Program Structure

In the first semester, all students will take the course "Information Technology and the Historical Profession," which will provide them with the tools necessary to research and teach history in today’s computer-oriented environment. The course combines the latest developments in computer technology with traditional research methods and a strong writing component. In their first or second semester, students will participate in one of the Department’s Global History seminars. These courses view historical developments and processes from a global perspective and rotate among the faculty. The seminars progress from consideration of a general theme to analysis of specific historical situations that exemplify the chosen theme. Each one has a core of common readings, which the participating faculty designed collectively, and specialized readings selected by the instructor. The global seminars represent a transitional course to graduate-level studies and are designed to familiarize students with aspects of comparative history and historiographical discussion. They introduce students to methods of analysis that they will need for all subsequent graduate work. There are four such seminars: Empires in World History; the Twentieth Century World; Intellectual and Cultural History; and War and Revolution.

From the two required introductory courses, students advance to electives. Here, they can structure a sequence of courses to fit their individual needs. For example, those who plan to teach in the New Jersey high school system can enroll in U.S. History and take specialized courses in New Jersey history. Others, who have a special interest in European or world history, can pursue courses in those areas. Finally, all students will write a master’s thesis, an extended historiographical essay which, depending on a student’s subject area and foreign language skills, should incorporate original research. The thesis will be researched and written over the course of two semesters, in the setting of a special thesis seminar under close faculty guidance. The experience of writing a master’s thesis will allow students to integrate the tools and knowledge they have mastered throughout the program: to demonstrate familiarity with research techniques, both traditional and electronic; to apply the analytical skills developed in their other course work; to write an extended thesis; and to discuss the results of their research with other students and faculty in a colloquium setting, where they will demonstrate the use of multimedia techniques in their final presentation.