History
This is an archived copy of the 2021-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.ndsu.edu.
Program Description
The graduate program in history at North Dakota State University has offered a master's degree since the Graduate School was founded in 1954 and a Ph.D. in History since 2002.
For more information on our Master's and Doctoral programs, please see the department's website.
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. The department requires students whose native language is not English to submit a TOEFL score.
Ph.D.
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.
The TOEFL is required for students for whom English is not a native language.
Residency Requirements
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program are required to complete at least one academic year (18 credits minimum) in residence on campus.
Most graduate courses are held during the workday, but a number of courses are offered in the late afternoon and evening each semester to accommodate working professionals within driving distance of NDSU. Online courses are not typically offered.
Financial Assistance
Both teaching and research assistantships are available. Graduate assistants work between 10 and 20 hours per week, and the appointments include a tuition waiver. Students wishing to apply for assistantships should indicate this in their application. The deadline for assistantship applications is March 1.
The department awards and renews assistantships based on maintenance of good standing in the program and full-time registration during the appointment, demonstration of historical knowledge and good communication skills, progress towards completion of a degree, financial need, and minority status in cases of equally qualified candidates.
Master's students can generally expect a maximum of 2 years of funding, while doctoral students are typically awarded no more than 4 years of support.
Master's Degree
Master of Arts
The department offers both the Master of Arts and the Master of Science degrees in history. The Master of Arts requires proficiency in at least one foreign language and the successful defense of a thesis. Those planning to continue graduate study in history at the doctoral level are strongly encouraged to pursue the MA. The Master of Science is designed for in-service professionals and has no language or thesis requirement; students pursuing the MS are generally not awarded assistantships or tuition waivers. Both degrees require a minimum of 30 credit hours with a minimum of 24 hours in history.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 702 | Historiography | 3 |
| HIST 705 | Directed Research (taken during second year) | 1 |
| HIST 710 | Research Seminar in North American History | 3 |
| Select 6 credits of the following (one to be declared the student's major area and the other the minor area): | 6 | |
| Readings in North American History | ||
| Readings in European History | ||
| Readings in World History | ||
| History course work at 600 level or above | 6-9 | |
| Course work in approved outside field, at 600 level or above | 3 | |
| HIST 798 | Master's Thesis | 8 |
| Total Credits | 30-33 | |
Master of Science Degree
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 702 | Historiography | 3 |
| HIST 710 | Research Seminar in North American History | 3 |
| Select 9 credits of the following (one to be declared the student's major area and the other the minor area): | 9 | |
| HIST 730 | Readings in North American History | 3 |
| HIST 760 | Readings in European History | 3 |
| HIST 780 | Readings in World History | 3 |
| 6xx-level or above courses (Up to 3 credits may be taken from outside of the history department.) | 12 | |
| HIST 797 | Master's Paper | 3 |
| Total Credits | 39 | |
Ph.D. Degree
The department offers a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in History. The Ph.D. in History is a research degree. It requires the successful defense of a dissertation based on primary sources that makes an original contribution to knowledge. We only admit students who already hold an M.A. in History or another very closely related field.
Foreign language requirements vary from field to field. One foreign language is required for students in the U.S. field. At least two foreign languages are required for all others, depending on the languages needed to conduct research and access the secondary literature. The language requirement can be met by completing college coursework in that language through the second year (e.g., SPAN 202) or by passing a language exam administered by the faculty.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 702 | Historiography | 3 |
| HIST 705 | Directed Research | 1 |
| HIST 710 | Research Seminar in North American History (May be repeated for credit, provided the topics are different.) | 3 |
| Readings courses (Any of them may be repeated for credit, provided the topics are different.) | 6 | |
| Readings in North American History | ||
| Readings in European History | ||
| Readings in World History | ||
| 6xx - level or higher courses (At least 3 and no more than 6 of these credits must come from non-HIST courses) | 15 | |
| HIST 899 | Doctoral Dissertation | 1 |
| Total Credits | 29 | |
Ashley Baggett, Ph. D.
Louisiana State University, 2014
Field: Women’s History/Gender Studies, 19th century U.S., Southern History
Tracy Barrett, Ph.D.
Cornell University, 2007
Field: East and Southeast Asia, Overseas Chinese
Bradley Benton, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles, 2012
Field: Latin American History, Colonial Mexico; Nahua (Aztec) politics, society, and culture; the early modern Atlantic world; cross-cultural contact and exchange.
John K. Cox, Ph.D.
Indiana University, 1995
Field: Eastern Europe, Russia, Germany, Ottoman Empire
Mark Harvey, Ph.D.
University of Wyoming, 1986
Field: American West, Environmental History, Public History
Thomas D. Isern, Ph.D.
Oklahoma State University, 1977
Field: History and Folklore of the North American Plains, History of Agriculture
Don Johnson, Ph.D.
Northwestern University, 2015
Field: Colonial and Revolutionary America History
Marcela Perett, Ph.D.
The Medieval Institute, University of Notre Dame, 2009
Field: Late Antiquity, Medieval Europe, Renaissance & Reformation
Angela Smith, Ph.D.
Middle Tennessee State University, 2011
Field: Public History, 20th Century American History, Cultural History, Digital History