History
Graduate Programs
Description
The Graduate Program in History at Minnesota State University, Mankato provides a foundation for advanced study and professional development that prepares individuals for careers in teaching, law, journalism, public service, public history, and business. Students develop essential career skills, such as the ability to analyze conflicting information and viewpoints, write clearly and communicate ideas, find reliable evidence for judgments about human actions and motives, and place particular events in a broader context.
The graduate history program prepares students for future careers, for responsibilities in a democratic society, and for the challenging ambiguities that they will encounter in life no matter what they do or where they go in the world. The courses encourage a comparative, analytical approach to diverse cultures, historical eras, social conflicts, influential ideas, and the human experience.
Students in the graduate program pursue original research and regularly present their work at professional meetings. Graduate program alumni have gone on to pursue successful careers in a variety of fields, including advanced historical study at Ph.D.-granting institutions, as well as non-academic careers such as banking, journalism, and public history.
The Department of History’s graduate faculty of ten professors offers courses in European, United States, Latin American, African, and Asian history. The Memorial Library provides access to 27,000 full-text periodicals and more than 200 electronic databases. The library has been a depository for federal documents since 1962 and of Minnesota state documents since 1958. The Marilyn J. Lass Center for Minnesota Studies and the Southern Minnesota Historical Center are located in the library. Interlibrary loan service obtains books and journal articles from other libraries for MSU student and faculty research.
Majors |
Program | Locations | Total Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| History MA | MA - Master of Arts |
|
30 |
| History MS | MS - Master of Science |
|
34 |
Certificates |
Program | Locations | Total Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| History GC |
|
18 |
Policies & Faculty
Policies
Admission Requirements
In addition to meeting the general admission requirements of the College of Graduate Studies all applicants to the Department of History Graduate Program must have: 1) a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate work; 2) completed at least 16 undergraduate semester credits in history, of which at least 6 must be in United States history and 6 in European. International students must be able to demonstrate proficiency in English. The History Department requires a TOEFL score of 100 or and IELTS score of 7.
Students applying to a Graduate Program in History also must submit the following material directly to: Graduate Coordinator, Dept. of History, 110 Armstrong Hall, Mankato, MN 56001.
- A personal essay of 2-3 pages that clearly outlines the applicant’s interest and purpose in pursuing graduate study in History at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The department uses this essay to assess the applicant’s ability to organize thoughts and write clearly, to formulate a plan of academic study, and to complete the graduate program. This essay also enables the department to determine whether Minnesota State University, Mankato’s graduate History program suits the applicant’s needs and objectives.
- A substantial paper of at least 10 pages, preferably submitted for an upper-division history class. This paper should provide evidence of an applicant’s ability to synthesize information, to organize thoughts logically, and to communicate clearly and effectively.
- Two letters of recommendation that clearly address the applicant’s academic abilities and prospects for success in the Department of History Graduate Program.
Requirements for All Programs
- The College of Graduate Studies requires that at least one-half of each student’s program be in courses open only to graduate students. At Minnesota State University, Mankato these are 600-level courses.
- The College of Graduate Studies requires that students using university resources such as the library, e-mail, or technology services, must register for at least one graduate credit. The College also requires graduate students to register for at least one credit during the semester that they graduate.
- The Department of History requires that prior to writing the Thesis or Alternate Plan Paper a student must satisfactorily complete a comprehensive examination covering a sub-field of historical study. An oral defense is required for both the Thesis and Alternate Plan Paper.
Financial Assistance
A limited number of assistantships are available in History. Students applying for an assistantship must have an overall GPA of 3.2. Memorial Library also awards a limited number of graduate assistantships for those with library experience and some are available through various units of Student Affairs and other university administrative offices. Some students also may qualify for federally financed work-study programs and Guaranteed Student Loans.
Contact Information
Department of History
110 Armstrong Hall
https://sbs.mnsu.edu/academics/history/
Faculty
Chair
- Tao Peng
Graduate Coordinator
- Lori Lahlum
Undergraduate Coodrinator
- Justin Biel
Faculty
500 Level
Credits: 4
The history of Greece and Rome stressing political, social, and economic institutions and cultural and intellectual achievements.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A history of western monotheistic religions and their interactions with the secular world and each other from the beginnings of Judaism to the Crusades.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A history of the Middle Ages stressing political, social, and economic interactions and cultural achievements.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
European history from the later Middle Ages to the end of the Thirty Years' War (c.1300-1648). Students will examine the intellectual, religious, and cultural developments in Western-Europe, with special attention given to social life and popular culture.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
The history of Europe from the Treaty of Westphalia to the eve of the French Revolution (1648-1789). Course emphasizes absolutism and constitutionalism, the construction of European empires, the scientific revolution and Enlightenment, and social and economic changes.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A history of women from Classical Greece and Rome to the modern era. An analysis of the changing concepts of gender relations within a study of women as individuals and as members of socio-economic, ethnic, kin, and religious groups.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A history of the witchcraft phenomenon in Europe from the Middle Ages to 1800. The course examines the rise and decline of the European witch hunts through the history of religion, politics, law, gender, sexuality, and social life.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
England from ancient times to the death of Elizabeth I.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Political, social, and economic development of England and Great Britain since the death of Elizabeth I.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Review of French history from the Revolution of 1789 to the present, including such topics as origins and course of the Revolution, Napoleon, Louis XVIII to Third Republic, World War I, World War II and France since 1945.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Political, economic, social, cultural, and emigration-immigration history of the Scandinavian countries, including major themes in the mass migration and history of Scandinavians in America. Emphasis on the period, 1500-present.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-4
.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-4
This seminar course will deal with a specific aspect of European history as announced by the department.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-4
This seminar course will deal with a specific aspect of World History as announced by the department.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A comparative history of the Chinese and Japanese nations from the 19th century to 1945.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A comparative history of the rise of the Chinese and Japanese nations from 1945 to the present.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
History of relations of major East-Asian countries with the United States from the late 18th century to the present.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Investigation of historical developments across the African continent from pre-history through the eighteenth century. Topics will include ancient empires of West Africa, the Swahili coast, the spread of Islam, the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the formation of South Africa's multi-racial society.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Investigation of historical developments in Sub-Saharan Africa during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Topics will include trade with Europe and America, European colonization and African resistance, life in colonial Africa, independence movements, South Africa's apartheid state and the Rwanda genocide.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course traces the rise and fall of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires in America. Specific focus is given to the interactions between the European, African, and indigenous populations as they formulated societies in the Americas.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course traces the history of Latin America from the late colonial period through the present as the various countries in the region attempted to transcend their colonial past and confront the pressures of modernization and globalization.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
How do we define the Middle East? In our popular culture and media sources that we are exposed to daily, the Middle East is one of the more discussed and yet, one of the most misunderstood topics. Our goal is to both to unlearn misconceptions and to create an accurate representation of the region. Our class will start with an introduction to the region and its history and the misconceptions that are attached to it. It will then proceed from the late 18th century to the revolutionary events of recent years dubbed the Arab Spring and their aftermaths.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will examine Minnesota's social, political, and economic development from the earliest human habitation to the present.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will examine America's political, social, economic, and cultural development from the earliest settlement of the continent by indigenous peoples to 1763, when provincial Americans began to demand more than token equality in the British Empire.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will examine the social, economic, ideological, political, diplomatic, and military experiences of the United States between 1763 and 1820, in order to understand the creation of the American political nation and the culture which developed within it.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will discuss the social, economic, and political issues from the rise of Jackson through the beginning of the Civil War. Major issues to be covered include: Jacksonian Democracy, Industrialization, Reform, Westward Expansion, Slavery, and the 1850s.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Examines issues of slavery and conflict between the North and the South leading up to, during, and after the Civil War, and the rise of a socially and culturally diverse manufacturing society by the 1880s.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A history of foreign and domestic themes during the progressive Era; the 1920's, the Great Depression, and the periods of the two world wars. Includes examination of reform and radical movements on the left and right.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Social, political, and foreign affairs since World War II.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
An examination of the major factors influencing U.S. diplomacy since 1900. Students will examine how influential policymakers defined their diplomatic goals, and how both domestic and external factors have contributed to America's reaction to wars and revolutions around the world.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course examines U.S. constitutional history from its English foundations to 1896. Students will read and analyze court decisions and discuss how legal history reflects American society, culture, politics, and economics during this period. Graduate students will also explore how various historians understand U.S. constitutional history and how historical interpretations change over time.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course examines U.S. constitutional history from 1896 to present. Students will read and analyze court decisions and discuss how legal history reflects American society, culture, politics, and economics during this period. Graduate students will also explore how various historians understand U.S. constitutional history and how historical interpretations change over time.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Occupation of the area between the Mississippi and the Pacific from Spanish exploration to the late 19th century.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course looks at the social, political, and economic developments that transformed the 20th Century American West.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will discuss slavery and emancipation in the Atlantic World (Africa, Latin America, and the United States). Students will discover how slavery and emancipation differed in different regions and over time.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course surveys African American history from slavery to the twenty-first century. We will explore the history of enslavement, black resistance, African American culture, freedom, migration patterns, and black political thought and participation as well as how historians have interpreted and re-interpreted this history. Students will ask their own questions about this history and conduct research to answer those questions.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will examine the Vietnam War. Students will discover how and why the U.S. became involved in Vietnam, examine the specific problems faced by American diplomats and military officials, and how the war affected American society.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will examine the U.S. civil rights movement in the 20th century. Students will study the African American freedom movement and other civil rights campaigns to understand the basis of both oppression and civil rights in the U.S. and will apply this historical context to contemporary civil rights struggles. Graduate students will also synthesize the academic literature and make use of this history in a professional context.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A history of the intersection of culture and society in America.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
An examination of the history of labor and the emergence of social welfare within the context of the modernization of western society and the diversity of the United States.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
A historical study of the immigration and ethnic experience in America. It includes an examination of political, social, economic and legal changes that resulted in population movements to the U.S. Attention is given to anti-immigrant movements.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course will examine the interaction between humans and the American environment from pre-Columbus to the present.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
This course is designed to provide a survey and analysis of the historical experiences of women in the United States from earliest settlement by indigenous peoples to the present in order to aid students in understanding the contemporary situation of women in American society.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 4
Discussion of disasters in US history from colonial times to the present. Contemporary descriptions of the events will be reviewed as will the changing response of both the public and the government to these events.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-4
Specific titles to be announced in departmental course descriptions. P/N only.Prerequisites: none
600 Level
Credits: 3
Intensive reading on a specialized historical topic. May be repeated once under a different instructor and sub-title.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
Intensive reading on a specialized historical topic. May be repeated once under a different instructor and sub-title.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
Intensive reading on a specialized historical topic. May be repeated once under a different instructor and sub-title.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
May be repeated once under a different instructor and sub-title.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
Introduce students to research methodologies and techniques in world history, including Asia, Africa, and Latin America. May be repeated once under a different instructor and sub-title.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 3
May be repeated once under a different instructor and sub-title.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1
An orientation to the graduate study and the learning outcomes of the History Graduate Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The course encourages students to analyze what it means to be a professional historian, and to learn how historians apply their skills in various professional settings.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 2
Students create an online professional portfolio that connects their academic experiences and projects with real-world professional goals.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-4
.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-4
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-2
Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-12
Students will apply historical skills and knowledge through a practical work experience at a non-profit organization, governmental agency, for-profit business, or other institution. P/N only.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-6
Practical work experience in an historical agency.Prerequisites: none
Credits: 1-6
Prerequisites: none
