Department of History and Geography

Master of Arts- African American Studies with a
Concentration in African Diaspora History

Objective

The Master of Arts Degree in African- American Studies has a concentration in African Diaspora history. It is a cooperative program that includes other university liberal arts departments. The degree is designed for students who plan careers in teaching secondary school and community college, and in government, foreign affairs, public history, journalism, and museum or information services, and for students who contemplate pursuing further scholarly activities.

Admission

For unconditional admission, applicants must have: (1) a minimum of 18 to 24 semester hours of undergraduate history or related courses in the area of History or African Diaspora studies; and (2) not less than 3.0 in history.

For conditional admission, applicants must: (1) have earned a minimum of 18-24 semester hours of undergraduate history or related courses, or must successfully take HIST 350 and other supporting undergraduate courses as needed; (2) have earned not less than a 2.5 average in History.

General Requirements

Candidates for the degree must complete a minimum of thirty (30) credit hours, pass a written comprehensive examination and submit an acceptably written thesis, which must involve significant, original historical research.

Other Requirements

HIST 598 Historiography & Historical Methods	3 credit hours
4 of the Common Courses in African American, African, or African Diaspora topics offered at MSU (at least 2 from the History Depart- ment and at least 2 from MSU supporting Departments. See Graduate Coordinator for options.)	12 credit hours
History Electives	9 credit hours
A Supervised Research or a Seminar course in History	3 credit hours
HIST 799 Thesis Seminar	3 credit hours
Total	30 credit hours

History electives and electives from other departments must be approved by your advisor.