At the beginning of studies, students are required to select one of the following programs and indicate the choice to the department chair in writing. An advisor is then assigned to direct the student’s work. The choice of courses, selection of a subject for the research paper or thesis, and the reading preparation for the final examination are made under the advisor’s direction.

Plan A: Thesis plus 24 semester hours (required for Ph.D. preparation)

1. Major field — Thesis (6 hrs.) plus nine hours course work, six of which must be at the 500 level
   
2. Two minor fields — 15 hours course work, nine of which must be at the 500 level
   
3. Final examination
   
4. Demonstrated reading knowledge of one modern foreign language (requirement may be satisfied through History Department or Language Department examination; requirement should be satisfied at the earliest possible date, but no later than registration for HS 599).

Plan B: 30 semester hours plus research essay

1. Major field — research essay plus 15 hours course work, nine of which must be at the 500 level
   
2. Two minor fields — 15 hours course work, nine of which must be at the 500 level
   
3. Final examination.

Interested students following either plan may construct a minor field in public history by taking HS 495/541 (Public History) and one or two offerings of HS 498 (Historical Internship).

The thesis shall demonstrate the student’s ability to select, organize, and interpret primary and secondary source materials in order to cover a topic in some depth. The research paper may demonstrate these skills on a smaller scale, or it may, where appropriate, involve application of the student’s fields of study to the secondary school classroom.

The final examination, which may be written or oral or both, will cover the major field, the minor fields, and the particular subject area of the thesis or essay. The final examination must be scheduled no later than six weeks before the date on which the candidate proposes to take it. Students will aid the examination process by developing, in consultation with the examination committee, a bibliography of readings in the fields, beyond course assignments, which the examination may cover. A final bibliographical list must be submitted to the advisor two weeks before the examination.

Courses
The student will ordinarily choose courses from the following 400 and 500‑level offerings. Where appropriate, a student may, with the advisor’s approval, select up to six hours of course work from the 400 and 500‑level offerings of other departments.

History-Education Scholarships
A limited number of partial scholarships are available for history educators. Please contact the History Department for more details.