MA Degree

Master’s Degree in History

Master’s-level study allows students to engage in deeper investigation of a range of historical topics. Through coursework and research projects, students acquire next-level skills in writing, oral presentation, and analysis of texts of many kinds. MA-level work is also distinguished by its emphasis on historiography, the changing ways in which history has been researched, debated, and interpreted over time and across different schools of thought. MA students in History work in consultation with the departmental Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) to plan a course of study that meets their professional and intellectual needs. MLSMA students complete History MA courses as well as coursework through the School of Information Studies in library science, museum management, historical preservation, and the like (please refer to our information page on the MLSMA). Internship opportunities may also be available.

Students in our programs have gone on to success in the fields of archival work (both public and private sector), education, the law, museums, librarianship, public service and the creative arts, among other fields.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR MATRICULATION

These requirements are in addition to the college’s general requirements for admission.

  1. The applicant must be approved by the department’s MA Admissions Committee. Approval is based on satisfactory completion of sufficient work in History or related fields to pursue graduate work in History.
  2. An applicant whose undergraduate preparation is considered inadequate by the admissions committee may be admitted as a nonmatriculated student. Nonmatriculated students may take up to 4 courses and must earn a minimum 3.0 GPA – those who make sufficient progress may then apply for full matriculation. Graduate courses taken for this purpose may be counted toward the MA degree, provided they are approved by the director of graduate studies. Any undergraduate courses taken to make up for inadequate preparation cannot be counted toward the MA degree.
  3. Applicants whose first language is not English and who were educated in a country where English is not the official language must submit proof of having achieved a score of 575 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). 

APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION SHOULD BE SUBMITTED VIA THE GRADUATE ADMISSIONS OFFICE. YOUR APPLICATION MUST INCLUDE A COPY OF ALL ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPTS, 3 LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION (AT LEAST 2 OF WHICH SHOULD BE FROM TEACHERS WHO CAN COMMENT ON YOUR PERFORMANCE IN THEIR CLASSES), AND A PERSONAL STATEMENT NOT TO EXCEED 750 WORDS.

The personal statement allows the MA Admissions Committee to learn about you beyond what can be gleaned from your academic transcripts. Use this opportunity to discuss your academic background; why you would like to be part of the MA program in History; your past experience researching subjects in History, such as research papers you completed as an undergraduate; professors you would like work with at Queens College; aspects of history you wish to study; and any other information you deem relevant. We only review applications once they are complete. Make sure to follow up with your recommenders to ensure they have submitted their online letters of recommendation for you.

RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL TRACKS

The MA in History can be completed by either of two tracks: the Research Track or the Professional Track. You do not have to decide right away which track to pursue: confer with the Director of Graduate Studies during your first semester to map out your path through the program.

The Research Track is designed for students interested in eventually pursuing a PhD, working as a professional historian, or simply developing their research and writing skills during a rigorous process of independent research and writing after their coursework is completed.

The Professional Track is designed for those interested in history beyond the undergraduate level but do not have the time or inclination to conduct the research and multiple revisions required for an MA thesis. The Professional Track is ideal for students who view the MA as their terminal degree in the field; it is especially useful for teachers at the secondary or elementary level.

All MA students must take HIST 791 during their first year in the program, normally in the Fall. This introduction to historical research methods gives students experience doing in-depth work on a possible thesis topic and the opportunity to consider whether the Research Track is the best option for their needs. 

All MA students (research and professional track) are required to pass a first comprehensive exam by the end of 18 credits/6 courses. Professional track students must also take a second comprehensive exam, to be given near or at the end of 36 credits. (MLS/MA students are exempt from both exams.) Comprehensive exams are given in the context of a specific course, usually administered during the scheduled final exam period and proctored by the professor teaching the course. You are tested on a “field” that covers a specific area in history (e.g. Nazi Germany, women in 20th century United States), builds on the course syllabus, and reflects additional reading. The instructor works with you to create a list of 4-7 additional readings (academic monographs and articles) and advises you on how to prepare. Course instructors have discretion to set exam time limits (two hours or less); give closed or open-book exams; and make other accommodations regarding the administration of the exam. Only full-time members of the History Department administer these exams. No comprehensive exams may be taken during a summer course. Students must declare their intention to use a course as a “comprehensive exam course” by the fourth week of the term. Students have one chance to re-take a failed exam. Students may not resolve a failed exam by electing a new comprehensive exam course.

Outside courses: A student may take usually no more than three courses of one semester each outside the History Department (e.g. in another department or at another CUNY campus) and only with the formal consent of the Director of Graduate Studies.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL TRACK

  1. Thirty-six credits of coursework, which must include HIST 791 (3 cr.).
  2. Two comprehensive exams. Students must pass two comprehensive exams in two different subject areas, determined in consultation with the DGS and relevant faculty members. Professional Track students take their first exam at or near 18 credits; the second is taken at or near 36 credits. See above for description.
  3. A Capstone Portfolio of 3-4 papers totaling at least 40 pages, accompanied by 1–2-page cover letter explaining what you were trying to accomplish in each essay and, most importantly, what you have learned as a master’s student. Include at least one historiographical paper and at least one paper in which you analyze primary sources. If possible, the essays should include professors’ comments. An oral presentation delivered in a departmental context, conference paper, or other academic work may also be considered for the Portfolio with approval from the DGS. Submit your Capstone Portfolio as a PDF email attachment to the DGS or provide a hard copy. (There is no need for binding or special folders).

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE RESEARCH TRACK

APPLICATION

MA students are required to apply for the Research Track. After completion of 24 credits, students interested in writing an MA thesis should apply to the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). The application consists of a 1–2-page statement describing the proposed research topic, accompanied by an email from the full-time faculty member who has agreed to serve as History Advisor. [When contacting a professor to request advisement, write a formal email in which you provide a brief outline of your preliminary research ideas, and request a meeting. Be prepared to take suggestions on possible primary and secondary sources over the course of multiple discussions before the professor agrees to supervise your project.] After a History Advisor has approved your idea, the student should email their proposal, including a working bibliography of primary and secondary sources, to the DGS. Specify “Research Track Application” in the subject line, along with student’s full name. The MA Committee reviews applications; academic performance in MA coursework will also be considered. If accepted, the student will then register for HIST 796 at or near the end of their MA coursework – only students admitted to the Research Track may take HIST 796. Email your application to the DGS by Nov. 1 to enroll in HIST 796 for the spring, or May 1 for the fall.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH TRACK STUDENTS MATRICULATING FALL 2018 OR LATER

  1. A minimum of thirty-four credits of coursework, which must include HIST 791 (3 cr.), 8 electives (24 cr.), HIST 796 (3 cr.), and HIST 798.3 (3 cr.) taken concurrently with HIST 796 to prepare students for the thesis. After completing coursework, research track students must register for HIST 794 (1 cr.) during each semester in which they are working on their MA thesis and regularly meet with their thesis advisor (this maintains student access to library resources and encourages steady progress on finishing the thesis).
  2. One Comprehensive Exam.At or near 18 credits, all students must pass one comprehensive exam, regardless of the student’s intention to pursue the Research Track.
  3. An approved prospectus for the master’s thesis. A prospectus is a detailed research plan for the thesis, typically around 15 pages; students compose the prospectus when they take HIST 796. A model prospectus can be found here. The prospectus must:
    • describe the specific topic to be investigated and key research questions
    • briefly survey the secondary literature/historiography on your topic
    • discuss primary sources to be examined and how they will be accessed
    • provide a tentative outline of thesis chapters and a table of contents

Once the student successfully completes HIST 796 and the prospectus is deemed acceptable by the student’s advisor, they will schedule a 20–30-minute defense with their advisor plus a second faculty member who will have read the proposal. This examination will be judged Pass, Pass contingent on requested revisions, or Fail; in case of failure, the student may not retake this examination more than once. The two faculty readers then fill out and sign the department Thesis Proposal Form and return it to the DGS. Only after passing the defense should the student commence research and writing of the thesis itself.

  1. A Master’s thesis.The thesis is an original work, 65 pages at minimum, based on extensive research in both primary sources and secondary historiography. A satisfactory thesis answers a well-focused question and offers conclusions based on a thorough investigation of pertinent evidence. It is written in consultation with a faculty advisor. Students should expect to submit multiple drafts and do several rounds of revisions. The faculty advisor formally approves the final draft using this form. Students must register for HIST 794 during each semester in which they are working on the thesis.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR RESEARCH TRACK STUDENTS WHO MATRICULATED BEFORE FALL 2018

  1. Thirty credits of coursework, which must include HIST 791 (3 cr.) and HIST 796 (3 cr.).
  2. An approved prospectusfor the Master’s thesis, as outlined above.
  3. A Master’s thesis, as outlined above.

PROCEEDURES FOR COMPLETING A MASTER’S THESIS OR MLS/MA CAPSTONE PAPER

FORMAT

Candidates for graduation from the MA program (Research Track) are required to submit a final version of their MA thesis to the DGS. Candidates for graduation from the MLS/MA program are required to submit to the DGS the final version of their HIST 792 paper, after it has been approved by their History Advisor. Unless otherwise specified by the thesis or capstone advisor, all footnotes or endnotes should follow the “notes and bibliography” system as specified in The Chicago Manual of Style. All front matter, text, notes and appendices must use standard 1-inch margins. All text must be double-spaced. The title page, as its top line, displays the title of the thesis or capstone and then, two or three spaces down, the student’s name.

SUBMITTING THE THESIS OR CAPSTONE: The signature of the thesis advisor on the title-page signature line signifies final approval of the thesis or capstone, complete in all aspects. The advisor must sign the title page and return the PDF to the DGS and the student. In addition, there is a separate M.A. Thesis Approval Form. Print up one copy of this and have your advisor sign after they have signed the thesis titlepages or request an electronic signature of the form. This will then be submitted to the History Department. (The History secretaries will pass along copies to the Dean and the Registrar’s Office.) There is no separate MLS/MA approval form.

Title page for the MA thesis: Further down on the title page, the following sentence must appear, arranged in a multi-line block: “Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in history, in the Graduate Division of Queens College of the City University of New York,” followed by the History thesis advisor’s signature line and a date line. Here is an example of a Thesis Title Page.

Title page for the MLS/MA capstone: Further down on the title page, the following sentence must appear, arranged in a multi-line block: “Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in History/Master of Library Science, in the Graduate Division of Queens College of the City University of New York,” followed by a thesis advisor signature line and a date line.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated. All cases of plagiarism or use of AI at any stage of the master’s thesis will be reported to the Dean of Students (in the case of MS Ed. students to their Education Advisor) and will result in a one-year suspension from the MA program at minimum and dismissal from the program as a maximum.

Each spring, History faculty nominate student work for department writing prizes. We also have a student conference at which those completing a thesis or capstone can present their work to the college community. After graduation, the DGS will invite students to digitally archive their thesis or capstone using CUNY Academic Works. CUNY Academic Works is a service of the CUNY Libraries dedicated to collecting and providing access to the research, scholarship, and creative and pedagogical work of the City University of New York. In service to CUNY’s mission as a public university, content in Academic Works is freely available to all. For more details, or if you have any questions about Academic Works, please consult the DGS and/or Humanities Librarian, Nancy Foasberg (nfoasberg@qc.cuny.edu).