Current Students

Students meet periodically with the Program Director about degree requirements and policies and guidance on navigating those policies. In addition to meeting with the Program Director, students seek out advising from faculty with expertise in their area of historical interest.

Please see the Prospective Students page for information on funding your studies. The Financial Aid office has some limited guidance and scholarships for graduate students.

Graduate students have the opportunity to be involved in campus life and network with other students interested in history by participating in the History Club/Phi Alpha Theta.

Students may apply up to 9 units of 4000-level courses to their M.A. degree. Extra work, as specified by the instructor, is required in order for 4000-level courses to count toward the M.A. degree. The only 4000-level classes not appropriate for graduate students are HIST 4940, HIST 4960, and HIST 4980. Students choosing to count a 4000-level course to their degree must complete a Verification of Upper-Division Content form and return it to the Graduate School within the first two weeks of the term.

Historians increasingly work in many non-teaching positions that present history to the public, including in museums, archives, historical societies, etc. Stanislaus State is proud to partner with many local institutions to offer internships in which students can apply what they have learned in the classroom in these public settings. Graduate students can apply for paid and voluntary internships. Interested students must begin the process by applying to the internship provider before the start of the semester. Once placed, students can enroll in HIST 5940 History Internship. See more information here. Students wishing to participate in an internship should first take a course in public history.

Individual Study allows students to work one-on-one with a faculty member on a topic of mutual interest. Individual Study typically involves more independent reading and research than a traditional seminar course. Students wishing to enroll in units of Individual Study will identify a topic of study and request instruction from a faculty person with expertise in that field by directly contacting them. The faculty person may or may not agree to the request. Individual Study requirements will be specified by the instructor. The faculty and student agree on these requirements, complete the Individual Study Request form before the start of the term, and send it to the Program Director to begin the approval process.

*Students may apply a grand total of 6 units of HIST 5940 and HIST 5980 toward the M.A. degree.

Students must pass the “Culminating Experience” to receive the M.A. degree. The culminating experience is how a student demonstrates achievement of the Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) and University learning goals. It is an opportunity to produce an artifact that embodies their work in the program and that they may use in their career. The culminating experience is either a project (HIST 5962) or a thesis (HIST 5990).

The thesis is recommended for students pursuing a PhD and those with intense interest in a specific subject. The project is recommended for students who are planning careers in public history, teaching, and other professions that need demonstrated communication, research, and analytical skills as well as a broad base of knowledge.

Students preparing to graduate must submit an Application for Graduation in the first two weeks of the term in which they will complete their graduate work. There is a graduation processing fee that is payable at the Cashiers Office (MSR 110). A student who does not finish all degree requirements for the term applied will be required to reapply for graduation for the term in which all requirements will be satisfied and pay a re-application fee. For information about the graduation ceremony, see the university Commencement site.