History

 

For admission into the history graduate program, the department admissions committee usually bases its evaluation on a broad set of criteria which include coursework, grades, test scores, statement of purpose or a writing sample, letters of recommendation, and other evidence of academic accomplishment and promise.

BA in History, or BA in another field with 18 credit hours in undergraduate History. Students with less than 18 hours of undergraduate History courses may enter the program provided they register simultaneously in undergraduate courses to meet the 18-hour requirement. Such undergraduate course credits earned will not count towards the graduate degree.

 

Up to nine semester hours earned at either another accredited graduate school or with another graduate program at Virginia State University may be transferred towards the Master's degree with the approval of the Coordinator(s) of the Graduate Program in History and the Department Chair. In all cases, an approximate grade of ‘B’ in the courses taken is required.

 

Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test are required. In exceptional cases, a student may be allowed to fulfill the requirements by passing ENGL 516 (Advanced Writing) and/or MATH 499 (Mathematics Review).

Foreign Language

Graduate students in History are required to demonstrate intermediate level proficiency in a modern foreign language.

 

In addition to the requirements set by the School of Graduate Studies, applicants to the history graduate program should submit a statement of purpose or a writing sample of about 1,000 words, as well as two letters of recommendation.

Students entering the History Graduate Program should consult with the Program Coordinators who will review their undergraduate records, determine their academic needs, provide them with faculty profiles, and advise on possibilities for graduate student assistantship. Program coordinators also advise the chair in the selection of a faculty advisor for the student. In collaboration with the Program Coordinators, faculty advisors are responsible for maintaining student records and periodically meeting with students to review their academic progress.

 

The Department Chair will assign each student entering the program a Faculty Advisor who will be the student’s Major Professor. Students in the thesis option may select a Thesis Advisor from among the Graduate Faculty in the department or have one assigned to them. The list of faculty profiles will assist the student in making the choice. The faculty advisor may be the same as the thesis advisor or a Program Coordinator. Students may change advisors if and when necessary.

The Program Card shows the list of possible courses to be taken in various categories from which a schedule for the student is derived. Students should therefore meet with their advisors to complete the Program Card, which will then be sent to the Graduate School for approval.

 

Required Courses:

·         HIST 509: The Philosophy and Theory of History                        3 credit hours

·         HIST 510: Historiography                                                         3 credit hours

·         HIST 554: Historical Research Methods                                    3 credit hours

·         HIST 555: Thesis                                                                    3 credit hours

American History Courses                                                                 Minimum of 6 credit hours

World History Courses                                                                       Minimum of 3 credit hours

 

The student would then choose additional electives to complete the total requirement of 30 hours for the M.A. degree. These electives must be either graduate courses offered in the Department of History and Philosophy, graduate courses offered at another accredited graduate school, or graduate courses offered by another graduate program at Virginia State University. No more than nine semester hours earned at either another accredited graduate school or with another graduate program at Virginia State University may be transferred towards the Master's degree in History. All transfers of credit must meet with the approval of the Coordinator(s) of the Graduate Program in History and department Chair.

Required Courses:

·         HIST 509: The Philosophy and Theory of History                        3 credit hours

·         HIST 510: Historiography                                                         3 credit hours

·         HIST 536: Comprehensive Examination                                     0 credit hours       

American History Courses                                                                 Minimum of 6 credit hours

World History Courses                                                                       Minimum of 3 credit hours

 

The student would then choose additional electives to complete the total requirement of 30 hours for the M.A. degree. These electives must be either graduate courses offered in the Department of History and Philosophy, graduate courses offered at another accredited graduate school, or graduate courses offered by another graduate program at Virginia State University. No more than nine semester hours earned at either another accredited graduate school or with another graduate program at Virginia State University may be transferred towards the Master's degree in History. All transfers of credit must meet with the approval of the Coordinator(s) of the Graduate Program in History and department Chair.

 

 

The course explores the philosophy and theory of history, including the roles of ethics, politics, and cultural identity in historical interpretation, the variety of connections that exist between the past, present, and future, and how these connections can be expressed in terms of historical consciousness and interpretation. The course then focuses on various specific theories of historical interpretation, and how these theories connect with other disciplines.

 

The course provides an intensive reading colloquium on the literature of history paying special attention to how and why different schools of historical thought have provided competing interpretations of the same events. Readings will focus on the history of America and the Atlantic World from the Colonial period to the contemporary era, though specific topics will vary depending on the instructor.

 

Prerequisite: Approval of Faculty Advisor and Department Chair. Approval will only be granted on the assumption that the student will have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours for the M.A. degree during the semester in which the student registers for HIST 536.

A requirement of the Non-Thesis Option, the comprehensive examination is intended to demonstrate the student’s competency in history at the Master’s Degree level. The student’s Master's Defense Committee is responsible for determining the exact form and content to be covered in the student’s comprehensive examination, which will, in any case, include both a written and an oral component.

 

A pre-requisite for HIST 555 (Thesis), this course is intended to let students become acquainted with and gain experience doing historical research, including interpretation of primary sources, using archival materials, compiling annotated bibliographies, and citing historical sources. Special attention will be paid to improving students’ skills and abilities in writing historical essays. During this course, students will initiate serious research and data collection for the M.A. Thesis.

 

A requirement for the Thesis option, the thesis produced must follow the guidelines set by the Department of History and Philosophy as well as those of the School of Graduate Studies for the M.A. Thesis. The final draft of the thesis must be approved by all members of the student’s Master’s Thesis Defense Committee.

 

Course List: American History
HIST 501—The Colonial Era in American History

HIST 506—Native Americans in Early American History
HIST 511—Special Topics in United States History

HIST 513—The Revolutionary Era in American History, 1763-1812
HIST 514—Seminar in Southern History
HIST 515—Antebellum and Civil War America
HIST 517—Seminar in Reconstruction
HIST 518—Industrialization, Expansion, and the Rise of the American Empire, 1850s to 1945
HIST 520—Seminar in American History After World War II

HIST 537—Economic and Business History of the United States
HIST 539—A History of the Constitution of the United States
HIST 540—From Freedom to Slavery: The Black Experience in North America to 1865
HIST 541—From Slavery to Freedom: The Black Experience Since 1865
HIST 543—History of Race Relations in the U.S.
HIST 545—Women's History

HIST 546—Modern American Social History
HIST 547—Oral History
HIST 551—Independent Study in American History
HIST 553—History of Black Education in the United States
HIST 559—A History of Black Religious Experiences in America
HIST 592—Coming to America: A History of Immigration to the Americas

Course List: World History
HIST 512—Special Topics in World History

HIST 525—Latin American History

HIST 542—History of Slavery in National and International Perspective
HIST 561—Africa to 1800
HIST 562—Africa Since 1800
HIST 563—The Atlantic World During Colonialism and Slavery
HIST 564—The Atlantic World in the Post-Colonial Era

 

Academic Performance

A graduate student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will be placed on probation. Failure to raise the GPA to 3.0 within a semester will lead to dismissal from the program. Students suspended for academic reasons may appeal to the Graduate Policies and Petitions sub-Committee of the Curriculum and Academic Issues Committee for reinstatement.

A student can take up to two Special Topics courses (HIST 511 and HIST 512) as long as they do not duplicate courses taken or being taken.

A student can take one Independent Study course (HIST 551) to further his/her special historical interest after a semester of study as long as it does not duplicate a course taken or being taken.

All degree requirements must be completed within six years. Extensions of up to two years may be granted by the Graduate Policies and Petitions Sub-Committee.

A student will only be eligible for advancement to candidacy after completing a minimum of 12 semester hours with a ‘B’ average in the approved program of study and removing all conditions on admission. The student must have approval from his/her faculty advisor and the Program Coordinators to apply for admission to candidacy. Admission to candidacy must be completed no later than the preceding semester in which the student expects to graduate.

At any point during the course of study, a student who has completed between 12 and 24 graduate semester hours can submit for review and approval, a thesis proposal to the Master's Defense Committee the student selects. The committee should consist of three graduate faculty, two of whom must be from the History Department (including the student's advisor).

 

Proposal: The thesis proposal must include:

·         a thesis statement;

·         an annotated bibliography;

·         a plan of research.

 

Thesis Title Card: Candidates for the Master of Arts degree will file the Thesis Title Card approved by the advisor in the semester before the candidate expects to complete all requirements for the degree.

 

Thesis: The completed thesis must comply with the guidelines set by the Department of History and Philosophy as well as those of the School of Graduate Studies. 

 

Review and Defense: Drafts of the thesis should be forwarded to the Master’s Defense Committee for review and comments. The final draft of the thesis must be submitted to all members of the committee at least ten days prior to the scheduled defense date, which should not be later than the last day of classes during the semester in which the student intends to graduate. In certain cases, the student’s work may be approved conditionally, pending certain changes as recommended by the committee.

 

At any point during the course of study, a student who has completed between 12 and 24 graduate semester hours can select a Master's Defense Committee. The committee should consist of three graduate faculty, two of whom must be from the History Department (including the student's advisor). The committee will determine the form of the final written and oral examinations. 

Comprehensive Examination: The student must file with the Graduate School, a completed Application for Comprehensive Examination Form during the final semester of study or after he/she has completed all course work. The student, in consultation with the Master's Defense Committee, is responsible for scheduling the final written and oral exams at the end of the last semester of the student’s course work.