In addition to the Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department requires:
Master of Arts (thesis-based)
a) A minimum of 15 units of coursework:
- History 690 (3 units); plus
- 12 units of History graduate courses over two terms; in instances where there are no graduate courses being offered in the student's field of study, students may, with approval of the supervisor and graduate program director, take one 500-level undergraduate History course on the understanding that extra coursework will be required.
Students may choose 3 units outside of the Department (requiring approval from the supervisor and graduate program director).
Students in the History and Philosophy of Science specialization may, with approval of the supervisor and graduate program director, take Philosophy courses to fulfill course requirements for the degree.
b) Normally, a demonstration of reading proficiency in a language other than English and related to the major field of study prior to the oral thesis defence. Please refer to the subsection below for further details.
c) Completion and successful oral defense of an original thesis, normally around 30,000 words in length (including notes, charts, tables and appendices, but excluding bibliography).
Master of Arts (course-based)
a) A minimum of 24 units of coursework:
- History 651 as preparation for the Major Research Essay (MRE)
- History 653, in which the MRE, normally around 9,000 words in length (including notes, charts, tables and appendices, but excluding bibliography), is written. The MRE must be written like a scholarly research article, and it will be marked by the student's advisor and one additional faculty member.
- History 690
- 15 units of History graduate courses over two semesters; in instances where there are no graduate courses being offered in the student's field of study, students may, with permission of the supervisor and graduate program director, take one 500-level undergraduate History course on the understanding that extra coursework will be required.
b) Normally, a demonstration of reading proficiency in a language other
than English and related to the student's research interests before the MRE can be accepted. Please refer to the subsection below for further
details.Doctor of Philosophy
a) A minimum of 12 units of coursework at the graduate level, including courses in the primary and secondary areas. These courses include:
- 3 units in the primary area as a History 791 reading course;
- 3 units in the secondary area as a History 791 reading course;
- 6 additional units including History 690 (3 units), if not completed in a student's MA program. Among these, the student may also choose 3 units outside the Department (requiring the supervisor's and graduate program director's approval).
b) Normally, a demonstration of reading proficiency in a language other than English and relevant to the student's research prior to the candidacy examination. Please refer to the subsection below for further details.
c) Written and oral candidacy examinations in primary and secondary areas.
d) Submission and successful defense of an original thesis, normally 80,000 - 100,000 words in length (including notes, charts, tables and appendices, but excluding bibliography).
Language Requirements
Both the master's and the doctoral degrees normally require a demonstration of reading proficiency in a language other than English and related to the major field of study or research area. This requirement can be met in one of the following ways:
1. Passing the Department language exam, which is set twice a year and tests the ability to understand the general meaning of an academic text in a language other than English with the help of dictionaries (English and language which is examined). It can be repeated if failed.
2. Documentation establishing reading proficiency in a language other than English. It is the responsibility of the student to supply evidence of reading proficiency or evidence that course work in a language other than English at another university meets the requirement. Students not meeting the requirement upon entry should consult with the graduate program director before classes begin.
Students may, with permission of the supervisor and the graduate program director, replace reading proficiency with oral proficiency.
Copyediting
The graduate
program in the Department of History does not permit the use of third-party
editors in the preparation of papers and theses.
Program Descriptions