►  Graduate School Rules  apply to this program

 

The master of arts in history requires 36 semester hours (12 courses). Students applying for admission to the program should have some background in history, though not necessarily a BA in the subject. The department encourages applications from individuals of any age interested in resuming their education. Graduate students in history develop skills in critical thinking, writing and independent research. Our program prepares students for a wide variety of professions, including teaching, government service, museum and archive management and historic preservation, as well as further degree work in history, law, librarianship and business. The department expects that students graduating with an MA in history will master the following general skills for their degrees:

• The ability to pursue independent historical research projects
• The ability to analyze historiographical arguments
• The ability to analyze primary documents and develop arguments from them
• The ability to create bibliographies using archival, library and Internet resources
• The ability to write in a variety of formats, including historiographical essays, book reviews and research papers

Students will also master knowledge of the basic historical content of both their major and minor fields, and an understanding of the historiographies and historical methods in their major and minor fields.

Admission Requirements

• In addition to the general admission requirements of the Graduate School, the Department of History requires an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.25.
• All applicants to the history program must take the GRE. GRE scores form a part of the department’s consideration of students’ qualifications.
• Applicants are required to submit a sample of written work, usually a term paper or project of similar length.
• Applicants should address any gaps, weaknesses or special circumstances in their academic records in the statement of purpose portion of the application. In special circumstances, the department may modify its admission standards.

APPLICATION DEADLINES

April 1               Fall admission
October 1          Spring admission

Admission decisions are made by a graduate committee comprising the graduate advisor and faculty representing fields in U.S., European, global and public history.

Graduate School Policies

All history MA students are subject to Graduate School policies related to graduate study, as well as to all relevant university policies. These policies cover such topics as time limits on degree completion, changing degree programs, incomplete grades, and more. Further information on these policies can be found in the Graduate School  section of this online catalog.

Transfer Credits

With approval from the graduate advisor and the appropriate faculty, students may transfer twelve graduate-level credits accrued before enrollment in the UC Denver MA history degree program, provided that they earned a grade of B+ or better in these courses. Students must submit a syllabus for each course they wish to transfer, and faculty may require students to complete additional assignments to meet the expectations of the department. The department will not accept transfer of courses comparable to HIST 6013. Introduction to the Professional Study of History.

Grade Requirements

A minimum grade of B- (2.7) is required in all UC Denver history courses applied toward the degree. Students who earn less than a B- in HIST 6013 must retake the class.

Residency Requirements 

The history department requires a residency of at least one academic year for the degree.                                  ^Top

Graduate Advising

Upon admission, students will sign a check list indicating their understanding and acceptance of the department’s expectations. Early in their first semester students should contact a history department graduate advisor to discuss their path through the program and to receive advice regarding the selection of major and minor fields.

Degree Tracking Responsibility

Although faculty will provide reasonable guidance, it is up to students to monitor their own progress through the program in consultation with the graduate advisor and their major advisor; this includes knowledge and understanding of application and graduate deadlines, degree requirements, thesis guidelines, etc.

Choosing Advisors and Fields of Study

All history MA candidates choose a major and minor field. Students will take courses in these fields (see Degree Requirements below) and will be tested in these fields (see Comprehensive Examinations). As soon as possible after consulting with the graduate advisor, students are responsible for contacting two field advisors, one to oversee their progress in the major field, the other to oversee their minor field.  All students should have chosen a major field and major advisor by the beginning of their second semester.

Major Fields, Minor Fields and Concentrations

The MA in history seeks to provide students with a balance of breadth and depth in the study of history. Major fields are broad areas of study within which students gain a general picture of historical processes. Concentrations provide focus for developing expertise within the major, either regionally or thematically. Minor fields provide a complementary or comparative area and must be from outside the major field.

Advisors and students together will work out Plans of Study, which indicate the courses students intend to take to meet their requirements, based on their selection of major and minor fields. Students should make every effort to enroll in courses which best fit their major field, major concentration and minor field.

Students can choose to major in one of the following four fields:

• European History
• Global History
• Public History
• U.S. History

The department has compiled a core readings list for each of these major fields. Students will draw on the core lists for their comprehensive exams. Core lists contain a number of themes with bibliographies for each theme. In consultation with their major advisor, students choose at least two books from each theme; for some themes, students will read more than two books.

Major Field Concentrations

Students work with advisors to select one of the major field concentrations listed above. Concentrations provide thematic or regional focus to a broad geographical major (e.g. for the global history major, students could concentrate on trade, borders, imperialism, etc. or any of the areas of regional expertise of our faculty). Readings for the major field concentration are in addition to the core reading list.

Minor Fields

Students choose minor fields from the list of major fields or the list of major feld concentrations. They choose their minor field list in consultation with the minor field advisor.

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