Curriculum

The online coursework in Oregon State’s M.A./M.S. in History program will prompt you to conduct original research and contribute knowledge to the field that makes use of and acknowledges sources and scholars from the past.  You’ll also have the opportunity to put your skills into practice through credit-based internships and contributions to public-facing history projects.

Through courses offered by the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion as well as other departments across OSU, you’ll learn to demonstrate the ability to recognize, articulate and analyze the diversity of human experience across political, economic, social, and cultural structures over time and space.

Degree requirements

A total of 45 quarter credits are required to graduate with your master’s degree in history. Major requirements and curriculum information are available on Oregon State's academic catalog.

If you wish to pursue a Master of Arts, you must take a language exam no later than your second year in the program. No language exam is required for Master of Science students.

Sample course topics

• Public history
• Environmental history of the U.S.
• Modern Mexico
• China in the 20th century
• The Holocaust in its history
• Teaching the Holocaust
• World War II: A global history
• Food in world history
• History of the American West
• Methodologies of history
• Historiography in history

Options

You will tailor your program studies to align with your research interests and career goals by selecting one of the following areas of study:

Community history and civic engagement (36 credits)

This option focuses on the history of race in the West, citizenship in the U.S., social welfare, labor history, immigration, activism and public history. Learn more on the academic catalog.

Global perspectives on war, peace and empire (28 credits)

The coursework centers on the Holocaust, the rise of anti-Semitism, the World Wars, war in history, and empires in Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Learn more on the academic catalog.

Additional program features

Capstone or thesis

As a student in the M.A./M.S. in History program, you will produce a capstone project or thesis based on original research. This project will prepare you for various kinds of careers related to public history.

Experiential learning

The community history and civil engagement option requires a 4-credit experiential learning internship. You’ll work with your major advisor to identify local or online internship opportunities.