The student must take a minimum of 30 units of upper division and graduate coursework. Of these units, at least one-half (15 units) must be graduate level work (i.e. courses numbered 700 and above). Important note: while MORE than half of the units may be graduate coursework, the number of undergraduate units must not exceed the graduate ones. In addition to coursework, the student must satisfy a Culminating Experience Requirement (either a comprehensive examination in the major field or a master's thesis and oral defense of thesis) and the Auxiliary Skills Requirement. CourseworkDistribution of Courses for History Master's Degree (except for World History Concentration - see below)
1. Courses common to all history graduate students (6 units): History 700: History as a Field of Knowledge (This course should preferably be taken in the first semester of study or in the semester immediately following the successful completion of any conditions attached to admission into the graduate program. Under normal circumstances, this course is a prerequisite for other graduate seminars.) History 896: Directed Reading (the M.A. Comprehensive Examination) or History 898: the Master's Thesis 2. General Field and Research Requirements (24 units): With one exception, a candidate for the Master of Arts in History must be prepared in two fields: a major field (15 units) and a minor field (9 units). A slightly different set of requirements shapes the World History concentration; see its special requirements below. The candidate will be expected to demonstrate competence in the major field by passing a four-hour written comprehensive examination in that field. Under certain circumstances a student may be permitted to write a thesis and make an oral defense of the thesis in the major field of study. Graduate coursework must include at least one research seminar, in which students complete research based on primary sources. The research seminar may be in either the major or minor fields of study. Usually, course descriptions will state explicitly if a seminar has been designed to be a reading or a research seminar. But, if you have doubts, be sure to ask the instructor or the Graduate Coordinators. Note that under department rules, students may list only six units of History 899 (Special Study) on their Graduate Approved Program, three in their major field and three in their minor field. Upon approval from the Graduate Coordinator students may substitute one required graduate seminar for another. A. The Major Field (15 units)The Major Fields consist of the history of the United States, Modern World history, Europe before 1500, Europe after 1500, Latin America, and Gender in History. Students should consult with the Graduate Coordinators and their adviser(s) to establish the necessary coursework for the major field. Upon consultation and with consent of your adviser and the Graduate Coordinator, students may take up to three units of work in their major field outside of the department. When consulting advisers and instructors in your major field, keep in mind that the purpose of the required and recommended upper-division courses is to fill in any gaps in your academic background. Hence, it is important to consult with an adviser to see which courses are the most appropriate for you.
Required graduate courses: History 710, Ancient History; History 720, Medieval History (In some cases, a graduate seminar in an ancient or medieval topic from another department may be substituted for either History 710 or History 720; depending on the topic, History 730 may satisfy the medieval requirement.) In addition, a minimum of three upper-division courses selected from the following or upon consultation with adviser(s) will make up the major field; courses should be chosen from both antiquity and the Middle Ages so as to provide a chronologically balanced program:
Required graduate courses: History 730, Early Modern Europe; History 740, Europe since 1815 In addition, a minimum of three upper-division courses selected from the following or upon consultation with major adviser(s); courses should be chosen from various time periods so as to provide a chronologically balanced program:
Required graduate courses: History 805, Seminar in the History of Women (This course may be taken twice, each time with a different topic; a second graduate seminar may be taken outside the department with the consent of a Graduate Coordinator. Or, other graduate seminars in the History Department on any topic may fulfill this requirement, if the research contains a significant gender component.) In addition, a minimum of three upper-division courses selected from the following or upon consultation with major adviser(s):
Required graduate courses: History 830, Seminar in Latin America (This course may be taken twice, each time with a different topic; a second graduate seminar may be taken outside the department with the consent of the Graduate Coordinators.) In addition, a minimum of three courses, selected with the assistance of an adviser, needs to be chosen from among the following:
Required graduate courses: HIST 701, The Historiography of World History HIST 850, Topics in World History since 1500 One additional graduate seminar, either Hist. 740, Hist. 790. Hist. 830, Hist. 840, or Hist. 850. The concentration in Modern World history combines the major and minor fields into a single package of 21 units. After completing History 701, students select graduate level and upper-division classes from three of the following four areas of study, distributing them on a 6/6/9 unit basis:
It is essential that students consult with an academic adviser or one of the Graduate Coordinators in the selection of electives in this field.
Required graduate courses: History 780, U.S. to 1877; History 790, U.S. since 1877 In addition, a minimum of three upper-division courses from the following or upon consultation with major adviser(s); courses should be selected so as to provide a chronological balance in the program:
Note: History 450, California History, is the one 400-level course that will not fulfill the major field requirements in U.S. History. B. The Minor Field (9 units)The Minor Field consists of nine units, three of which must be taken in a graduate seminar. The Minor Fields are the United States , Europe before 1500, Europe since 1500, Latin America, East Asia , Gender in History, the Modern World, and, with the prior approval of the Graduate Coordinators, a special field designed by the student (e.g., urban history, labor history, historiography, or public history). Students should consult with instructors and the Graduate Coordinators before constructing a Minor Field. Three units of work in the minor field may be taken outside of the department. C. ResearchWithin the student's coursework, three graduate units must be devoted to research in either the major or minor field. If the student takes a research seminar, this requirement will be met by that course. If the student takes three reading seminars, a directed research course must be taken, preferably in the form of History 899, in conjunction with and directed by the instructor of one of the student's graduate reading seminars. This research must involve the use of primary sources and should ordinarily involve the utilization of the student's auxiliary skill. D. Auxiliary SkillsEach M.A. candidate is expected to have one skill to aid in her or his historical study. In almost all cases, this skill will be a reading knowledge of a foreign language; but, upon advisement, a candidate may design a two semester course of study in another skill that is relevant to their research. For the candidate offering a foreign language, evaluation may be by either examination or coursework. Proficiency in French, German, Russian, and Spanish may be demonstrated by either of two methods of examination: (1) a score of 500 or better on the Graduate School Foreign Language Test compiled by the Educational Testing Service and administered several times a year by the University Testing Office; or (2) a passing score on the reading examination administered by the Foreign Language Department of this University. Proficiency in any other language (Chinese or Italian, for example) must be demonstrated by the second examination method only. Candidates are encouraged to consult the Foreign Language Department early in their program for diagnostic evaluation. To complete the requirement through coursework, the student may take six units of advanced level courses (through at least the second semester of the second year) in a given language. Comprehension of the language needs to be current; the coursework must have been completed within the last seven years. The courses do not have to be completed at SFSU; community colleges offer the level of coursework that will satisfy the language requirement. It is also possible to demonstrate proficiency in a language by the successful translation of material for a research project; the Graduate Coordinators can discuss this option in more detail. Students must file a Completion of Specified Graduate Requirements form when they have completed their auxiliary skill. The Graduate Coordinators must sign this form in all cases except one: the Foreign Language Department will submit this form for those students who pass the reading examination prepared by that department. It is the responsibility of each student to inform the Graduate Coordinators that he or she has satisfied this requirement. E. Filing the GAPEach student must prepare, in consultation with the Graduate Coordinators, a Graduate Approved Program (the GAP). The GAP form, which can be obtained online from the Graduate Studies website (click here) should be filled out and filed in the penultimate semester of graduate work (with no more than six units remaining to be completed). Be sure to review the university requirements for the GAP. The GAP lists the specific courses to be fulfilled by the graduate student before the degree is awarded; it includes all history classes (and approved non-departmental classes) taken for the degree, along with the classes still to be completed in the final semester. This form is to be downloaded, printed, and signed by a Graduate Coordinator (as the "Adviser") and the department chair (as the "School Committee"). If the GAP is subsequently modified, the student must submit a GAP Substitution or Committee Revision Form. After the GAP is signed and filed, the student should prepare and submit the Proposal for Culminating Experience in order to set up a formal committee either to take the Comprehensive Examination or write the Thesis. Students must possess a minimum grade point average of 3.0 when they enroll in the Culminating Experience and by departmental regulations, they may have no remaining Incompletes at that time. In addition to the minimum thirty units of coursework for the Master's degree, the GAP also contains certification that the student has met the University's first level written English proficiency requirement, and indicates how the second level requirement will be met. In the History Department, the first level requirement is satisfied by successfully passing History 700 and the second level by successfully passing a subsequent history graduate seminar. If the GAP lists transfer classes (up to six units of transfer credit are permissible), then a Transfer Unit Evaluation Form must be submitted along with the GAP. |
Graduate Program in History - San Francisco State University |
|---|
 |
