Graduate
Degree Programs
History
Master of Arts, dual Master of Arts and Master of Library Science, dual Master of Arts in History and Philanthropic Studies.
The M.A. program in History on the Indianapolis campus offers three areas of concentration: United States history, European history, and public history. United States and European history are traditional areas of concentration and will serve the needs of persons intending to pursue a doctoral program, those seeking a collateral degree to complement such other fields as education or library science, and individuals seeking personal fulfillment. Public history is designed to prepare persons interested in pursuing careers as historians in such settings as historical societies, museums, historic preservation organizations and historic parks, governmental agencies, and business corporations. With its proximity to a large number of such institutions, the Indianapolis campus is an ideal location at which to pursue a degree in public history.
Special Departmental Requirements
(See also general University Graduate School requirements.)
Master of Arts Degree
Course RequirementsStudents pursuing any one of the three concentration areas must take HIST H500 or HIST H501. Those electing United States history must take at least one graduate colloquium and one graduate seminar in United States history and at least one course in non-United States history. Students electing European history must take a graduate colloquium and seminar in that area and at least one course outside their concentration. With the consent of their faculty advisor, students may take as many as 6 credits outside the Department of History. Six (6) credits will be granted upon successful completion of the required master’s thesis. A total of 30 credit hours is required for students concentrating in United States and in European history.
Students choosing public history as their area of concentration must take (1) HIST H500 or HIST H501, (2) HIST H542, and (3) a colloquium and seminar in United States history, and (4) do an internship. Four (4) hours of credit will be granted upon satisfactory completion of the internship project. Public history students must also take at least one course outside United States history. With the consent of their faculty advisor, they may take as many as 6 credits outside the Department of History. Two (2) credits will be granted upon successful completion of the required master’s thesis. A minimum of 36 credit hours is required for students concentrating in public history. Students admitted to the program after completing courses “graduate non-degree” will be allowed, at the department’s discretion, to transfer up to nine (9) credit hours toward their degree requirements.
Dual Degree: Master of Library Science and Master of Arts in History
Study for these two degrees can be combined for a total of 53 credit hours rather than the 66 credit hours required for the two degrees if taken separately. Students take 23 credit hours in history, which must include HIST H547 (Archives), one graduate seminar and one graduate colloquium. No thesis is required for students earning an M.A. degree in history who are also earning a Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) under this dual degree program. No area of concentration is required, but students wishing to focus on public history for the M.A. in history must also include HIST H542 among the required 23 credits of history course work. Such students may, if they wish, do a public history internship and count a maximum of 2 credit hours of History H543 toward the degree. (Students may enroll in HIST H543 only after having taken or while taking HIST H542.)
The remaining 30 credit hours are taken in the Department of Library and Information Science (IUPUI).
For more information on those requirements, go to http://soic.iupui.edu/lis/
Dual Degree: Master of Arts in History and Master of Arts in Philanthropic Studies
The dual M.A. in History and M.A. in Philanthropic Studies creates a unique opportunity to pursue critical inquiry into the historical, cultural, philosophical, and economic implications of voluntary action for the public good. Historians routinely study the role of nonprofit organizations, self-help groups, and philanthropic institutions. This dual degree program offers an interdisciplinary focus on the past, present, and future. This degree will be attractive to students wishing to pursue (1) careers that demand the skills and talents developed by cross-training in history and philanthropy; or (2) doctoral programs that encourage new and creative approaches to the historical study of philanthropy, broadly defined.
Admission requirements for the dual degree program are identical to those for each program separately. A separate application must be made to each of the programs. Prospective students are expected to take responsibility for learning about and meeting the different admission requirements and deadlines of each department. Students must make plans early with advisors in both programs to identify (1) common courses and (2) a thesis topic.
Study for these two degrees can be combined for a total of 51 credit hours (U.S. or European history concentrations) or 54 credit hours (public history) rather than the 66 or 72 credit hours that would be required if the two degrees were taken separately. For all concentrations, the required 700-level seminar for the M.A. in history may be selected as an elective to meet the philanthropic studies requirement for one of two theoretical electives. The required history courses with philanthropic studies topics HIST H509 (History of Philanthropy in the West) or HIST H516 (History of American Philanthropy) may be taken to meet the history requirement for a history elective. Required courses PHIL P542 Ethics and Values of Philanthropy, or PHST P512 Human and Financial Resources for Philanthropy, may be taken to meet 3 credits of the 6 credits of outside electives that may be taken in the history program. For public history students, HIST H543 Practicum meets the requirement for PHST P590 Internship for the Philanthropic Studies program. A common thesis meets the requirements of both departments.
Students in other departments may minor in history by completing, with a grade point average no lower than B (3.0), at least 12 credit hours of course work in history. A minimum of 6 credit hours must be taken on the Indianapolis campus. This course work shall include:
- HIST H501 Historical Methodology (4 cr.)
- Either a 600-level colloquium (e.g., HIST H620, HIST H650) (4 cr.) or a 700-level seminar (e.g., HIST H730, HIST H750) (4 cr.)
- At least 4 additional credit hours (which may include a maximum of 3 credits of HIST H575 Graduate Readings in History)
Certificate in Professional Editing
See the section titled “Professional Editing” for more information.
Certificate in Museum Studies
See the section titled “Museum Studies” for more information.
