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  Master of Arts in History

Prerequisites:

Admission to graduate status and to graduate courses requires completion of an undergraduate major in history or the permission of the department.  Applicants must also complete the General section of the Graduate Record Examination prior to admission to the program.

Degree Options

The Master of Arts in History offers two options:

Master of Arts in History Option I (Thesis): Basic Requirements

• Hist 505 (4 cr.) 
• Hist 690a,b,c [thesis] (12 cr.)
• A written thesis prospectus is a prerequisite for 690b registration
• Three courses in a primary field and two in a secondary field
• Elective courses (13 cr.) 
• 45 total credits

Master of Arts in History Option II (Non-Thesis): Basic Requirements

• Hist 505 (4 cr.)
• Four reading seminars*(16 cr.)
• Three courses in one field and three courses in another with no more than one 400 level course in each area (maximum 10 credits at the 400 level)
• Submission of three revised graduate seminar papers to a committee of three department faculty no later than week seven of the final term of study.  Proposed revisions to be arranged with that committee no later than week seven in the term prior to the final term of study.
• 48 total credits

*Reading and Writing Seminars: Reading seminars revolve around reading and discussion of special topics; shorter written exercises such as exploratory or bibliographical essays may be assigned, but not major papers. Writing seminars are extensions of reading seminars in which students write major research papers based on previous preparation in a reading seminar.

Language Requirement: The foreign language requirement may be met in one of two ways: by passing an examination approved or administered by the department; or by earning a B grade or higher in the last course of a second-year language program.  Courses graded on a pass/no pass basis would not qualify for satisfying the language requirement.  Tests and course work taken before entry into the graduate program may be counted if completed within five years of acceptance into the graduate program, or, where appropriate and with departmental permission, a demonstrated competence in mathematics, statistics, or appropriate computer programs/processes, as determined by adviser.

For catalog information on deadlines, areas of study, general information about the degree and teaching assistantships, please read this Word document,Graduate Information Sheet.

For more information on our graduate program in history, contact the main history office. jennie.huber@wwu.edu

For information on our graduate program in Archives and Records Management, follow this link:Archives Program