History
Degrees: M.A.,
Ph.D.(Joint Program with
The
Coordinator: Cynthia Kierner
MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN HISTORY
The program for the Master of Arts degree in History is designed to develop the methodological, literary and conceptual skills of the professional historian. Graduates of the program will be able to employ this expertise as students in a doctoral program, as professionally oriented history teachers in the secondary schools, or as citizens more acutely aware of the historical development of their society.
The Department offers courses in African, American, Asian, European, and
Latin American history. Information on specific
courses and areas of concentration is available from the Graduate Coordinator.
Additional Admission Requirements. In
addition to the general requirements for admission to the
1. A satisfactory undergraduate GPA in History or a related discipline.
2. Acceptable performance on the math and verbal portions of the G.R.E.
Degree Requirements. The Master of Arts degree in History requires completion, with a GPA of 3.0 or better, of at least of 30 hours in approved graduate courses. These hours must include at least 24 hours in History, of which at least 15 hours are in seminars or colloquia open only to graduate students, and no more than 6 hours in individually designed reading or research courses. All candidates for the degree must complete HIST 6693 (Historiography) with a grade of B or better. Students may elect to take up to 6 hours in another field.
Candidates seeking graduate level teacher licensure may use the elective
option to take courses in professional education selected in consultation with
the
No more than 6 transferred hours may be approved for application to the requirements for the degree.
All requirements, including comprehensive examination or thesis defense, must be completed within six calendar years of the date of first enrollment in the program.
Although students are not required to demonstrate knowledge of a foreign language, they are expected to be able to use whatever languages are required to pursue their research interests.
All students in the program are expected to maintain a B average in
all courses taken. Students who do not meet this expectation will be subject to
suspension on recommendation of the Graduate Committee of the Department of
History.
Comprehensive Examination/Thesis Defense.
Candidates must successfully complete either a comprehensive written
examination based on a reading list prepared in consultation with their
committee or a master’s thesis. In both cases candidates must then pass an oral
examination based on their written examination or thesis.
Admission to Candidacy. An Admission
to Candidacy form must be submitted in the semester prior to the semester the
student plans to take the Comprehensive Examination.
Administration. The admission of students and approval of each student's program is the responsibility of the Graduate Committee of the Department of History.
The Graduate Coordinator is responsible for planning and monitoring each student's program and for advising and assisting the student in selecting an Examining Committee.
The Examining Committee, consisting of two graduate faculty members from the
Department of History and a third member selected from History or another department,
conducts the student's comprehensive written and final oral examinations.
Assistantships. The History
Department offers several graduate assistantships that are awarded
competitively based on the academic promise of the student. Candidates must be admitted
to the graduate program and have submitted the application for assistantship
prior to March 30.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE IN HISTORY: JOINT PROGRAM WITH THE
This program combines the M.A. degree from UNC Charlotte, or an accepted
institution, with a Ph.D. conferred by the
Both universities offer a wide range of courses and fields of
specialization. The Department of History at UNC Charlotte possesses particular
expertise in
Additional Admission Requirements. In
addition to the general requirements for admission to the
1. A master’s degree with a GPA of 3.5 or better in all master’s level courses.
2. Submission of the M.A. thesis or a substantial research paper.
3. Above average
performance on the math and verbal portions of the G.R.E.
Degree Requirements. The Ph.D. in History requires successful completion of a dissertation proposal, a qualifying examination, and a doctoral dissertation. Coursework for the Ph.D. consists primarily of directed reading and research in preparation for writing the dissertation.
All degree requirements, including the dissertation defense, should be completed in 3 to 4 years. All requirements must be completed within six years of enrolling in the program.
Although students are not required to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign
language, they must possess the foreign language skills necessary to do primary
research in their intended field of specialization.
Qualifying Examination. Students are
required to complete both written and oral qualifying examinations during their
second semester at UNC Charlotte. The written examination consists of a
dissertation proposal; the oral examination covers both the student’s general
field of specialization and the proposed dissertation topic.
Dissertation Defense. Doctoral dissertations
are not to exceed 100,000 words in length. The dissertation defense is a final
oral examination at which the student presents and defends his/her research
before a committee of
Assistantships. Teaching and research assistantships are available at both universities on a competitive basis. Applications for assistantships at UNC Charlotte should be submitted simultaneously with those for admission to the Ph.D. program.
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