Master of Arts in History

The course addresses the development of core research skills for advanced historical study. Through case studies analyses, the evaluation of different types of historical evidence, and the consideration of how valid research questions are formulated and applied, it is designed to refine the critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are fundamental to valid historical scholarship.

This course is the study of historical thought from its emergence in the classical world to the present. Students concentrate on how history has been interpreted, rather the facts of history themselves as well as contemplate the fundamental questions about the nature of history, and investigate the relationships between theory and evidence in historical writing. Emphasis is on the narratives historians have used to reconstruct the past, and the major historiographical schools of thought that have developed over time.

This course is a comprehensive seminar in U.S. history designed to provide a foundation in U.S. historical theory, trends, and concepts for the further study of specialized and topical history at the graduate level. Students examine the broad sweep of world history, major interpretive questions in world historiography, and major periods of interaction between civilizations. This course is not designed as a refresher of undergraduate history survey courses; rather, it is a concentrated study of U.S. history for serious history students and professionals.

This course is a comparative study to demonstrate the importance of the historical context of any great military event. Context includes all aspects of a society or culture and in this case, 18th century British and colonial American political and constitutional philosophies, social norms and societal structure, economics, religious concepts, and foreign and diplomatic policy. Students examine issues such as divergent historiographical opinions on the degree of American constitutional conservatism versus political and social radicalism, and the nature of the soldiery of the continental Army.

This course is a study of the political, economic, cultural, and social aspects of the Civil War as a seminal event in our nation’s history. Students explore the causes of the war, how a nation coped with the struggle across multiple dimensions, and how we dealt with the conflict's aftermath. Special emphasis is on the continuing debate that the impact of the Civil War had on both the North and the South.

This course examines the changes in American society at the end of the 19th century as it confronted the issues of industrialization, immigration, and urbanization. It explores the open conflict between the advocates of isolationism and collective security and studies the impact of World War I. It also studies the changing values of the 1920s, the stock market crash of 1929, the Great Depression, and the cultural, social, political, military, and economic growth of the United States from World War II to the present.

This course examines the origins, content, and judicial interpretations of the U.S. Constitution. The course involves study of the Supreme Court’s evolving decisions on such issues as States’ rights, civil rights, the Commerce Clause, Due Process in criminal and other proceedings, and protected freedoms (speech, religion, assembly, etc.) under the Constitution.

This course explores the history of expressive and material cultures around the world, with emphasis on industrialized nations. Topics include aesthetics, social identification, and production, consumption, and reception of cultural forms. Using literature, films, pictures, and music, students study theories of popular culture and aesthetic hierarchy; explicate historical contexts of artistic movements; discuss cultural imperialism; address problems of cultural appropriation, creativity, and identity; and examine cultural expressions of social difference and deviance. Topics also include the social history of culture in the age of mass society, including popular arts and the culture of consumption.

This course is an in-depth study of the westward expansion of Europeans and the United States from colonial times to the 1890s as it resulted in military conflict with the Native American Indian tribes living between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. Students focus on the military strategy and tactics, leaders and groups, economic conditions, diplomatic efforts, and cultural conflicts.

This course is a study in the history of African-Americans in the United States, with emphasis on the social forces underlying transitions from West Africa to the New World, from slavery to freedom, and from rural to urban life. Topics include the Atlantic slave trade, American slave societies, maroon communities, free blacks in the antebellum United States, Reconstruction and free labor, colonization, emigration, and urban migrations.

This course is a study of the historical experience of women in America from the colonial period through modern times. Topics include the evolution of women's work, education, legal and political status, religious experience and sex roles as well as age, class, race, sexual preference and region as significant variables in women's experience.

This course, when offered, is a one-time offering on an area of special interest that will vary each term. NOTE: Open to graduate students as an elective. Any substitution as a Concentration or Major course must have Dean Approval through your Student Advisor. SUMMER 2009 TOPIC: John Brown’s Raid at Harpers Ferry. This course focuses on the causes and consequences of John Brown’s raid on the United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), on October 16, 1859. Students read and discuss early newspaper accounts of the raid, contemporary opinions, early biographical and historical accounts, and explore how and why accounts and interpretations of John Brown’s actions and motives have changed over the nearly 150 years since the raid occurred. Students apply what they learn from accounts of John Brown’s raid and become historians of this event.

This course is an opportunity for History students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Students must complete 24 credits of study before taking this course. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. Prerequisite: University approval and Upper Level standing. Prior to registering, students should first contact the professor with whom they wish to mentor their independent study, coordinate an agreement on the grading requirements, and then NOTIFY their Student Advisor with the name of their professor.

This course prepares graduate students for the Comprehensive Examination in the Master of Arts in History program. The purpose of this course is to provide a structured weekly review of key concepts, theories, and knowledge skill sets in their degree and particular concentration. Students are required to submit responses to a number of assignments over the 8-week course prior to taking the exam. Students apply historical methodology in preparation for the exam and consult texts, journal articles, print & media reports, and documentaries, as well as collaborate with other students enrolled in the course to help them prepare for the exam. Assignments serve as a means of final preparation for the student and calibration with the course instructor, who will grade the exam. The exam requires an approved proctor and is scheduled prior to the last week of the course. Students may not schedule the exam early and will not receive a grade until the end of the course. The "Comprehensive Final Exam" is tailored specifically to each student’s program. This option requires a minimum of 36 hours of coursework. A minimum of 21 hours must be taken within the concentrations and 6 credits in electives. A non-thesis student receives the MA degree upon successful completion of the required coursework and passing.