History (MA)
Faculty
Stephen Ortega, Program Director and Associate Professor of History
Sarah Leonard, Associate Professor of History
Laura Prieto, Professor and Chair of History
Zhigang Liu, Associate Professor of History
Stephen Berry, Associate Professor of History
Description
The program emphasizes the study of history as a multi-faceted field that is constantly developing new questions about the past, and exploring innovative approaches to answering those questions. It prepares students for careers in education, research, archives management, librarianship, curatorship, and various other forms of public history, as well as for doctoral study in the discipline. Its emphasis is on historical research, which trains students in identifying and interpreting sources and in the critical evaluation of history. There are also dual-degree programs integrating History and the master’s in Teaching as well as in Archives/History
Learning Outcomes
- Students will understand the most prominent methodologies that historians have used over time, including their advantages and disadvantages.
- Students will master a broad body of historical knowledge, including various geographic contexts, topics, and time periods and will gain knowledge of primary and secondary sources that apply to these areas of study.
- Students will be able to identify and apply different types of historical inquiry, such as cultural, gender, political and social analysis.
- Students will be able to conduct independent historical research, applying the conventions of academic writing and integrating different source material as evident in seminar papers, a thesis, and/or a capstone.
- Students will gain experience in participating in classroom discussions and in presenting history in a public forum.
Requirements for entry into program
Applicants to this 57-semester hour program must be admitted to the master’s programs of both the Department of History and the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Students complete one application for admission. Students who do not complete the history portion of the program will need to seek advice on applying credits in history to another degree at Simmons.
Costs
Including financing and fellowships / assistantships
| Liberal Arts** |
$1,012 per credit hour |
| Activity Fee |
$50 per semester |
Delivery Mode or Modes Available (full-time, part-time, locations, technologies, etc.)
Degree requirements
- Credits
- Core, Pre-requisite, and elective course requirements and progression, etc.
- Capstone, placement, internship, practicum, etc.
This program requires 36 semester hours. All students should take one course in historical methodology and historiography (HIST 460 or HIST 597); a series of electives for a total of 24 or 28 credits; and a culminating 4-credit or 8-credit research project or internship (fieldwork, thesis, teaching practicum, or public history internship).
Graduate Seminar Electives
Students select 16 semester hours from the following:
Concentrations, specializations, etc. .-
Licensure, certification, etc.-
Dual (and other) degree options (With what other degree programs may this program be combined?)
- Dual-Degree Program in MA History/MA Teaching
- Dual-Degree Program in Archives/History
Other program information
Our students are well prepared for careers in education, research, archives management, librarianship, curation and various other forms of public history.