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Master of Arts Please note that this document is not binding: students who have questions should consult with their adviser or refer to the official printed graduate catalog. ContentsThe Master of Arts in HistoryThe M.A. degree in history may serve as a terminal degree or as a bridge to more advanced study. It is designed to accommodate both full- and part-time students. In addition to a complete daytime schedule, late afternoon and evening courses are also available. AdmissionAdmission to the Master of Arts program in history is selective. The department will consider applicants who hold the bachelor's degree in history from an accredited institution, although the department reserves the right to waive the requirement of a history degree for students with outstanding undergraduate records. In addition, the applicant's credentials, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, must give evidence of academic distinction. Of the letters of recommendation, at least one should be from the applicant's current or former professor. The application materials must also include a detailed statement of purpose or justification for entering the graduate program and an academic writing sample (preferably a history research paper). A grade point average of 3.5 (on a 4.00 scale) in undergraduate history courses and a GPA of 3.2 in all undergraduate work will ordinarily be considered the minimum standards for admission. Students of superior promise but with deficient preparation may be admitted on condition of completing additional undergraduate history courses or earning grades of 3.5 or above in each of the first two graduate history courses. The department reserves the right to waive any of its requirements in exceptional circumstances with the concurrence of the Vice Provost for Research and Graduate Study. Students may be admitted at four different times: fall semester, winter semester, spring or summer session. Requirements for the degreeCredits. Candidates for the degree in Master of Arts in history complete 38 graduate level credits in history. (In special cases the Department of History graduate committee may permit a candidate to substitute up to 12 graduate credits in related fields for history credits.) Fields of study. At the time of admission, a candidate will choose a major field from the following areas: United States, Europe (including Britain and Russia); Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The candidate must take at least 20 credits in the major field. Required coursework. All candidates must complete at least one colloquium (HST 610), two research seminars (HST 680), or two research tutorials (HST 681), or one of each, and the field examination or thesis (HST 600). Students may not enroll for graduate courses corresponding in title and/or coverage with undergraduate history courses for which the have previously gained credit at Oakland University. Upon the successful completion of three or four graduate courses (12-16 credits), candidates will (a) elect to complete their degree by thesis or by field examination; and (b) select a departmental mentor and co-mentor, notifying the graduate adviser of their choices. Thesis. Candidates who elect to offer a thesis in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements will fulfill all the requirements listed above; they will take research seminars or tutorials in the major field as thesis-writing courses, and their comprehensive oral examination will concentrate on the thesis and historical problems related to it. A detailed thesis prospectus is to be provided to the mentor and graduate adviser, preferably upon completion of 24 credits in the candidate's program. All theses/dissertations must conform to university standards. Candidates who do not elect to offer a thesis will fulfill all the requirements listed above; they must take at least one seminar or research tutorial in the major field, and the examination will be devoted to the history of the major field, as described below under Field or Thesis examination (HST 600). Language work. There is no general foreign language requirement for the M.A. in history, but to study certain fields the candidate may need a reading knowledge of a foreign language. Candidates must consult their advisers for the language requirements of specific courses and programs. Field or Thesis Examination (HST 600)The examination is taken in the last semester of the student's program; each student must secure permission of the faculty adviser before registering. Candidates who submit a thesis will be examined orally for up to one hour on the thesis and historical problems related to it. The thesis oral examination may not be retaken. Candidates who do not submit a thesis will be examined on the major field; the examination will be adapted to the student's individual program, and the examining committee may assign special readings to be completed for the examination. Candidates taking the examination will be allowed one week to write take-home essays responding to the committee's questions; if the essays are acceptable, the candidate will be tested in a one-hour oral examination. Satisfactory performance on both written and oral selections is required for graduation. A student who fails may retake the field examination in any succeeding semester.
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