Graduate Programs

Master of Arts in History

In the M.A. in History program, students must complete a total of 33 credit hours, including two core courses in historiography and historical research; a minimum of five courses in American, European, and /or world history, distributed over a minimum of two of these areas; and four other graduate courses in history or, with approval, in related fields. In general, students intending to continue their graduate education must complete a thesis, while students working toward a terminal degree in history can write a thesis or complete six hours of coursework in lieu of a thesis. All students are required to pass an MA exam (written and oral) in a field they select in consultation with faculty. In addition, students writing an M.A. thesis will have a one-hour oral defense of their thesis. (Contact Dr. Kenneth Swope for more information).

Master of Arts in Social Sciences

In this program, students must complete a total of 30 credit hours, including 15 hours of courses from anthropology, economics, geography, government, psychology, sociology, U.S. history, and world civilization, and at least one social studies methods course; a research requirement, consisting of a seminar in social studies curriculum and instruction, a research paper, or a thesis; and 9 to 12 hours of elective courses. (Contact Dr. Sarah Drake Brown for more information).

Admissions

Applicants normally need at least a 3.0 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale in a minimum of eighteen semester hours (or its equivalent) in history courses. All applicants should submit a 300-500 word statement discussing their academic goals and interests. To qualify for a graduate assistantship in the department, applicants must take the general subject test of the Graduate Record Examination and ordinarily have an undergraduate grade-point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Application costs are $50 for both Ball State Graduates and Non-Ball State Graduates.

Foreign Language

No foreign language is required for admission to the department's graduate programs. However, students intending to study the history of a non-English-speaking area of the world are strongly encouraged to establish a reading proficiency in the language of that area prior to graduation from the M.A. program. Ph.D. programs throughout the United States normally require such proficiency.

Financial Aid

Aid is available to qualified graduate history students are the Childress Scholarship, tuition and housing awards, and the Dwight W. Hoover Scholarship. Graduate Assistantships also offer tuition waivers. See also the Graduate Education Grants/Funding Website.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships, which include tuition waivers, are awarded annually. Application for assistantships should be received by March 1st for first consideration. Students are selected for these positions on the basis of their overall academic record and their academic experience in the courses in which they will be assistants. Qualified graduate students commonly assist regular faculty in teaching large sections of General Studies history courses, such as U.S. History survey courses, "The West in the World," and "World Civilization."

Public History Internships

Students may arrange an internship doing work related to history. Internships can be found in historical museums and research institutions, public agencies like the National Park Service, local historical societies, historical galleries and business firms. These internships are not normally paid positions, but, with approval, they allow students to earn credit hours toward their degree.