“The Vignoble Valley: A History of California’s Wine Industry and the Role of the Central Valley, 1769-1980,” Clayton Gomez, 2022.
“Seeing Red over the Climate Crisis: Ecosocialism as Emergency Brake,” Ken Boettcher, 2021.
“An Augustinian and His Age: Christopher Dawson’s Philosophy of History,” Joshua Tanis, 2020.
“Cuban Exceptionalism: the Inconsistency of U.S. Immigration Policy for Latino Baseball Players,” Zack Kopecki, 2016.
“Gendering the Landscape: Women's Emerging Role into the Public Sphere,” Joel Virgen, 2016.
I entered the History Master’s program at Stanislaus State after working for nearly a decade as an intelligence analyst at the National Security Agency in Maryland. From my first semester, I was impressed with the professionalism of the Department of History and the level of personal attention its faculty devoted to students in the graduate program. After sharing my desire to enter a history doctoral program after completing my Master’s degree, my advisor and professors ensured that I received the teaching, writing, and research experience that helped me attain this goal.
Selected graduate students can serve as paid teaching assistants to increase their professional preparation in the classroom and enhance their appeal for a future teaching position.
Selected graduate students can serve as paid research assistants (via a competitive university-wide application process), working closely with faculty members on scholarly projects as a means of enhancing the students’ skills in advanced research.
Learn more! Read more about the statement on professional ethics to learn about the standards of the historical profession and the academic community.
Students preparing to graduate must submit an Application for Graduation in the first two weeks of a term in which the work is to be completed. There is a $60 graduation processing fee that is payable at the Cashiers Office (MSR 110). A student who does not meet all degree requirements for the term requested will be required to reapply for graduation for the term in which all requirements will be satisfied and pay a $10 re-application fee.
MA students have the option of writing a thesis. An MA thesis is a substantial piece of original historical scholarship. In completing the thesis, the student is expected to demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter and its historiography, as well as competence in the following three skills: the ability to conduct research, the ability to analyze historical evidence, and the ability to communicate clearly. A completed MA thesis is usually more than 100 pages.
All students will take a series of three 90-minute comprehensive exams. Students writing a thesis will take their exams after completing 22 units. Students not writing a thesis will take their exams after completing 30 units. Comprehensive exams must be completed within one year of completing coursework.
Students may apply up to 6 units of History 5980: Individual Study toward the M.A. degree. Individual Study requirements will be specified by the instructor. 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. The faculty person may or may not agree to the request.
Students may take up to 9 units of 4000-level courses to be applied to the 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 4000, 4960, and 4980.