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The Master of Arts in History is designed for those who wish to further their knowledge of history and the historian’s craft, prepare for doctoral programs, or pursue professional goals through the Social Studies Teaching or Museum Studies majors. Course offerings reflect the Department of History and Geography’s commitment to developing an awareness and understanding of diverse cultures, contemporary global trends, and global interdependence. Admission Requirements for the M.A. in History Program Students seeking a M.A. in History must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with at least 18 hours of history with a grade point average of 3.00. In addition, applicants must fulfill the following requirements before they will be formally admitted to the program. A. Apply for admission to the Jackson College of Graduate Studies & Research, Room 404, NUC. Note: No student will be admitted to this program or to the Jackson College of Graduate Studies & Research who does not meet the program admission standards. B. Meet the GPA requirement of 2.75 overall, and 3.00 in the last 60 hours attempted. C. Complete HIST 3113 Historical Research or be able to demonstrate research ability as determined by the Director of Graduate Studies (Graduate Advisor) and the Chair of the Department of History and Geography. D. Applicants to the Master of Arts in History - Social Studies Teaching must supply the Jackson College of Graduate Studies & Research with documentation showing possession of a current Oklahoma Standard Teaching Certificate or License. E. The student and the Graduate Advisor will work out a formal plan of study during the student’s first semester of graduate work. A signed, completed copy of the plan of study must be filed with the advisor and the JCGS&R before completion of the first semester. F. Complete all prerequisites, if any, as determined by the graduate advisor. An Advisory Committee of three faculty members will direct the program of each student. One member of the Advisory Committee will serve as chairperson and will assume the major responsibility for advising the student. The Advisory Committee for students for the Master of Arts in History - Social Studies Teaching will include three members from the content areas and one member from the College of Education. The Advisory Committee must be created before the second semester of enrollment. The department’s Director of Graduate Studies will maintain all student records and will serve as an advisor in supervising the student’s progress toward a degree. Click here for a list of important deadlines. The department offers M.A. degrees in three subject areas: a Master of Arts in History, the M.A. in Museum Studies, and a C.M.A. in History - Social Studies Teaching. M.A. in History Curriculum.............................................................................................................................33 hrs A. Master of Arts in History 1. Core Courses........................................................................................................................................6 hrs HIST 5013 Historiography ....................................................................................................................3 hrsHIST 5910 Research Seminar in History ...............................................................................................3 hrsNote: HIST 5910 is a number used for three types of courses. "HIST 5910 Res." designates research seminars, which require production of a paper based on original research and significant use of primary sources. "HIST 5910 Rdg." designates readings seminars, which involve reading and discussion. Both HIST 5910 Res. and HIST 5910 Rdg. courses are graduate-only courses. "HIST 5910 Top." designates a topics course that will be cross-listed with an undergraduate topics course. 2. Additional Requirements a. At least one course must be taken in each of the following categories of history: 1. United States History 2. European History 3. Asian, Latin American, and/or Middle Eastern History b. It is recommended that each student will take at least 12 hours in one category of history and 6 hours in a second category of history. The student’s advisory committee will provide direction in the categories of courses on which the student may focus to achieve expertise and depth. c. At least 12 credit hours must be earned in courses taught only at the 5000-level (i.e. courses not cross-listed with 4000-level courses). The core courses (HIST 5013 Historiography and HIST 5910 Res.) will count toward these 12 hours. Likewise, HIST 5910 Rdg. will count toward these 12 hours. HIST 5910 Top. courses and thesis hours will not count toward this requirement.d. Each student must complete additional courses in history and/or other related areas, approved by the student’s advisory committee, to complete a total of 33 hours. B. M.A. in History - Museum Studies...........18 hrs 1. Core Courses HIST 5013 Historiography .................................3 hrsHIST 5910 Seminar in History ...........................3 hrsHIST 5523 Museum Management.....................3 hrs HIST 5623 Museum Theory & Practice.............3 hrs HIST 5950 Internship .........................................6 hrsThe internship will be under the supervision of the Director of Museum Studies, who has a set of guidelines to be followed with each internship. It may be taken in one semester or split over two semesters. 2. Additional Requirements Any graduate history courses........................6 hrs Electives in history or other courses..............9 hrs These courses must be approved by the student’s advisory committee and may include thesis hours. C. M. A. in History - Social Studies Teaching 1. United States History.............................6 hrs 2. World History..........................................6 hrs 3. Geography.............................................6 hrs 4. Political Science .....................................3 hrs5. Pol. Sci., Econ., or Soc. .........................3 hrs6. Education............................................5-9 hrs The 5-9 hours in Teacher Education must be selected from the following: PTE 5012 Found. of Educ Research .................3 hrsPTE 5963 Mat’ls & Meth in Mid Schl Teach...0-3 hrs (This course is required only if PTE 4963 Materials and Methods in Middle School Teaching has not already been taken for undergraduate credit.) One of the following.........................................2-3 hrs PTE 5112 Modern Philosophy of Education PTE 5142 History of Education PTE 5172 Educational Sociology 7. Additional Electives in Social Studies content areas, 0-4 hrs. If additional hours are needed to total 33 hours, additional hours may be taken from areas 1-5 listed above.8. Portfolio. A portfolio is required. It will include select samples of the student’s work in both the content and education classes. A copy of the portfolio guidelines will be provided by the Graduate Advisor in the Department of History and Geography when the student is admitted to the program.9. Seminars. A minimum of 6 hours of the Social Studies courses must be seminars. Students for the General History and Museum Studies major may submit a thesis as part of their work. (The Social Studies Teaching major is strictly non-thesis.) The faculty member who directs the thesis will also serve as the Chair of the student’s Advisory Committee. Each student who writes a thesis will be required to take an oral examination of about two hours. One hour will be devoted to the defense of the thesis, and the other hour to an examination of the student’s graduate course work. Any graduate student entering in the Fall, 2001 semester and thereafter who elects or is required to submit a thesis must publicly defend the thesis before the student will be allowed to graduate. A representative of the Jackson College of Graduate Studies and Research will be present at the defense.Students who choose to write a thesis must enroll in HIST 5990 - Thesis for a total of six hours. In addition, the Advisory Committee may require the candidate to have a reading knowledge of a foreign language or other research tool which they believe essential for the completion of the thesis. The committee will strongly advise all students who plan to continue their graduate studies on the doctoral level to have at least one foreign language.Final examinations are required of all students. In each case, the student’s Advisory Committee will serve as the Examining Committee.Non-thesis students for the General History and Museum Studies major will take written examinations prepared by their advisory committees. These students will also take an oral examination of one to two hours defending the written exam and covering their graduate course work.Students in the Social Studies Teaching major will take oral examinations. Each exam will be from one to two hours and will cover the graduate work taken by the student. The University of Central Oklahoma, with an enrollment of over 15,000, is a metropolitan university located in the greater Oklahoma City area. Campus libraries, archives, museums, and galleries offer students opportunities for research, service, and internship. Located in the metropolitan area are several state institutions: the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, the Oklahoma Museum of History, the Oklahoman Museum of Natural History, and the Oklahoma Historical Society. Major archival and material culture collections are also located at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum and the Western History Collections. The Department of History and Geography houses the Ethic Studies program, the International Studies program, and the Applied Liberal Arts program. The Western Pacific Institute, also sponsored by the department, serves as a forum for addressing Asian issues. Journals edited by the faculty include the Journal of Western Pacific, the American Review of China Studies, and the Southwest Social Science Review.
The department encourages students to engage in broad professional activities that enhance opportunities for employment and for acceptance into doctoral programs. Many students publish in scholarly journals, present papers at conferences, attend meetings of professional associations, or assist in journal editing. The Diane Neal Kremm fund helps to pay student travel expenses for research, paper presentations, and professional training. The department also has an active internship program and places students in museums and related institutions throughout the state and nation. Students and faculty are active in UCO’s award winning Rho Lambda Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the international history honorary society. The Rho Lambda Chapter participates in regional conferences and sponsors speakers, films, tours, and social events.
1. I have 18 hours of history, but I do not have a 3.0 GPA in my history courses. Can I still be admitted into the program?
No. You must take additional courses to bring your history GPA up to the required level.
2. While I have not taken 18 hours of history, I have taken a number of history related courses in other fields. Will those count?
Courses taken outside a history department will not be considered for the 18 credit prerequisite. If a student feels a course should be considered, he/she must provide the graduate committee with a syllabus and /or other information about the course.
3. May I take graduate level courses while completing undergraduate prerequisites?
If it is only a matter of 3 or 6 credits, a student may also take graduate level courses to meet full time status. However, it is understood that a student will complete undergraduate prerequisites as soon as possible.
4. Can one take HIST 3113 ( Historical Research) for graduate credit?
No. HIST 3113 is an undergraduate prerequisite and will not be considered for graduate credit. If you have not taken HIST 3113 as an undergraduate, you should complete this course during your first semester of graduate study.
Teaching Assistants The Department of History and Geography does employ a limited number of teaching and research assistants. For more information on this program, please contact the Graduate Student Coordinator using the link below.
Contact For more information, please consult the UCO Graduate Catalog or contact the department's Graduate Student Coordinator Dr. Kenny Brown. |
