Master of Arts in History Stony Brook University, USA

While strong in many conventional geographical fields of historical study, our graduate program takes an innovative thematic approach to encourage comparative, transnational, interdisciplinary, and theoretically-informed scholarship and teaching. Working closely with our award-winning faculty, our graduate students develop expertise and teaching experience in both thematic areas and geographical fields, while pursuing extensive original research. In the process, they learn how to apply important concepts—such as class, gender, race, culture, power, and environment—to the study of the past. By emphasizing active engagement, discussion, and collaboration, our program fosters a dynamic, collegial learning environment where graduate students receive substantial mentorship. The program is designed so individual students may customize their course of study

to their own intellectual interests and career objectives. All graduate students are welcome and encouraged to participate in university and departmental events and programs.

The graduate program is structured around five areas of thematic inquiry: 1) Global Connections, Empire,  Capitalism; 2)  Health, Science,  Environment; 3)  Race, Citizenship,  Migration.; 4) Religion, gender, cultural identity; and 5) States, nations, political cultures.  Courses developed around these expansive themes are the heart of the department’s commitment to the theoretically informed, interdisciplinary study of history.

The History Department has a faculty of 25 distinguished scholars with outstanding records in research, education, and public service. In addition, it has close ties with many other departments, including Affiliated Faculty in: Africana Studies; English; Hispanic Languages and Literature; Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Sociology; Music; Economics; and Technology and Society. We collaborate regularly with the Stony Brook Humanities Institute, the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center, and the Institute for Globalization Studies , among others.

Each year we admit 6-8 students to the doctoral (Ph.D.) program and 5-10 students to the terminal master’s (M.A.) and joint B.A./M/A. programs. The department currently has approximately 60 full- and part-time graduate students.

Master’s Degree: Our M.A. program includes two separate paths to the degree—Professional Track or Academic Track— designed to meet our diverse students’ varied needs and goals. To secure the M.A. degree, students must complete 30 credits of graduate study (with a grade of B or higher) and pass an oral examination. When pursued full-time, the program can be completed in approximately 4 semesters; part-time options are also available.