波尔州立大学

Ball State’s master of arts program in history will prepare you to enter a doctoral program or enter the workforce as a teacher, among other career options. This program is also useful if you are looking to professionalize your secondary school teaching license.

To best meet your academic and career goals, our program is divided into three options:

• Option 1: Prepare for a PhD by adding a thesis to your coursework
• Option 2: Prepare for a PhD and develop immediately employable skills by creating a digital project.
• Option 3: For certified teachers, this option focuses on two specialized pedagogical courses and prepares you to offer advanced-placement and dual-credit courses at your high school.

What You Will Learn

Our curriculum will give you a strong background in:

• American society
• politics and culture
• women’s history
• other historical topics

Program Requirements

You will complete 33 credits of courses in historical research, historiography, and courses in American, European, and/or world history.

If you intend to continue your education after getting your master's, you must complete a thesis. You will have the opportunity to defend your thesis, which is great practice for a doctoral program. However, students working toward a terminal degree in history can write a thesis or complete six credits of coursework in lieu of a thesis.

Credits

Total: 33

27 credits of core courses and directed electives
6 credits in one of four concentrations:

• thesis concentration
• general concentration
• digital concentration
• history concentration

Courses

A few of the classes you will take include:

• HIST 612 Seminar Modern Historiography
• HIST 613 Seminar in Historical Research
• directed electives
• 6 credits in your chosen concentration

What Can You Do with a Master of Arts in History?

The master of arts (MA) in history may serve a terminal degree or as a prelude to an additional graduate degree. In addition, the degree may be used to professionalize the standard secondary school teaching license. Students with an MA in history may go on to pursue careers in:

• community colleges or universities
• museums
• private corporations
• public agencies
• private individual or small firms
• private nonprofit organizations