Graduate Courses in History

On Course Numbers

When reading course numbers, all history courses begin with “05” or “5.”  The following three numbers constitute the course number.  The first of these three digits indicates the level of the class.  For example, 05.100, indicates a 100 (first year) level history class.  All graduate courses, except for Thesis I and Thesis II, are “500 levels” and will look like this: “05.5xx” where xx will vary by the nature of the particular course.

Required Courses

The Master’s degree requires that students take the following two courses.  

05.512 – Readings and Research in United States History.  Offered in Fall semesters.  This course is designed to strengthen the skills of students in historical research, writing, and analysis. It will cover key developments in historiography and provide students with brief surveys of the major issues in United States history.  Please note that this course was formerly called Readings and Research II, which can be confusing as the old title sometimes appears in various places. 

05.510 – Readings and Research in Global History.  Offered in Spring semesters.  This course will expose students to key recent theoretical influences on professional historians and cover key developments in historiography from ancient times through the beginning of the twentieth century in Global history. Please note that this course was formerly called Readings and Research I, which can be confusing as the old title sometimes appears in various places.  

Note:  These courses do NOT have to be taken in sequence, but we recommend that students begin with 05.512 – Readings and Research in United States History (formerly Readings and Research II, which can be confusing). 

Seminars

These are the primary courses for graduate students.

The Department will offer a number of 500 level courses with Seminar in the title.  These are discussion-based classes with a maximum of 18 total students, which will be composed either entirely of graduate students or a combination of graduate students and advanced undergraduate students.  Students are encouraged to take these courses whenever they possibly can.  Please note that you can repeat these courses so long as the subtitle for the course is different.  For example, one semester you might take 05.584, Latin American History Seminar: The Mexican Revolution.  You could then take (and count toward graduation) 05.584, Latin American History Seminar: The Cold War in South America the next semester.

Colloquiums

These are additional courses for graduate students.

The Department will offer a number of 500 level courses with Colloquium in the title.  These courses have a maximum enrollment of 22 and are paired with a 300-level undergraduate class that meets at the same time.  Most of the students in this course will be undergraduate students. While discussion is the dominant format for all classes in Rowan’s history department, the course format in these courses will vary from instructor to instructor and could also include additional modes of learning such as lecture, small group work, etc.  Graduate students who enroll in colloquium courses are doing so for any of several reasons, but often they seek knowledge in the particular content area of the curriculum and a graduate course on the same topic is not available.  In any event, graduate students in colloquium courses are expected to work out the details of their work with the instructor, as they will be required to go beyond what the undergraduates do in the class. This often takes the form of additional meetings with the instructor, as well as extended or additional assignments and readings.  Students who spy an undergraduate class that they wish had a colloquium attached to it are encouraged to contact the Graduate Coordinator as early as possible, certainly before undergraduate registration begins, to discuss their reasons for requesting the addition of the Colloquium section.  Please note that you can repeat these courses so long as the subtitle for the course is different.  For example, one semester you might take 05.511, Colloquium in American History I: The Civil War and Reconstruction.  You could then take (and count toward graduation) 05.511, Colloquium in American History I: The United States after 1945 the next semester.

Graduate Independent Study

This is an option for graduate students with extraordinary curricular needs.

These courses require approval by the Graduate Coordinator, the Chair of the History Department, and the Associate Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.  They allow a single student to complete an individualized curriculum with a particular instructor.  If a student has a curricular need, which cannot be satisfied by any of the regular options, they should discuss this option with the Graduate Coordinator.

Thesis Courses

These courses are required only for those students in the thesis-track. 

05.601 – Master’s Thesis in History I.  This is the first semester of a two-course sequence.  The particular details of the work to be done are to be decided in conjunction with your thesis advisor.  Typically, students focus upon conducting research for their thesis in this course, producing an outline or a prospectus by the end of the semester. 

05.602 – Master’s Thesis in History II.  This is the second semester of a two-course sequence.  The particular details of the work to be done are to be decided in conjunction with your thesis advisor.  Typically, students focus upon writing and editing their thesis in this course.  First drafts of the thesis are typically shared only with the thesis advisor.  Subsequent drafts are then shared with the rest of the thesis committee.  The student will sit for an oral examination before all members of the thesis committee during the final part of this class.

The MA in History is a Category 3 program. To maintain Minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress in and to successfully graduate from a Category 3 program students must:

• Earn no more than two total C grades of any combination of “C+” or “C.” (“C-“grades are not acceptable).
• Earn no grades lower than a “C.”
• Earn an official cumulative GPA (according to matriculation level) of at least 3.000 on Rowan’s 4.000 scale.