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About the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ
Graduate Studies Calendar 2023-2024 Program Descriptions History HIST
History - HIST
Contact Information

Email address: artsgradsc@ucalgary.ca
Web page URL:

1. Degrees and Specializations Offered

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Master of Arts (MA), one-year course-based
Master of Arts (MA), two-year thesis-based

Both the one-year and two-year MA programs include significant independent research. The one-year course-based MA program is SSHRC-eligible and is appropriate for students who intend to proceed to doctoral studies.

The MA (course-based) is a continuous program with no scheduled break. Students who do not enrol in courses continuously will be withdrawn from the program for failure to register unless they are on an approved leave of absence.

All students are considered full-time.  Part-time status may be considered and must be approved by the Graduate Program Director.

Specializations:

  • History and Philosophy of Science (MA, thesis-based only)*

*This specialization is offered in co-operation with the Department of Philosophy.

2. Admission Requirements

In addition to the requirements of the Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts, the Department requires:

Master of Arts

a) Normally, a four-year undergraduate program with honours or a major in History.

b) A minimum admission grade point average of 3.40 on a four-point scale over the final 60 units of the undergraduate degree.

c) A sample of written work (unpublished essays submitted as coursework in previous undergraduate and Master’s degree programs or individual chapters of Honours, BA or Master’s theses).

d) A statement of research interest.

e) Two reference letters.

f) A curriculum vitae.

g) Identification of a potential supervisor in the statement of research interest. The student should communicate with a prospective supervisor to confirm their interest in supervising the student’s work. See for faculty research areas.

See website for further application details.

Doctor of Philosophy

a) Normally, a completed four-year undergraduate program with honours or a major in History and a completed Master of Arts degree or the equivalent in History or in a related discipline.

b) A grade point average of 3.70 on a four-point scale in History at the graduate level.

c) A detailed statement of research interest.

d) A sample of written work (unpublished essays submitted as coursework in previous undergraduate and Master’s degree programs or individual chapters of Honours, BA or Master’s theses).

e) Two reference letters.

f) A curriculum vitae.

g) Identification of a potential supervisor in the statement of research interest. The student should communicate with a prospective supervisor to confirm their interest in supervising the student’s work. See for faculty research areas.

See website for further application details.

3. Application Deadline

Deadlines for the submission of complete applications are available on the Future Students website:

Master of Arts (thesis-based):

Master of Arts (course-based):

Doctor of Philosophy:

4. Advanced Credit

The applicant must make advanced credit requests as part of the admission process. Credit will not be given for course work taken as part of another completed degree/diploma or for courses taken to bring the grade point average to a required level for admission.

5. Program/Course Requirements

In addition to the Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department requires:

Master of Arts (thesis-based)

a) A minimum of 15 units of coursework:

  • History 690 (3 units); plus
  • 12 units of History graduate courses over two terms; in instances where there are no graduate courses being offered in the student's field of study, students may, with approval of the supervisor and graduate program director, take one 500-level undergraduate History course on the understanding that extra coursework will be required.
Students may choose 3 units outside of the Department (requiring approval from the supervisor and graduate program director).

Students in the History and Philosophy of Science specialization may, with approval of the supervisor and graduate program director, take Philosophy courses to fulfill course requirements for the degree.

b) Normally, a demonstration of reading proficiency in a language other than English and related to the major field of study prior to the oral thesis defence. Please refer to the subsection below for further details.

c) Completion and successful oral defense of an original thesis, normally around 30,000 words in length (including notes, charts, tables and appendices, but excluding bibliography).

Master of Arts (course-based)

a) A minimum of 24 units of coursework:

  • History 651 as preparation for the Major Research Essay (MRE)
  • History 653, in which the MRE, normally around 9,000 words in length (including notes, charts, tables and appendices, but excluding bibliography), is written. The MRE must be written like a scholarly research article, and it will be marked by the student's advisor and one additional faculty member.
  • History 690
  • 15 units of History graduate courses over two semesters; in instances where there are no graduate courses being offered in the student's field of study, students may, with permission of the supervisor and graduate program director, take one 500-level undergraduate History course on the understanding that extra coursework will be required.
b) Normally, a demonstration of reading proficiency in a language other than English and related to the student's research interests before the MRE can be accepted. Please refer to the subsection below for further details.

Doctor of Philosophy

a) A minimum of 12 units of coursework at the graduate level, including courses in the primary and secondary areas. These courses include:

  • 3 units in the primary area as a History 791 reading course;
  • 3 units in the secondary area as a History 791 reading course;
  • 6 additional units including History 690 (3 units), if not completed in a student's MA program. Among these, the student may also choose 3 units outside the Department (requiring the supervisor's and graduate program director's approval).

b) Normally, a demonstration of reading proficiency in a language other than English and relevant to the student's research prior to the candidacy examination. Please refer to the subsection below for further details.

c) Written and oral candidacy examinations in primary and secondary areas.

d) Submission and successful defense of an original thesis, normally 80,000 - 100,000 words in length (including notes, charts, tables and appendices, but excluding bibliography).

Language Requirements

Both the master's and the doctoral degrees normally require a demonstration of reading proficiency in a language other than English and related to the major field of study or research area. This requirement can be met in one of the following ways:
1. Passing the Department language exam, which is set twice a year and tests the ability to understand the general meaning of an academic text in a language other than English with the help of dictionaries (English and language which is examined). It can be repeated if failed.

2. Documentation establishing reading proficiency in a language other than English. It is the responsibility of the student to supply evidence of reading proficiency or evidence that course work in a language other than English at another university meets the requirement. Students not meeting the requirement upon entry should consult with the graduate program director before classes begin.
Students may, with permission of the supervisor and the graduate program director, replace reading proficiency with oral proficiency.

Copyediting

The graduate program in the Department of History does not permit the use of third-party editors in the preparation of papers and theses.


6. Flexible Grade Option (CG Grade)

The Department of History will allow students to pursue the Flexible Grade Option (CG Grade) for courses offered outside of the program.

Students may choose the CG grade for a course taken extra to load.

The use of the CG grade will not affect students’ eligibility for internal awards.

7. Credit for Undergraduate Courses

Students enrolled in the Master of Arts thesis or course-based program may apply for no more than one 500-level course for graduate credit, subject to the approval of the Supervisor and Graduate Program Director. Graduate students taking a 500-level course for graduate credit will be required to complete additional assignments.

8. Time Limit

MA (thesis-based): Expected completion time is 20 months, and maximum completion time is four years.

MA (course-based): Expected completion time for full-time students is 12 months, and maximum completion time is four years.

PhD: Expected completion time is four years, and maximum completion time is six years.
9. Supervisory Assignments

Admission to the Master of Arts (thesis-based) and the PhD are dependent upon the agreement of a faculty member to supervise in an interim capacity. Upon acceptance into the program, students are assigned an interim supervisor who will normally become the permanent supervisor three months into the student's program. Supervisors must be assigned within 6 months of the first registration.

The supervisor establishes a doctoral supervisory committee in consultation with the student. The Supervisory Committee consists of the primary area supervisor and a secondary area specialist with the third member being a faculty member, normally outside the department, whose area of expertise is in the field of study for the student. The supervisory committee must be selected within three months of the permanent supervisor’s appointment (no later than March of the first year of a program).

10. Required Examinations

In addition to the Faculty of Graduate Studies requirements for Candidacy and Thesis Examinations, the Department requires:

Candidacy

Doctoral students must pass oral and written candidacy examinations in their primary and secondary areas. For complete details of candidacy requirements and the examination format, see .

Thesis Examinations

Final thesis oral examinations are open.

Scheduling of the Examination

All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed the student’s research, including a relevant written sample of the materials related to the thesis, before an examination can be scheduled.

Composition of the Committee

The Internal Examiner may be internal to the home program.

11. Financial Assistance

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

Students applying for scholarships must submit their online applications to the Department by the deadline posted on the department .