History, M.A.

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Wyoming’s M.A. in history will open both professional and academic pathways. A student may pursue this degree as the final step in their educational journey or go on to pursue a doctoral degree and, eventually, a teaching or research position.

Program Specific Admission Requirements

General Regulations

The M.A. in History requires 18 hours of undergraduate history courses as minimum preparation for admission. The rules under which the student enters remain those governing the program for the duration of the student’s continued enrollment. In accordance with university graduate regulations, students are responsible for meeting all deadlines and for fulfilling all requirements for the degree.

Application and Admissions

To be eligible for financial support in the form of a Graduate Assistantship, the Department of History must receive all materials by March 1. All other application materials must be received by the Department of History no later than May 1. The application process is now completely online. In addition to the application, applicants must upload the following documents via the UW Admissions website (www.uwyo.edu/admissions):

Three letters of recommendation that assess the student’s academic and research abilities.
Transcripts from all undergraduate institutions and graduate programs.
A writing sample of 10-20 pages, typically either a portion of a senior thesis or an upper-level seminar paper.
A statement of purpose of 250-500 words, explaining the applicant’s preparation, interests, and plans. Please indicate if you would like to be considered for a graduate assistantship.

Program Specific Graduate Assistantships

When applicants submit their materials to the program in History, they should indicate their wish to be considered for a Graduate Assistantship. Anyone receiving financial support must be registered as a full-time (9 hours per semester) student and must be making acceptable progress towards degree completion. Renewal of Graduate Assistantships is contingent on such progress. Support is not given for more than two academic years.

Requirements

Program Specific Degree Requirements for the History Master’s Program are as follows:

Required Courses

Candidates for the Master of Arts degree are expected to complete the program in 2 years. Graduate Students are required to complete a minimum of 31 credit hours of graduate (5000) level courses. Students must complete 27 hours of coursework, of which at least 24 hours must be in History. Students will work with their advisor to plan the course of study that will include:

(3 credit hours) HIST 5880 - History Theory

(12 credit hours) 5000-level, non-dual-listed courses in HIST (excluding HIST 5880)

(12 credit hours) Additional graduate-level course work, of which at least 9 credit hours must be in HIST courses.

(4 credit hours) HIST 5960 - Thesis Research

Foreign Language

Students must demonstrate a reading knowledge of a foreign language appropriate to their research. In special cases, other relevant historical tools may substitute for the language requirement upon approval of the thesis adviser and the Graduate Coordinator. Generally, either of the following options may meet the language requirement:

Passing a language exam administered by the Department of History. This must be completed by the end of the first year with the appropriate faculty.
Completing the equivalent of the fourth semester of a language as offered at the University of Wyoming. All courses must be passed with a grade of C or better (may be taken pass/fail).

Thesis

Graduate students will identify two “fields” of study, in consultation with their main advisor: one time/place field (such as Modern U.S. History), and one thematic field (such as Environmental History), both of which correspond to the student’s thesis research.
In the spring semester of the first year the student will publicly defend his/her thesis proposal, which must include a written research prospectus and bibliography.
At the end of the second year the student will successfully defend the thesis before an approved Graduate Committee.