Graduate Department of History
College of Arts and Sciences
Website: https://history.fsu.edu/
Chair: Koslow; Associate Chair (Graduate Studies): Mooney; Associate Chair (Undergraduate Studies): Dodds; Professors: Blaufarb, Culver, Frank, Gellately, Grant, Jones, Koslow, McClive, Sinke, Stoltzfus, Upchurch; Associate Professors: Creswell, Dodds, Doel, Gabriel, Hanley, Herrera, Hicks, Liebeskind, Mooney, Özok-Gündoğan, Palmer, Piehler, Renfro, Scholz, Williamson; Assistant Professors: Conti, Luo; Professors Emeriti: Betten, Connor, Garretson, Halpern, Keuchel, Lo, Moore, Ripley, Rubanowice, Singh, Turner
The Department of History offers a variety of programs at the Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) levels that lead toward a range of careers within the profession. It boasts strong graduate programs in selected areas of American, European, African American, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Latin American history. Students may enter the PhD program from either the BA or MA level. In addition to the traditional MA degree that requires mastery of a major and a minor field and completion of a thesis, the department provides an MA without thesis and an MA with a major in public history that prepares students for careers such as archivists and museum curators and lays the groundwork for historically-oriented careers in governmental agencies and the private sector.
The department also participates in interdisciplinary programs in women's studies, international affairs, Asian studies, and social sciences. Some of these interdisciplinary programs lead to an MA degree and others to the PhD. For information concerning these programs, refer to their appropriate entry in this Graduate Bulletin. At the doctoral level in history, students may earn the degree by demonstrating mastery of a major field and three minor fields and completing a dissertation.
Graduate students have access to the many collections at the Strozier Library. Because Strozier is a United States government repository, it houses abundant governmental documents available for graduate student use. In addition, The Florida State Archives, located within walking distance of the campus, includes private collections as well as state government documents. The Florida Supreme Court library and the Florida A&M University Black Archives are also located in Tallahassee and provide valuable resources.
Over the years, the department has been recognized for consistently high standards in both classroom teaching and published research. Faculty members have frequently won the annual University Teaching Award, with several members having won the award more than once. Members of this faculty have also received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Distinguished Scholar Award. Two members have been named Distinguished Teaching Professors, the highest distinction the University faculty bestows for teaching, and one has won the Florida Professor of the Year designation. Scholarly contributions by faculty are numerous and currently include over one hundred books, the development of the second largest collection of Napoleonic source materials in the country, and several major research projects, including the prestigious multi-volume Black Abolitionist Papers Project. Members of the FSU History Department prepared the historical report on Rosewood that aided the Florida Legislature in deciding to pay reparations to the Rosewood survivors.
The Institute on Napoleon and the French Revolution, as part of the history department in the College of Arts and Sciences, was founded in 1990 by the Florida Board of Regents. Supported by the French Revolution and Napoleon Collection in the Strozier Library, which includes over 20,000 titles in the field, the Institute is the largest and most active of such programs in the United States. Over a dozen students from throughout the country are currently enrolled in the Institute and over 110 doctoral and master's students have graduated from the program. The Institute organizes international meetings, publishes appropriate volumes, holds symposia, and is one of the founding and active members of the Consortium on Revolutionary Europe.
Established by the FSU History Department in 1997, the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience is dedicated to preserving the history of this global conflict. With more than 6,500 collections, FSU Libraries special collections maintains one of the largest archives documenting the human dimension of World War II with a special emphasis on the role of American servicemen and servicewomen, as well as those serving on the home front. The Institute serves as a resource to scholars, students, teachers, and the general public. The Institute periodically organizes conferences, from topical specialties such as Comparative Home Fronts to an annual meeting of the Society for Military History (2017).
Admission Requirements
The Department of History offers programs leading to the degrees of MA and PhD in history. Eighteen semester hours of undergraduate work in history and/or graduate course work is a prerequisite for the MA degree programs and PhD programs in history. The student must have a minimum of a 3.3 GPA as an upper-division undergraduate (and a minimum 3.65 on a master's degree if applicable). In addition to the University application (online at https://admissions.fsu.edu/), official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, three letters of recommendation, a statement of goals, and a writing sample are required. All materials must be received by December 1st to be considered for fall admission. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the Department of History graduate program. Applicants should be in touch with potential advisors.
Master's Program in History
Please review all college-wide degree requirements summarized in the “College of Arts and Sciences” chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.
For the MA degree with thesis, the student will complete a minimum of thirty-three semester hours of graduate work. At least 24 of those hours must be taken on a letter grade basis, and six of the 33 must be in HIS 5971, Thesis. As part of the 33 hours, the student must take HIS 6059, Historical Methods. The MA without thesis substitutes two major papers for the thesis. For details regarding major and minor field requirements, consult the department's graduate handbook.
In addition, the student must fulfill the language requirement (reading knowledge of one foreign language) and write an acceptable thesis or two major papers for students completing the MA without thesis.
Master's Program in History with a Major in Public History
Director: Jennifer Koslow, Professor of History
The program in Historical Administration and Public History (HAPH) prepares students to enter historically-oriented careers in fields such as cultural resources management, historic preservation, museums, archives, and information and records management. Career paths can be found in the private sector, NGOs, and government agencies. Upon completion of this graduate degree, students will meet and/or exceed the minimum requirements to be qualified as a Historian under the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards. Students will also have the opportunity to complete additional coursework and gain professional experience that will allow them to additionally meet the minimum standards to be qualified as an Architectural Historian.
Program Overview
Students must complete a minimum of 33 semester hours of graduate work. At least 24 of these hours must be taken on a letter-grade basis. As part of the 33 hours, the student must take HIS 5067 (Public History Theory and Methods), HIS 6059 (Historical Methods), HIS 5083 (Preserving Historic Sites and Spaces), and HIS 5935 (American Architectural History). Students must also take at least one of HIS 5082 (Managing Archives and Historical Records), HIS 5165 (Digital History), or HIS 6087 (Exhibiting History) and complete three credits of internship. In addition, students must fulfill the language requirement and write an acceptable thesis or complete an acceptable capstone research project.
HAPH as a Minor Field
This program may be used as a minor field for the MA and PhD degrees in the following ways:
Minimum Requirement:
MA: Two HAPH courses
PhD: Three HAPH courses and a three-credit internship
Doctoral Program in History
The doctoral student chooses a major field and three minor fields in history, or a major field with two minor fields in history and an outside minor in an appropriate area, such as the humanities or the social sciences. The major field may be chosen from the following areas: United States to 1877; United States since 1865; or a topical United States major such as African-American history, intellectual history, or Southern history. For European majors, students may select from Medieval Worlds, Early Modern Europe (to 1789), Modern Europe (since 1789), British history, and modern Russia. Other major and minor fields include Asia, the Atlantic world, Latin America, and the Middle East; or topical areas such as Gender and Sexuality, Science/Technology/Environment/Medicine, Legal History, Islamic World, Native American and Indigenous History, and War and Society. Details with respect to these fields and available minor fields are set forth in the department's graduate handbook.
Doctoral students are required to take Teaching History at the College Level (HIS 6941) if they want to become Teaching Assistants at FSU. In addition, the major professor determines how many and for which foreign languages the student must be certified proficient. The major professor may substitute or supplement language proficiency with certification in other approved research skills.
Definition of Prefixes
AMH—American History
ASH—Asian History
CLA—Classical and Ancient Studies
EUH—European History
HIS—General History and Historiography
LAH—Latin American History
WOH—World History
Graduate Courses
American History
AMH 5239. The United States, 1920–1945: Prosperity, Depression, and World War II (3). This course covers the U.S. history from 1920 through 1945 and focuses on the political, economic, diplomatic, social, cultural, and intellectual developments during that period.
AMH 5426. The History of Florida (3). This course explores the history of Florida from its pre-Columbian origins to the present.
AMH 5576. Black America to 1877 (3). This course begins with the African background of black Americans and ends with the final curtailment of Reconstruction in 1877. Although some portions of the course are topical, cutting across chronological divisions, there will be a general chronological progression from colonial times to the end of Reconstruction.
AMH 5577. Black America Since 1877 (3). This course traces the social, economic, cultural, and political activities of African-Americans from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights Movement.
AMH 5636. North American Environmental History (3). This course introduces the changing relationships between human beings and the natural world in America through time.
Asian History
ASH 5266. Central Asia Since the Mongols (3). This course covers Central Asian history through the medieval and modern periods, with special emphasis on the political and ethnic histories of the Central Asian peoples.
Classical History
Note: The following courses are offered through the Department of Classics.
CLA 5438r. Studies in Greek History (3). This course is a study of selected topics in Greek history in the archaic, classical, or Hellenistic periods. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.
CLA 5448r. Studies in Roman History (3). This course is a critical study of topics related to the Roman Republic or Empire. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.
European History
EUH 5246. World War I: Europe, 1900–1918 (3). This course covers European history in the period 1900–1918 with a review of the domestic situation and foreign policy of the major continental powers with an analysis of the origins of the war, how and why the war was fought as it was, and the experience of the major powers on the home front.
EUH 5365. The Balkans Since 1700 (3). This course of Balkan history emphasizes the penetration of the Hapsburg and Russian empires, the decay of the Ottomans, and the emergence of the Balkan states after the wars of liberation, with stress on the cultural peculiarities of the various ethnic groups.
EUH 5458. Napoleonic Europe, 1795–1815 (3). This course traces the rise of Napoleon and his political, social, economic, and military impact on France and Europe, culminating in his defeat at Waterloo.
EUH 5578. 19th-Century Russia (3). This course is an examination of the history of Russia from 1801 to the beginning of the twentieth century, with emphasis on foreign relations and the development of the political and social conflicts that resulted in the revolutions of 1917.
EUH 5579. 20th-Century Russia (3). This course examines the social, economic, cultural, and international as well as political development of Russia from the final years of Tsarist rule through the Bolshevik Revolution to its emergence as one of the world's superpowers in the 1980s.
HIS 5265. War and Society in the Age of Revolution (3). This course offers an overview of the interaction between war, social change, and political transformation during the Age of Revolution (1750–1850) in the Atlantic World.
Historical Administration and Public History
HIS 5057. Responsible Conduct of Public History (1). This course provides graduate students with a practical overview of the rules, regulations ethics, and professional practices that define the responsible conduct of research and creativity related to collecting, preserving, and interpreting history with and to public audiences. Practice in ethical decision-making and discussion of possible situations of misconduct in community engagement are crucial elements of the course.
HIS 5067. Public History Theory and Methods (3). This course offers an overview of the different specialties of public history, the historic preservation movement in the U.S., archives, history museums, oral history, commemoration, and the use of new media for public presentations of history.
HIS 5082. Managing Archives and Historical Records (3). This course covers the nature of archives; various types of records; arranging and processing archives; restoring and protecting records; archival institutions, policies, and procedures.
HIS 5083. Preserving Historic Sites and Spaces (3). This course covers the identification, preservation, and maintenance of historic sites; the historic preservation movement.
HIS 5085r. Internship in Historical Management (3–6). (S/U grade only). This course is a professional apprenticeship, usually with the Florida Division of Archives, History, and Records Management, designed to give students a practical introduction to the work of the historian in various fields. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.
HIS 5089r. Historical Administration and Public History Program Capstone Research Project (1–6). (S/U grade only). Topics vary by student. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four (24) credit hours.
HIS 5165. Digital History (3). This course examines the theory and practice of the ways in which history is collected, preserved, and interpreted using digital mediums.
HIS 6087. Exhibiting History (3). This course offers an overview of the history and development of museums, issues and theories in museum studies, and an introduction to the practical concerns of the professional museum field.
Latin American History
LAH 5475. History of the Caribbean (3). This course is a survey of the history of the Latin American Caribbean. Special attention is given to such topics as the Cuban Revolution and recent United States–Puerto Rican relations.
World History
WOH 5246. World War II (3). This course deals with WWII on a global basis, avoiding the common Eurocentric approach. Analyzes the character of the Pacific theater as well as that of the European War, presenting the student with insights into and contrasts between the various belligerents.
Others
HIS 5077. Oral History (3). This course exposes students to the use of oral history as a research technique and provides experience in conducting professionally acceptable oral history interviews.
HIS 5909r. Directed Individual Study (1–4). (S/U grade only). May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours; however, only a maximum of four semester hours may apply to the master's degree.
HIS 5911r. Supervised Research (1–5). (S/U grade only). May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours; however, only a maximum of three semester hours may apply to the master's degree.
HIS 5932r. Graduate Tutorial in History (1–2). Prerequisites: Graduate history majors and minors only, and instructor permission. Selected topics in history. A maximum enrollment of five students in each tutorial. May be repeated only once and to a maximum of four semester hours.
HIS 5935r. Special Topics in History (3). This course offers specialized approaches to history. Topics vary. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours as topics vary.
HIS 5940r. Supervised Teaching (1–5). (S/U grade only). May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours.
HIS 5971r. Thesis (1–6). (S/U grade only). A minimum of six semester hours of credit is required.
HIS 6059. Historical Methods (3). This course offers a survey of the basic skills essential to the study and practice of history. Emphasis is placed on developing writing techniques, organizing papers, research methods, and quantitative methodology.
HIS 6909r. Directed Individual Study (1–4). (S/U grade only). May be repeated to a maximum of twelve semester hours.
HIS 6934r. Special Topics in History (3). This course offers (usually in a seminar or colloquium format) highly concentrated courses of a topical nature or examines specific segments of national or regional histories not covered in graduate courses or in depth in the fields of European, American, Asian, or Latin American history. May be repeated for a maximum of sixty-four semester hours when topics and content changes. Repeatable within the same term.
HIS 6941. Teaching History at the College Level (3). This course is designed to familiarize history students with the practical aspects of classroom teaching and to provide some understanding of the philosophical and theoretical approaches to the teaching of history.
HIS 6980r. Dissertation (1–12). (S/U grade only). A minimum of twenty-four semester hours of credit is required.
HIS 8964r. Preliminary Doctoral Examination (0). (P/F grade only.) This course determines if students have mastered the content area of various history topics and are prepared to plan and conduct independent and scholarly research. Upon successful completion of this course, students are admitted to candidacy and may begin taking dissertation hours.
HIS 8966r Master's Comprehensive Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)
HIS 8976r. Master's Thesis Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)
HIS 8985r. Dissertation Defense (0). (P/F grade only.)
WST 5934r. Topics in Women's Studies (3). This course explores specific topics or themes in gender/women's studies based on a feminist approach. A variety of topics from different fields of study are offered from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics of material not normally covered in the regular curriculum are offered. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.