Acting Program Director
Dr. Daniel Ayana
541 DeBartolo Hall
(330) 941-1609
dayana@ysu.edu
Program Description
The Department of History offers a graduate program leading to the Master of Arts degree. Its curriculum combines American, European, and Transnational/Global areas. The program prepares students for:
- Doctoral study in history or related fields,
- Advancement in secondary and elementary education with a concentration in history and the social sciences,
- Certification in applied history, and/or
- Additional graduate study in a variety of professional areas.
The program also provides the knowledge base for those pursuing history as an avocation. The program concentrates on research and primary materials, written analysis of research results, study of important monographs in all fields of history, and training in a number of specialized fields, such as oral history and historic preservation. The department prides itself on its small classes and close personal attention to all of its master’s candidates.
Admission Requirements
Regular admission will be granted to those students who:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- Have earned an undergraduate cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale
- Have a minimum of 16 credit hours of study in the field of history
- Have submitted a score on the Graduate Record Examination
- Have submitted a satisfactory academic writing assignment.
- The above will be compiled and a score of at least 350 points must be achieved from the following calculation:
Undergraduate GPA multiplied by 100, plus percentile scores from the verbal and written-essay sections of the GRE.
Thus, a student with an undergraduate GPA of 3.25, a verbal GRE at 50th percentile, and written essay at 35th percentile would score 325+50+35=410.
(The score for the GRE quantitative section will not be assessed.)
Students not meeting these requirements may be considered for provisional admission or non-degree status instead.
Graduate Faculty
Daniel Ayana, Ph.D., Professor
Africa; social and economic history
Brian Bonhomme, Ph.D., Professor, Chair
Nineteenth- and twentieth-century Russian history; environmental history
Eleanor A. Congdon, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Medieval; Renaissance; Mediterranean world; maritime history
Donna M. DeBlasio, Ph.D., Professor
Twentieth-century US history; applied history; oral history
Jacob Labendz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Jewish history; European history; Holocaust and genocide studies; nationalism, antisemitism, and racism; Communism and the Cold War; governance and authoritarianism; diaspora and migration; politics and culture of food; film and memory studies
Thomas E. Leary, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Historic preservation; labor and industrial history
Martha Pallante, Ph.D., Professor
Early American studies; material culture; pedagogy
David A. Simonelli, Ph.D., Professor
Britain; British Empire
Fred W. Viehe, Ph.D., Professor
History of the NEOEA
Degree Requirments
The Department of History offers three tracks to candidates for a Master of Arts degree in history.
- Track I is designed primarily for students who wish to continue studies toward a doctorate.
- Track II is designed primarily to meet the needs and improve the effectiveness of secondary teachers.
- Track III, the certificate in applied history, is designed to prepare students for career opportunities in that field.
Each candidate for the M.A. in history must pass a written and an oral examination in three fields of concentration. The examination will require factual and interpretative material, as well as bibliography and historiography. Students may only take their comprehensive exams if they are in Good Standing with the College of Graduate Studies.
Track I (Historic Preservation)
- A total of 30 semester hours of graduate credit including thesis (six semester hours)
- Completion of HIST 6900 Introduction to Historical Research and HIST 6901 Historiography
- A required thesis
- Successful completion of general written and oral examinations
Students working in American or British history will not, in most instances, be required to pass a foreign language examination. In areas where a foreign language is essential for research, the student will have to meet the requirement set by the department, which will include reading knowledge only (no speaking required).
Before any student under option I is allowed to take the written and oral examinations, the advisor will designate to the chair of the Graduate Committee of the Department of History which foreign language, if any, the student is required to know and how this requirement has to be met.
Students under option I are reminded that the Department of History expects that the thesis shall display a capacity for research in a variety of historical sources and the ability to interpret factual information and shall constitute a properly documented report of the completed research.
Track II (Museum Studies)
- A total of 33 semester hours of graduate credit
- Completion of HIST 6900 Introduction to Historical Researchand HIST 6901 Historiography
- Two satisfactory (B or better) graduate seminar papers submitted to two different instructors. The papers will be deposited with the graduate program director to remain permanently on file. The overall course grade for each seminar must also be 'B' or better.
- Successful completion of general written and oral examinations
- Foreign language examination is not required
Track III (Certificate in Applied History)
The M.A. in history with certificate in applied history is designed both to give students a grounding in American history and historical research at the graduate level and to introduce them to ideas and techniques useful in applied history of the built environment. Students earning the certificate may find work with state or local preservation groups, museums, or government agencies. Students choose from among three possible tracks and then complete an additional 18 semester hours as described below. Students completing the appropriate courses may also earn the certificate only, without the M.A. degree, if they so wish.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Tracks | ||
| Complete one of three tracks. | 18 | |
| Track I: Historic Preservation | ||
| American Architectural History 1 | ||
| American Architectural History 2 | ||
| Conservation of the Historic Built Environment | ||
| Applied History | ||
| Practicum in Applied History | ||
| Applied History Internship | ||
| Track II: Museum Studies | ||
| American Material Culture | ||
| Applied History | ||
| Practicum in Applied History | ||
| Applied History Internship | ||
| Museum Curation and Interpretation 1 | ||
| Museum Curation and Interpretation 2 | ||
| Track III: Applied History Sequence | ||
| American Architectural History 1 | ||
| Oral History | ||
| American Material Culture | ||
| Applied History | ||
| Applied History Internship | ||
| Historical Editing | ||
| Select at least one course from one of the tracks listed above that is not the student’s primary track. | 3 | |
| HIST 6900 | Introduction to Historical Research | 3 |
| HIST 6901 | Historiography | 3 |
| Complete at least one seminar outside of applied history. | 3 | |
| Complete at least one readings course. | 3 | |
| Complete two satisfactory (B or better) graduate papers submitted to two different instructors. One shall be from a history seminar and must be a research paper using primary sources. The other shall be based upon a paper begun in an applied history course, expanded through additional research and reading as directed by the instructor. The papers will be deposited with the graduate program director to remain permanently on file. | ||
| Successful completion of general written and oral examinations | ||
| Foreign language examination is not required. | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 33 | |
Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate the skills necessary for the historian to analyze information and report findings effectively, by recognizing the difference between primary and secondary resources and being able to critically read and analyze their content; by effectively communicating in written and oral media; and by exhibiting satisfactory critical-thinking and synthesis skills.
- Students will demonstrate comprehension of the basic concepts that guide the historian’s work, by understanding: the concepts of historiography and that historical interpretation is not fixed but changes over time; the significance of chronologies and the impact of cause and effect; and the importance and impact of cultural diversity on the past and its relevance in the present.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to employ the skill of the historian to produce an original research project(s) based on primary and secondary sources.
Graduate Courses
HIST 5806 American Architectural History 1 3 s.h.
Development of structural styles and trends within the United States, focusing on formal architectural styles.
Prereq.: HIST 2605 and HIST 2606.
HIST 5807 American Architectural History 2 3 s.h.
Development of vernacular, folk, and industrial architecture in the United States. Focus is on local variants with emphasis on 20th Century specimens. Field trips will view representative building types, especially housing.
Prereq.: HIST 5806.
HIST 5810 Conservation of the Historic Built Environment 3 s.h.
The theory and practice of preserving and rehabilitating all aspects of the historic built environment. Provides broad exposure through field experience.
Prereq.: HIST 3715.
HIST 6900 Introduction to Historical Research 3 s.h.
Instruction in the basic tools and techniques of historical research. Required of all candidates for advanced degrees in history.
HIST 6901 Historiography 3 s.h.
An introduction to the professional study of history, including an examination of the sources and nature of historical knowledge, historical criticism, and synthesis. Required of all candidates for advanced degrees in history.
HIST 6910 Readings in American History 3 s.h.
Readings in the standard works and monographic studies to meet the requirements of qualified graduate students who wish intensive concentration in specific areas of American history. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6912 Research Seminar in American Colonial History 3 s.h.
Selected problems of early American history. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6913 Research Seminar in 19th-Century America 3 s.h.
Selected problems of American history, 1800-1865. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6914 Research Seminar in 20th-Century America 3 s.h.
Selected problems of American history in the 20th century. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6920 Readings in European Literature 3 s.h.
Readings in the standard works and monographic studies to meet the requirements of qualified graduate students who wish intensive concentration in European history. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6921 Research Seminar in Medieval Culture and Society 3 s.h.
The main intellectual and social currents of the Middle Ages. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6922 Research Seminar in Renaissance and Reformation 3 s.h.
Trends and aspects of the Renaissance and Reformation. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6923 Research Seminar in 17th-Century Europe 3 s.h.
Dutch Commercial Enterprise, the France of Louis XIV, Austria and the Empire, emergence of Brandenburg-Prussia, rise of modern science, the Age of Reason, and the development of the Baroque in arts and literature.
HIST 6924 Research Seminar in 18th-Century Europe 3 s.h.
Selected areas of the Enlightenment, Old Regime, and the French Revolution. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6925 Research Seminar in 19th-Century Europe 3 s.h.
The Napoleonic and Post-Napoleonic Era and the rise of nationalism in Europe. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6926 Research Seminar in 20th-Century Europe 3 s.h.
Investigation of the causes of the great world wars, the rise of totalitarianism, and the Cold War. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6927 Research Seminar in Russian History 3 s.h.
Selected problems of Russian history. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6928 Research Seminar in British Empire 3 s.h.
An examination of major problems confronting the British Empire after 1783. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6929 Research Seminar in English History 3 s.h.
An examination of selected problems in the political, social, economic, and intellectual history of England. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6930 Readings in World History 3 s.h.
Readings in the standard works and monographic studies to meet the requirements of qualified students who wish concentration in world history. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6932 Research Seminar in Middle Eastern History 3 s.h.
This course will deal with topics from the ancient Near East down to the contemporary clash of nationalisms in the Middle East. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6934 Readings in African History 3 s.h.
Readings in the standard works and monographic studies to meet the requirements of qualified graduate students who wish intensive concentration in African history. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6935 Research Seminar in African History 3 s.h.
Selected problems in the political, social, economic, and intellectual history of Africa. May be repeated with permission of instructor.
HIST 6939 Labor in US History 3 s.h.
Emphasis on work processes, workforce composition, and labor organizations in the industrial Midwest.
HIST 6940 Oral History 3 s.h.
Instruction in methods of taking, processing, and utilizing oral depositions relating to history. The course includes assignments in the field. May be repeated once.
HIST 6941 American Material Culture 3 s.h.
A discussion and analysis of the use and importance of material artifacts as texts for the recovery of the American past. The emphasis will be on nontraditional sources. Examples include children's books, sacred spaces, and foodways.
HIST 6942 Applied History 3 s.h.
This course provides an overview of the field of applied history. Topics include historic preservation, museum studies, heritage tourism, archives and related topics.
HIST 6943 Practicum in Applied History 3 s.h.
Examines problems in the field of applied history through student participation in a wide variety of community-based projects.
Prereq.: HIST 3715 Introduction to Historic Preservation, HIST 6942, or instructor's permission.
HIST 6944 Applied History Internship 3 s.h.
Practical application of principles and methods in the field of applied history with the goal of producing a completed project. Internship to be selected by the student in conjunction with the Program Director. May be repeated once.
Prereq.: HIST 6942 and approval of program director.
HIST 6945 Interpretation and Preservation of the Industrial Built Environment 3 s.h.
Through lectures and readings, this course examines and interprets the industrial built environment. This includes, but is not limited to, factories, neighborhoods, infrastructure, and commercial districts that make up the fabric of industrial communities.
Prereq.: Graduate standing and completion of HIST 6942 or permission of instructor.
HIST 6946 Historical Editing 3 s.h.
Project-based approach to theoretical and practical aspects of editing historical and literary documents for both print and digital contexts. Topics include document selection, transcription, verification, and annotation, as well as the implications for teaching and learning using traditional print and electronic archives and texts.
Cross-listed: ENGL 6946.
HIST 6950 Studies in the Teaching of History 3 s.h.
Investigation and discussion of the research and some of the underlying assumptions in the teaching of history, with implications for the teacher of social studies in the secondary schools and for the prospective history professor. Degree students may receive credit for this course only once.
HIST 6951 Special Topics in History 1-3 s.h.
Special topics in history selected by the staff. May be repeated up to six semester hours.
HIST 6952 Independent Study 1-3 s.h.
Individual study in concentrated areas of history under the supervision of a staff member. May be repeated.
Prereq.: Permission of the instructor and the graduate director.
HIST 6953 Research, Thesis 1-6 s.h.
.
HIST 6955 Museum Curation and Interpretation 1 3 s.h.
An introduction to curatorial and interpretative work in a museum setting. Students will learn how to acquire and catalog objects and other materials; plan, research, and write an exhibit; and select objects and images for an exhibit.
Prereq.: HIST 6942.
HIST 6956 Museum Curation and Interpretation 2 3 s.h.
The exhibit planning begun in HIST 6955 will continue in this course, where the exhibit will actually be prepared and installed.
Prereq.: HIST 6955 and permission of the instructor.
HIST 6957 Special Topics in Applied History 3 s.h.
This course will focus on topics selected by the applied history faculty.
Prereq.: HIST 6942.