Graduate Program Overview

Program Requirements
We accept students interested in pursuing a Graduate Certificate, Accelerated Graduate Degree program, M.A. degree, and Ph.D. degree.

For the Graduate Certificate, students complete 9 credit hours of graduate coursework, which may be accomplished in one semester of concentrated work or completed on a part-time basis. The Graduate Certificate is appropriate for individuals who are uncertain whether they wish to complete the more demanding M.A. or Ph.D. track. Certificate credits may be applied to an M.A. degree, if the individual decides to continue with advanced graduate education.

For the Accelerated Graduate Degree Program (AGDP), undergraduate WMU students may apply 12 credit hours of coursework completed as undergraduates to the M.A. degree. The AGDP is appropriate for History majors and minors who would like to complete the History M.A. in a shorter time frame. The student must be accepted into the AGDP before the completion of the undergraduate degree and the courses to be accepted for double credit must be stipulated before beginning the program. Typically, undergraduates apply before January 15, April 1 or November 1, in the first or second semester of the junior year.

For the Master’s degree, there are three tracks on which a student may progress to receive a degree. On the Thesis track, where a student completes a master’s thesis, the student who enters with a B.A. must complete 30 credit hours of graduate coursework (typically 4 full-time semesters). For the Public History track, where a student participates in internships and practical placements, the student who enters with a B.A. must complete 30 credit hours of graduate coursework (typically 4 full-time semesters). On the General Option track, a student who is not completing a thesis and does not satisfy the requirements of the public history option may still receive a Master’s degree after completing 33 credit hours of graduate coursework (typically 4 full-time semesters). More details may be found in the Graduate Handbook.

For the Doctoral degree, a student must complete 75 credit hours of graduate coursework, prepare and defend a dissertation proposal, prepare a doctoral portfolio, complete a dissertation, and defend that dissertation prior to graduation. Further specifics on these requirements may be found in the Graduate Handbook, along with deadlines that must be met.

While there is a good deal of flexibility with coursework, certain classes form the core of our program.  During the fall semester of the first year, incoming students take History 6010 (Historiography). All students take a sequence of readings and research seminars related to their major field, and all students take an additional course in the theory or method of history.

All graduate students are expected to have reading knowledge of at least one foreign language. Students of ancient history will have reading proficiency in Latin or Greek plus one modern foreign language; students of medieval history will have reading proficiency in Latin plus one modern foreign language. More than one foreign language may be required if the major advisor deems it necessary for the completion of a thesis or dissertation project. 

There are additional requirements that advanced students must fulfill, including a defense of the thesis or dissertation proposal, the creation of a dissertation portfolio, and passage of comprehensive exams.  These requirements are explained more fully in the Graduate Handbook.

Seeking Information?
Prospective students are encouraged to contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Sally Hadden, who can discuss the graduate program and application process in more detail. She can be reached in the Graduate Studies office: 4352 Friedmann Hall, 269-387-5394, hist-grad@wmich.edu.

Individuals seeking more information may also contact faculty in specific fields of study with whom they might take classes or write a thesis or dissertation. 

Our website provides information on a number of topics and we urge you to explore and learn about our current graduate students (M.A. and Ph.D.), the financial support that exists for graduate study, the accomplishments of our graduate students in the News section, and placement information about our graduate alumni (M.A. and Ph.D.). We have a vibrant intellectual community at Western and we suggest that you delve more deeply to learn about the rich variety of opportunities that exist at WMU and in Kalamazoo.