History, M.A.

Program Requirements

A student in the M.A. academic preparatory concentration must successfully complete at least 36 hours of graduate work to receive the Master of Arts degree. A minimum of 24 hours must be taken in the Department of History at Texas Tech. This includes 12 hours taken at the 5000-level in one of three geographic areas of concentration (United States, Europe, or World) and 12 hours of elective graduate coursework. Of the electives, 6 hours must be chosen from geographic areas outside of the student’s geographic area of concentration. Students must complete HIST 5304  and HIST 6301  in the first semester they are offered after the student’s admission to the program. HIST 5304  must be taken before HIST 6301 . HIST 5304  and HIST 6301  must also be taken before completing 6 hours of thesis hours (HIST 6000 ). No more than 6 hours of coursework at the 7000-level may count toward degree requirements. Within this framework, students are strongly advised to plan their programs with the advice and consent of the Graduate Program Coordinator, the Director of Graduate Studies, and their primary faculty advisor.   

Course Requirements:

• HIST 5304  (Take during first semester course is offered after admission)
• HIST 6301  (Take during first semester course is offered after completion of HIST 5304 )
• Geographic Area of Concentration (12 Semester Credit Hours)
• Electives (12 Semester Credit Hours, 6 hours of which must be outside the geographic area of concentration)
• HIST 6000  - Master’s Thesis (6 Semester Credit Hours)

Foreign Language Requirement. One foreign language is required for the M.A. thesis-concentration degree according to the following guidelines:
1. Proficiency in one language other than English is required of all candidates for the M.A. thesis-concentration degree.
2. For the purpose of the above listed requirements, “proficiency” in a language is defined according to the following parameters:

• native speaker status as certified by the Graduate Studies Committee,
• attainment of a grade of C- or better in a fourth semester undergraduate course (in Texas numeration, the 2302 course),
• attainment of a grade of B- or better in the first or second semester of an accelerated graduate language course (in Texas numeration the 5341 or 5342 courses),
• other class work equivalent to the above, OR
• demonstration of an equivalent level of competency through an approved examination.

Thesis. Thesis work is directed by a committee consisting of at least two members of the history graduate faculty. Other faculty who may be a scholar with relevant expertise from the Department of History, another department, or another university, can be added to the committee if the thesis director, student, and graduate advisor conclude that the nature of the thesis topic warrants it. After the final version of the thesis has been approved by the committee, students are required to pass an oral defense of the thesis.

Program Requirements

This degree, which can be completed 100% online, is designed to assist persons for whom an M.A. would provide career advancement in a chosen or desired field other than that for which a history Ph.D. is required. The focus of the terminal M.A. is on providing a platform for developing critical analytical skills (reading, written, and oral) within a historical framework. The program provides intense study of up to three interrelated geographic or thematic fields. The terminal M.A. concludes with written examinations in the student’s chosen fields of study. The degree does not require the completion of a thesis-length work. For this reason, the terminal M.A. concentration is not intended for those whose interests are oriented toward undertaking Ph.D. work in history. Some of the careers for which obtaining a terminal M.A. in History may be an asset include the following: education/teaching (K-12 or community college), library studies, non-governmental agencies, social work, journalism, campaign management, genealogist, archivist/archival administration, public historian, corporate management, community organizer, counseling, public affairs, political activism, and entertainment industry historical consultant.

Course Requirements. A student in this plan must successfully complete at least 30 hours of graduate work to receive the terminal Master of Arts degree. A minimum of 24 hours must be taken in the Department of History. Students must complete HIST 5304  and are encouraged to do so at their first opportunity. Students must also complete 3 hours in world history, 3 hours in European history, and 3 hours in United States history, as well as 12 additional hours, 9 of which must be taken in the Department of History. Students must also complete HIST 6301  during their penultimate semester and HIST 7310  in their final semester. Students in this program will work closely with a department-appointed Non-Thesis M.A. Coordinator. 

The 30 hours are distributed as follows:

• HIST 5304  
• HIST 6301  
• HIST 7310 
• United States History: 3 Semester Credit Hours
• World History: 3 Semester Credit Hours
• European History: 3 Semester Credit Hours
• Discretionary/Elective Hours: 12 Semester Credit Hours (9 of which must be taken in the Department of History)

Foreign Language Requirement. No language is required for the terminal Master of Arts option.

Capstone Project. In their final semester, students will enroll in HIST 7310  and complete a capstone project, something that advances their professional goals. Examples include (but are not necessarily limited to) a) curriculum and/or lesson plan development that incorporates knowledge and skills gained in the program for use in the classroom, b) a public or digital history project, c) a roughly 20-page research paper rooted in original, primary evidence, or d) some other project—approved by the Non-Thesis MA Coordinator—related to the individual’s unique professional goals.