Master of Arts in History

This is an archived copy of the 2020-2021 Catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.norwich.edu/.

Program Director: David Ulbrich
Associate Program Director of Academics: John Broom

Mission

The Master of Arts in History program:

  • provides students with a base of historical knowledge within the field of history,
  • builds an awareness of differing historical interpretations and the ability to synthesize diverse types of historical knowledge,
  • build sand refine student research, writing, analysis and presentation skills,
  • provides students with an introduction to historical pedagogy,
  • provides students with a foundation for developing a professional identity as a historian and,
  • helps students “learn to think like a historian” and develop “historiographical sensibilities” and “historical habits of mind.”
     

The Master of Arts in History curriculum is guided by the goals for history M.A. degrees outlined by the American Historical Association. The curriculum provides students with a base of historical knowledge, graduate level historical research skills, an introduction to historical pedagogy, the foundation for an identity as a historian, and the “habits of mind” of a professional historian.

Curriculum Map/Plan of Study 


U.S. History Concentration

Term 1
MH 510Introduction to Military History: Historiography and Method6
Term 2 & 3, Select two of the three following seminars:
HI 520American Colonial, Revolutionary and Early National History6
HI 530Nineteenth Century American History6
HI 540Twentieth Century American History6
Term 4: Select one external elective from the following:
MH 520Global Military History to 18006
MH 530Military Thought and Theory6
MH 540Non-Western Military History6
MH 541Chinese Military History6
MH 543Amphibious Warfare6
MH 550U.S. Military History6
MH 551Race and Gender in Military History6
MH 552Total War6
HI 523Archival Science and Management6
HI 526Hunter-Gatherer and Agrarian Eras6
HI 528Western Legal Tradition, 1000 CE-17896
HI 533Museum Science and Management6
HI 536The Late Agrarian Era to 18006
HI 538Race, Gender, and the U.S. Constitution6
HI 546World History from 1800 to 19916
Term 5
HI 550Directed Readings in History6
Term 6: Capstone, Thesis or Comp Exam
MH 562Capstone Paper6
MH 569Comprehensive Exam 10
MH 570
MH 571
M.A. Thesis
and MA Thesis II 2
6
Culminating Academic Requirement
MH 595Residency0
Total Cr.36


World History Concentration

Term 1
MH 510Introduction to Military History: Historiography and Method6
Term 2 & 3 Select two of the three following seminars:
HI 526Hunter-Gatherer and Agrarian Eras6
HI 536The Late Agrarian Era to 18006
HI 546World History from 1800 to 19916
Term 4: Select one external elective from the following:
HI 520American Colonial, Revolutionary and Early National History6
HI 523Archival Science and Management6
HI 528Western Legal Tradition, 1000 CE-17896
HI 530Nineteenth Century American History6
HI 533Museum Science and Management6
HI 538Race, Gender, and the U.S. Constitution6
HI 540Twentieth Century American History6
MH 520Global Military History to 18006
MH 530Military Thought and Theory6
MH 540Non-Western Military History6
MH 541Chinese Military History6
MH 543Amphibious Warfare6
MH 550U.S. Military History6
MH 551Race and Gender in Military History6
MH 552Total War6
Term 5
HI 550Directed Readings in History6
Term 6: Capstone Academic Exercise
Select one of the following:
MH 562Capstone Paper6
MH 569Comprehensive Exam 10
MH 570
MH 571
M.A. Thesis
and MA Thesis II 2
6
Culminating Academic Requirement
HI 595Residency0
Total Cr.36

Public History Track

Term 1
HI 513Introduction to Public History6
Term 2
HI 523Archival Science and Management6
Term 3
HI 533Museum Science and Management (Elective)6
Term 4 Select one of the following:
American Colonial, Revolutionary and Early National History6
Nineteenth Century American History6
Twentieth Century American History6
Hunter-Gatherer and Agrarian Eras6
The Late Agrarian Era to 18006
World History from 1800 to 19916
Global Military History to 18006
Military Thought and Theory6
Non-Western Military History6
Chinese Military History6
Amphibious Warfare6
U.S. Military History6
Race and Gender in Military History6
Total War6
Term 5
HI 553Research and Planning Seminar6
Term 6
HI 563Capstone Project (Term 6)6
Culminating Academic Requirement
HI 595Residency0
Total Cr.36

Legal and Constitutional History

Term 1
MH 510Introduction to Military History: Historiography and Method6
Term 2
HI 528Western Legal Tradition, 1000 CE-17896
Term 3
HI 538Race, Gender, and the U.S. Constitution6
Term 4 select one of the following:
American Colonial, Revolutionary and Early National History6
Nineteenth Century American History6
Twentieth Century American History6
Hunter-Gatherer and Agrarian Eras6
The Late Agrarian Era to 18006
World History from 1800 to 19916
Global Military History to 18006
Military Thought and Theory6
Non-Western Military History6
Chinese Military History6
Amphibious Warfare6
U.S. Military History6
Race and Gender in Military History6
Total War6
Term 5:
HI 550Directed Readings in History6
Term 6: Capstone
Capstone Paper6
or
Capstone Curriculum Project6
Culminating Academic Requirement
HI 595Residency0
Total Cr.36

M.A. Examination

The master’s examination exercise consists of one or more written examinations covering the subject matter studied in previous seminars. Students will be assigned a faculty advisor in seminar 4 who will assist the student in preparing for the written examination. A committee of three consisting of the student’s advisor, the capstone director and one Norwich M.A. in History faculty member will evaluate and grade the written examinations. The M.A. examination is intended to test the student’s knowledge of their specific field of study and is a final validation of performance for the Norwich M.A. in History. 

Capstone Paper

In this final seminar students will, under the direction of single Norwich faculty member assigned by the program’s capstone director, research and write a capstone paper of approximately fifty pages in length. The paper must utilize scholarly secondary sources as well as primary source documents and demonstrate the student’s mastery of the historiography of his or her topic. The paper must contain a well developed historical question and a compelling interpretation/argument answering the question posed. 

One-Week Residency

All degree candidates of the Master of Arts in History are required to attend a one-week Residency Conference on the Norwich University campus, during which they may attend professional presentations, participate in roundtable discussions with faculty, and present papers. The one-week residency is a degree requirement.

Master’s Thesis

This option is recommended for those interested in continuing their studies in history at the doctoral level. Interested students must petition the program director, provide two letters of recommendation of support from Norwich M.A. in History faculty, and a complete M.A. thesis prospectus outlining the proposed M.A. research question, the historiography of the topic, and the primary and/or archival sources they will use for their M.A. thesis. Petitions to exercise the M.A. thesis project will be reviewed by a committee composed of the program director, associate program director for academics, and capstone director. If the student petition is approved a committee consisting of two professors and the capstone director will advise the student throughout the thesis seminars. The paper must contain a well developed historical question and a compelling interpretation/argument answering the question posed.

The thesis option requires enrollment in two 3-credit seminars offered sequentially. The thesis may be completed in a minimum of six months, but in all cases must be completed in nine months with accompanying sustaining and thesis fees.

Faculty Member Institution at which highest degree was earned
David Ulbrich, PhD (Program Director) Temple University
John Broom, PhD (Associate Program Director) The Union Institute and University
Alan Anderson, PhD King's College London
Michael Beauchamp, PhD Texas A&M University
Rae Bielakowski, PhD Loyola University of Chicago
Robert Clemm, PhD Ohio State University
Ginger Davis, PhD Temple University
Sviatoslav Dmitriev, PhD Harvard University
Michael Dolski, PhD Ohio State University
Sarah Douglas, PhD Ohio State University
Elouise Epstein, PhD Bowling Green State University
Paul Gardner, PhD Kansas State University
Connie Harris, PhD University of Nebraska
Paul Hatley, PhD Kansas State University
Andrew Holt, PhD University of Florida
Sean Kalic, PhD Kansas State University
Susan Karr, PhD University of Chicago
Matthew Keagle, PhD Cornell University
Edward Kohn, PhD McGill University
Martin Loicano, PhD Cornell University
Bruce Malone, MA Norwich University
Sanders Marble, PhD King's College London
Scott McLaughlin, PhD Binghamton University
Kathryn Merriam University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Lisa Mundey, PhD Kansas State University
Uta Raina, PhD Temple University
John Roche, PhD University of North Carolina
Charles Sanders, PhD Kansas State University
Kenneth Swope, PhD University of Michigan
Robert Stern, PhD University of Chicago
Clayton Trutor, PhD Boston College
Johnny Trutor, PhD University of Minnesota
Bobby Wintermute, PhD Temple University
Mitchel Yockelson Cranfield University