The M.A. in History serves multiple purposes, as it will 1) provide much needed depth of training for educators who are certified to teach Social Studies; 2) enhance the expertise of students who enroll at WNMU in order to become part-time instructors at community colleges and/or 3) as a program that will be offered online, offer enhanced access to graduate work in History for students who currently live in rural areas or otherwise have limited access to such opportunities in higher education.

While students are welcome to design their coursework around traditional regional concentrations, this program is intended to complement WNMU’s identity as New Mexico’s public liberal arts institution. Students are accordingly encouraged to organize their graduate study in History around the four great questions common to the WNMU’s undergraduate core curriculum: What is truth? What is justice? What does it mean to be human? What is the good life?

Students apply for this M.A. program are strongly encouraged to have completed their Bachelor’s degree in History. Applicants with degrees in other fields must demonstrate that their undergraduate study included significant engagement with discipline of History, to include at least 18 hours of study in History or Social Sciences. Applicants must have completed the last 64 credits of study with a GPA of at least 3.3 out of 4.0 and must submit a letter of intent as well as three letters of recommendation.

The M.A. in History requires successful completion of at least 36 hours of coursework. Students admitted to graduate study in History at WNMU are required to complete HIST 507 - History and Historians. Students may complete up to 6 hours of advisor-approved courses in a related field and may request approval of up to 12 hours of transfer credits.

In order to satisfy capstone requirements, students may choose to complete a thesis or comprehensive examinations based on their coursework. Students choosing the thesis option must receive approval for a thesis proposal after completing 15 graduate hours in this program and must defend their completed thesis before a committee of faculty.