M.A. in History
Faculty Coordinators: Neil Maher (NJIT), Mary Rizzo (Rutgers-Newark)
Degree Requirements
A minimum of 30 credits is required, including 18 in a major field and 6 in courses outside of the major field chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. The remaining 6 credits may be completed through a Master's Thesis or a combination of a Master's Essay and an additional course.
Major Field
The M.A. program in history offers a choice of three major fields in areas that are particularly well supported by the research and teaching interests of the history faculty:
- American History
- World History
- History of Technology, Environment and Medicine/Health
To ensure a program of reasonable depth and coherence, each student takes at least 18 credits of course work in one of these major fields, chosen in consultation with the Graduate History Director or designated advisor.
Courses Outside the Major Field
To add breadth and diversity to the program of study, each M.A. candidate must take at least two courses (6 credits) outside of the chosen major field, often selected from among the two major fields in which a student does not have a primary concentration (e.g., a student with a major field in American History may elect a minor field in World History or in History of Technology, Environment and Medicine/Health). It is preferable that both courses be in the same field, but this is not required.
Master's Thesis
Students pursuing the Thesis Option earn 6 credits for the thesis, which should be a sustained work of scholarship written under the supervision of a qualified faculty advisor. The thesis will normally be on a topic within a student's major field. It must be based on primary source research.
Master's Essay
Students who do not elect to write a thesis must write a 3 credit Master's Essay. The Master's Essay is a substantial piece of written work, the capstone of the M.A./M.A.T. program for those students who elect not to write a 6-credit Master's Thesis. The essay is undertaken in consultation with an advisor, and may take one of several forms:
- An interpretive historical essay based on research in primary sources, in form much like the M.A. thesis, but shorter.
- A short work of narrative history, emphasizing form as well as content of the writing, also based on research in primary sources. (prerequisite: 26:510:504 Reading and Writing Narrative History, or 26:510:505 History in Fiction and Fact, or 26:510:506 The Poetics of History)
- A historiographical essay, reviewing the literature on a particular problem in, or aspect of, history.
- A design for a new curriculum, either a course or a significant portion of a course, with the focus on content more than on pedagogy.
- A design for an exhibition in a historical museum or another appropriate work in public history. (prerequisite: 26:510:565 Public History)
M.A. in History (Master's thesis option)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Field Courses | ||
| 600 Level Courses in Major Field | 18 | |
| Courses Outside the Major Field | ||
| Two 600 or 700 level courses outside of the major field | 6 | |
| Thesis | ||
| HIST 701C | Master's Thesis | 6 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
M.A. in History (Master's essay option)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Field Courses | ||
| 600 Level Courses in Major Field | 18 | |
| Courses Outside the Major Field | ||
| Two 600 or 700 level courses outside of the major field | 6 | |
| Essay | ||
| Elective Courses | ||
| One 600 or 700 level course | 3 | |
| HIST 702 | Master's Essay | 3 |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
