Master of Arts Degree in History
Format: In person on the Statesboro Campus or the Armstrong Campus in Savannah
Credit Hours: 33
Entry Term: Fall
We are accepting applications for the Master of Arts in History for Fall 2024.
Priority Deadline: February 15, 2024
Final Deadline: July 31, 2024
The Master of Arts in History degree program at Georgia Southern University is designed to serve the diverse needs of graduate students, whether they seek a solid grounding in graduate study as preparation for entry into doctoral programs, wish to earn a degree as part of their professional development, or are interested in pursuing careers as public historians, archivists, or librarians. With the second largest history faculty in the University System of Georgia, Georgia Southern University offers students a wide array of course offerings in areas ranging from gender studies to military history. Students may choose the thesis or non-thesis option, depending upon their future plans. By emphasizing an appreciation of the past in all of its complexities and interconnectedness of knowledge, the Georgia Southern University graduate program in History seeks to instill in students a sense of curiosity and to develop critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills – skills relevant to a variety of careers.
Ready to Apply?
Or, you can:
MA students may complete the general MA track (thesis or non-thesis option) or pursue a concentration in Public History.
Concentrations
History MA Checklist / Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies / Graduate Catalog
Admission Requirements
Apply Now! / Certificate in Public History Admissions
Before applying to the History Graduate Program and/or for a Graduate Assistantship in the Department of History, please contact Dr. Alan Downs
Application Deadlines
February 1, for Fall enrollment applications. Although later applications will be considered, applicants meeting this deadline will be given priority consideration for available graduate assistantships.
Admission Requirements
Regular
Applicants seeking admission to the graduate program in history must have:
- Completed requirements for the Bachelor’s degree in a college accredited by the proper regional accrediting associations.
- A 3.0 (4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average or higher on all undergraduate work, with a 3.0 cumulative GPA in history and no grade in history lower than a “C.”
- An undergraduate major or the equivalent in history. Students with majors in other fields of study are given equal consideration for admission providing they have at least 15 credits (or quarter-system equivalent) of history (at least 12 credits at the upper division level) and a total of 30 credits in the social sciences and humanities.
- Two letters of recommendation from professors or instructors who have had the opportunity to observe your scholarly skills in History or in related fields. Recommendation letters should testify to your intellectual maturity and your preparedness to undertake graduate study.
- Applicants to the MA program are required to write a statement of purpose. Your narrative should explain how your work in the History graduate program at Georgia Southern will help you achieve your life/career goals. Assessment of your statement will include clarity of narrative and quality of writing. Avoid clichés and personal details not directly relevant to an assessment of your potential to excel during your graduate degree. Statements should be 500-750 words in length, single-spaced with a 12-point font.
- Submit a sample of your writing that represents your best work. Your submission should be scholarly in purpose, at least 1250 words, and include citations. Book reviews will not be considered. Your sample will be evaluated on its analytic power, creativity, and clarity of expression. Students returning to school after a prolonged break are asked to please contact the graduate director for guidance.
Provisional
Non-traditional students and applicants not meeting the above requirements may be considered for Provisional (Probationary) admission as determined on a case-by-case basis.
Exclusion Policy
A graduate student enrolled in the History MA Program or Public History Certificate Program will be excluded from continuing in the program for receiving a grade of “F” in any course, or for failure to meet the terms of academic probation.
Other Program Requirements
AdvisementGraduate students are advised by their program. Graduate students should reach out to their graduate program director for information regarding the structures in place to facilitate advisement. For more information visit Graduate Academic Advisement. Graduate students can also contact the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies for more information about their program director. |
Program of Study (33 hrs.)
Combined M.A. and Certificate in Public History Program of Study
The department offers thesis and non-thesis options and a concentration in public history.
The degree candidate for a Master of Arts in History will take 27 credits of course work (out of a total of 33), which includes the following:
| Thesis Option |
Credit Hours |
| Required Courses | 21 |
| HIST 7630 Historian’s Craft | 3 |
| (3) 7000 level HIST Graduate Reading Seminars* | 9 |
| HIST 7638 Research Prospectus | 3 |
| (2) HIST 7999 Thesis | 6 |
| Electives | 12 |
| 4 history elective courses | 12 (at the 5000 level or above) |
| Total |
33 |
*One seminar must be outside the candidate’s field of concentration. A seminar in Public History meets this requirement.
| Non-Thesis Option | Credit Hours |
| Required Courses | 21 |
| HIST 7630 Historian’s Craft | 3 |
| (4) 7000 level HIST Graduate Reading Seminars* | 12 |
| HIST 7638 Research Prospectus | 3 |
| HIST 7990 Non-Thesis Project in History** | 3 |
| Electives | 12 |
| 4 history elective courses | 12 (at the 5000 level or above) |
| Total | 33 |
*At least one seminar must be outside the candidate’s field of concentration. A seminar in Public History meets this requirement.
** As part of this course the candidate will produce an article-length paper (approximately 10,000 words) that is defended orally before a committee.
Students pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Public History simultaneously with the Non-Thesis Option substitute HIST 7900 Non-Thesis Project in Public History.
| Concentration in Public History | Credit Hours |
| Required Courses | 21 |
| HIST 7630 Historian’s Craft | 3 |
| HIST 7651 Graduate Seminar in Public History | 3 |
| HIST 7638 Research Prospectus* | 3 |
| HIST 7781 Professional Internship in Public History** | 3 |
| HIST 7900 Non-Thesis Project in Public History*** | 3 |
| (2) 7000 level Graduate Reading Seminars**** | 6 |
| Electives | 12 |
| 4 public history elective courses (at the 5000 level or above) | 12 |
| Total | 33 |
*Students who enter the MA program with a concentration in Public History after having completed the Graduate Certificate in Public History will substitute an additional Reading Seminar for Research Prospectus.
**Internships are 150 hours.
***This course concludes with a 6,000 – 10,000 word technical report on the final project that is defended orally before a committee. With the permission of the Director of Graduate Studies this course may be completed simultaneously with the Professional Internship in History.
****One seminar must be outside the candidate’s field of concentration.
Other Program Requirements
- The student must also pass a reading-knowledge examination in an appropriate foreign language. (Prior completion of coursework in a foreign language through the fourth semester at the intermediate level with a grade of C or better shall exempt students from the foreign language exam.)
- The student must also pass an oral defense of either the thesis, the non-thesis project, or the non-thesis project in public history.
- Two elective course may be taken outside the Department of History.
General Requirements
- The College of Graduate Studies limits independent study to 6 credits.
Advisement
College of Arts and Humanities
Department of History Director of Graduate Studies Georgia Southern University P.O. Box 8054
Statesboro, GA 30460 phone 912-478-4478 fax 912-478-0377
Possible Two-Year Degree Plan for M.A.
Suggested Plan for combined M.A. and Certificate / Graduate Certificate in Public History
This plan should serve as a suggestion only. Please see the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies for complete details. Please be aware that available History courses are scheduled in advance and are subject to change. Every effort will be made to accommodate the needs of our History graduate students.
SUGGESTED CALENDAR FOR HISTORY M.A.
This plan should serve as a suggestion only. Please be aware that available History courses are scheduled in advance and are subject to change. Every effort will be made to accommodate the needs of our History graduate students.
FIRST SEMESTER (FALL)
• HIST 7630 The Historian’s Craft
• HIST 7631, 7633, or 7635 History Reading Seminar (in-field or out-of-field, as needed**)
• HIST Elective at the 5000 level or above*
SECOND SEMESTER (SPRING)
• HIST 7631, 7633, or 7635 History Reading Seminar (in-field or out-of-field, as needed**)
• HIST Elective at the 5000 level or above*
• HIST 7838 Research Prospectus
>Submit Masters Program of Study Form to College of Graduate Studies (COGS)
OPTION (SUMMER)
• HIST Elective* and/or satisfy Foreign Language Requirement
THIRD SEMESTER (FALL)
• HIST Elective at the 5000 level or above*
• HIST 7631, 7633, or 7635 History Reading Seminar (in-field or out-of-field, as needed**)
• HIST 7999 Thesis (Thesis Option) or HIST 7631, 7633, or 7635 History Reading Seminar (Non-Thesis Option)
>Submit Masters Program of Study Form to COGS (if not done so)
>Submit Thesis Committee Membership Approval Form to COGS (Thesis Option)
>Satisfy Foreign Language Requirement
>Apply for Graduation in Spring
FOURTH SEMESTER (SPRING)
• HIST Elective (if still needed)*
• HIST Elective (if still needed)*
• HIST 7999 Thesis (Thesis Option) or HIST 7990 Non-Thesis Project (Non-Thesis Option)***
>Satisfy Foreign Language Requirement (if still needed)
>Submit Portfolio Completion Report Form to COGS
>Thesis Defense (Thesis Option) or Non-Thesis Project Defense (Non-Thesis Option) by stated COGS deadline
>Submit Electronic Thesis per COGS guidelines to COGS by stated deadlines (Thesis Option)
OPTION (SUMMER)
• Continue HIST 7999 Thesis or HIST 7990 Non-Thesis Project, if needed
>Thesis Defense (Thesis Option) or Non-Thesis Project Defense (Non-Thesis Option)
>Submit Electronic Thesis per COGS guidelines to COGS by stated deadlines (Thesis Option)
*Two elective courses may be taken outside the Department of History. For candidates pursuing the Thesis Option, HIST 7631, 7633, or 7635 Readings Seminar may be taken as an elective after completing the required three seminars. A seminar in Public History also meets this option. A maximum of two HIST 7831 Independent Study in History courses (requires permission of instructor) may be taken as electives.
**One seminar must be outside the candidate’s field of concentration. A seminar in Public History meets this requirement.
***Candidates pursuing the Graduate Certificate in Public History simultaneously with the Non-Thesis Option substitute HIST 7900 Non-Thesis Project in Public History.
Certificate in Public History
Admission Requirements for Certificate Only
Public History is a growing field that focuses on the practical application of academic knowledge through museums, federal and state historic sites, media productions, the Internet, popular publishing, and other public venues. These programs provide an alternative career path to traditional teaching and have become increasingly popular during the struggling academic job market of the last decade. The Department of History at Georgia Southern University is adding a Graduate Certificate in Public History to its existing Master of Arts program beginning in the fall of 2013. In addition to currently enrolled students, the certificate will be offered as a credential to qualified individuals holding a bachelor’s degree who are not pursuing an advanced degree.
- Admissions Requirements
- Program of Study (combined MA and certificate)
- Public History Graduate Certificate Admission Requirements
- Two Year Plan of Study Public History Graduate MA Plus Certificate
- Certificate Only Program
- Public History Student Activities
For more information about the Graduate Program and Graduate Assistantships, contact:
Dr. Alan Downs Director, Graduate Studies Department of History P.O. Box 8054 Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8054 Phone: 912-478-0242 (acdowns@georgiasouthern.edu) |
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| Dr. Michael Van Wagenen Public History Coordinator Department of History P.O. Box 8054 Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460-8054 Phone: 912-478-5862 (mvanwagenen@georgiasouthern.edu) |
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