Master of Arts in History (M.A.)
Purpose
The Master of Arts in History complies with regional accreditation standards, and is designed to promote superior academic scholarship and professionalism for those students continuing their education or entering vocations in the field of history. It seeks to prepare students to understand history's place in God's plan and to meet the challenges posed by history vocations.
Program Learning Outcomes
The student will be able to:
- Apply a Christian worldview in their study of history;
- Demonstrate knowledge in research methodology;
- Analyze historiographical positions at a graduate level;
- Communicate effectively in written and oral form.
Program Specific Admission Procedures
In addition to the general admission requirements, specific admission procedures to the Master of Arts in History program are as follows:
- Students interested in being considered for a Graduate Assistantship starting in the Fall semester should apply by February 15 and for those starting in the Spring semester by November 15
- Official transcripts indicating successful completion of a baccalaureate degree program from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., SACSCOC, TRACS, ABHE, etc.) must be mailed directly from the Registrar of the college(s) attended to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
- Applicants should hold a cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a scale of 4.00 for undergraduate study. Applicants who hold a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.50 to 2.99 on a 4.00 scale may be eligible for admission on Cautionary status. These students may not qualify for assistantship positions until a 3.00 average is earned in graduate study.
- The Department of History will give preference to applicants who have completed a B.S. or B.A. in History or a related discipline before their first semester of enrollment. However, the Department will also consider students with degrees from other disciplines.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of fifty-percent of the program hours may be transferred if approved and allowable, including credit from an earned degree from Liberty University on the same academic level. In order to transfer credit, students must have earned the minimum grade of B-, and courses must have been completed within 10 years of the start date of the program. No core courses may be transferred from another institution. Credits from a prior degree on the same academic level earned through Liberty University are considered transfer credits.
Course Requirements
The Master of Arts in History is a 36-hour degree with the option to write a thesis or not. Students not wishing to write a thesis will take 12 graduate courses (36 hours). Students who wish to write a thesis will take nine graduate courses (27 hours) and then write a thesis (9 hours). For the thesis option, students must successfully complete HIST 601 Advanced Historical Research (3 c.h.), HIST 689 Thesis Proposal and Research (3 c.h.), and HIST 690 Thesis Defense (3 c.h.). These research courses will constitute 9 of the 36 hours in the degree. Also, students who wish to write a thesis on a European topic must have completed the equivalent of 12 hours at the undergraduate level in one language other than English or demonstrate a reading competency in a non-English language.