Master of Arts in History

The course addresses the development of core research skills for advanced historical study. Through case studies analyses, the evaluation of different types of historical evidence, and the consideration of how valid research questions are formulated and applied, it is designed to refine the critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are fundamental to valid historical scholarship.

This course is the study of historical thought from its emergence in the classical world to the present. Students concentrate on how history has been interpreted, rather the facts of history themselves as well as contemplate the fundamental questions about the nature of history, and investigate the relationships between theory and evidence in historical writing. Emphasis is on the narratives historians have used to reconstruct the past, and the major historiographical schools of thought that have developed over time.

This course is a comprehensive seminar in world history designed to provide a foundation in historical theory, trends, and concepts for further study of topical history at the graduate level. Students examine the broad sweep of world history, major interpretive questions in world historiography, and major periods of interaction between civilizations. This course is not designed as a refresher of undergraduate history survey courses; rather, it is a concentrated study of world history for serious history students and professionals.

This course is a study of the major social, political and cultural changes in Europe from the death of Louis XIV to the fall of Napoleon. Topics include the intellectual history of the Enlightenment, the causes of the Revolution, the development of radical ideologies, social and political instability, the French impact on Europe, and the achievements of Napoleon as civil administrator, military strategist, and commander.

This course investigates the intellectual, social, and economic history of Europe from the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the onset of the Great War in 1914. The major focus is on the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the Age of Ideologies, and the new imperialism prior to the World War I. While emphasizing the intellectual history of Europe, the course also investigates the social and economic structure of 18th and 19th century Europe.

This course examines the origins of World War I; the combatants, strategy and tactics, technological innovation vs. conservatism; the war in France; the war at sea; America's role; the peace settlement; and the occupation. While military aspects of the conflict are studied, the primary focus places the Great War in the context of European and World history, and specific areas include political and diplomatic developments, new developments in weapons technology, economic aspects of the war, and the impact of the war on the culture and social order of the nations involved in the struggle.

This course is a global history of the Second World War. Emphasis is on the theaters of war and related events in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Southeast and Southwest Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America in relation to their impact on the national and military objectives. In this context, students compare and contrast the economies, industry, society, and culture of the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and Germany as major participants during the war. The role of diplomacy and strategy, the impact of war upon society, and the fighting on land, at sea, and in the air are also examined in terms of modern warfare.

This course analyzes modern European history since the 1815 Congress of Vienna with emphasis upon national security within the region. Special emphasis is on the great mass movements which have provided the main themes of the history of the past century—liberalism, imperialism, fascism, socialism, communism—as described in their historical context.

This course offers a study of the origins and history of the Holocaust within National Socialist Germany and throughout Eastern Europe. Students examine the organizations involved at the grass roots level as well as the escalation of events from open murder to the implementation of concentration and death camps. Topics include the birth of National Socialism through the final days of the Holocaust, including the political, social, economic and scientific contributions during the Third Reich.

This course investigates the political, economic, diplomatic, and cultural history of Russia and the Social Union from the reign of Tsar Nicholas II to the present. Topics include the causes of the Russian Revolution; the rise of the Soviet system under Stalin; the development of Soviet bureaucracy; and the significant shifts in the political and social climate under Khrushchev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev. The course will conclude with an analysis of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the current “new Cold War” agenda under Vladimir Putin.

This course, when offered, is a one-time offering on an area of special interest that will vary each term. NOTE: Open to graduate students as an elective. Any substitution as a Concentration or Major course must have Dean Approval through your academic advisor. SUMMER 2012 TOPIC: Freedom Rising, the Second Year of Civil War: 1862 TOPIC DESCRIPTION: This course will examine the critical Maryland Campaign of September 1862, which marked the first time Confederate General Robert E. Lee invaded Union territory and which culminated in the bloodiest single-day of battle in all of American history along the banks of Antietam Creek, near Sharpsburg, Maryland. While examining in detail the campaign and its four battles--South Mountain, Harpers Ferry, Antietam, and Shepherdstown--this course will also take a critical look at the larger implications and consequences of the campaign, including the impact on the people and the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. In this course we will examine how the Maryland Campaign of 1862 forever altered the course of American history. This course is specifically designed for middle school and high school educators and includes a mandatory four day workshop on site in historic Harper’s Ferry.

This course is an opportunity for History students to pursue an independent research project or examine a specific area of history under the mentorship of a single professor. Students must complete 24 credits of study before taking this course. The course will typically involve a major research paper; there will be no examination. Students will submit a proposal prior to the start of the project, and a rough draft of the paper, both of which will count toward the final grade. Prerequisite: University approval and Upper Level standing. Prior to registering, students should first contact the professor with whom they wish to mentor their independent study, coordinate an agreement on the grading requirements, and then NOTIFY their academic advisor with the name of their professor.

This course is an opportunity for students to write a research proposal in their field of interest under the mentorship of a single professor who is an expert in the field. Students must contact their Academic Adviser at least thirty (30) days prior to registering for this course and must have completed all degree requirements excluding HIST699 – Master of Arts - Thesis. The Program Director will approve the statement of the topic so that the concept can be implemented into a complete syllabus with readings and activities to warrant academic credit. The selection of the professor depends upon the choice of topic and content area.

This course prepares graduate students for the Comprehensive Examination in the Master of Arts in History program. The purpose of this course is to provide a structured weekly review of key concepts, theories, and knowledge skill sets in their degree and particular concentration. Students are required to submit responses to a number of assignments over the 8-week course prior to taking the exam. Students apply historical methodology in preparation for the exam and consult texts, journal articles, print & media reports, and documentaries, as well as collaborate with other students enrolled in the course to help them prepare for the exam. Assignments serve as a means of final preparation for the student and calibration with the course instructor, who will grade the exam. The exam requires an approved proctor and is scheduled prior to the last week of the course. Students may not schedule the exam early and will not receive a grade until the end of the course. The "Comprehensive Final Exam" is tailored specifically to each student’s program. This option requires a minimum of 36 hours of coursework. A minimum of 21 hours must be taken within the concentrations and 6 credits in electives. A non-thesis student receives the MA degree upon successful completion of the required coursework and passing.