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2024-2025 Academic Catalog

History (HIMA), MA

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Program Description

The Master of Arts in History instructs students in advanced historiography and historical research methods. It is a general program with an emphasis on the history of Europe and the United States. The Master of Arts in History will prepare students for a number of different careers. It is designed for secondary school teachers, community college instructors, and for those interested in public service or public history. It is also useful preparation for careers in theology and law, library science, and journalism.

Admission Requirements

  1. There is no upfront application fee. However, a deferred $100 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses - documentation verifying military status is required.
  2. A baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by an agency nationally recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
  3. A cumulative bachelor’s degree GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  4. TOEFL scores for international students - TOEFL iBT score of 79 (or an equivalent IELTS score).

Application Procedure

  1. Complete the online application.

  2. Request official transcripts* be sent directly from previous institutions to admissions@harding.edu.
    *Note: Harding alumni and current students do not need to request Harding transcripts as they are on file.

  3. Submit the following:

    1. Three letters of recommendation (at least one from someone familiar with your academic work)

    2. CV or resume

    3. Statement of purpose (500-1000 words) describing your qualifications and long-term goals

    4. One writing sample (Maximum of 25 pages) demonstrating analytic power and clarity of expression

    5. TOEFL scores (international students only)

Transfer students

In general, graduate students complete all degree requirements at Harding University. However, recognizing that students are subject to relocation for personal or professional reasons, the University has provided for a limited amount of transfer credit. Specific policies governing transfer credit are as follows:

A maximum of three courses may be transferred from another accredited graduate program with the approval of the graduate director. In no instance may students complete less than one-half of their degree program at Harding University.

A course may be considered for transfer credit only if there is a Harding University equivalent.

To be accepted, course credit must have been completed during the seven years immediately prior to matriculation, though in some exceptional situations the history graduate director may make exceptions.

Completion Requirements

Candidates for the Master of Arts in History must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours in history. Candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination; optionally, students may prepare and submit a thesis. Candidates must complete all academic coursework with no grades less than a C and show satisfactory evidence of good interpersonal skills and ethical behavior.

30 hours in a Thesis or Non-Thesis Track

Core requirement of 9 hours:

Non-Thesis Track

Select 9 hours:

Select 12 hours:

Thesis Track

Select 6 hours:

Select 6 hours:

Select 9 hours:

Note(s):

ACADEMIC STANDING REQUIREMENTS

Graduate students in the Department of History and Political Science are expected to make steady progress toward the program. To achieve this goal, the following policies have been established:

Any student who is admitted to the Masters of Arts in History program but is unable to matriculate during the semester admitted must request in writing permission to defer admission until a later term. Deferred admission, if approved, will be honored for one calendar year. Students wishing to begin their studies more than one year after admission is granted must reapply for admission and be evaluated under current admission standards.

Any student who must take time off from graduate studies is required to submit a written request for a leave of absence to the chair of the department if the student expects to be absent for more than one semester.

A student not satisfactorily completing at least one course in three consecutive terms will be declared “inactive” and must request readmission before being permitted to return to the program.

Grading System: Grades of A (4.0), B (3.0), C (2.0), D (1.0), I (Incomplete) or F (0.0 - Failing) are given for course work in the Department of History and Political Science. The Registrar’s Office automatically changes an I (Incomplete) grade to an F if it is not removed by the following dates: Fall “Incompletes” must be removed by Friday of the eighth week of the spring semester; spring “Incompletes” must be removed by July 1; summer “Incompletes” must be removed by Friday of the eighth week of the fall semester. A student should not re-register for a course in which an Incomplete was received. The Department of History and Political Science staff can advise on the proper procedures for the removal of an Incomplete. Professors have at least 14 days to read and grade papers or other materials submitted to remove an incomplete.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on coursework is required for graduation. Please note the following special circumstances:

  • Undergraduate courses required as prerequisites for graduate courses are not calculated in the cumulative graduate GPA.
  • Any course taken on an audit basis will not count toward degree requirements and cannot be repeated for credit.
  • A grade of F is calculated in the GPA as number of credit hours attempted, no quality points earned. If a grade of F is received in a required course, that course must be repeated. If the student receives an F in the second attempt, the student is automatically dismissed from the program.

The following model is provided to ensure students a successful and timely completion of the program:

Academic Warning

1-12 hours, less than 2.75 GPA
13-24 hours, less than 2.95 GPA
25-graduation, less than 3.00 GPA

Academic Probation

1-12 hours, less than 2.25 GPA
13-24 hours, less than 2.75 GPA
25-graduation, less than 2.95 GPA

Academic Discipline

  1. Academic Warning status is an early warning to students who are in danger of being put on academic probation, and as such, does not carry any restrictions.
  2. Academic Probation status limits students who are in academic trouble to enroll in no more than 9 credit hours per semester. Students under Academic Probation are not eligible to represent the University in extracurricular activities.
  3. Academic Probation policy applies to fall, spring and summer semesters. Upon the completion of the probationary terms, Academic Probation is lifted at the end of a semester. Failure to remove Academic Probation status the following semester may result in the student being dismissed from the program.
  4. Students that have been dismissed will be on Academic Suspension for one semester. During the suspension period, students will not be allowed to take any graduate classes. After the suspension is lifted, the student may return to classes under Academic Probation status.
  5. If a student receives a “failing” grade in any course during the first semester of enrollment, he or she may be dismissed from the program.
  6. The decision to dismiss a student for failure to meet the required standards of progress does not preclude the student from returning to Harding University in a later semester.
  7. In all cases, a second dismissal will be final.

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