History, MA

Department of History

Rhodes Tower 1319
(216) 687-3920
https://artsandsciences.csuohio.edu/history/master-arts-in-history

Stephen Cory, Department Chair
José Solá, Graduate Director

Introduction

The Master of Arts in History program provides advanced training in American, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, European, and Latin American history. It encourages students to explore various areas and topics while allowing them to focus on subjects that captivate their interest. The program aims to equip students with a substantial understanding of historical content and practical skills to identify and analyze themes and patterns across the historical landscape.

The Master of Arts in History program prepares students for employment and additional enrichment for secondary school teachers, historical organizations, archives, museums, local, state, and federal offices, as well as in advanced graduate programs such as Ph.D. programs.

Encouraging close contact between students and faculty is achieved through a combination of lecture-discussion courses, internships, and research seminars. These initiatives aim to enrich and deepen students’ historical knowledge while providing training in history as both a scholarly and applied discipline.

Admission Information

In addition to the College of Graduate Studies requirements for admission, applicants to the History program must have the following:

1. An undergraduate major in history with a grade-point average of 3.0 or better, or sufficient undergraduate history courses with grades of B or better to serve as an indicator of probable success in the graduate history program.
2. Two letters of recommendation, preferably from professors with whom the applicant has taken advanced undergraduate history courses.
3. A writing sample that demonstrates the candidate’s research, analytical, and writing abilities. The department prefers applicants submit a substantial research paper from a history course of at most 20 pages.
4. Results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are desired from all applicants. However, GRE test results are required for applicants who still need to meet the College of Graduate Studies requirement of at least a 2.75 undergraduate GPA for admission.

Under particular circumstances, an applicant may remediate undergraduate deficiencies by enrolling as a non-degree student. Non-degree students must achieve a graduate GPA of 3.0 or better for twelve credit hours in approved courses to qualify for admission.  Upon admission to the program the twelve credits may be applied toward the degree.

Apply Now: https://grad.engagecsu.com/

Financial Assistance

The Department of History offers a number of graduate assistantships and internships to complement full-time study. Assistantships require approximately ten to twenty hours of service per week to the department, depending upon the award received. Graduate assistant responsibilities include tutoring students, assisting professors in preparing lectures and discussions, and working on departmental programs. Additional financial assistance may be available through various internship programs. Applicants interested in assistantships for the Fall Semester must complete their application packet by April 1st of the prior Spring Semester.

Career Information

The History MA program is intended to prepare students for entry into doctoral programs in history and work in a museum or non-academic setting. Graduates of the program are also prepared for secondary-level teaching in history and social studies and careers in public history (i.e., the practice of history in a non-academic setting).

In addition, the master’s program in history develops a variety of skills that are basic to success in many careers in business and other professions. Recent graduates have demonstrated skills in conceptualization, research, analysis, and oral and written communication in careers in banking, the media, insurance, journalism, law, marketing and advertising, publishing, and government service.

Faculty Research and Publications

All graduate faculty members participate in the activities of local and national historical associations and are active in research and publication in their fields of specialization. In recent years, faculty members have made significant scholarly contributions in the form of books and articles on diverse topics, such as modern Germany, gender in late medieval and early modern Europe, 20^th-century black popular culture, American labor and immigration history, sexuality and gender in China, tenantry and land ownership in the American revolution, tourism in New Orleans, Moroccan political and social history, modern Caribbean history, urban and public history, rural Latin American history, colonialism, and racial discourse and labor activism in the 19th century South. The MA program is designed to encourage students to interact closely with faculty in their areas of interest. Through research and reading seminars, independent study, and/or writing a master’s thesis, students are encouraged to develop independent research and writing skills.

Current faculty information can be located on the Cleveland State University Faculty Profile page.