Tufts University - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

MA in History

The master's program in history is a small, selective program of graduate study that emphasizes a comparative understanding of the historical process. It is organized around colloquia in comparative and regional topics, the preparation of specific fields, and individual research in consultation with a faculty member.

Learning Objectives

• Interpret primary and secondary sources quickly and critically.
• Understand printed and electronic historical research aids, exhibit knowledge of bibliographical search procedures, and have the ability to effectively develop research bibliographies.
• Understand the broad outlines of historical interpretation and narrative in a field of specialization.
• Display knowledge of dominant schools of historical explanation and narrative, and exhibit the ability to apply the various interpretative frameworks to the investigation of data.
• Exhibit disciplined habits of research through experience at gathering primary and secondary historical data and effectively storing them so as to be readily retrieved.
• Construct a historical argument—marshaling arguments for interpretation or narrative involving complex data—and write up results or narrative in clear, persuasive language.
• Display facility at presenting historical arguments orally and describing research and findings to an audience.
• Exhibit knowledge of a language other than English, sufficient for research into sources in that language.
• Work cooperatively on the investigation of an area of historical inquiry and be able to accommodate one’s own research to findings of co-researchers.
• Exhibit an elementary ability to lead classroom discussion of historical material, assess historical work, and organize readings and agenda for analysis into an effective syllabus.