B.A.-M.A. Program

A Step-by-Step Guide to Degree Requirements

Choosing the Thesis or Non Thesis Track

A planning guide for History M.A. and B.A./M.A. students

Both tracks require substantial historical research and writing. The non-thesis track is the default and most common option, offering broader coursework and two field papers. The thesis track replaces one elective with supervised thesis research and requires prior Department approval. Discuss your goals, preparation, topic, sources, and timeline with the M.A. Director and a faculty adviser before choosing.

Compare the two tracks

Questions to consider before choosing

☐ Do I have a focused topic that can become a manageable historical research question?

☐ Have I taken a course with a potential thesis adviser and done well in that course?

☐ Are sufficient primary sources available and accessible within my timeframe, language abilities, and budget?

☐ Have I completed relevant coursework and begun reading the key scholarship?

☐ Is a faculty member willing and able to advise the project?

☐ Can I sustain independent research, regular meetings, drafting, and substantial revision over three semesters?

☐ Would broader coursework and two strong seminar papers better serve my academic or professional goals?

Choose the thesis track when you have a worthwhile, feasible project and the preparation to pursue it. A thesis is not required for Ph.D. applications. A field paper based on substantial original research can also provide a strong writing sample.

If you choose the thesis track

Begin by identifying a potential adviser among the professors whose courses you have taken and in which you have done well. After completing the course, meet with that professor to discuss the kinds of thesis topics that interest you and ask whether the professor would be willing to serve as your adviser. Prior Department approval is required before moving forward with the thesis. Before enrolling in HIST B9900: Thesis Research, you must select a thesis adviser, develop the project in consultation with that adviser, and complete an approved thesis prospectus. Work with your thesis adviser to enroll in HIST B9900; the adviser normally submits the Request for Independent Study form. Also identify a second reader early enough for meaningful feedback.

What the prospectus should include

• An introduction stating the research question, preliminary argument, and contribution
• A historiographical discussion of preexisting scholarship on the topic and locating the project within relevant scholarly debates
• A description of methodology and primary sources
• A research and writing plan with a bibliography of primary and secondary sources

Three semester thesis plan

Ideally, planning, the prospectus, research, and writing unfold over three semesters or planning periods; one may be the summer before your final year, even if you are not taking courses. Agree on a realistic schedule with your adviser. Research and drafting may overlap, and some projects take longer.

The Department cannot guarantee graduation after three semesters of thesis work. The thesis track is complete only when both the adviser and second reader approve the finished thesis as meeting disciplinary and College standards. Allow time for both readers to review the full draft and for any required revisions, even if all coursework is complete.

Semester 1:  Planning and preparation

Goal: Establish a feasible project and advising structure.

☐ Determine your topic of interest and formulate a preliminary research question.

☐ Consider potential advisers among the professors whose courses you have taken and in which you have done well.

☐ After completing a course with a potential adviser, meet with that professor to discuss possible thesis topics and ask whether the professor would be willing to advise the project.

☐ With your adviser, develop a secondary-source reading list and identify the major historiographical debates.

☐ Identify relevant archival and primary-source collections; assess access, language, travel, permissions, and cost.

☐ Agree on a meeting schedule and expectations for communication, reading, research, and drafts.

☐ Begin collecting sources, keeping complete citations and research notes from the start.

Semester 2: Prospectus and research

Goal: Earn approval for the project and prepare to begin sustained writing.

☐ Work through the reading list, tracking arguments, debates, methods, and uses of primary sources.

☐ Continue collecting and analyzing primary sources; conduct archival research or research travel as needed.

☐ Refine the research question, preliminary argument, scope, and chapter or section structure.

☐ Draft and revise the thesis prospectus with your adviser; ask whether sample prospectuses are available.

☐ Submit the final prospectus to your adviser early enough for review and revision before registration.

☐ Secure a second reader in consultation with your adviser.

☐ After the prospectus is approved, work with your adviser to enroll in HIST B9900 for Semester 3.

Semester 3:  Writing, revision, and completion

Goal: Complete, revise, approve, and submit the thesis.

☐ Confirm graduation requirements, application procedures, and all program and college deadlines at the start of the semester.

☐ Meet regularly—normally weekly—with your adviser and share writing at agreed intervals.

☐ Begin drafting from a detailed outline, integrating primary evidence and historiographical analysis; adjust the schedule with your adviser as needed.

☐ Move from drafting to revision well before the submission deadline; allow time for substantive changes.

☐ Confirm a submission schedule with your advisor to give both your adviser and second reader sufficient time for review and approval of the full thesis.

☐ Submit the thesis approved by both readers and required approval materials through the current Department and College submission procedures; confirm the destination and deadlines with the M.A. Director.

If you choose the non-thesis track

Plan the field papers early. The two field papers are normally developed from course assignments and should be approximately 15-20 pages each. Confirm with each course instructor that the paper meets the field-paper standard, obtain the required certification, and submit the certified papers to the M.A. Director. Consult the program’s Field Paper Guidelines for format, eligibility, and submission procedures.

A field paper is a substantial scholarly project, not simply a shorter substitute for a thesis. It may present original research grounded in primary sources, a sustained historiographical analysis of how scholars have interpreted a historical problem, or a combination of the two. Discuss the question, evidence, method, and scope with the course instructor and consult the Field Paper Guidelines to ensure the proposed project meets current requirements.

If you are considering a Ph.D., plan at least one field paper strategically as a potential writing sample. A paper that develops an original historical argument from substantial primary-source research and engages relevant scholarship can be a strong application sample. Revise it with faculty feedback and adapt it to each doctoral program’s length and content requirements.

If you need additional time

If you finish your coursework but need more time for the thesis, you can maintain matriculation during terms without course or research credits by paying the Maintenance of Matriculation fee. Confirm the procedure and current resident or nonresident rate with the M.A. Director, Registrar, and Bursar. See the CCNY Bursar tuition and fee listing at www.ccny.cuny.edu/bursar/tuition-listing-fall-2026-spring-2027.

Final planning checklist

☐ Discuss my preferred track with a faculty adviser and the M.A. Director.

☐ Map the required courses and credits onto my remaining semesters.

☐ Confirm current registration, graduation, and submission deadlines.

☐ Keep written records of approvals, certifications, and submitted forms.

Note: Program procedures and deadlines may change. Students should confirm current requirements with the History Department and the M.A. Director before registering or submitting final work.