MA Degree Requirements

Graduation requirements for the Master of Arts with a major in History include:

Completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours (12 hours of the master's core courses, 12-15 hours of advanced courses, and 3-6 hours of thesis/capstone courses).
Cumulative grade point average of 3.0 with no more than 2 courses with a grade of C.
Completion of at least 24 hours of graduate degree requirements in residence with no more than 6 hours of transfer credit.
Completion of all degree-related course requirements, including transfer credit, within a continuous six-year period.
Students are required to file their Plan of Study with the Registrar's Office prior to the earning 24 hours.
Prior to beginning their Thesis or Capstone Seminar, students must fulfill the language requirement.

Language Requirement

All candidates for the Master of Arts with a major in History must demonstrate competency in one language in addition to English.

The language competency requirement is met by taking a translation examination administered by the department. The exam will be a translation of about 500 words to be completed in two hours with a dictionary allowed. The translation exam may be attempted three times.

If a student has completed four semesters of a foreign language, or the equivalent, within the last five years at a university or community college, the student is eligible to take the translation exam with no further coursework. For a non-European language, the student should consult with his/her primary professor concerning minimum skill level to qualify for the translation exam.

If a student's foreign language hours are more than five years old, the student must take a competency exam. If successful in placing at the level of a fourth semester in the language, the student is eligible to take the translation exam.

In order to pass the translation examination, a student may find it necessary to take language courses at North Georgia or another institution. These courses never count toward the degree requirements for the MA.

Curriculum Requirements – 30 hours
Master's Core Requirements – 12 hours

HIST 6000

Historiography

3 hours

Students will select two courses (6 hours) from the following:

HIST 7001	Colloquium in World History	3 hours
HIST 7002	Colloquium in European History	3 hours
HIST 7003	Colloquium in American History	3 hours
HIST 7004	Colloquium in Military History	3 hours

Thesis Track

An additional 6000 or 7000 level course

3 hours

Non-Thesis Track

HIST 7500

Teaching History

3 hours

Major Area – 12-15 hours

Thesis Track – 12 hours

Non-Thesis Track – 15 hours

Students are required to take 12-15 credit hours within an area of concentration. No more than six credit hours total can come from graduate course work taken outside the Department of History and Philosophy or through transfer credit. The History program coordinator at North Georgia has final approval over appropriate courses in addition to those listed below. Please check with the coordinator for applicability prior to registering for the course.

At this time, the only concentrations offered in the program are World and Military History. Other concentrations in American and European History may be added as resources permit.

Courses approved for the concentrations:

ANTH 6500	Studies in Regional Archaeology
HIST 6000	Historiography
HIST 6100	U.S. History
HIST 6110	Colonial America
HIST 6120	Early National U. S.
HIST 6140	History of Evolutionary Science
HIST 6150	Social & Cultural History of U.S. to 1860
HIST 6151	Social & Cultural History of U.S. from 1860 to Present
HIST 6152	Social Movements
HIST 6160	War and Society in America
HIST 6161	Studies in American Revolution
HIST 6170	Appalachian Studies
HIST 6180	Civil War and Reconstruction

HIST 6185	Georgia History
HIST 6200	Studies in European History
HIST 6201	History of Western Civilization II
HIST 6220	Renaissance/Reformation
HIST 6225	Early Modern Europe
HIST 6230	Nineteenth Century Europe
HIST 6232	World War I
HIST 6235	Twentieth Century Europe
HIST 6240	Modern France
HIST 6250	Modern Britain
HIST 6260	Modern Germany
HIST 6300	Studies in Latin America
HIST 6310	Gender and Sexuality in Latin America
HIST 6320	Regional Studies in Latin America
HIST 6330	Indigenous Peoples of Latin America
HIST 6400	History of the Modern Middle East
HIST 6410	Islam in World History
HIST 6450	The Crusades
HIST 6500	History of India
HIST 6630	Modern China
HIST 6640	Modern Japan
HIST 6650	Mongol Conquests
HIST 6700	History of Africa
HIST 6800	History of Developing Nations
HIST 6850	Modern World Revolutions
HIST 6860	World War II
HIST 6870	Asian Civilization
HIST 6875	Cultural Encounters & Exchange in World History
HIST 6880	Vietnam and its Wars
HIST 7001	Colloquium in World History
HIST 7002	Colloquium in European History
HIST 7003	Colloquium in American History
HIST 7004	Colloquium in Military History
HIST 7190	Independent Study in United States History
HIST 7500	Teaching History
HIST 7700	Capstone Seminar in History
HIST 7810	Readings & Research/Modern World since 1900

Other non-history graduate courses relevant to concentration up to 6 hours.

Thesis or Capstone – 3-9 hours

Students will choose one of the following options:

A. Thesis Option – 9 hours

HIST 7000	Thesis Research	3 hours
HIST 7300	Master's Thesis	6 hours

In the second to last semester prior to graduation, the student must enroll in HIST 7000 (Thesis Research) and in the final semester enroll in HIST 7300 (Master's Thesis) In the final semester, a student will submit a thesis in an acceptable style of historical writing that demonstrates the ability to investigate independently a topic of historical significance. The topic will be selected in consultation with the student's Major Professor. The student must defend his/her thesis prospectus before the thesis hours start. The student should bring this form to the defense. Style and format will be in conformity with the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (University of Chicago Press) and university standards.

B. Capstone Seminar Option – 3 hours

HIST 7700

Capstone in History Seminar

3 hours

Master's Exam

In lieu of completing a traditional thesis, a student may pursue the capstone seminar option. In the final semester of study, the student will enroll in HIST 7700 and will produce an article-length capstone paper. This option is not recommended for students intending to pursue advanced degrees beyond the MA level.

The Master's Exam should be taken in the student's final semester. The student's major professor will administer a written examination, testing the candidate's understanding of the methodology of their chosen field and overall mastery of their historical field.

The process for the exam is as follows:

The student will form an Examination committee in consultation with the Major Professor.
The student will form a reading list suitable to their concentration in consultation with the committee.
The student will submit a list of questions in connection with the readings to the committee and defend it before the committee. The questions will be on significant historical issues, demonstrating understanding and mastery of the methodology and historiography of her/his chosen field. If the list is deemed suitable, the committee and student will set a date for the examination.
The examination will consist of three questions, one chosen by each committee member. The questions may be drawn from the student's list or may be created independently by the committee. The student will have 3 hours to complete the written exam.
The last part of the exam will be an oral defense of the written answers conducted by the student's major advisor and the other Committee members.
Steps 2 through 4 should be completed within a semester. A student will be allowed a total of three attempts to pass the exam.

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Master of Arts with a Major in History