History, MA (Boston)

CSSH Graduate Programs General Regulations

The Master of Arts in History offers two concentrations: public history and world history.

Public history encompasses the practice of history outside the academy in museums, state and local historical societies, archives, the National Park Service, and more. Public history includes the study of such topics as material culture, historical exhibits and museums, historical agencies, archival administration, and how difficult issues including slavery and site of violence are presented to the public.

World history focuses on the history of regions or peoples in Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia, or the United States, with attention to the intersections and connections between national, regional, and global developments.

The master’s program offers an optional cooperative education experience (“co-op”) to eligible students. Cooperative education is central to both the Northeastern experience and to the College of Social Sciences and Humanities experiential liberal arts framework. Northeastern’s signature co-op ecosystem provides qualified master's students with six-month work experiences as practicing public historians. Graduate students take their work from campus learning spaces, apply their knowledge outside of the classroom, and then bring knowledge and skills gained in community learning spaces back to our campus learning spaces during the cocurricular experiential integration course.

Academic Standing/Progress

Students are expected to maintain a 3.000 grade-point average (GPA). Should the GPA drop below 3.000, the student will be placed on academic probation and allowed one more semester to bring their GPA to the 3.000 level. If the student is not able to meet this requirement by the end of the following semester, the student may be asked to leave the program.

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

The Master of Arts in History offers two concentrations: world history and public history. The program requires a concentration. Please consult with a Department of History graduate program director for additional details.  

Core Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Theory and Methodology
A grade of B or higher is required.
HIST 5101	Theory and Methodology 1	4

Concentration Options

Complete one of the following concentrations:

• Public History
• World History

Optional Co-op Experience

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Requires two consecutive semesters of Co-op Work Experience and Experiential Integration. Each of the following courses must be taken twice.		2
HIST 6964 and INSH 6864	Co-op Work Experience and Experiential Integration

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

32 total semester hours required.
The Concentration in Public History requires 36 semester hours.
(2 additional semester hours required for participation in optional co-op)

Minimum 3.000 GPA required

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Public History Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Public History
HIST 5237	Issues and Methods in Public History	4
Digital History
HIST 7370	Texts, Maps, and Networks: Readings and Methods for Digital History	4
Fieldwork
HIST 8410	Fieldwork in History 1 (2 semester hours course to be taken twice)	4
HIST 8411	Fieldwork in History 2	4
Research Seminar
Complete 4 semester hours from either of the following course number ranges:		4
HIST 6000 to HIST 6900
HIST 7301 to HIST 7325
Electives
Complete 12 semester hours from any of the following ranges:		12
HIST 6238 to HIST 6248
HIST 6295 to HIST 6966
HIST 7201 to HIST 7297

World History Concentration

Milestone

Students who declare this concentration must demonstrate a reading knowledge in a language other than English. 

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Methods
A grade of B or higher is required.
HIST 5102	Theory and Methodology 2	4
Research Seminar
Complete 4 semester hours from the following course number range:		4
HIST 7301 to HIST 7325
Electives
Complete 20 semester hours from any of the following ranges:		20
HIST 6103 to HIST 6295
HIST 7205 to HIST 7218
HIST 7220 to HIST 7297