History
To obtain specific admissions requirements on how to apply to Graduate School, prospective students should visit this page: https://www.uab.edu/cas/history/graduate-program
| Degree Offered: | M.A. |
| Director: | Stephen Miller, Ph.D. |
| Phone: | (205) 975-6531 |
| Email: | sjmiller@uab.edu |
| Website: | www.uab.edu/history |
Students interested in Teaching Certification for Public Schools should contact the School of Education.
Accelerated Learning Opportunities
History offers an accelerated Bachelor's/ Master's (ABM) option for high-achieving undergraduate students pursuing a BA degree in History at UAB. The following courses are approved for shared credit for students pursuing an ABM in History. A successful graduate of ABM will earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in History from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in an accelerated time period compared to the independent completion of the two degrees.
Graduate courses allowed for credit sharing are: HY 601, HY 602, HY 612, HY 614, HY 615, HY 621, HY 622, HY 631, HY 632, HY 634, HY 635, HY 637, HY 638, HY 639, HY 641, HY 650, HY 651, HY 653, HY 654, HY 655, HY 656, HY 670, HY 671, HY 672, HY 673, HY 674, HY 675, HY 681, HY 682, HY 683, HY 693, HY 694
https://www.uab.edu/cas/history/graduate/program-basics
Additional Information
| Deadline for Entry Term(s): | Each semester |
| Deadline for All Application Materials to be in the Graduate School Office: | Fall: August 1; Spring: December 1; Summer: May 1. |
| Number of Evaluation Forms Required: | Two |
| Entrance Tests | TOEFL and TWE also required for international applicants whose native language is not English. |
| Comments | Additional application for financial aid (fellowship or assistantship) is required by program |
For detailed information, contact Dr. Stephen Miller, History Graduate Program Director, Department of History, HHB 360Q, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1152.
Telephone: (205) 975-6531
E-mail: sjmiller@uab.edu
Master of Arts in History
The history graduate program provides opportunities for students to learn the techniques of research and broaden their knowledge of historical literature. Students may choose Plan I, which includes writing a thesis based on original research using primary sources, or Plan II, which requires the completion of MA exams in three historical topics. All students are required to enroll in HY 601Historiography and HY 602 Historical Research and Writing and must take at least 30 hours of their course work in graduate seminars. Each student must take a minimum of 9 hours of course work in U.S. history and 9 hours in non-U.S. history (e.g., European, Asian, Latin America, World).
Plan I - 36 hours with Thesis
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| HY 601 | Historiography | 3 |
| HY 602 | Historical Research and Writing | 3 |
| US History 1 | ||
| Three (3) seminars at the 600+ level | 9 | |
| Non-US History 2 | ||
| Three (3) Seminars at the 600+ level | 9 | |
| Electives 3 | 6 | |
| HY 699 | Thesis Research | 6 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Plan II - 36 hours (non-thesis option)
| Requirements | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| HY 601 | Historiography | 3 |
| HY 602 | Historical Research and Writing | 3 |
| US History 1 | ||
| Three (3) seminars at the 600+ level | 9 | |
| Non-US History 2 | ||
| Three (3) seminars at the 600+ level | 9 | |
| Electives 3 | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
- 1
Choose from the following: HY 612,HY 613, HY 614, HY 621, HY 622, HY 623, HY 631, HY 632, HY 633, HY 634, HY 635, HY 637, HY 638
- 2
Choose from the following: HY 639, HY 641, HY 650, HY 651, HY 652, HY 653, HY 654, HY 655, HY 656 HY 670,HY 671, HY 672, HY 673, HY 674, HY 675, HY 683, HY 693, HY 694
- 3
Up to two (2) equivalent graduate 600+ level courses in another discipline, i.e., English, Art History, Anthropology, or Government
Courses
HY 601. Historiography. 3 Hours.
Seminar on various theoretical perspectives and methodologies of professional historians. What historians do, how they do it, and why.
HY 602. Historical Research and Writing. 3 Hours.
Methods of historical research, including research in primary sources, and the distinctive characteristics of historical writing.
HY 612. Seminar in Early America. 3 Hours.
Topics and issues in the history and historiography of Colonial North America, circa 1500-1775.
HY 614. Seminar in Recent American History. 3 Hours.
Topics in the politics of modern America.
HY 615. Seminar in American Myths American Values. 3 Hours.
Recommended for students teaching at the secondary-education level and for traditional history students alike. Examines the major myths that inform, and that are informed by, traditional American values and how both shape social relationships.
HY 621. Seminar in Old South History. 3 Hours.
Subjects pertaining to the Old South era to Reconstruction.
HY 622. Seminar in New South History. 3 Hours.
Subjects pertaining to the New South era since Reconstruction.
HY 631. Seminar: Topics in American History. 3 Hours.
Historical topics of American History, (e.g. Conservatism, Crime and Punishment).
HY 632. Seminar in U.S. Urban History. 3 Hours.
Topics in Urban History.
HY 634. Seminar in African American History. 3 Hours.
Selected topics related to the African-American experience.
HY 635. Seminar in American Social History. 3 Hours.
A reading and research seminar examining the history of the structure and power of social groups in America.
HY 637. Seminar in U.S. Labor History. 3 Hours.
Development of labor force and movements in U.S. 19th and 20th centuries.
HY 638. Seminar in Civil Rights History. 3 Hours.
An analysis of history and historiography of Civil Rights Movement in America since the 19th century.
HY 639. Seminar in Women's History. 3 Hours.
An analysis of the changing economic, political, and social roles of women from colonial period to the present.
HY 641. Seminar in Latin American History. 3 Hours.
Issues in history of Latin America since the late 18th century; economic development, dependency and popular resistance, role of the Catholic Church,social revolution, and nationalism.
HY 650. Seminar: Topics in European History. 3 Hours.
Seminar in Historical topics in European History.
HY 651. Seminar in Medieval History. 3 Hours.
Examine political, economical, and religious interaction in the world prior to 1500.
HY 653. Seminar in Modern Europe. 3 Hours.
Reformation to the present; major topics such as soceity and politics, warfare, religious trends, state-building, and industrialization.
HY 654. Seminar in British History. 3 Hours.
Focuses on a particular period or problem in British history. Reading and discussion of current publications on the topic.
HY 655. Seminar in Russian/Soviet History. 3 Hours.
Analysis of primary sources and secondary works dealing with political and social history of Imperial Russia or Soviet Union and their succesor states.
HY 656. Seminar in French History. 3 Hours.
Seminar dealing with various periods and issues in the history of France.
HY 670. Eminar in Pre-Modern History. 3 Hours.
Examine political, economical, and religious interaction in the Mediterranean or Middle Eastern world prior to 1500.
HY 671. Seminar in Asian History. 3 Hours.
Topics in Asian History.
HY 672. Seminar: Topics in World History. 3 Hours.
Seminar in historical topics of world history.
HY 673. Seminar in World Environmental History. 3 Hours.
Comparative examination of cultures and their relationship with the natural environment in a modern world context.
HY 674. Seminar in Comparative History. 3 Hours.
Explores through reading and research varied issues in comparative history;revolution, war, slavery, labor cities, industrialization, and social and cultural topics.
HY 675. Seminar-World Economic History. 3 Hours.
This seminar examines the diverse social, political and ecological contexts in which humans have provided for their material needs.
HY 681. Directed Readings in History. 3-6 Hours.
Individually designed course of readings in various fields. May be repeated. Only two directed reading courses will count toward degree requirements for history majors.
HY 682. Internship in Public Hist/SL. 3 Hours.
Individually designed program that places students in local historical museums and sites to gain professional experience in public history. Service Learning.
HY 683. Seminar in Public History. 3 Hours.
Explores the diverse approaches and methods of presenting history to public audiences, museums, historic sites, architectural preservation, documentary editing, and archival preservation.
HY 693. Special Topics in History. 3 Hours.
Seminar exploring the historiography of a specialized topic in history.
HY 694. Special Topics in History. 3 Hours.
Seminar exploring the historiography of a specialized topic in history.
HY 698. Non-Thesis Research. 3-6 Hours.
Individual research project.
HY 699. Thesis Research. 1-6 Hour.
Research culminating in master's thesis in history.
Prerequisites: GAC M
HY 771. Special Projects in History. 1-3 Hour.
Open only to those who hold the M.A. degree.
Faculty
| Baer, Andrew, Associate Professor of History, 2016, B.A. (Florida), M.A. (Chicago), Ph.D. (Northwestern) |
| Forman, Michele, Assistant Professor/Director of Media Studies, 2003, B.A. (Harvard), M.A. (UAB) |
| Keitt, Andrew W., Associate Professor of History, 1999, B.A. (Duke), M.A., Ph.D. (UC Berkeley) |
| Miller, Stephen J., Professor of History and Graduate Program Director, 2001, B.A. (Wisconsin), M.A., Ph.D. (UCLA) |
| Murphy, Britney, Assistant Professor of History, 2012, B.A. (Connecticut), M.A. (Connecticut), Ph.D. (Connecticut) |
| Steele, Brian D., Associate Professor of History, 2005, B.A., M.A. (Tulsa), Ph.D. (North Carolina) |
| Van Sant, John E., Associate Professor of History, 2000, B.A., M.A. (UC-Davis), Ph.D. (Oregon) |
| Ward, Walter D., Professor of History, 2010, B.A., M.A. (NC State), M.A., Ph.D. (UCLA) |
| Watson, Amy, Assistant Professor of History, 2020, B.A. (Yale), M.Phil. (University of Cambridge), Ph.D. (Yale) |
| Wiesen, Jonathan, Professor of History, 2019, B.A. (UC Berkeley), M.A., Ph.D. (Brown) |
| Zaretsky, Natasha, Professor of History, 2019, B.A. (UC Sana Cruz), M.A., Ph.D. (Brown) |