Overview

The Department of History's M.A. program provides advanced education in the discipline of history to prepare students for careers in teaching, academia, law, public and government service, publishing, research, as well as other professions. The program trains students in the methodological components of academic history and in broad areas of historical study and analysis. The program also assists in the professional development of full-time teachers and other educators, and provides a basis for further graduate study.

The programs provide an alternative to traditional programs by preparing students who would pursue a career in business, industry, or government, as well as to train mathematicians who would pursue further study towards a doctoral degree. The program offers a flexible course structure, built on core courses and focus area courses from your choice of a wide range of specializations as well as three plans of study: thesis, applied project, or general coursework.

Careers

The graduate program serves the needs of various students seeking advanced training in the discipline of History. Some graduate students in the program take classes part-time in conjunction with full-time employment in secondary education. Others seek to teach at the community college level, admission to doctoral programs, or other professional positions requiring critical reading and writing skills. A graduate degree in History is especially advantageous for the higher education professional, museum or historical site curator, editor of historical manuscripts journals or newsletters, archivist or public records keeper, historical preservationist, and the government, private or non-profit researcher.

View the admission requirements, degree requirements, and course descriptions in the Graduate Catalog.

Assistantships

The WIU History Department awards a limited number of two-year Teaching Support Associate (TSA) positions to the most outstanding students admitted to the History M.A. program. To apply, a student must complete the application available online. All forms, personal statements, and letters of recommendation should be sent to the Graduate School. Please request that your TSA application documents be forwarded to the History Department. Students may apply at any time; position availability varies, depending on the number of students continuing in TSA positions. In addition to the TSA positions awarded by the History Department, History M.A. students may seek funding opportunities throughout the University. In the past History M.A. students have worked as Graduate Assistants in Malpass Library, the University Writing Center, the Secondary Education Program, the WIU Foundation, and the Office of Academic Services. Graduate Assistants receive a monthly stipend in addition to tuition waivers.

Visit the School of Graduate Studies for information regarding Graduate Assistantships.

Complete the Application for Graduate Assistantship Form.

Integrated Bachelor/Master of Science

The integrated baccalaureate and master’s degree program provides the opportunity for outstanding undergraduates to earn both degrees in five years. The accelerated pace by which a student would earn both history degrees suits those eager either to start a career in numerous fields, including public history, education, public service, non-profits and think tanks, or to pursue a Ph.D. in History. The completion of the program will enable a student to seek such opportunities earlier than those earning these degrees separately.

View the Graduate Catalog for the integrated program details.

Plans of Study

History M.A. students complete both major and minor fields. Typically, students will select either United States or World history as their major field. In some cases, a constructed field representing a theme (such as technology, gender, or military history) may be selected in consultation with the Graduate Advisor and with the approval of the Department's Graduate Committee. Minor fields of study may be taken in United States, European, or Asian history. Three plans of study can be tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of individual students.

Plan I. Thesis (30 s.h.)

Students choosing the Thesis Plan must first secure approval from the graduate director and the consent of a professor who is willing to direct the thesis before pursuing this option. The Thesis Option requires 30 credit hours of coursework, including the completion of a masters-level history thesis. The student writes the thesis in his/her major field. Students are required to defend their thesis upon its completion in their last semester of coursework.

Plan II. Applied Project (31 s.h.)

Students choosing the Applied Project Plan must first secure the approval of the graduate director and the consent of a professor who is willing to direct the Applied Project. The Applied Project option requires 31 credit hours, including an internship and an applied history project. Internships may be completed at a variety of public history institutions; the graduate director will assist students in arranging an internship. Possible projects include, but are not limited to, the following: editing a series of primary documents for posting to an open-access website; writing a paper and submitting it for publication to an academic journal in conformity with its manuscript submission guidelines; conducting and transcribing oral history interviews to be archived in a museum or research facility; or curating a museum historical exhibit display. Students are required to take exit option B, the comprehensive written and oral exams, in their last semester of coursework.

Plan III. General Coursework (33 s.h.)

Students taking the General Coursework Plan must first secure the approval of the graduate director. In this plan, students are required to take 33 credit hours of coursework, divided appropriately between major and minor areas of study. Students are required to take exit option B, the comprehensive written and oral exams, in their last semester of coursework.

Graduate Research Awards/Grants

The Department also offers research funding opportunities for graduate students conducting research for graduate seminars, doing thesis research, or presenting their research papers at off-campus academic conferences. WIU History graduate students are eligible to apply for Professor Emeritus Awards and Pasquini Research Grants, as well as the WIU School of Graduate Studies' Graduate Student Research and Professional Development Fund.

History Professor Emeritus, Pasquini, and Dykstra Awards

Graduate students in good standing in the WIU History Department's M.A. program may apply to the Department Graduate Committee for research awards from the Professor Emeritus Fund to help defray the expenses incurred while conducting historical research for WIU courses and for their Masters' theses or special projects. M.A. students in History may also apply for Professor Emeritus Awards to help defray travel expenses when presenting their own research papers at academic conferences. The maximum amount of each individual Professor Emeritus Award is $500; the maximum amount of Professor Emeritus funding for which an individual student may apply, regardless of the number of Awards received, is $1,000.

Graduate students in good standing in the WIU History Department's M.A. program who are also full-time secondary school History or social studies teachers may apply to the Department Graduate Committee for Pasquini Graduate Research Awards to help defray the expenses incurred while conducting historical research for WIU courses and for their Masters' theses or special projects. The maximum amount of each individual Pasquini Research Grant is $500.

Graduate students in good standing in the WIU History Department's M.A. program may apply to the Department Graduate Committee for Dykstra Scholarships to help defray the expenses incurred while conducting historical research for WIU courses and for their Masters' theses or special projects. The maximum amount of each individual Dykstra Award is $5,500.

Graduate Student Research and Professional Development Fund Award

WIU graduate students may also apply, through the History Department, for a Graduate Student Research and Professional Development Fund Award from the WIU School of Graduate Studies to fund their thesis research or conference presentations. These awards are limited to $500 per student per project or conference presentation; but, may be supplemented with up to $250 in matching funds from the College of Arts and Sciences if the project/presentation budget exceeds $500. Applications must be submitted to Dr. Peter Cole, the Graduate Director of the History Department, by September 15 for the Fall semester competition; the departmental deadline for the traditionally much more popular Spring semester competition is February 15 of each year.

Conference travel funding through this fund is primarily for students who have received notice of their paper's acceptance. Acceptance goes a long way toward convincing the Graduate Council's members that the project has merit, as it demonstrates approval from specialists in the field.

Scholarships

Recipients will be selected by the Department of History Graduate Committee. Applications and inquiries should be made to the Graduate Director, Dr. Peter Cole.

Phone: (309) 298-3691
Email: P-Cole@wiu.edu

William and Doris Burton Writing Award in History

Awarded biannually with a recommendation of at least a $500 award in the fall semester. Students are not eligible to receive this award in consecutive semesters. Criteria: Any class level is eligible; no GPA requirements; any university major; must be enrolled in a History class during semester of award; no citizenship requirements. Not renewable.

Darrell and Virginia Dykstra Memorial Scholarship

The award amount will be determined by the annual interest earnings on the endowment, currently approximately $4,000, to be applied to the student's university account, half in the fall and half in the spring. Should the recipient not retain G.P.A. eligibility, the selection committee will choose another recipient from applications received. The winner of a Dykstra scholarship may apply for the award a second time.

Criteria: New or returning full-time graduate student in History; 3.25 GPA in History courses previous to application; undergraduate degree in History; letter of application of up to 500 words indicating the student’s interest in graduate study of history; letter of recommendation from a professor of history at WIU or another institution. Deadline: March 1 of each year.

David P. Pasquini Award

Award amount is $1,500. Criteria: currently teaching full time; current student in WIU M.A. History program; letter of application of up to 500 words indicating how graduate study in history contributes to the applicant's teaching; outstanding contributions to the field of history and/or the department. Not renewable. Deadline: March 1 of each year.

Advising

Dr. Peter Cole, Graduate Director

Office: Morgan Hall 423C
Phone: (309) 298-3691
Email: P-Cole@wiu.edu