Graduate Programs
The Department of History prepares students to learn about and analyze historical events; evaluate change over time; assess complex forces at work in the past; and learn how, in written and oral expression, to explain these various phenomena. In doing so, the department prepares students for any career requiring critical thinking and analytical skills. The Department of History is a vehicle—through teaching, research and service—for exploring the past on its own terms.
Master of Arts in History
The Master of Arts in History program at Sam Houston State University prepares students to critically analyze historical events; to assess major interpretive problems and historiographical debates; to weigh and interpret conflicting evidence; to evaluate change over time; to acknowledge the complexities and contingencies of the past; and to appreciate the texture and diversity of human experiences. Students who complete the MA in History degree should be able to make and sustain an historical argument in professional prose; to position those arguments in larger interpretive frameworks; to evaluate the merits of an historical argument; and to pose good questions, both about the past and their own particular moment. Courses are delivered online and asynchronously, but small class sizes ensure that students have ample opportunities for engagement with their instructional faculty. This degree prepares students who wish to pursue a doctoral degree in the discipline or who wish to gain certification to teach dual-credit or two-year college courses in History. The program also serves general interest learners who wish to enrich their understanding of the past.
Graduate Certificate in American History
The 18-hour certificate program in American history will prepare graduate students to read, analyze, and write about the past in a way that is meaningful today. In keeping with this philosophy, the program will offer a unique experience, which allows students to participate in graduate education through online classes. Students in the program will find a broad-based education incorporating in-depth studies of American history, immersion in the latest historiographical theories, and training in advanced research methods.