn a certificate in archival administration (see Certificate section).

Students interested in either archival administration (see Certificate section) or public history as an area of study are encouraged to consult the Graduate Advisor to discuss a program of work.

Why Choose Us?

• Cutting-edge scholars in transatlantic and transnational history
• History of cartography and access to the world-famous Garrett Map Collection
• Geographic Information Systems instruction, with emphasis on geographic humanities
• Only archival administration certificate program in the Metroplex
• Small classes and individual attention

Admission Requirements

Unconditional Admission

The criteria for admission below are used, without specific weights, as positive indicators of potential success in the program. In all but the most exceptional cases, all four criteria for unconditional admission must be met in order to receive unconditional admission.

• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (as calculated by Graduate Admissions) in the last 60 credit hours in the course of completing a B.A. degree in History (or an appropriate other field) from an accredited institution (verified by official transcripts from each college or university previously attended sent directly from the registrar of that institution to Graduate Admissions).
• A writing sample, sent to the Graduate Advisor. The Department prefers that applicants send a research paper written in an upper-division history course, but other examples are acceptable. The essay should demonstrate the applicant's writing, research, and analytical skills where possible. There is not a specific page minimum, but papers should not be over 25 pages.
• Three letters of recommendation (from faculty if possible) mailed directly from the recommenders to the History Graduate Advisor.
• A minimum score of 153 on the verbal section and a minimum score of 4 on the analytical writing section of the GRE aptitude test (verified by official GRE scores sent to Graduate Admissions). However, standardized test performance is not the sole criterion for admission or the primary criterion to end consideration for admission.
• UTA graduates who completed their B.A. with a grade point average of 3.3 or higher may be eligible to waive some admissions requirements including the GRE exam. For more information, please contact the M.A. Advisor.