The Department of History offers a five-year joint degree program that provides qualified students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Arts in History. This program allows students the opportunity to earn both an undergraduate and a graduate degree in a shorter period of time and at a slightly lower financial cost. In this program, the undergraduate degree requirements are modified in an effort to prepare students for the more rigorous masters-level coursework. The BA/MA is designed for students who would like advanced training in history for their future careers. At the completion of the degree, students are well-prepared to apply for doctoral programs in history and related humanities, teaching positions, and other forms of employment.
Undergraduate students interested in this program are to apply during the spring of their junior year. If admitted, they begin taking graduate-level courses in the fall of their senior year. Please note that the BA/MA program represents a rigorous and intellectually demanding curriculum, and carries a heavy course load. Applicants should have a solid grounding in basic history and a strong interest in advanced historical study. Only qualified students will be selected for admission.
Plan of Study Grid | First Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
HIST 101
| Western Civilization to 1660
or World History to 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 105 | History of the United States | 3 |
| 3 |
| 1 | 4 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
| Spring |
|---|
HIST 102
| Western Civilization Since 1660
or World History Since 1500 | 3 |
| HIST 106 | History of the United States | 3 |
| 3 |
| Public Speaking | |
| Communication for Technical Professions | |
| Argumentation and Debate | |
| Writing about Literature | |
| Technical and Professional Writing | |
| 1 | 4 |
| 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
| Second Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| HIST 280 | The Historian’s Craft 2 | 3 |
| 1 | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 15 |
| Spring |
|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
| Third Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| HIST 481 | Seminar in History 2 | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 15 |
| Spring |
|---|
| 3 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 15 |
| Fourth Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| HIST 628 | Historiography 5 | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 15 |
| Spring |
|---|
| HIST 629 | Research Methods in History 5 | 3 |
| 3 |
| 3 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 16 |
| Fifth Year |
|---|
| Fall |
|---|
| 6 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 12 |
| Spring |
|---|
| 6 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| 6 | 3 |
| | Semester Credit Hours | 12 |
| | Total Semester Credit Hours | 150 |
Graduation requirements include 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a Core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. The required 6 hours may be met by courses satisfying other areas of a degree program. See your academic advisor for further information.
Students should plan a program of study in consultation with one of the department’s undergraduate advisors.
A minimum of 33 hours in history may be applied to the degree. Students must take not less than 15 credit hours at upper level for history residency requirement. A grade of C or higher is required for a course to be counted in the major field. A student must complete not less than 18 hours of coursework in history at Texas A&M University.
HIST BA/MA students are permitted to pursue a non-thesis degree plan only.
The program includes a total of 156 hours, of which 6 hours may be applied toward both the Bachelor of Arts in History and the Master of Arts in History (Non-thesis option).
