The MA in History offers students the opportunity to obtain a solid grounding in the craft and methods of the historical discipline. Courses have a global reach, and the program emphasizes professional development and applied history to equip students for success in a wide range of careers, including education, museums, and archives. Students complete a total of 12 courses and may enter the program in the Autumn, Winter, or Spring Quarters. The program can be completed either full-time or part-time.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Degree Requirements | 48 |
| Total hours required | 48 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Evaluate the breadth and complexity of the discipline of history.
- Compare and differentiate the range of topics historians explore.
- Apply and interpret the variety of methodologies historians employ.
- Identify, analyze, and evaluate historical arguments effectively.
- Communicate, in writing and orally, complex historical, historiographical, and methodological issues effectively.
Degree Requirements
Course Requirements
All students need to complete 12 courses (48 hours) of graduate-level work for the MA from the list of courses below. These courses share the programmatic focus of the curriculum in their emphasis on historiography and historical thinking toward preparing students for a wide variety of professions. Note that the colloquium courses listed below have subtitles identifying the specific topics to be addressed – for example, HST 431 COLLOQUIUM IN AMERICAN HISTORY: The New Deal. As long as the topics of colloquium courses are different (as reflected by their subtitles), students may take them more than once. The scheduling of colloquium courses is designed to provide students with a global perspective as part of their MA training. With the permission of the Graduate Director, students may substitute up to 2 courses (8 hours) of Independent Study (HST 497) or Graduate Internship (HST 492). In addition, upon consultation with the Graduate Director and with their approval, students may count up to 2 courses (8 hours) from another DePaul graduate program toward the History MA.
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HST 421 | THE HISTORICAL DISCIPLINE | 4 |
| HST 422 | SEMINAR IN PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS | 4 |
| HST 431 | COLLOQUIUM IN AMERICAN HISTORY | 4 |
| HST 432 | COLLOQUIUM IN LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY | 4 |
| HST 433 | COLLOQUIUM IN AFRICAN HISTORY | 4 |
| HST 434 | COLLOQUIUM IN ASIAN HISTORY | 4 |
| HST 435 | COLLOQUIUM IN EUROPEAN HISTORY | 4 |
| HST 436 | COLLOQUIUM IN ISLAMIC HISTORY | 4 |
| HST 437 | COLLOQUIUM IN WORLD HISTORY | 4 |
| HST 438 | COLLOQUIUM: SPECIAL TOPICS IN HISTORY | 4 |
With the permission of the Graduate Director, students may substitute up to eight quarter hours of Independent Study or Graduate Internship for two colloquia.
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HST 492 | GRADUATE INTERNSHIP | 4 |
| HST 497 | INDEPENDENT STUDY | 4 |
In addition, upon consultation with the Graduate Director and with his/her approval, students may count up to eight quarter hours from another DePaul graduate program toward their MA. Such courses would reduce the number of required colloquia by two.
Student Handbook
Probation and Dismissal
In accordance with LAS guidelines, any student who fails to maintain a 2.75 GPA will be on academic probation. A student is removed from academic probation when the cumulative GPA reaches the required 2.75. A student’s academic status is reviewed by the Graduate Director after any Autumn, Winter, Spring, or Summer Quarter in which the student was enrolled in at least 1 credit hour. A student who remains on probation for three sequential quarters of enrollment may be dismissed.
Conduct
Faculty members retain the right to define and enforce appropriate etiquette for the promotion of collegiality and civility. Instructors have the right to remove any offender(s) from the classroom. In cases of serious or repeated misconduct, the Graduate Director in consultation with the instructor and the chairperson may remove the student(s) from a course and/or the graduate program.
Conditional Admission
In some cases, strong candidates who have not completed sufficient undergraduate credit hours in history or history-related fields and/or students who have not yet fully demonstrated their academic strengths may be considered for conditional admission. Students admitted in this category will be permitted by the Graduate Admissions Committee to take one (or two) class(es) in their first quarter and must achieve a grade of B or better in the course(s). The conditionally admitted student must then also achieve grades of B or better in their next two graduate courses taken in the following term(s). Once they have achieved this milestone, the condition of admission will be formally satisfied.
Readmission
If a student is dismissed from the program, they may reapply through the formal application process. All students considering applying for readmission are strongly encouraged to contact the Graduate Director.
Transfer Credit
Upon consultation with and approval of the Graduate Director, students may request that up to 12 hours (three courses) of graduate transfer credit be applied to their DePaul MA in History. This credit may come from courses taken in other DePaul graduate programs, or in other graduate degree-granting institutions. The Graduate Director, in consultation with the Graduate Committee, will handle such requests on a case-by-case basis. In no circumstances will graduate credit be given for undergraduate coursework or for courses that have been applied toward the fulfillment of another degree. Transfer grades from other institutions do not count in the calculation of the DePaul grade point average.
Undergraduate Courses
Undergraduate courses are not applicable toward the degree.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from the program, students must complete all program requirements satisfactorily and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.
Graduation with Distinction
A graduating student will be awarded Distinction based on a record of consistent excellence in graduate coursework, indicated by a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Program Time Limitation
Students in an MA program are expected to complete degree requirements within a six-year period from the first registration date for a course in the program. For students who do not, the Graduate Director may recommend, upon receipt of the student's written petition, an extension of time with or without additional courses, or other conditions.