Graduate Catalog 2010-12
History
Faculty
Glenn Sunshine (Chair, DiLoreto 206),
Jay Bergman, M. B. B. Biskupski, Gloria Emeagwali, Leah Glaser,
Briann Greenfield, Katherine Hermes, Mark Jones, Elias
Kapetanopoulos, Mary Ann Mahony, Kate McGrath, Norton Mezvinsky,
Heather Munro Prescott, Matthew Specter, John Tully, Matthew
Warshauer, Louise Williams, Robert Wolff (Dept. phone: 860-832-2800)
Department Overview
The Department of History provides an
M.A. degree in history and an M.A. degree in public history. The
department, in cooperation with other departments in the social
science areas, offers various programs for teachers and presents
courses for the general education of graduate students in other
fields of specialization.
Admission to the degree programs in
the department requires the prerequisite of an undergraduate history
major or its equivalent, generally interpreted as 30 credits in
history and closely related fields. A graduate student lacking this
prerequisite will be required to take courses for undergraduate
credit to make up any deficiency.
Each student taking a major or a
concentration in history will be assigned to a graduate advisor who
will assist the student in designing the planned program of graduate
study. All graduate student planned programs in history require the
approval of the advisor and department chair.
Admissions
To be considered for admission to the
M.A. in history or the M.A. in public history, applicants must have
an undergraduate or cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher, as well as a
degree in history or related field. Applicants who do not meet these
admissions standards, but who have an undergraduate or cumulative GPA
between 2.70 and 2.99, may be considered for conditional admission.
In order to be recommended for full acceptance, conditionally
admitted students must complete HIST 501 with a B or better.
Students who do not meet the
undergraduate GPA requirements for admittance or conditional
admittance to the graduate program in history may take up to three
courses (nine credits) in graduate-level history courses as a
non-matriculated student. Those earning a minimum 3.30 GPA for these
courses may apply for conditional admittance to the graduate program.
Those students must also provide two letters of recommendation from
CCSU History Department faculty. Once conditionally admitted, those
students who achieve a B+ or above in HIST 501 will be fully admitted
into the program.
Prospective graduate students without
an undergraduate degree in history, but who meet the GPA requirements
for full admission to the graduate program, should meet with the
History Department chair or a History Department graduate advisor to
determine the requisite courses needed for admission. At minimum,
those students will receive a conditional admittance and must
complete HIST 501 with a B or better.
For consideration, all application
materials must be received by the Department of History no later than
December 1 for spring admissions and May 1 for fall admissions.
Applicants who do not meet the fall admissions deadline may enroll in
courses on a non-matriculated basis, subject to course availability.
Applicants should submit the following
materials to the Graduate Admissions Office:
In addition, applicants must submit the
following materials to the History Department:
two letters of recommendation
(recommendation forms are available at
www.ccsu.edu/grad/Additional_Material/Hist_rec.html)
a statement of purpose describing
the applicant's academic interests in history, not to exceed 350
words. Applicants for the M.A. in public history should also address
their professional goals and career aspirations.
Programs
Master of Arts in History
Program Rationale:
The MA degree in history is offered for
students who desire to do further historical study and research
beyond the bachelor's degree. It serves students interested in
graduate study of U.S., modern European, and comparative world
history. The degree is designed to meet the varied needs and
interests of students seeking an advanced degree in history. For
secondary teachers, it fulfills Connecticut State Department of
Education requirements and may lead to other employment
opportunities. Some who earn the MA will use it as a foundation for
undertaking doctoral work in history, law, government, international
affairs, and other relevant fields.
Because the majority of students in
the master's program are employed full-time during the day,
graduate courses are offered in the evening, usually on a
one-night-a-week basis. This schedule allows students time to
complete regular assignments, carry on research, and make regular
progress toward the MA degree.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Students completing the MA will be
expected to:
demonstrate an understanding of
historiography and its relevance for the study of history;
develop historical arguments and
present them effectively, orally and in writing;
produce examples of various types
of historical writing, such as book reviews, bibliographic essays,
research papers, prospectus, and theses; and
present original historical
arguments using both primary and secondary sources.
Course and Capstone Requirements
(30 credits, including a thesis):
Admission criteria: Acceptance into the
CCSU Graduate Program and approval of the History Department.
Three 500-level history courses (9
credits)
Three additional history courses (9 credits) including:
HIST 501 The Professional Historian
HIST 599, Thesis (6 credits)
Electives in related fields (6
credits)
Candidates will be required to
demonstrate the ability to translate material in their fields in one
foreign language, except in those cases where, upon the request of a
candidate in U.S. history, a substitute skill or subject is approved
by the department. Candidates must make application in the department
to take the language examination. Deadlines are October 10, for the
fall examination; March 10, for the spring.
The fields of concentration available
in the M.A. program are U.S. history, European history, and
comparative world history. No more than nine credits can be taken at
the 400 level.
Master of Arts in Public History
Program Rationale:
Public historians are front-line
interpreters, bringing historical knowledge to a broad public
audience beyond the traditional academic classroom. The Masters of
Arts in Public History is designed to prepare students for careers in
history museums, historical societies, historic preservation,
cultural resource management, government agencies, heritage tourism,
and other fields in which history is presented to public and
client-based audiences. The degree also provides K-12 history
educators with tools to energize their classroom teaching. Students
receive traditional training in the areas of historical research,
writing, and interpretation, along with job specific skills and the
hands-on experience necessary to become efficient and ethical
stewards of the past. This degree is also appropriate for those
seeking to pursue further study in American history or public history
at the doctoral level.
For more information, visit the
department's website at www.history.ccsu.edu/
ma_pubhist.html.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Students in the program will be
expected to:
conduct original research;
interpret primary sources;
evaluate the historiography of a
specific historical topic;
demonstrate knowledge of public
history practices and techniques; and
communicate effectively with a
non-academic or client-based audience.
Course and Capstone Requirements
(33 credits, including an internship
and project [Plan C]):
Admission criteria: Acceptance into the
CCSU Graduate Program and approval of the History Department.
Public history courses required
(graduate courses specific to public history) (18 credits):
HIST 501 The Professional Historian 3
HIST 510 Seminar in Public History 3
HIST 511 Topics in Public History 6
(taken twice with different topics)
HIST 521 Public History Internship 3
HIST 595 Public History Research
Project (Plan C) 3
General history courses to be taken
from the following list (9 credits):
HIST 560 Seminar in American History 3-6
HIST 565 Seminar in 17th- and
18th-Century America 3
HIST 566 U.S. Civil War and
Reconstruction 3
HIST 570 Immigration in American
History 3
HIST 540 Seminar in European History 3-6
HIST 563 The Age of Jackson 3
HIST 512 Connecticut Encounters 3
Two elective courses (6 credits),
chosen in consultation with an advisor. At least one of these courses
(3 credits) must be taken in a discipline other than history.
Additional non-course requirement: Each
student must attend five professional conferences as part of his/her
program.
For more information, contact Briann
Greenfield, PhD, at 860-832-2821, greenfieldb@ccsu.edu.
Certification
The Department of History in
cooperation with the School of Education and Professional Studies
offers courses of study leading to secondary teacher certification in
history and in history and social studies. Information about current
Connecticut teacher certification requirements may be obtained from
the Office of the Dean, School of Education and Professional Studies.
Post-Master's Study
Individually designed 30-credit
programs of post-master's study are available for qualified
students.
