Program Description

The graduate program in history at North Dakota State University has offered a master's degree program since the Graduate School was founded in 1954. In 2002, a joint program for a Ph.D. in History was instituted between NDSU and the University of North Dakota. A complete program description follows the M.S./M.A. requirements. The graduate faculty also provides instruction to non-history majors in other departments as well as the region's secondary education instructors who require continuing education credits for certification.

The department offers both the Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees in the areas of United States history, modern European history, or world history. Candidates with two years of foreign language study at the baccalaureate level or who have passed a standard foreign language examination meet the requirements for the Master of Arts. Students taking either degree may choose either the thesis or comprehensive study option.

The history graduate program provides a rigorous and highly personalized graduate experience. This experience produces confident people with a sense of achievement. They are ready to contribute as scholars and teachers.

Admissions Requirements

Master's Degree

The Department of History graduate program is open to qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. In addition to the Graduate School admission requirements, the applicant must also

• provide a statement of intent that clearly outlines the applicant's interest and purpose for seeking a master's degree in history. The department uses this statement to assess the applicant's ability to organize thoughts, to formulate a plan of academic study, and to complete the graduate program. This statement also enables the department to determine whether North Dakota State University's graduate history program suits the applicant's needs and objectives.

• Submit a substantial paper submitted for an upper-division history class or for a class in the humanities and social sciences. The paper should provide evidence of an applicant's ability to synthesize information, to organize his/her thoughts logically, and to communicate clearly and effectively.
• Take the general Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) and submit these scores before admission to the program. Students admitted to the program generally score an average of 500 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE's. Students scores on the new analytic writing section should be comparable, i.e. 3.5-4.0. The department requires students whose native language is not English to have a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper test) or 247 (computer test).

Ph.D.

The Ph.D. program is jointly conducted by the History Departments of North Dakota State University (Fargo) and the University of North Dakota (Grand Forks). Students should contact the Graduate School on the campus of their choice for application materials.

For more information on this program, please contact at NDSU:

• Dr. Mark Harvey,                                                At UND:  Dr. Ty Reese,
  Department Head                                                              Associate Professor and Graduate Director
• (701) 231-8828                                                               (701) 777-2593
• mark.harvey@ndsu.edu                                                    ty_reese@und.edu

Admissions Requirements

Preference for admission into the Ph.D. program with full graduate standing will be given to applicants who have a GPA of at least 3.5 in history courses in an earned bachelor's or master's degree.

Applicants shall submit a statement of intent clearly outlining their research interests, potential major adviser, career goals, and purpose for seeking a Ph.D. in History.

Applicants will submit a substantial paper submitted for a class in History to provide evidence of ability to research thoroughly, to interpret and analyze primary and secondary sources, to synthesize information, to organize thoughts logically, and to communicate clearly and effectively.

The GRE examination is required, and preference for admission into the Ph.D. program with full graduate standing will be given to applicants who score a combined total of 1,000 points on the verbal and analytical sections of the GRE aptitude test.

The program requires a student for whom English is not a native language to have a minimum TOEFL score of 600.

Master's Degree

Thesis Option

A student selecting the thesis option must complete at least 30 semester credits of graduate work with a minimum of 21 credits in history. Most graduate students in history choose this option. The thesis should reflect original thought and research using primary materials. The department recommends that students intending to continue to a Ph.D. program select this option. Students selecting this track must meet the following requirements:

Non-Thesis Option

Comprehensive Study Option

A student choosing the comprehensive study option must complete at least 30 semester credits of graduate work with at least 21 credits in history. The student must present three comprehensive study papers. Students write one comprehensive study paper for their major and each of their minor areas of program study. These papers involve substantial research and synthesis in secondary materials. The department does not expect these papers to be original contributions to the world of scholarship, but rather syntheses that demonstrate mastery of particular topics. Students selecting this track must meet the following requirements:

Lesson Plan Option

This option is designed for graduate students who are teachers at the K-12 level, or who plan to be. The number of credit hours and the course requirements are identical to those of the Comprehensive Plan Option. In the Lesson Plan Option, the student prepares three lesson plans in a parallel fashion to the comprehensive study papers (See Comprehensive Study Option above). In addition to the lesson plan, the student needs to reflect on these teaching units and provide an intellectual and pedagogical context for them. This reflection should demonstrate scholarly thinking and effort.

Suggested Curricula

Ph.D. Degree

Students must satisfactorily complete 90 credits beyond the bachelor's degree. Students entering with an M.A. degree must complete at least 60 additional semester graduate credits. Core course requirements must be met, which include Methods of Historical Research, Historiography, Seminar in the Teaching of History, at least 2 research seminars, and at least 2 readings courses. Students must complete 36 credits with at least 27 credits in History. Students will earn at least 12 credits in one major field. Students must have at least nine hours each in two minor fields; one minor field must be in History.

Students must have a proficiency in two languages other than their native language, or one foreign language and one special research skill such as statistics or computer science.

The program will require at least one academic year in residence at either campus. Students will register at one of the universities that will be the student's academic "home". The student's adviser must be employed at the home university. At least one member of the student's committee must be employed at the other (not home) university. Students will have to take courses at both universities. Students will write three comprehensive examinations in their major and minor fields. The exams will be read and graded by the supervisory committee. Students will complete an oral examination based on the written exams. The oral examination is to be conducted by the supervisory committee.

Students will write a dissertation (up to 24 credits) on an approved topic in consultation with the faculty adviser and the supervisory committee of five faculty. The dissertation must be based on extensive research in primary and secondary sources, must argue an original thesis, and must be defended before the supervisory committee.

The committee will be composed of the faculty adviser who represents the student's field of study and will direct the research and writing of the dissertation. A second member of the committee (second reader) also represents the student's major field of study. A third member of the committee will represent the student's first minor field of study. The fourth member of the committee represents either the student's major field or second minor field. At least one of the four History faculty must be from the cooperating (non-home) university. The Graduate School will appoint the fifth member of the committee.