The Master of Arts in History build on your undergraduate studies and allow you to specialize in a particular historical period, region, or theme. With rigorous coursework, research opportunities and close mentorship from faculty, you'll develop the skills needed to succeed in a wide range of careers.
Graduates of Kent State’s Master of Arts degree in History are poised for impactful careers in a variety of fields, including academia, research, public history, and cultural institutions. With advanced training in historical analysis and research methodologies, alumni can become university professors, historians in government or nonprofit organizations, or curators in museums and archives. The program’s emphasis on critical engagement with historical texts and contemporary issues prepares graduates to contribute to public discourse, policy-making, and educational initiatives, making them valuable assets in roles such as historical consultants, policy advisors, and educational program directors.
The Master of Arts degree in History offers students the opportunity for advanced study in a variety of areas. Coursework emphasizes interpretation, methodology and original research. A student's program of study allows for the opportunity to conduct historical inquiry, research and analysis at the highest level. While students will be able to develop a core competence in their chosen field study, they will also study the histories of regions and times far removed from their central interests. Students may also pursue interdisciplinary work in cognate fields composed of courses in outside disciplines.
Students who anticipate continuing their graduate study beyond the M.A. degree should pursue one of the thesis tracks. Those who choose the thesis option, which is required of students on graduate assistantships, will produce a thesis based on original primary source research that engages a historiographically significant research question. Non-thesis options are available for those who do not expect to go on to doctoral work.
The program develops graduates who are educated scholar-citizens committed to historical empathy and in possession of critical thinking and communication skills honed by rigorous training.
The History major includes the following optional concentration:
For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.
Students who have not earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History are eligible to apply for admission if they have completed 12 credit hours of upper-division history courses (with a minimum 3.300 GPA).
International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.
Graduates of this program will be able to:
On This Page
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| HIST 61002 | HISTORIOGRAPHY (min B- grade) | 3 |
| Seminars and Colloquia in History (min B- grade) 1 | 9 | |
| Additional Requirements or Concentrations 2 | ||
| Choose from the following: | 18 | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 30 | |
Students must complete at least one research seminar (HIST 61070) no matter their specific program choice.
Students can count no more than 3 credit hours of HIST 60092 toward their degree no matter their specific program choice.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| Thesis or Non-Thesis Option, choose from the following: | 18 | |
Thesis Option 1 | ||
HIST 69199 | THESIS I | |
History (HIST) Electives 2 | ||
Non-Thesis Option | ||
HIST 69399 | CAPSTONE IN HISTORY | |
History (HIST) Electives 3 | ||
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 | |
Students selecting the thesis option must demonstrate a reading knowledge of one or more foreign languages if their advisers determine that it is necessary for research.
Students may elect to take two graduate-level courses in fields outside of history. Students who choose to pursue outside field coursework must take history graduate courses in two of the following three areas: American history, European history and global history (non-Western). Students who do not take outside field coursework must complete 12 credit hours of graduate coursework in history, and they must include coursework in each of the following areas: American history, European history and global history (non-Western).
Students may elect to take two graduate-level courses in disciplines outside of history. Students who choose to pursue outside discipline course work must take history graduate courses in two of the following three areas: American history, European history and global history (non-Western). Students who do not take outside discipline coursework must complete 15 credit hours of graduate coursework in history and they must include coursework in each of the following areas: American history, European history and global history (non-Western).
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| HIST 69499 | INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT IN HISTORY | 3,6 |
| History (HIST) Electives (min B- grade) 1 | 3-6 | |
| Education Electives, choose from the following: (min B- grade) 2 | 6-9 | |
CI 50093 | VARIABLE TITLE WORKSHOP IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION | |
CI 57503 | TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN EARLY AND MIDDLE GRADES | |
CI 61125 | ISSUES AND TRENDS IN SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION | |
CI 61126 | RESEARCH IN SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHING AND LEARNING | |
CI 61127 | TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL STUDIES | |
CI 67001 | FUNDAMENTALS OF CURRICULUM | |
CI 67095 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION | |
CI 67105 | IMPROVING CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION | |
| Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 18 | |
Electives are to be approved by faculty advisor and may include courses from other disciplines, if appropriate. Maximum 3 credit hours of pre-approved workshops for teachers.
Students may petition the graduate coordinator to count other courses in pedagogy, regardless of department, toward the electives for this concentration.
| Minimum Major GPA | Minimum Overall GPA |
|---|---|
| - | 3.000 |
Follow this link for the 2024-2025 MA Handbook.
Follow this link for a list of History MA theses completed since 1936!
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