The Master of Arts in History, Concentration in History Education, offered by the Department of History , is designed for middle and secondary school social science teachers. The curriculum broadens the candidate’s knowledge of U.S. and World History. In addition, the program increases the candidate’s academic proficiency in history subjects and his or her professional competence in special areas of interest within the field of history and social science education. This is a terminal degree. Candidates who plan to pursue more advanced graduate training in history should apply to the regular Master’s degree program outlined above. Please refer to the Department of History website for the most current information.

Requirements for Admission to Classified Standing

Prospective students must apply separately to the university to obtain approval for graduate-level admission and to the department to obtain admission into the MA in History, Concentration in History Education program. Applicants must meet all the university admission requirements . Students can be admitted in either classified or conditionally classified standing.

Admission to classified standing for the MA in History, Concentration in History Education requires that the student has completed a Single Subject Social Science Teaching Credential, has completed a BA in History or passed the Social Science CSET Examination.

Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirement webpage at GAPE.

Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy

At least one semester before a candidate expects to graduate, the student must complete the Advancement to Candidacy Application delineating the entire degree program, that is, the courses that the student has completed or expects to complete toward the MA. The candidate must submit the form to the Graduate Advisor and then to Graduate Studies for final approval. Through this procedure, the student’s entire program will be examined to determine whether it complies with all departmental and university requirements for the degree, including the university requirement for demonstrated competency in written English.

The University requires that all graduate students complete the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)  as a condition for advancement to candidacy. For graduate courses that meet the GWAR, please refer to the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations website at www.sjsu.edu/gape.

Procedures for approval for the MA in History, Concentration in History Education are the same as for the general Masters’s degree except the Concentration does not require a foreign language.

Requirements for Graduation

University Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures .

Department Graduation Requirements

Following admission to the university and to the department, the student should consult the history department website and speak with an advisor regarding degree requirements and a proposed degree program. Candidates must complete 20 units of course work in one of the following fields of study: United States History, Modern European History, or World History. Eight units may be taken in any field of history. Two units will focus on professional development. U.S. History specialists may apply one HIST 220  to their primary field, and World History specialists may apply one U.S. History Colloquium (HIST 210) to their primary field. Five courses and the 2 units of professional development –a total of 22 units– must be completed at the graduate level. All students must maintain a 3.0 average to remain in the program and pass the comprehensive examination (Plan B) to receive the degree. Procedures for approval for the MA in History, Concentration in History Education are the same as for the general Masters’s degree except the Concentration does not require a foreign language.

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) .

Culminating Experience

Plan B (Comprehensive Examination)

In addition to the course of study outlined above, graduate students must take and pass a comprehensive examination (Plan B). On the exam, the student is expected to demonstrate considerable breadth and depth of knowledge, a familiarity with historiographical issues, and adherence to acceptable rules of grammar, spelling, and literary style in presentation. The examination will be scheduled toward the end of the fall and spring semesters, and students must pass the examination within three attempts or no degree will be awarded.