Master of Arts [M.A] [History] From University of Rhode Island

SPECIALIZATIONS

United States, Europe, or archaeology and anthropology option.

United States or European History: Students may complement their work with courses in Latin American or Asian history or with courses taken outside the department, particularly in political science, education, English, and languages. Students might also develop programs of study that emphasize regional studies or themes such as race, gender, or family.

The master’s program in history includes both class work and individual instruction in the form of 500-level seminars; small 400-level courses that include undergraduates; special readings; and directed study courses, as well as master’s thesis research for those who qualify for the thesis option. All graduate work stresses independent research and is designed to promote critical reading and writing. The diversified program-with its requirement for work in more than one field of history and the opportunity it offers of work in another discipline-should be of service both to students who wish to continue their graduate education at the doctoral level and to those who are interested in secondary teaching. Students are required to develop a systematic program of studies with the director of graduate studies during their first semester as a master’s degree candidate.

Archaeology and anthropology: Students study method and theory in history, anthropology, and archaeology and the connections among the disciplines. The option is offered in cooperation with the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, the Department of Philosophy, and the Department of Art (Art History). It includes both class work and individual instruction in the form of 500-level seminars, small 400-level courses, tutorials, and directed study courses. Students enrolled in this option are encouraged to work on thematic links across the disciplines such as maritime history and underwater archaeology, social history and cultural anthropology, or ancient history and classical archaeology.The archaeology and anthropology option serves the needs of students looking for interdisciplinary opportunities in history, anthropology, and archaeology. It also provides essential humanistic and social science training for Ph.D. students in geological/archaeological oceanography.