Overview
The BA/MA program is a five-year program that combines an undergraduate degree in History with a Masters degree in History. The accelerated nature of the program enables students to take graduate-level courses in their final undergraduate year (once they have completed 90 undergraduate credit hours, per UM regulations) and then complete the Master’s degree in one year of full-time study, rather than the usual two years of full-time graduate study, and at a reduced cost.
Admission Requirements
Applications will be reviewed by the Department of History’s graduate committee. To qualify for admission to the Five-year BA/MA Degree in History, applicants must:
- have earned 15 credit hours in History courses, including 3 credit hours at the 500-level
- have earned a 3.5 GPA in History courses
- receive an endorsement from one full-time faculty member in the Department of History who agrees to serve as the student’s MA advisor
- submit their application to the program no later than January 5th of their Junior year To remain in the program, students must:
- complete all requirements for the History BA
- complete all of the requirements for the History MA
- enroll in a minimum of 12 undergraduate credit hours per semester until the BA is awarded
- earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 in all History graduate coursework
The Department of History’s graduate committee, in conjunction with each student’s MA Advisor, will assess the student’s progress after each semester.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| B.A. in History Requirements | ||
| HIS 3XX Level or Higher | 12 | |
| HIS 500 Level Seminars 1 | 6 | |
| HIS Courses at any Level | 12 | |
| ENG 105 | English Composition I | 3 |
| ENG 106 | English Composition II | 3 |
| MTH 113 | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
| Foreign Language Requirement | 9 | |
| Minor Requirement (Non-History) | 15 | |
| Natural Science Course | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate | 9 | |
| STEM Cognate | 9 | |
| Electives | 36 | |
| M.A. in History Requirements | ||
| HIS 600 level or higher | 30 | |
| Historiography 2 | ||
| Research Seminar Part 1 and Research Seminar Part 2 3 | ||
Comprehensive Exam 4 | ||
M.A. Thesis (Optional) 5 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 150 | |
| 1 | HIS 599 does not count toward the 6 hours of required 500 level seminars. |
| * | A grade of C- or better and a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 are required for all history courses. |
| ** | All courses for majors will be selected by students in consultation with advisors designated by the department. |
| 2 | This course is normally given in the fall semester. All students are required to take the Historiography course in their first year. This course counts for 3 of the 30 credits. |
| 3 | Typically, students take HIS 701 and HIS 702 in their 2nd and 3rd semesters in the program. The credit hours from these courses are included in the total required. |
| 4 | The comprehensive examination for the M.A. degree in history is an oral examination in two fields that will normally not exceed two hours. Although the exam is in two fields, all members of the advisory committee will participate. Students selecting the thesis examination should expect questioning on the thesis as well as their fields during the examination. For such students the comprehensive exam also will act as a thesis defense. For a list of fields, see below. |
| 5 | Students may, if they wish, write an M.A. thesis. Students who elect this option should consult with their advisor. Any student writing a thesis should register for 6 credit hours of HIS 810, which count toward the 30 required credit hours. Students must apply for graduation in their penultimate semester (i.e. fall semester for spring semester graduation). |
Committee
Upon admission to the master’s program in history, the student is assigned a provisional major advisor. An advisory committee of three, including the major advisor and a faculty member representing the student’s secondary field, must be formed no later than the student’s second semester in the program. There are then two options for completing the masters. One requires 30 credit hours of coursework and an exam. The other requires 24 credit hours of coursework, a master’s thesis (6 thesis credit hours), and an exam. In the case of both options, one member of the committee may be from a cognate discipline, but this is not required. It is the responsibility of the student and the advisor to form the committee and to notify the DGS of its composition. The major advisor chairs the advisory committee and oversees the student’s course of study and progress in the program. The advisory committee also administers the oral comprehensive exam that is given in the case of either option. In the case of the second (thesis) option, the advisory committee and the thesis committee are usually, but not necessarily, composed of the same faculty members.
Suggested Plan of Study
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| ENG 105 | English Composition I | 3 |
| HIS 100 or 200 level Course | 3 | |
| MTH 113 | Finite Mathematics | 3 |
| UMX 100 | The University of Miami Experience | 0 |
| Language Course | 3 | |
| Natural Science Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENG 106 | English Composition II | 3 |
| HIS 100 or 200 Level Course | 3 | |
| Language Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| HIS 100 or 200 Level Course | 3 | |
| HIS 300 Level Course | 3 | |
| Language Course | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIS 300 Level Course | 3 | |
| HIS 300 Level Course | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| STEM Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| HIS 300 Level Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course (Non-History) | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| STEM Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIS 500 Level Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course (Non-History) | 3 | |
| People and Society Cognate Course | 3 | |
| STEM Cognate Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| HIS 500 Level Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course (Non-History) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| HIS 721 | Historiography | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIS 300 Level Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course (Non-History) | 3 | |
| Minor Course (Non-History) | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| HIS 701 | Research Seminar Part 1 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Summer | ||
| HIS 723 | Directed Readings | 3 |
| HIS 724 | Directed Research | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Year Five | ||
| Fall | ||
| HIS 600- or 700-level course | 3 | |
| HIS 600- or 700-level course | 3 | |
| HIS 702 | Research Seminar Part 2 | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIS 600- or 700-level course | 3 | |
| HIS 600- or 700-level course | 3 | |
| HIS 600- or 700-level course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 150 | |
