GreekChat.com Forums

GreekChat.com Forums (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/index.php)
-   Academics (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/forumdisplay.php?f=31)
-   -   Masters in Early American History (https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=127599)

honeychile 06-27-2012 01:01 AM
Masters in Early American History
 
I've never posted in this forum (to my sleepy knowledge), but I have been asked by a very intelligent woman which universities have the best American History Master's Programs.

I'm going to advise her to check out this forum for loans and grants, but alas, the school where she went didn't have Greek Life. I would have killed to have her as a sister! She has some tremendous ideas of how to make it more exciting for students.

So, tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly: where should she be applying for an American History Master's Program, especially Colonial America. Don't spare any details (costs, living arrangements, the really bad programs, etc)!

Thanks in advance!

als463 06-27-2012 07:07 AM
Penn State and Syracuse
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by honeychile (Post 2155336)
I've never posted in this forum (to my sleepy knowledge), but I have been asked by a very intelligent woman which universities have the best American History Master's Programs.

I'm going to advise her to check out this forum for loans and grants, but alas, the school where she went didn't have Greek Life. I would have killed to have her as a sister! She has some tremendous ideas of how to make it more exciting for students.

So, tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly: where should she be applying for an American History Master's Program, especially Colonial America. Don't spare any details (costs, living arrangements, the really bad programs, etc)!

Thanks in advance!
Of course I may be a little bias (I have a degree from Penn State in History--undergrad, though) but, Penn State offers some great programs. If your friend chose Penn State-University Park (also known as "main campus") then your friend could major in History and choose a specialization. That is in the College of Liberal Arts. If your friend wanted a smaller feel for a school, Penn State Harrisburg offers a program through the School of Humanities called "American Studies" and it comes in both Master's and Doctoral programs.

Also, as a Syracuse University graduate--I have to mention that your friend could check out Syracuse University for a degree in History through "Maxwell School" (one of the prestigious schools within the college at Syracuse University). You can check out Syracuse University on Wikipedia (I know not the most reliable source) and it will let you re-direct to Maxwell. You'll see the school touts many notable people in politics.

Good luck to your friend!

FSUZeta 06-27-2012 08:49 AM
The University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina-CH,Yale, Princeton, Georgetown, Emory, William and Mary, Vanderbilt, Northwestern to name but a few.

ColdInCanada11 06-27-2012 08:52 AM
Hijack: Generally in history (even at the MA level), you begin your search by locating scholars in the field that you would like to work with and then limiting your search by other conditions afterwards. I would recommend that she start reading/looking through journals in her field, see who's actively publishing, and then go from there. I've seen it several times that a history department has 4-5 people in "Given subject area" but most, sometimes even all are on leave for 1-2 years. Once she has people's names, she can contact them to make sure they will be there that year. That way she doesn't waste time looking at school's who have great funding/living situation but no actual prof to study with.

Best of luck to her, I hope she finds exactly what she's looking for!!

DeltaBetaBaby 06-27-2012 09:41 AM
I'm really curious as to what one expects to do with a masters in history. It kinda seems like the type of thing where she'd need to go all the way to a PhD.

NutBrnHair 06-27-2012 12:54 PM
IMHO
 
If I was going to get an M.A. in Colonial American History, I would pursue:


UVA, North Carolina-Chapel Hill, College of William & Mary, UPenn

honeychile 06-27-2012 02:12 PM
I'll be honest, I had to ask because I'm afraid I stressed William & Mary to her too much. I'm absolutely THRILLED to see other options! I'll be passing them on to her, and will let you know what she decides.

In the meantime, keep the ideas coming!

FSUZeta 06-27-2012 02:43 PM
With a Masters in History one could teach history in middle or high school, or teach at the community college level. Other possibilities would be to work in a museum as a curator or an archivist. Some colleges allow Masters recipients to teach 100-200 level classes.

NutBrnHair 06-27-2012 03:17 PM
I have an M.A. in History... and look at me! :D

OneHeartOneWay 06-27-2012 04:06 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ColdInCanada11 (Post 2155358)
Hijack: Generally in history (even at the MA level), you begin your search by locating scholars in the field that you would like to work with and then limiting your search by other conditions afterwards. I would recommend that she start reading/looking through journals in her field, see who's actively publishing, and then go from there. I've seen it several times that a history department has 4-5 people in "Given subject area" but most, sometimes even all are on leave for 1-2 years. Once she has people's names, she can contact them to make sure they will be there that year.
I have to agree with this 100%. Also, if she has a specific area of interest that could intersect with other programs of study, what do the school's offer in that discipline/school/department? (Journalism history, women's history, african american history, military history, etc.) Most of the schools that would show up on anyone's list have been listed here already, so I'll just say "ditto" to the schools listed.

DeltaBetaBaby 06-27-2012 05:39 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by FSUZeta (Post 2155415)
With a Masters in History one could teach history in middle or high school, or teach at the community college level. Other possibilities would be to work in a museum as a curator or an archivist. Some colleges allow Masters recipients to teach 100-200 level classes.
Oh, I forgot that a lot of states require a Masters to teach high school.

I think I'm confused by the idea of seeking out a specific scholar, because I'm surprised that professors would care that much about their Masters students. Perhaps history is different from my experience on the other side of the subject spectrum.

FSUZeta 06-27-2012 08:15 PM
I agree-that would most often apply to PhD candidates.

ColdInCanada11 06-27-2012 08:55 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby (Post 2155444)
Oh, I forgot that a lot of states require a Masters to teach high school.

I think I'm confused by the idea of seeking out a specific scholar, because I'm surprised that professors would care that much about their Masters students. Perhaps history is different from my experience on the other side of the subject spectrum.
The logic in history is that this person will be training you as a historian, so you should be training with someone in the same subfield as you. There are so many different methodologies that come into play that will greatly affect the type of scholarship that someone is producing (which I don't know is true to the same extent in science). Example: I focus on early Irish history. Within that field I look at culture. Why would I bother to study with an early Irish historian who primarily focuses on gender instead of a cultural historian? A historian of gender uses a much different "set of tools" than a cultural historian does.

Also, it proves that you have done your research. In your statement of intent, you have very little space to clearly state why you are an excellent fit for both the program and the school. If your only reason is, "the program/professor looks at the same time and area", you didn't do enough research and probably shouldn't look into grad school. That extends to the girl that honeychile spoke of, if I'm being honest. She should not have had to ask someone outside of history where she should be studying. If you have to, you are not ready for grad school in history.

DeltaBetaBaby 06-27-2012 10:01 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by ColdInCanada11 (Post 2155496)
The logic in history is that this person will be training you as a historian, so you should be training with someone in the same subfield as you. There are so many different methodologies that come into play that will greatly affect the type of scholarship that someone is producing (which I don't know is true to the same extent in science). Example: I focus on early Irish history. Within that field I look at culture. Why would I bother to study with an early Irish historian who primarily focuses on gender instead of a cultural historian? A historian of gender uses a much different "set of tools" than a cultural historian does.

Also, it proves that you have done your research. In your statement of intent, you have very little space to clearly state why you are an excellent fit for both the program and the school. If your only reason is, "the program/professor looks at the same time and area", you didn't do enough research and probably shouldn't look into grad school. That extends to the girl that honeychile spoke of, if I'm being honest. She should not have had to ask someone outside of history where she should be studying. If you have to, you are not ready for grad school in history.
Got it. I think one big difference is that, even though it's a masters program, you are talking about producing real research. Many, many masters programs are now all coursework, in the sciences and elsewhere.

ColdInCanada11 06-27-2012 10:09 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby (Post 2155504)
Got it. I think one big difference is that, even though it's a masters program, you are talking about producing real research. Many, many masters programs are now all coursework, in the sciences and elsewhere.
Coming from the sciences, I can definitely understand how it looks weird! For most history MA, even if they are a "course" MA, a very large component is still research!

Xidelt 06-27-2012 10:20 PM
The capstone of any master's in history is a thesis. As for being able to teach middle/high school (public school at least) with an M.A. in History, I beg to differ. The job market in education has changed so drastically in the last 10 years. The poor economy and changes in legislation requiring all teachers to be Highly Qualified means that you really need to have a degree in education that will lead you to a regular teaching certificate. If the woman Honeychile is referring to has an undergrad degree in education, then she might be okay if she decides to teach as a career (I have no idea, just speculating :) ) However, today, social studies or history teaching positions are rare to find. Also, most administrators want to hire someone who is Highly Qualified (able to obtain regular teaching certificate, not temporary, has passed the state licensing exam in their content area, etc) so that they can make sure their school meets the mandates under No Child Left Behind. If anyone wants to have a shot at getting a job in education today, I would encourage them to seek certification in math, science, or special ed. SLP's also seem to be in high demand in my neck of the woods.

I graduated with a BA in History and decided right before graduation that I wanted to teach HS or MS social studies. I found out what I needed to do to qualify for a temporary teaching certificate in my state, fulfilled as many of the requirements as I could, and started applying and interviewing for teaching jobs. I couldn't find anything in Social Studies! I had to take a job as a paraprofessional and enrolled in a teacher ed program. (I decided to get certified in English and Social Studies to give myself options). I was hired the next school year to teach..English!

ColdInCanada11 06-27-2012 10:27 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xidelt (Post 2155506)
The capstone of any master's in history is a thesis. As for being able to teach middle/high school (public school at least) with an M.A. in History, I beg to differ. The job market in education has changed so drastically in the last 10 years. The poor economy and changes in legislation requiring all teachers to be Highly Qualified means that you really need to have a degree in education that will lead you to a regular teaching certificate. If the woman Honeychile is referring to has an undergrad degree in education, then she might be okay if she decides to teach as a career (I have no idea, just speculating :) ) However, today, social studies or history teaching positions are rare to find. Also, most administrators want to hire someone who is Highly Qualified (able to obtain regular teaching certificate, not temporary, has passed the state licensing exam in their content area, etc) so that they can make sure their school meets the mandates under No Child Left Behind. If anyone wants to have a shot at getting a job in education today, I would encourage them to seek certification in math, science, or special ed. SLP's also seem to be in high demand in my neck of the woods.

I graduated with a BA in History and decided right before graduation that I wanted to teach HS or MS social studies. I found out what I needed to do to qualify for a temporary teaching certificate in my state, fulfilled as many of the requirements as I could, and started applying and interviewing for teaching jobs. I couldn't find anything in Social Studies! I had to take a job as a paraprofessional and enrolled in a teacher ed program. (I decided to get certified in English and Social Studies to give myself options). I was hired the next school year to teach..English!
Thanks for all of the info, Xidelt! The Canadian school system is quite different, a degree in education is mandatory without exception. Are there a lot of teachers with Master's, or is that a dying trend?

Xidelt 06-27-2012 10:50 PM
It depends on the state as to whether a Master's degree is required since education in the US is regulated more on the local level. I teach in Georgia, and a Master's is not required. However, many teachers go back to school for one because your pay increases with your level of education. I think most of my colleagues have a Master's degree. I grew up in New York state and they require a Master's to teach. I think you had 5 years from when you began teaching to finish your Master's. But I've been out of NY for several years now, so the time requirement may have changed.

AXOmom 06-27-2012 11:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Xidelt (Post 2155506)
The capstone of any master's in history is a thesis. As for being able to teach middle/high school (public school at least) with an M.A. in History, I beg to differ. The job market in education has changed so drastically in the last 10 years. The poor economy and changes in legislation requiring all teachers to be Highly Qualified means that you really need to have a degree in education that will lead you to a regular teaching certificate. If the woman Honeychile is referring to has an undergrad degree in education, then she might be okay if she decides to teach as a career (I have no idea, just speculating :) ) However, today, social studies or history teaching positions are rare to find. Also, most administrators want to hire someone who is Highly Qualified (able to obtain regular teaching certificate, not temporary, has passed the state licensing exam in their content area, etc) so that they can make sure their school meets the mandates under No Child Left Behind. If anyone wants to have a shot at getting a job in education today, I would encourage them to seek certification in math, science, or special ed. SLP's also seem to be in high demand in my neck of the woods.

I graduated with a BA in History and decided right before graduation that I wanted to teach HS or MS social studies. I found out what I needed to do to qualify for a temporary teaching certificate in my state, fulfilled as many of the requirements as I could, and started applying and interviewing for teaching jobs. I couldn't find anything in Social Studies! I had to take a job as a paraprofessional and enrolled in a teacher ed program. (I decided to get certified in English and Social Studies to give myself options). I was hired the next school year to teach..English!
This isn't the case in every state and it should be noted that the requirements for licensure vary state by state and often by grade level in those states.....they can also change in those states over time as I found out when I left my current state, let it lapse, and came back to renew.

In Oregon you could not get a license to teach secondary (5-12) without a degree in the primary subject you want to teach. You get a minor in education. You cannot teach high school history/social studies in this state (and as I recall this is true for Washington as well) without a history degree and you're not considered highly qualified in that subject at the secondary level without it. On the other hand, a Master's of Education is required to teach K-5 and in some cases 6-8 depending on how the middle school/junior high is set up.

I do agree that finding a teaching position at a school anywhere in the US armed with nothing more than a history/and or education degree/minor would be difficult (one of the reasons I changed my major). While I agree that math and science is much more marketable, that isn't much help for those of who aren't good at the subject and wouldn't have strong enough math and or science skills to major in it and teach it competently at a high school level.

I would advise someone who wants to teach history to add endorsements in special education/a language (preferably Spanish), and, if they have the time, a reading endorsement or another subject like English. The more you can do or "extras" you can take on the better.

Edit: Sorry you added the qualifier before I posted this.

honeychile 07-12-2012 12:26 AM
Thanks for all of the suggestions! My friend is very impressed with all of the information & advice she's getting from you all.

She's currently teaching at a private school, while she decides about furthering her education, so teaching history wouldn't be beyond the pale. I also see her as a researcher in one field or another, once she gets into the program - and possibly going for her PhD eventually. I admire her tenacity tremendously, and she will accomplish whatever she decides to do!

Sadly, there wasn't a Greek system where she got her undergraduate degree, or she would have been a serious rush crush! She's interested in being a Greek, though, but I'm not sure if any of the NPC sororities bid grad students (drat the luck!).

In the meantime, keep the responses coming!


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:24 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.