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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
- GRADUATE
www.as.miami.edu
Degree Programs
Requirements for the M.A. Degree in History
A. Admissions
We are looking for applicants with a record of outstanding
achievement and evidence of potential success in graduate
studies, attributes which can be measured in various ways
such as grades, recommendations, written work, and test scores.
Students with a master’s degree from an accredited institution
may apply for admission to the doctoral program. Students
with a bachelor’s degree only and with very strong credentials
may be admitted into the doctoral program. Applicants must
meet the admissions requirements set by both the graduate
school, which are listed in its materials, and the department
of history.
Because one of the strengths of our program is a close working
relationship between faculty members and students, we cannot
always accept qualified applicants when no one in the department
can provide the guidance they need in their area of interest.
Applicants should explore the listing of faculty on our website
and contact the DGS or relevant faculty members if they have
any questions.
The complete application contains:
1) A completed application form.
2) A completed financial aid application, if seeking aid.
3) Three letters of recommendation, preferably from applicant’s
former professors.
4) Recent Graduate Record Examination scores on the General
Test.
5) TOEFL scores (for international students).
6) Official transcripts.
7) A detailed statement from the student indicating:
(a) the student’s background and education;
(b) the student’s interests (field, topic, etc.);
(c) why the student wants to pursue a graduate degree
in history at the University of Miami;
(d) what the student plans to do with the degree upon
completion. This statement constitutes a very important
part of the application review process and should indicate
the student’s understanding of the professional
nature of the training that the student is about to begin.
8) A representative writing sample.
Deadlines
January 20: Applications for admission and aid for Fall semester.
B. Committee
Upon admission to the masters program in history, the student
is assigned a provisional major advisor. An advisory committee
of three, including the major advisor and a faculty member
representing the student’s secondary field, must be
formed no later than the student’s second semester in
the program. There are then two options for completing the
masters. One requires 27 hours of coursework and an exam.
The other requires 21 hours of coursework, a master’s
thesis (6 thesis credits), and an exam. In the case of both
options, one member of the committee may be from a cognate
discipline, but this is not required. It is the responsibility
of the student and the advisor to form the committee and to
notify the DGS of its composition. The major advisor chairs
the advisory committee and oversees the student’s course
of study and progress in the program. The advisory committee
also administers the oral comprehensive exam that is given
in the case of either option. In the case of the second (thesis)
option, the advisory committee and the thesis committee are
usually, but not necessarily, composed of the same faculty
members.
C. Requirements
27 credits at the 500 level or above, of which at least
18 must be at the 600 level or above.
Passage of an oral exam in two fields.
Completion of History 695 (Historiography). This course is
normally given in the fall semester. All students are required
to take the Historiography course in their first year.
Students may, if they wish, write an M.A. thesis. Students
who elect this option should consult with their advisor. Any
student writing a thesis should register for 6 credits of
History 710, which count toward the 27 required credits.
Language Requirements: Students must demonstrate a reading
knowledge in at least one foreign language. Reading knowledge
in additional languages may be required by the major advisor.
See under Ph.D. requirements for more information on fulfilling
language requirements.
The student must apply for graduation in his or her penultimate
semester (i.e. fall semester for spring semester).
The comprehensive examination for the M.A. degree in history
is an oral examination in two fields that will normally not
exceed two hours. Though the exam is in two fields, all members
of the advisory committee will participate. Students selecting
the thesis examination should expect questioning on the thesis
as well as their fields during the examination. For such students
the comprehensive will also act as a thesis defense.
D. Fields
See H under Requirements for the Ph.D.
Requirements for the PH.D. Degree
in History
A. Admissions
We are looking for applicants with a record of outstanding
academic achievement and evidence of potential success in
graduate studies, attributes which can be measured in various
ways such as grades, recommendations, written work, and test
scores. Students with a master’s from an accredited
institution may apply for admission to the doctoral program.
Students with a bachelor’s degree only and with very
strong credentials may be admitted into the doctoral program.
Applicants must meet the admissions requirements set by both
the graduate school, which are listed in its materials, and
the department of history.
Because one of the strengths of our program is a close working
relationship between faculty members and students, we cannot
always accept qualified applicants when no one in the department
can provide the guidance they need in their area of interest.
Applicants should explore the listing of faculty on our website
and contact the DGS or relevant faculty members if they have
any questions.
The complete application contains:
1) A completed application form.
2) A completed financial aid application, if seeking aid.
3) Three letters of recommendation, preferably from the
applicant’s former professors.
4) Recent Graduate Record Examination scores.
5) For international students, TOEFL scores.
6) Official transcripts.
7) A detailed statement from the student indicating: a)
the student’s background and education; b) the student’s
interests (field, topic, etc.); c) why the student wants
to pursue a graduate degree in history at the University
of Miami; and d) what the student plans to do with the degree
upon completion. This statement constitutes a very important
part of the application review process and should indicate
the student’s understanding of the professional nature
of the training that the student is about to begin.
8) A representative writing sample.
Admission from M.A. to Ph.D. Status
Students admitted at the master’s level who are performing
well in their studies are encouraged to proceed to Ph.D. status.
Advisors who believe that a student should be admitted to
the Ph.D. program, and have the consent of the student, inform
the DGS of this desire early in the spring semester and at
least before the annual departmental meeting reviewing graduate
students’ progress. The request is then reviewed by
the department at its annual meeting for recommendation to
the graduate committee. Students who move from the M.A. to
the Ph.D. program are eligible for the same number of years’
aid as students entering the Ph.D. program directly from the
B.A., minus the years of aid they have already received. For
course requirements, see below.
Deadlines
January 20: Applications for admissions and aid for Fall semester.
B. Committee
Upon admission to the program, the student is assigned a
provisional major advisor. As noted above, students should
then concur or select a different advisor by the beginning
of the second semester in the program. An advisory committee
of four or five, including the major advisor and faculty members
representing the second and third fields, must be formed no
later than the student’s third semester in the program.
Concurrent with the formation of the committee, the student
should choose the 4 fields of study. One of these must be
from a cognate discipline. It is the responsibility of the
student and the advisor to form this committee and notify
the DGS of its composition. The major advisor chairs the advisory
committee and oversees the student’s course of study
and progress in the program. The advisory committee will also
administer the oral and written comprehensive examinations.
Students may change advisor and other committee members throughout
the program provided that the faculty member(s) selected agree(s).
C. Requirements
1a) For students entering the Ph.D. program with a B.A.,
45 credit hours (5 semesters) of graduate coursework at
the university of Miami.
1b) For students entering the Ph.D. program with a masters
from another university, at least 27 credit hours (3 semesters)
of graduate coursework at the University of Miami.
1c) For students entering the Ph.D. program with a Masters
from another program at the University of Miami, at least
27 additional credit hours (3 semesters) of graduate coursework
at the University of Miami.
1d) For students entering the Ph.D. program with a Masters
from the History department at the University of Miami,
24 additional credit hours of graduate coursework (to conform
to a Graduate School requirement) at the University of Miami.
1e) All doctoral students are expected to take their comprehensive
exams no later than their 6th semester in the History Graduate
Program at the University of Miami.
2) Completion of History 695 (Historiography), included
in the above number of credits. All students are required
to take the Historiography course in their first year.
3) Completion of History 693 (the two-semester Research
Seminar), included in the above number of credits, at least
once. Typically, students take History 693 in their 2nd
and 3rd semesters in the program.
4a) Passage of a major field in written and oral exams.
4b) Passage of a 2nd field in written and oral exams.
4c) Passage of a 3rd field in written and oral exams.
4d) Passage of a 4th (cognate) field in the oral exam alone.
5) Following completion of course credit hours, students
will need to take sufficient dissertation research credits
(History 730 if before the comprehensives have passed; History
740 after the comprehensives have been passed) to reach
a total of 60 credits hours beyond the B.A. in order to
receive the doctorate. Graduate School rules require that
students take a minimum of 12 dissertation credits. Students
who enter the Ph.D. program with an M.A. from another university
or from another program at the U. of M. receive 30 credit
hours towards the 60 credit hour requirement.
The required credits of coursework are only the formal minimum.
Although course work is necessary preparation for the comprehensive
examination, students are examined on the mastery of fields
of knowledge rather than courses. The number of courses
taken depends on the student’s background, choice
of fields, nature of related work, language skills, etc.
Courses should be selected only after consultation with
the Major Advisor.
D. Incompletes
All incompletes from the fall semester must be made up by
the official end of the following spring semester. All incompletes
from the spring semester must be made up before the official
start of the subsequent fall semester. No student will be
allowed to proceed to exams until all incompletes have been
made up.
E. Languages Requirement
Reading knowledge of at least one foreign language is required.
More than one foreign language may be required if the major
advisor deems it necessary. The Modern Languages and Literatures
Department administers examinations in the languages that
it teaches and offers preparation courses in a handful of
languages. Students may contact the DGS for the various options
for taking courses in foreign languages. Students must, in
conjunction with their advisor, prepare a plan that specifies
how they will demonstrate language proficiency. The language
requirement must be completed before a student can take the
comprehensive examinations (see below).
F. Comprehensive Examinations
It is the responsibility of the student and major advisor
to organize the comprehensive examinations. Students may take
them at any time of the year that classes are in session.
Arrangements for the exams, including selection of their dates
and a final list of committee members, should be made by the
end of the first month of the semester in question, with notification
to the Department Chair and DGS.
The student takes the written part of the examinations in
three history fields, which are normally administered over
a period of two successive weeks. The portion for each field
is four hours in duration. Only after the advisory committee
deems that the student has successfully passed the written
portions for each field is the student permitted to take the
oral part of the examination.
The oral section covers the three history fields and one
cognate field and is approximately two hours in duration.
The prospectus may form part of the discussion, but the examination
will focus on coverage of the fields. The committee consists
of four to five faculty members. One member of the examining
committee must be from outside the department. Normally this
is the committee member representing the cognate field.
The student advances to candidate status after passing the
comprehensive examinations and submitting an acceptable dissertation
prospectus.
Students who have not already received a master’s degree
from the University of Miami will be awarded an M.A. upon
successful completion of their doctoral comprehensive exams.
G. Dissertation
After passing the examinations, students form a dissertation
committee. This may be the original advisory committee, but
it may also be revised to meet the needs of the dissertation
work. The students, in consultation with the Major Advisor,
put forward the names of individuals suggested to serve on
the dissertation committee. The committee is then approved
and appointed by the dean of the graduate school.
The dissertation must make a significant contribution to
the candidate’s field of specialization. It must meet
the highest standards of research, substance, and form, and
demonstrate an ability to conduct and report independent and
original scholarly investigation.
The student must apply for graduation in his or her penultimate
semester (i.e. fall for spring semester).
Upon completion of the dissertation and its tentative approval
by the dissertation committee, the student takes a final oral
examination that is a “defense” of the dissertation
and that lasts for approximately two hours. It is open to
the university community. Following the defense of the dissertation,
the dissertation committee will render its decision to accept
or reject the dissertation. Approval of the dissertation must
be indicated by the signature of all members of the dissertation
committee.
H. Fields
Chronological/Geographical fields
Medieval Europe
Early Modern Europe
Modern Europe
Early American History
Modern U.S. History
Colonial Latin America
Modern Latin America
East Asia
Russia
Africa
Caribbean
Topical Fields. These must cover either two of the geographic
or two of the temporal fields listed above.
African Diaspora
Race and Ethnicity
Gender and Sexuality
History of Religion
History of Science and Medicine
History of Crime and Law
Political History
Diplomatic History
Urban and Environmental History
Economic History
Business History
Labor History
History of Sport
Military History
Cultural and Intellectual History
Public History
Atlantic World
Customized Fields
Students may create their own fields in consultation with
their advisory committee. The student opting for this approach
must file a plan of study listing relevant courses, the faculty
member(s) involved, and the rationale. To pursue the individualized
concentration, the student must obtain written approval of
the plan by the major advisor, DGS, and the Department Chair.
The plan and signed approvals are placed in the student’s
file. With rare exceptions, a customized field may not be
the major field of study.
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