History

Sharon A. Kowalsky (Department Head)
Location: Ferguson Social Sciences Building 111, 903-886-5226
History Web Site

Graduate Studies Advisor: Mylynka Cardona, 903-468-3030, Mylynka.Cardona@tamuc.edu

The graduate program in History strives to promote independent thinking and to contribute to the development of a well-educated person. Graduate training helps prepare the student for teaching in a high school, a junior college, a four-year college, for dual credit courses; for continued study of history at the doctoral level; or for one of the many non-academic areas in which historians work.

Programs of Graduate Work

Master of Arts/Master of Science in History

The Department of History offers students the choice of a Master of Arts or Master of Science degree. The MA has a foreign language requirement while the MS does not. For both the MA and the MS, students may choose a thesis or non-thesis option.

The candidate for the Master of Arts degree must meet the language requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree at this institution.
That requirement can be met with one of the following:

  1. Completion of at least 12 semester hours (four courses) in one foreign language.
  2. Completion of 6 semester hours (above elementary courses) if 2 years of high school credit in the language have been submitted as part of the regular university admission requirements.
  3. Completion of 3 semester hours if the student presents 3 or 4 years of high school credit.
  4.  American Sign Language (ASL) is considered an acceptable foreign language. Students should consult with departmental Director of Graduate Studies regarding this requirement.

Admission

Admission to a graduate program is granted by the Dean of the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the department. Applicants must meet the following requirements for admission in addition to meeting the general university requirements in History.

Successful completion of the History Department's Qualifying Exam and the Comprehensive Exam is required of all students.

Note: Individual departments may reserve the right to dismiss from their programs students who, in their judgment, would not meet the professional expectations of the field for which they are training. 

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ALIB 564 - Introduction to Archives
Hours: 3
This course provides students with an introduction and hands-on instruction to the theories, methods, and processes used to manage archives, manuscripts, and digital resources related to libraries. Prerequisites: HIST 562: Introduction to Public History. Crosslisted with: ALIB 464

HIST 500 - Orientation
Hours: 0

HIST 518 - Thesis
Hours: 3-6
This course is for students who are on the MA/MS thesis track working toward receiving a master's in history. Prerequisites: HIST 590, HIST 591, and students must pass the History Department Qualifying Examination prior to enrollment.

HIST 520 - Seminar in World/Comparative History
Hours: 3
This course provides a focused and thorough analysis of a topic in World or Comparative History through reading and discussing the relevant historiography, and through guided student research. Topic will vary from semester to semester. Students may retake the course for credit as the topic changes.

HIST 521 - Readings in Latin American History
Hours: 3
This course will offer in-depth readings in various topics relating to the political, economic, social, cultural and diplomatic history of Mexico, Central and South America from pre-Columbian times to the present. Regional emphasis may vary from semester to semester.

HIST 522 - World History Theory and Methods
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the theories and methods used in world history, with an emphasis on the period after 1950. Topics may include the development of the field, key debates in world history scholarship, examinations of comparative models, networks and systems, interconnections, methodological approaches, and how world history relates to other fields of historical scholarship.

HIST 524 - Readings in World History
Hours: 3
This course offers readings on selected themes and issues in World History. May be repeated once as the topic changes.

HIST 526 - Readings in Transatlantic History
Hours: 3
This course introduces students to the broad outlines of Transatlantic History, covering the period from 1492 to the present. It focuses on scholarship that examines the interconnected histories of Europe, Africa, and the Americas, integrating them into a broader discussion of the world and global issues.

HIST 534 - Capstone Project in the History of Christianity
Hours: 3
The capstone project, approved by and completed under the supervision of the certificate program Coordinator/Director, is a significant demonstration of the student’s research expertise in the history of Christianity and command of relevant scholarship in the subject.

HIST 535 - Introduction to the History of Religion
Hours: 3
This course introduces graduate students to the history of religion by looking at topics and themes such as doctrine, ritual, scripture, mysticism, pilgrimage, and myth across two or more religions, including Christianity, while also introducing methodological approaches to the comparative study of religion.

HIST 537 - Readings in Islamic World History
Hours: 3
This course provides a focused and thorough analysis of Islamic World History through reading and discussing the relevant historiography. Topics will vary, but may include slavery; Islamization; sectarianism; Islamic law; women, gender, and sexuality; world trade and diplomacy; globalization; borderlands; interfaith relations; and literacy.

HIST 540 - Seminar in European History
Hours: 3
Seminar in European History. Three semester hours. This course provides a focused and thorough analysis of a topic in European History through reading and discussing the relevant historiography, and through guided student research involving primary sources. Topic will vary from semester to semester. Students may retake the course for credit as the topic changes.

HIST 541 - Readings in Mediterranean World History
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and debates that occupy historians of the ancient Mediterranean world. Readings will concentrate on the concept of sea and land connectivity, the impact of plague and climate change, transforming political structures, the role of the "other," religious culture, and defining the scope and scale of the Mediterranean world.

HIST 542 - Readings in Medieval European History
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and historiographical debates which occupy historians of Europe from approximately 500 to 1500. Readings will concentrate on the collapse of the Roman Empire, the establishment and nature of medieval Christianity, the Carolingian Renaissance, the characteristics of a "feudal" economy and society, medieval technology, the Italian Renaissance, and the early period of European expansion.

HIST 543 - Readings in Early Modern European History
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and historiographical debates which occupy historians of Europe from approximately 1500 to 1789. Readings will concentrate on the Renaissance, the Reformation, the Scientific Revolution, urbanization and economic change, European expansion and the world economy, the witch craze, the Enlightenment, and the French Revolution.

HIST 544 - Readings in Modern European History
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and historiographical debates which occupy historians of Europe from approximately 1789 to the present. Readings will concentrate on the French Revolution; ideas and movements such as liberalism, socialism, nationalism, imperialism, feminism, and modernism; industrialization; war and society; mass media and popular culture; and the rise and fall of Communism.

HIST 550 - Seminar in American History
Hours: 3
Topics in American History. Three semester hours. This course provides a focused and thorough analysis of a topic in American History through reading and discussing the relevant historiography, and through guided student research involving primary sources. Topic will vary from semester to semester. Students may retake the course for credit as the topic changes.

HIST 551 - Readings in Colonial North American History
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and historiographical debates which occupy historians of the United States from the colonial period through 1763. Readings will concentrate on European contact, exploration, and settlement; the emergence of American social, cultural, economic and political institutions; and the origins of the struggle for American independence.

HIST 552 - Readings in Revolutionary American History
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and historiographical debates which occupy early Americanists specializing in the era of the American Revolution. Readings will concentrate on the origins of the American Revolution; the shaping of American social, economic, and political institutions in the immediate wake of independence and the drafting and ratification of the Constitution.

HIST 553 - Readings in Modern United States History, 1850-1920
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and historiographical debates which occupy historians of the United States from 1850 to 1920. Readings will concentrate on the origins and course of the Civil War; Reconstruction; the economic, political, social and cultural changes caused by industrialization; and the rise of the United States to preeminence as a world power.

HIST 554 - Readings in U. S. Post 1920
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and historiographical debates which occupy historians of the United States from 1920 to the present. Readings will concentrate on American involvement in the World Wars; the rise of the United States to military, economic, and technological dominance; the social and cultural upheavals which accompanied that rise; and recent challenges to that hegemony.

HIST 556 - Readings in the Early National United States, 1789-1850
Hours: 3
This course provides an introduction to the wide range of research questions and historiographical debates which occupy historians of the early republic. Readings will concentrate on the social, economic and political institutions that led to the rise and triumph of Jeffersonian-Jacksonian democracy; religious revivalism and social reform movements; American Indian policy; African-American culture, and the dilemma of slavery in the development of sectional tension and rivalry.

HIST 561 - Material Culture Analysis for Historians
Hours: 3
This course offers an advanced introduction to material cultural analysis, specifically focused on allowing history majors the opportunity to understand how to study and interpret archaeological evidence and "read" these materials as primary sources. Students will learn how to interpret archaeological site reports, study different kinds of material (e.g. pottery, coins, and faunal remains), and craft historical arguments based on these materials; key debates in contemporary scholarship will also be examined. Crosslisted with: HIST 463.

HIST 564 - Introduction to Public History
Hours: 3
This course introduces the field of Public History by examining topics that range from historical methods and interpretation, historical analysis, public interactions, and controversies associated with the practice of public history. Crosslisted with: HIST 462.

HIST 566 - Oral History Theory and Methods
Hours: 3
This course introduces the theory and practice of oral history. Students will engage with the central theoretical issues of the field, including the construction of memory, narrative, subjectivity, and structures of social power.

HIST 567 - Internship in Public History
Hours: 3
This internship and capstone project is designed as a significant demonstration of the student’s ability to combine theory and practice in a project that has to be approved by and under the supervision of the certificate program Director. To register for the internship, the student must complete both HIST 564 and a project proposal. Prerequisites: HIST 564 and submission of project proposal.

HIST 568 - Seminar in History Education
Hours: 3
This course provides a variety of investigations, involving primary sources, into World, European, and American histories designed for history and social studies teachers. Students may retake the course for credit as the topic changes. This course will count as PDAS continuing education hours for public school teachers.

HIST 569 - Introduction to Digital History
Hours: 3
This course will engage students in the larger interdisciplinary field of digital humanities and is designed as an introduction to the variety of ways in which historians work with digital spaces to produce content both for academic audiences and for the field of public history. As part of the course, students will work in groups and individually as part of one or more digital humanities project(s) and gain experience conceptualizing digital history content. Students will also examine, discuss, and analyze a variety of existing digital humanities history-focused projects and content. This course does not require that students possess coding knowledge or previous digital building experience.

HIST 572 - Themes in Gender and Sexuality History
Hours: 3
This course engages students in the study of gender and sexuality history, covering a variety of global, regional, chronological and/or theoretical topics. Course may be repeated twice for credit as topics change.

HIST 573 - Themes in Revolution History
Hours: 3
In this course, students will examine historical aspects of revolutionary thought, events, actors and outcomes. Specific topics will vary and may include local, global and/or comparative emphases. Course may be repeated twice for credit as topics change.

HIST 574 - Themes in Race and Ethnicity History
Hours: 3
This course investigates intersections regarding national and global race and ethnic identity from historical perspectives. Course may be repeated twice for credit as topics change.

HIST 589 - Independent Study
Hours: 1-3
Individualized instruction/research at an advanced level in a specialized content area under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated when the topic varies.Prerequisite: Consent of department head.

HIST 590 - Historiography and Historical Theory
Hours: 3
The discipline of History has a long history and a diverse set of practitioners. This course samples this variety by discussing selected figures who have shaped the forms of historical writing in the Western tradition from the ancient Greeks to the present day. Students will develop analytic skills in identifying and critiquing the arguments of professional historians, learn and deploy the terminology associated with historical argumentation, and apply such in writing a historiographical essay. Students must successfully complete HIST 590 and HIST 591 or have successfully completed either HIST 590 or HIST 591 and be enrolled in the other before attempting to take their departmental qualifying exams.

HIST 591 - Historical Research and Writing Methods
Hours: 3
This course introduces students to the methods of historical research, including the framing of research questions; the location, analysis, and evaluation of sources; the construction of argument and counter-argument; and the presentation of results. The goal of this course is to guide each student through the preparation of a conference-length paper or publishable article as well as the process of proposing that paper to an appropriate conference or scholarly journal. Students must successfully complete HIST 590 and HIST 591 or have successfully completed either HIST 590 or HIST 591 and be enrolled in the other before attempting to take their departmental qualifying exams.

HIST 592 - Graduate History Practicum
Hours: 3
New trends in the historical profession increasingly require that graduate students have experience producing research prepared for conference paper delivery or publication. This course will provide students guidance in using their thesis research in the preparation of a conference paper and/or for proposed publication in an academic journal or anthology. Students in the course will be required to propose the paper to an academic conference or submit the article to an academic journal or anthology call for papers for consideration. This course will meet regularly & is for students who are on the MA/MS thesis track a master's in history. Prerequisites: HIST 590, HIST 591 and students must pass the History Department Qualifying Examination prior to enrollment. Pre or co-requisite: HIST 518.

HIST 595 - Research Literature and Techniques
Hours: 3
Required of students in Option II. This course requires an extensive investigation into a topic agreed upon by the student and instructor. The student will produce an historiographical essay and annotated bibliography under the direction of the instructor. Note: "The students is required to demonstrate competence in systematic research procedure." Prerequisites: HIST 590, HIST 591 and students must pass the History Department Qualifying Examination prior to enrollment.

HIST 597 - Special Topic
Hours: 3
Special Topics. One to four semester hours. Organized class. May be repeated when topics vary.

HIST 599 - Histor Qualifying Exam
Hours: 0

History

Andrew C. Baker
Associate Professor
B.A., Grove City College; M.A., James Madison University; Ph.D., Rice University

Jessica Brannon-Wranosky
Distinguished Professor of Digital Humanities and History
B.A., M.A., Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi; Ph.D., University of North Texas

Mylynka Cardona
Assistant Professor
B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of Texas at Arlington

Andrew Donnelly
Assistant Professor
B.A., M.A. Boston University; M.A. Tufts University; Ph.D. Loyola University Chicago

Veronica Duran
Assistant Professor
B.A., M.A. University of Texas-Pan American; Ph.D. (as of 8/13/2022) University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Sharon A. Kowalsky
Associate Professor, Department Head, and Director of Gender Studies
B.A., Washington University in S. Louis; M.A., Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

William F. Kuracina
Professor
B.S., Clarkson University; M.A., State University College at Buffalo; Ph.D., Syracuse University

Derrick D. McKisick
Associate Professor
B.A. University of Arkansas at Little Rock, M.A., Ph.D. University of Arkansas

E. Mark Moreno
Associate Professor
B.A. San Jose State University; M.A., Ph.D., Washington State University

Cynthia Ross
Assistant Professor
B.A., University of Nevada; M.A., Ph.D, Washington State University

John H. Smith
Professor
B.A., M.A., University of North Carolina; Ph.D., University of Albany