History MA Program Details

Jump to: Course Requirements, MA Thesis, Transfer Credit, Additional Information

Overview

The MA requires 32 points of course work (generally 8 courses), of which at least 24 points must be within the History Department. No more than 8 points may be transferred from other graduate schools. Students enrolled full-time complete their course work in 3-4 semesters. Part-time students may stretch the program up to 6 semesters. The MAH Handbook 2021 provides a detailed overview of the program.

Course Requirements

Entering students take MA Approaches to History, which provides an introduction to the program, the department, and the study of history, followed by the MA Proseminar, in which students begin working with a faculty advisor to develop a thesis. The third component of the program’s core sequence is the MA Thesis, in which students complete an original, article-length research project under the direction of a faculty advisor.

Curriculum
MA Approaches (HIST-GA 2168)	4 pt
MA Proseminar (HIST-GA 2022)	4 pt
MA Thesis (HIST-GA 3019)	4 pt
3 Electives, from History	12 pt
2 Electives, from inside or outside History	8 pt
Total: 32 points

Students often choose their History electives to develop expertise in one of six thematic areas in which the department is particularly strong: Women & Gender; Society, Economics, & Politics; Culture & Ideas; Science, Environment, Technology, & Health (SETH); Race & Migration; K-12 Social Studies Instruction.

For a complete list of courses offered in the current semester, consult the History Department’s website. In addition to graduate colloquia and seminars, you will find the following types of courses:

Literature of the Field courses, designed to provide entry to a broad area of history, through reading and discussion of a number of major issues, problems, and controversies that represent traditional and contemporary approaches to the area as a whole.

Readings in History and Research in History courses are independent study courses, arranged between students and instructors. While students are encouraged to enroll in standing courses whenever possible, in some cases these readings courses allow students to pursue individual areas of interest and research.

MA Thesis

All students write a thesis, expanding on the paper they complete for the MA Proseminar. The thesis should be an article-length piece of research, often suitable for submission for publication and/or for use as an application writing sample. The thesis is developed in collaboration with a faculty advisor.

Thesis Requirements

Content: The thesis should present the results of original primary-source research in the student’s chosen area of expertise. In the case of research on sources written in languages other than English, the research should be conducted in the original language.
Scope: The thesis should review the relevant scholarly literature on the topic and present original arguments and analysis based on primary-source research.
Length: The thesis should be about 35 pages long, not inclusive of the bibliography, or approximately 12,000-15,000 words.
Academic integrity: The thesis should be the student’s own work. Students are responsible for knowing and following university policies on academic integrity.
Style: Citations and formatting follow the Chicago Manual of Style.

Thesis Deadlines (Full-Time Students)

During 2nd semester, generally as part of the Proseminar: develop project with aid of advisor.
Beginning of final semester: identify second reader, in consultation with the advisor.

By the last day of classes, students submit two signed reader sheets to the Graduate Program Administrator. Before that submission, you will have needed to arrange (1) the circulation of your drafted thesis to your advisor and second reader, (2) the oral defense of that thesis with your advisor and second reader. (The required Masters Thesis Reader Sheet, found here, is signed at the defense.) In the past, bearing these requirements in mind, students have aimed to circulate drafted thesis on April/November 15, with a defense around May/December 1. All dates should be discussed and cleared with your advisor and second reader.

Transfer Credit

According to GSAS policy, a student is in residence at GSAS when the student is actively enrolled in a GSAS program. Only points from NYU sponsored courses earned while the student is in residence at GSAS count toward fulfilling the program’s residency requirements (24 points). Therefore, the maximum transfer credit allowed may not exceed the difference between the number of credits required for the degree and the 24 point residency requirement. (e.g., in a 32 point required program, the maximum the student may transfer is 32 – 24 = 8 credits). Students may transfer credit for courses taken at another institution while matriculated at NYU, as long as the DGS gives written approval for the course(s) to be transferred prior to the student’s enrollment in those courses. When taking classes at another institution with the intent of transferring those credits toward your degree, you must make sure the course is worth four points as not all institutions use the same credit system as NYU.

Additional Information

Academic Standing: MA students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above in order to remain in the program.
Academic Advising and Course Registration: Registration for the fall semester begins in mid-April and for the spring semester in mid-November. Note that new students meet with the MA DGS before registering for classes, generally over the summer before the beginning of fall semester.
Continuous Enrollment: All students must maintain continuous enrollment until their degree is conferred. This can be done either through coursework or by registering for maintenance of matriculation (for which you will be charged fees by the university). If you need to request an academic leave of absence, please consult with the MA DGS and Graduate Administrator. GSAS’s policies on academic leaves of absence can be found in the GSAS Policies and Procedures Manual.