M.A. Program Requirements
From the History Dept. Graduate Student Handbook
M.A. Degree Requirements
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24 hours of course work including:
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6 hours core: Historian's Craft and Research/Writing
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3 hours American/European
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3 hours Global
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Recommended: 3 hours Theory/Method
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Recommended: 3 hours Professional
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Complete 6 hours of thesis (HIS 5v99)
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Fulfill language requirement
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Satisfactory thesis approved by adviser and committee, 4-5 chapters (approx. 100-125 pages)
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Satisfactory thesis defense
Course and Thesis Hours
1. 24 hours of course work
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a. a maximum of 6 hours may be 4000-level. Students need the graduate program director's approval for 4000-level courses.
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b. a maximum of 6 hours may be taken outside the history department. Students need the graduate program director's approval for courses taken outside the department.
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c. a maximum of 6 hours may be taken as independent study. Students need graduate program director and professor's approval for independent studies. Students may not use independent studies as exam fields on their comps.
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d. Each student is required to take at least one European and one global (i.e. non-western) course in his or her program of study.
2. Thesis
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Each student must take 6 hours of thesis: HIS 5v99, which is usually taken during the Fall and Spring of the 2nd year.
Language Requirement
Students are required to demonstrate competence in one foreign language. The language requirement can be met in the ways specified below. Please consult the Department of Modern Languages & Cultures website for more information and deadlines.
1. Present an undergraduate transcript from Baylor University or another regionally accredited college or university showing that while enrolled the student received a grade of "B" or better in a fourth semester language course. A copy of the page of the student's transcript showing the course grade should be attached to the Graduate School Petition and submitted to the graduate program director to be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School. This option is valid only if the course was taken not more than five years before the student was accepted into the Baylor graduate program.
2. After enrolling in the M.A. or Ph.D. program at Baylor students may enroll in a fourth semester language course. Students must attain a "B" or better in the course. A copy of the page of the student's transcript showing the course grade should be attached to the Graduate School Petition and submitted to the graduate program director to be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School.
3. After enrolling in the M.A. or Ph.D. program at Baylor students may take the French, German, Spanish, Latin, or Greek 5370 and 5371 course sequence, which are usually offered in the summers. Students must attain a "B" or better in the courses. A copy of the page of the student's transcript showing the course grade should be attached to the Graduate School Petition and submitted to the graduate program director to be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School.
4. Students may take a diagnostic examination offered by the Department of Modern Languages & Cultures. After passing the exam, students will receive a receipt from the MLC and will attach the receipt to the Graduate School Petition. The petition is then submitted to the graduate program director to be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School. Check the MLC department website for diagnostic exam deadlines.
Click here for Graduate School Petitions.
Thesis
1. During coursework, students should initiate conversation with a professor in their area of interest by December of their 1st year about the possibility of doing a thesis with that professor.
2. Once a professor has agreed to direct a student's thesis, the student will submit a thesis prospectus to the thesis director by Spring of the 1st year.
3. Once the prospectus has been approved by the thesis director, the student may begin formal work on the thesis.
4. The student and thesis director should recruit two other professors on the graduate faculty to serve on the thesis committee. One of the committee members must be from outside the history department.
5. Early in the semester in which the student intends to complete the thesis, the thesis director and the student will schedule a thesis defense date that falls before the deadline for that particular semester. Students should consult the Graduate School website for all appropriate deadlines.
6. At least ten days before the thesis defense, the thesis director must submit a thesis announcement form to the graduate program director that will be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School.
7. Following the successful thesis defense all members of the thesis committee will sign the Completion Form, which will be sent to the graduate program director to be signed and forwarded to the Graduate School.
Required Graduate School Forms for Theses:
•Announcement of Master's Oral Examination(Must be filed at least 10 days before oral)
•Result of Master's Oral Examination (M.A. student should prepare form and bring to oral examination)
•Approval of Final Dissertation/Thesis Copy (To be signed by thesis adviser after student has made final revisions)
•Signature Page (Should be prepared by thesis student and made available for signatures at oral examination)
•Copyright and Availability Form (Thesis student should prepare and bring to oral examination)
•Submitting a Thesis or Dissertation to BEARdocs
See Dissertation & Thesis Resources for forms.
8. Thesis Defense Deadline: The deadline for thesis and dissertation defenses falls on slightly different days each semester. Typically, the defense deadline is during the last week of October for a student planning to graduate in the Fall semester. For Spring semester the deadline is typically during the first week of March. For Summer the deadline is typically the first week of July.
Graduation
Students must file for graduation with the Graduate School at the beginning of the semester they intend to graduate (see Graduation Information).