Required Credit Hours/Tuition and Fees
- 33
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Curriculum
Both thesis and non-thesis plans of study are available. Students pursuing either the thesis or the non-thesis plan must complete a minimum of 33 semester hours. All entering students are required to take a two-semester sequence of History 555 (Graduate Seminar in History and Theory) and History 556 (Graduate Seminar in Historical Research). Students may also apply to participate in an internship program that allows them to obtain practical experience in non-teaching career fields related to history.
All graduate students must complete at least four 500-level seminars (12 credit hours), not including HIST 555/556, HIST 598/599, HIST 590, or independent study courses (HIST 510). All students must also complete at least six (6) credit hours of coursework in fields outside of United States history. Thematic courses (e.g., HIST 447, HIST 470) may be considered on a case-by-case basis, with approval of the Graduate Program Director.
In addition to the 33 semester hours required, all students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a foreign language (modern or classical) or complete an appropriate research tool course or courses, chosen in consultation with and approved by the Graduate Program Director. This requirement can be completed through the following options:
- passage of an examination showing mastery of translation
- completion of four semesters of college-level study in a single language with an average of C or better (through coursework or completion exam)
- completion of a language in translation course with a grade of B or better
- completion of an appropriate research tool course with a grade of B or better.
Students must earn a grade of “B” or better in each course counting toward their graduate degree, with the exception of foreign languages. Candidates for the Master of Arts in history may pursue one of the two following plans of study:
Thesis Option
Students complete 33 hours of graduate credit, three of which represent the Graduate Core Seminar in History and Theory (HIST 555); three are the Graduate Seminar in Historical Research (HIST 556) and six of which represent a well-conceived thesis on a topic chosen in consultation with a faculty advisory committee. Enrollment in HIST 599 is required. Students will prepare a research plan during the semester or summer immediately preceding their first HIST 599 class. Students will present the research plan to the chair of his or her committee and will then distribute it to the rest of the committee. It is strongly suggested that the entire committee and the student meet together to comment on the plan. Students will not receive an instructor permit to register for HIST 599 until this process is complete.
Exam Option
This plan emphasizes breadth of historical understanding while not ignoring research techniques. Students concentrating in one primary and two complementary secondary areas of emphasis complete 33 hours of graduate credit, which includes completion of the Graduate Core Seminar in History and Theory (HIST 555) (three credit hours) and the Graduate Seminar in Historical Research (HIST 556) (three credit hours). Exam option students also enroll in six credit hours of Readings for Exams (HIST 598).
Suggested areas of emphasis can include:
- Ancient History
- African Diaspora
- African-American History
- Asian History
- Early Modern Europe
- Gender History
- Intellectual History
- Medieval Europe
- Middle Eastern History
- Modern Europe
- U.S. Economic History
- U.S. since 1877
- U.S. to 1877
The broad fields may be modified in consultation with the student's advisory committee. Before embarking on any area(s) of emphasis, a student should consult the appropriate faculty member(s). All exam option students are required to develop a portfolio of two research papers, written for different faculty while enrolled at SIUE, that reflect their primary, and one of their secondary fields of interest. All students are required to submit their portfolio to their examination committee a month before the scheduling of their written exams. In order for written examinations to be scheduled, the portfolio must first be approved by the student's committee.
