Southern Methodist University Department of History

The Clements Department of History offers the M.A. in four fields of concentration:

Each student will be assigned a major advisor at entrance. The major advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies will work with each student to plan a specific course of study, which may include up to six hours in fields or departments outside the major field of study.

Students are required to earn 30 semester hours of credit at the 5000 or 6000 level. A 6000-level course can include participation in an undergraduate major history course at the 3000 level, together with additional requirements that the instructor assigns. The structure of courses will include:

3 hours	History 6300--Historiography

3 hours	An intensive directed reading course in the field of concentration.

3 hours	A second reading course or reading colloquium (a 6000-level course) in the field of concentration

3 hours	A research seminar or individual research project in the field of concentration.

12 hours	Four additional courses at the 5000 level or 6000 level (two each term) in the Department, or courses in other departments or fields as approved by the major advisor and Director of Graduate Studies.

6 hours	Thesis. At the completion of these courses and upon satisfaction of the language requirement, students will be required to take an oral qualifying examination in the major field, based largely on the specific courses the student has completed. The committee will consist of three members of the epartment, one of whom is to be selected from outside the field of concentration. A unanimous positive vote of the examining committee is necessary for the student to pass the qualifying examination. After passing the examination, all students will write, present and defend a thesis based on the definition of a historical problem, mastery of the historiography and methodology posed by the problem, and significant use of primary source material.

Candidates must either present evidence of competence in a foreign language or take the Graduate School Foreign Language test as part of the application process. For specific fields, the Department may require study of a necessary language (such as Latin or Greek for ancient European history) before actual entry. All students will be required to demonstrate reading ability in a foreign language before registering for thesis credit.

Most undergraduates are familiar with the research seminar, a format which brings students together to share problems of research and writing on a common theme. Undergraduates are less familiar with the terms of colloquia and practica. Colloquia at SMU are courses which contain a few students who engage in intensive reading and discussion of the key books in their field. Practica are individualized courses which combine theoretical training with practical experience in an apprenticeship situation in an archive, museum, oral history program, or classroom.

The Graduate School of the College has certain regulations which apply to all advanced degree programs. A few of those follow, but see the Graduate Bulletin for more details, including guidelines for preparation of the thesis.