Through the joint History and Secondary Education M.A./M.A. program, students receive licensure and professional preparation for teaching Social Studies at middle-school or high-school level, alongside grounding in the knowledge base and key skills of a historian. The program allows students to complete two separate master’s degrees in less time (with fewer courses and credit hours) than if they did the two degree programs separately.

Students graduate from the joint program fully equipped with teaching experience, knowledge of pedagogical methods, and relevant educational psychology through training in the Department of Education, in combination with all the latest research methods and other advantages offered by the Department of History’s rigorous graduate program.

The joint degree requires 24 credit hours in Secondary Education courses, 12 credit hours (one semester) of full-time student teaching, and 21 credit hours in History of which one course (3 credit hours) must be History 601. The joint program thus requires a total of 57 credit hours, as opposed to 72 for the two degrees taken separately. Insofar as History is concerned, most other requirements apply as for the basic MA: students in the joint program must meet the same language requirement and take the same comprehensive exams, although the joint program requires one research seminar instead of the two required for the basic MA. 

In addition, applicants should demonstrate undergraduate coursework in the following fields: Geography, Economics, Civics, Anthropology and/or Sociology. Lack of prior work in these fields does not limit the possibility of an applicant being accepted into the program, but applicants without such preparation may need to complete additional courses required for licensure in secondary social studies teaching before beginning student teaching.  A transcript analysis will determine if additional coursework is necessary to meet licensure requirements.

The History and Secondary Education M.A./M.A. program usually requires two and a half to three years of full-time study.

Prospective students interested in applying for the joint degree program are invited to communicate directly with History’s Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Stephen West, or the Secondary Education Program Coordinator, Dr. Melissa Mitchell, to discuss the program and its requirements further. Applicants complete one application to the university, but must submit all parts of the application required by both departments. Each department makes admissions decisions separately, so admission to one does not necessarily guarantee admission to the other.

All applicants for graduate study in History are automatically considered for funding, provided the application is received by the February 1 deadline. No separate application is necessary. The Department admits M.A. applicants with or without funding, and is able to offer tuition scholarships only to some M.A. applicants. Note some of the University-wide awards require high GRE scores. CUA is an equal opportunity educational institution.

Curriculum and Suggested Sequence of Courses