Program Description

Pursuing a graduate degree in history should be enriching both personally and professionally, equipping the individual with a deeper understanding of the past as well as providing an appreciation of the complexities of the present. From a professional perspective, it opens the door to a number of careers. A Master of Arts degree in History is usually a requirement for teaching the subject at community colleges, and it provides an excellent complement for teaching the history/social science framework at the high school level. Students completing the MA program will have developed critical, analytical, and writing skills that are of value in many fields.They will have received what is widely considered an excellent preparation for careers in public relations, journalism, law, politics, and the civil service. For those considering a Ph.D. in history, and eventually teaching at the university level, the MA program gives students a taste of what is involved and prepares them for doctoral work. Although the program does not require knowledge of a foreign language, students are strongly encouraged to develop a reading ability in a language other than English.

The MA program in History at CSUB offers two options: examination or thesis. 

Application Process and Admission

Those seeking a Master of Arts degree in History must apply for graduate study to both the History Department (the application is available online or from the department) and the university Office of Admissions (the application is available online at www2.calstate.edu/apply/graduate). Admission to the university does not constitute acceptance into the History MA Program as a graduate student, and all applicants should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator when applying.

Admission Requirements

The following criteria must be met for admission as a Classified Graduate Student in History:

• A baccalaureate degree in history from an accredited college or university; if it is not in history, students may be asked to take up to four upper-division undergraduate courses at CSUB and have that record thereafter be assessed by the History Graduate Committee before being formally admitted as a Classified Graduate Student;
• Good academic standing at the last college or university attended;
• Transcripts showing an overall 3.0 GPA in the last 60 semester units (90 quarter units) of the last two years of college or university coursework;
• A letter of intent;
• Evidence of historical writing (preferably an upper-division research paper, demonstrating research and analytical skills);
• Two letters of recommendation, ideally from university instructors, when possible.

The History MA program at CSUB does NOT require the GRE exam.

Classification of Graduate Students

There are three classifications for students in the History graduate program:

Classified Standing

A student who meets all the requirements for admission to the MA program in History will be admitted as a Classified Graduate Student.

Conditionally Classified Standing

Students who have been accepted into the History MA program by the History Department will be conditionally classified when the department admissions committee requires them to take up to four (4) courses for preparatory work (most often in the case of non-history majors).

Advanced to Candidacy

Classified students who have maintained a 3.25 GPA and have satisfied the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) will be advanced to candidacy in the term in which they intend to graduate. Upon admission to the university and graduate-level study in the History Department, students should discuss with the Graduate Program Coordinator their plans to fulfill the requirements of the MA Program. It is the student’s responsibility, in consultation with the appropriate faculty members, to choose the examination or thesis option, fields of study, and to organize an examination or thesis committee.

Committee Selection

Each MA student in History must have a committee, either to provide examinations or to read and guide the thesis. The Graduate Program Coordinator can provide assistance in forming an MA committee.

Academic Advising

It is essential that the MA student stay in contact with the Graduate Program Coordinator and the committee chair, so that the department can provide current information to help the student move expeditiously through the program.

Good Academic Standing

To remain in good standing in the program, a student must attain a 3.25 GPA in HIST 5030 and the first three additional 5000-level courses he or she takes. A student who does not do so may not continue in the program.

Transfer Credit

Credit for graduate courses from other institutions, up to a maximum of 9 semester units (13.5 quarter units) will be considered by the Graduate Program Coordinator and the Department Graduate Committee.

Program Options

There are two program options leading to an MA degree in History: the examination option and the thesis option. HIST 6970 Master's Thesis and HIST 6980 Comprehensive Exam are credit/no-credit courses. Graduate students are encouraged to earn as many units as possible in 5000- or 6000-level courses. A maximum of 12 semester units, however, may be earned in 4000-level courses.

Once students decide on the examination or thesis option, they should secure the appropriate Plan of Study from the Graduate Program Coordinator. This Plan of Study, which will be kept in individual students’ files, will formally indicate committee members, coursework leading to the MA degree, date of classification, and satisfaction of the GWAR (see below).

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)

All MA candidates must demonstrate writing competency at the upper-division level. Students who have not had the equivalent of an upper-division writing course in history, in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator, may be required either to take HIST 3008 Historical Writing or the waiver exam.

Waiver of GWAR

MA students may be exempted from the GWAR if the following apply:

• The student has graduated from a CSU or UC since 1980.
• The student earned the following score on a standardized test taken since 1980: CBEST—41 or higher on the writing portion; GMA
• 4.5 or higher on the writing portion; GRE—4.5 or higher on the analytic writing portion of the GRE General Test.
• The student has had one or more articles published as a first author in a refereed professional journal (student must submit this work to the chair of the university-wide GWAR committee with a formal request to waive the GWAR).
• The student already holds an MA or MS in any discipline that included a master’s thesis or project. (The student must submit this work to the chair of the university-wide GWAR committee with a formal request to waive the GWAR).

The Master of Arts in History - Examination Option (30 units)

The examination option path to the MA degree provides an excellent foundation for those who plan to teach at the high school or community college level, as well as those considering the PhD. It generally is completed in less time than the thesis option and provides student with a broad base of knowledge and bibliography that will be of significant value when they are preparing courses in their teaching career.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
HIST 5030	Historical Research Methods and Historiography	3
HIST 6980	Comprehensive Exam	3
Graduate Seminar Courses
The Americas
Select at least one of the following:		3
HIST 5110	Reading Seminar in US History to 1865
HIST 5120	Reading Seminar in US History in 1860
HIST 5130	Reading Seminar in the American West
HIST 5310	Reading Seminar in Latin American History
World History
Select at least one of the following:		3
HIST 5410	Reading Seminar in the Asian World
HIST 5420	Reading Seminar in African/Middle Eastern History
HIST 5510	Seminar in European History
HIST 5610	Reading Seminar in the Ancient Mediterranean World
HIST 5620	Reading Seminar in the Atlantic World
Additional Graduate
Graduate or 4000-level courses 1		12
Total Units		24

¹

Students may take no more than 40% of the program (12 units) in 4000-level courses

Examination Committee

The examination committee will consist of three members, one for each of the three fields in which the student will be examined. Two of the members shall be History Department faculty members who taught two of the student’s four reading seminars. The third member may also be one of the faculty who taught one of the four reading seminars, or the student may choose a faculty member to give an exam in a thematic field. The student shall choose one of the committee members (subject to that member’s consent) to chair the committee. The committee will help students prepare for MA exams. The examination results will be forwarded to the Graduate Program Coordinator, using the following grading scale: Honors, Pass, or Fail.

Written Examinations

Students who have maintained at least a 3.25 GPA in their graduate coursework should obtain the signature of their committee chair prior to taking their exams, and must be enrolled in the university in HIST 6980 in the semester in which they take the exams. The exams shall consist of three two-hour written exams, with one exam administered by each member of the committee. The exams are scheduled over a one-week period and are offered once a semester. (Note: No student shall be permitted to take an examination in a field in which he or she has not had formal course work.) Any failed examination may be repeated one time within the following 12-month period.