Offered in: Chicago

The Department of History offers two programs, the MA in History and the joint MA in History and Certificate in Archives and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services.

The MA program in History serves students who seek to teach history in a secondary school or community college; to prepare for a PhD degree; or to prepare for government positions or other careers requiring advanced study of history. The program offers instruction in the following fields: United States history to 1877, United States history since 1877, early modern European history, modern European history, African American history and Atlantic World history.

In addition to obtaining an MA degree in History, students may also pursue a Certificate in Archives and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services, offered in conjunction with Dominican University. The Certificate in Archives and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services offers courses related to archives and cultural heritage collection processing and management, community archives development and management, digital archives or collections development and maintenance, cultural heritage documentation and preservation, historical records curation, and electronic records systems development and management. The certificate also offers fieldwork that provides students with the opportunity to work with professional archivists in community archives, historical societies, corporations and other institutions.

In order to take advantage of this opportunity, students must apply to Dominican’s Graduate School of Information Studies, using the "Certificate and Endorsement" option for their degree in the online application. In addition to following the guidelines below, students interested in pursuing this certificate must meet with the History graduate advisor at Roosevelt to plan their course of study. Students will be assigned an advisor at Dominican University to aid in choosing courses toward the certificate degree.

Admission

Admission to Roosevelt University: Students should contact the Graduate Admission office for all requirements and deadlines regarding the application for admission to the MA program in History. In addition to undergraduate transcripts and a completed application form, students must write an essay response to a question furnished through the Graduate Admission office and supply the names of two references from academics or others with knowledge of the applicant's ability to undertake graduate-level work in History. All application materials should be sent to the Graduate Admission office. Additional information about history-specific graduate application requirements and deadlines, funding, as well as graduate advising, is available here (scroll to bottom of linked page for admission requirements).

Admission to Dominican University: Students wishing to pursue the Certificate in Archives and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services must apply to Dominican’s Graduate School of Information Studies. Select "Certificate or Endorsement" from the online application when prompted for the type of degree in which you are interested.  Information about the Certificate Program in Archives and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services at Dominican University is available here.

Requirements

MA in History

Students may choose one of two options toward fulfilling the joint MA/Certificate degree. The first, the non-thesis option, requires 27 credit hours of course work in the MA History program at Roosevelt. The second, the thesis option, requires 24 credit hours of course work, which includes a three credit hour thesis course. A fuller explanation of these two options may be found below.

All students in the MA/Certificate degree program must take three required History courses: two graduate reading seminars and one graduate research seminar. The graduate reading seminars will be offered in the following fields: US History before 1877; US History since 1877; African American History; Early Modern European History; Modern European History; and Atlantic World History. Students should consult with the graduate advisor to plan their course of study and choose their reading seminars. Students may enroll in more reading seminars provided they do not repeat a course. The graduate research seminar, HIST 450 GRADUATE SEMINAR, is offered during the spring semester and enables students to conduct research on a topic related to the above fields. Students may take HIST 450 GRADUATE SEMINAR more than once, provided the topic of the seminar changes. At least half of the coursework taken towards completion of the MA in History must be in 400-level only classes.

At all stages, particularly before applying for graduation, students are responsible for checking on their progress toward fulfillment of degree requirements. Students must earn grades of B- or better in all course work, and they must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to continue in the program.

There is no formal foreign language requirement; however, competence in a foreign language is recommended for students choosing a field outside US history. Graduate students should also be aware that most doctoral programs require competence in one or more foreign languages.

Thesis Option

Students who opt to write a thesis must complete 24 credit hours of course work, all of which must be taken at Roosevelt. In addition to the reading and research seminars, graduate students must take four 400-level electives; at least one elective must be in a 400-level only course. The 400-only elective may include additional sections of the readings class, the seminar, or 400-level courses designated only for graduate students. It may also include HIST 484 INTERNSHIP IN HISTORY or HIST 485 INTERNSHIP IN TEACHING HISTORY. Students taking multiple sections of the readings courses or seminar may not repeat the same topic.

Students must also write a thesis that conforms to University regulations and is acceptable to the program. Students register for HIST 490 THESIS to complete the thesis. A thesis topic should be selected early and consent of two faculty sponsors secured.

A student who has not completed a thesis must maintain continued registration during fall and spring semesters until completion of the thesis by registering for the appropriate zero-credit course (HIST 490Y MASTERS THESIS COMPLETION). Students who have not maintained continuous registration for the thesis will be required to register for all intervening fall and spring semesters prior to graduation.

Non-Thesis Option

Students who opt for the non-thesis option must complete 27 credit hours of course work, all of which must be taken at Roosevelt. In addition to the reading and research seminars, graduate students must take six 400-level electives; at least two electives must be in 400-level only courses. The 400-only electives may include additional sections of the readings class, the seminar, or 400-level courses designated only for graduate students. It may also include HIST 484 INTERNSHIP IN HISTORY or HIST 485 INTERNSHIP IN TEACHING HISTORY. Students taking multiple sections of the readings courses or seminar may not repeat the same topic.

Certificate in Archives and Cultural Heritage Resources and Services

In addition to the above requirements for the MA in History (including a choice between the thesis and non-thesis options that appear above), the joint MA/Certificate degree requires 15 credit hours at the master's level in Library and Information Sciences, all of which must be taken through Dominican University’s certificate program. A full description of these courses may be found at the Dominican University website.

Your degree map is a general guide suggesting courses to complete each term on the academic pathway to your degree. It is based on the most current scheduling information from your academic program. Your program’s degree map is reviewed annually and updated as schedules change (although you retain the same course requirements as long as you are continuously enrolled in your degree program).

Always work closely with your academic advisor to understand curriculum requirements and scheduling, as each student’s academic plan can look slightly different. Students must earn grades of B- or better in all course work, and they must maintain a 3.0 grade point average to continue in the program. A graduate course can only be repeated once; no more than two courses can be repeated.

Non-Thesis Track

¹

 Choose from HIST 428A, HIST 428B, HIST 429A, HIST 429B, HIST 436 or HIST 438.

Thesis Track

¹

 Choose from HIST 428A READINGS IN U.S. HISTORY TO 1877, HIST 428B READINGS IN U.S. HISTORY FROM 1877, HIST 429A READINGS IN EUROPEAN HISTORY, 1400-1750 HIST 429B READINGS IN EUROPEAN HISTORY, 1750-PRESENT, HIST 436 READINGS IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY or HIST 438 READINGS IN ATLANTIC WORLD HISTORY.