Plan I
Coursework
Coursework totaling 24 credit hours in History, and a thesis (typically a two-semester project that earns a total of 6 credit hours of HY 599) are required. Graduate students in History who take coursework with a primarily historical focus in other departments at The University of Alabama may in extraordinary circumstances petition the Director of Graduate Studies to have that coursework count towards their required credit hour total.
Foreign Language Proficiency
The student must demonstrate a reading proficiency in one foreign language before scheduling his or her final comprehensive examination.
Thesis
The student, in consultation with his/her advisor, will select the topic of the thesis. After the topic has been agreed on, the student will prepare a prospectus describing the topic and the proposed plan of approach, including the principal sources to be used. Copies of the prospectus will be distributed to the student’s advisory committee, which shall consist of three members, all of whom must signify their acceptance of the topic and prospectus.
Plan I M.A. Exam
Students schedule the Plan I M.A. exam during their final semester of coursework, and usually take the exam in March or early April of that semester. Students must pass their comprehensive exam by the deadline specified by the Graduate School to be eligible to receive their degree. Students may only take their comprehensive exams during the summer in the event of extraordinary extenuating circumstances and with the consent of the entire examining committee.
No student may schedule his/her exams unless:
- The directing professor has approved the thesis.
- The language proficiency exam has been passed.
The Plan I M.A. exam will consist of a ten-page synthetic essay (see below for a description, and Appendix A), the M.A. thesis, and an oral exam. It will be graded pass/fail. The committee will consist of three members with whom the student has taken at least one course, one of whom must be the professor with whom the student has written his/her M.A. thesis. (In the event that the student intends to pursue a Ph.D. at The University of Alabama and the potential dissertation advisor is not included in this group, he or she will be added as a fourth member. For information detailing how currently-enrolled M.A. students become considered for admission to the Ph.D. program at Alabama, see “Requirements for the admission of M.A. students currently enrolled in The University of Alabama history department to its Ph.D. program.”)
The oral exam should follow within two to three weeks of submission of the written material (final version of M.A. thesis and synthetic essay) to the examination committee. The oral exam will last approximately one hour and will consist of questions evenly divided between those on the student’s M.A. thesis and those on the student’s broader coursework (for which the synthetic essay will serve as a starting point).
Synthetic Essay Question
In a synthetic essay of approximately ten pages reflecting upon course readings (from multiple classes) and the M.A. thesis process, discuss which methods, historiographical fields, theoretical frameworks, specific works of history, and/or individual scholars have contributed to the development of your understanding of history and the historian’s craft.
Consider the following:
- Which works have most influenced your understanding of the discipline of history?
- Of what it is that historians do, and how we go about doing it?
- In what ways have these readings shaped the type of historian you would like to be?
- How have you/will you apply these observations to your own work?
Exam Evaluation
At the conclusion of the exam, the examining committee will immediately convene privately and decide if the student earned a “Pass” or a “Fail.” The committee will then immediately transmit its decision to the student and register it with the department and graduate school. For students who have declared their intention of being considered for continuation to the Ph.D. program (in conjunction with the policy outlined in “Requirements for the admission of M.A. students currently enrolled in The University of Alabama Department of History to its Ph.D. program,”) the M.A. exam committee will also write a short recommendation to be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Special Note on All M.A. Exams
In all M.A. examinations, two negative votes constitute failure of the examination. History graduate students may repeat failed examinations one time only, after a time interval specified by the examining committee. The use of faculty from outside the department to serve on M.A. examination committees must be approved in advance by the departmental Graduate Committee.
Plan II
Coursework
Coursework totaling 30 credit hours in History is required. Graduate students in History who take coursework with a primarily historical focus in other departments at The University of Alabama may in extraordinary circumstances petition the Director of Graduate Studies to have that coursework count towards their required credit hour total.
Foreign Language Proficiency
The student must demonstrate a reading proficiency in one foreign language before scheduling his or her final comprehensive examination.
Plan II M.A. Exam
Students schedule the Plan II M.A. exam during their final semester of coursework, and usually take the exam in March or early April of that semester. Students must pass their comprehensive exam by the deadline specified by the Graduate School to be eligible to receive their degree. Students may only take their comprehensive exams during the summer in the event of extraordinary extenuating circumstances and with the consent of the entire examining committee.
No student may schedule his/her exams unless:
-
- The final, revised seminar paper has been approved by the supervising professor.
- The language proficiency exam has been passed.
The Plan II M.A. exam will consist of a ten-page synthetic essay (see below for a description, and Appendix A), the revised seminar paper, and an oral exam. It will be graded pass/fail. The committee will consist of three members, one of whom must be the professor with whom the student has written his/her seminar paper, and the others professors with whom the student has taken at least one course. (In the event that the student intends to pursue a Ph.D. at The University of Alabama and the potential dissertation advisor is not included in this group, he or she will be added as a fourth member. For information detailing how currently-enrolled M.A. students become considered for admission to the Ph.D. program at Alabama, see “REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ADMISSION OF M.A. STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY TO ITS Ph.D. PROGRAM.”)
The oral exam should follow within two to three weeks of submission of the written material (final version of the revised seminar paper and synthetic essay) to the examination committee. The oral exam will last approximately one hour and will consist of questions evenly divided between those on the student’s revised seminar paper and those on the student’s broader coursework (for which the synthetic essay will serve as a starting point).
Synthetic Essay Question
In a synthetic essay reflecting upon course readings (from multiple classes) and the seminar paper project, discuss which methods, historiographical fields, theoretical frameworks, works of history, and/or individual scholars have contributed to your understanding of history. Consider the follow:
- Which works have most influenced your understanding of the discipline of history?
- In what ways have these readings shaped the type of historian you would like to be?
- How have you/will you apply these observations to your own work?
M.A. Exam Evaluation
At the conclusion of the exam, the examining committee will immediately convene privately and decide if the student earned a “Pass” or a “Fail.” The committee will then immediately transmit its decision to the student and register it with the department and graduate school. For students who have declared their intention of being considered for continuation to the Ph.D. program (in conjunction with the policy outlined below, IX, “REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ADMISSION OF M.A. STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY TO ITS Ph.D. PROGRAM,”) the M.A. exam committee will also write a short recommendation to be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Special Note on All M.A. Exams
In all M.A. examinations, two negative votes constitute failure of the examination. History graduate students may repeat failed examinations one time only, after a time interval specified by the examining committee. The use of faculty from outside the department to serve on M.A. examination committees must be approved in advance by the departmental Graduate Committee.
Other Requirements for Master’s Degree Students
Residency
A student’s program at the master’s level must provide sufficient association with the resident faculty to permit individual evaluation of the student’s capabilities and achievements.
Time Limit
All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed during the six years immediately preceding the date on which the degree is to be awarded.
Application for Graduation
Application for graduation must be done during the registration period for classes during the student’s final semester.