M.A. History, M.A. History (Public)

About the Program

At the M.A. level the Department of History offers two 5.0-credit programs: an M.A. in History, and an M.A. in Public History. Supervision is available in a wide variety of areas, including Canadian, American, Medieval, Early Modern and Modern European, British, Caribbean, Latin American, Atlantic World, Modern Asian, Sub-Saharan African, International, Public History, and the History of Women, Gender and Family. For a more detailed description of professors' areas of research and supervision, see the departmental website.

Academic Regulations

Top of page

Admission Requirements

  • The minimum requirement for admission to the master's program is an Honours bachelor's degree (or the equivalent) with at least high honours standing.
  • The Department offers no qualifying-year program; applicants with a general (3-year) degree may be considered for admission into the fourth year of Carleton's B.A. (Honours) program.
Top of page

Program Requirements

Candidates may follow either a regular or Public History M.A. program, as follows:

Regular M.A.

Thesis option

  • 1.0 credit in HIST 5002 + HIST 5003;
  • 1.0 credit in HIST 5803 + HIST 5804; or HIST 5805 + HIST 5806; or HIST 5809[1.0]; or HIST 5810 + HIST 5811;
  • 1.0 credit in a graduate history seminar or seminars in the student's major area of concentration or, with permission of the Department, a graduate course (0.5 credit) in the Department, plus a second graduate course (0.5 credit) in the Department or in another unit at Carleton University, or in the Department of History at the University of Ottawa;
  • 2.0 credits in HIST 5909: M.A. Thesis.

Research Essay option

  • 1.0 credit in HIST 5002 + HIST 5003;
  • 1.0 credit in HIST 5803 + HIST 5804; or HIST 5805 + HIST 5806; or HIST 5809 [1.0]; or HIST 5810 + HIST 5811;
  • 1.0 credit in a graduate seminar or seminars in the student's major area of concentration; a seminar at the fourth-year level may be taken with permission of the Department.
  • 0.5 credit in HIST 5900;
  • 0.5 credit at the graduate level in HIST at Carleton, or, with permission of the Department, in another discipline at Carleton University, or in the Department of History at the University of Ottawa.
  • 1.0 credit in HIST 5908: M.A. Research Essay

Public History M.A.

  • 1.0 credit in HIST 5002 + HIST 5003;
  • 1.0 credit in HIST 5803 + HIST 5804; or HIST 5805 + HIST 5806; or HIST 5809 [1.0]; or HIST 5810 + HIST 5811: a seminar or tutorial in the historiography of the appropriate country or area (1.0 credit);
  • 0.5 credit in HIST 5700;
  • 1.5 credits in public history courses, offered under the numbers HIST 5701 and HIST 5702. Appropriate courses in other units may be substituted with the approval of the Department;
  • HIST 5704: Internship in Public History (0.0 credit);
  • 1.0 credit in HIST 5908: M.A. Research Essay.

M.A. students are required to submit thesis or research essay proposals to the graduate advisor during their second term of full-time enrolment. Part-time students should discuss the timing of this requirement with the Department.

Guidelines for Completion of Master's Degree

  • Full-time students in the thesis option are expected to finish all requirements for the degree except HIST 5909 during their first two terms of study. The thesis requirement is designed to take an additional two or three terms.
  • Full-time students in the research essay option are expected to finish all requirements for the degree except HIST 5908 during their first two terms of study. The research essay requirement is designed to take an additional term.
  • Full-time students in the M.A. in Public History are expected to complete HIST 5002 + HIST 5003, 1.0 credit in historiography, Introduction to Public History and one other Public History 0.5-credit course during the fall and winter terms, their internship during the summer term, and the two remaining Public History 0.5-credit courses and their research essay HIST 5908 during the fall and winter terms of the second year. Some flexibility will be allowed in the distribution of the Public History courses to facilitate choice. Part-time students should complete all degree requirements except the thesis within twelve terms of study.

Language Requirements

  • All candidates are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of a language other than English, the choice to depend upon the field of the candidate's thesis or research. For seminars dealing with sources not in English, a reading knowledge of the appropriate language will be required before acceptance into the program. Details may be obtained from the supervisor of graduate studies.

top