Overview and Requirements

Overview and Requirements

The B.A./M.A. program enables outstanding students to receive both a B.A. and an M.A. degree in history in five years upon the completion of 138 credits. Motivated undergraduates may apply if they have earned 15 credits in history at CCNY, have more than 75 credits overall, and have a GPA of at least 3.3. If accepted, students should expect to begin soon thereafter to take M.A. courses along with any remaining B.A. history electives needed to fulfill the requirements of the B.A./M.A program. A list of undergraduate and graduate course offerings may be found here and here. To apply for the combined B.A./M.A. degree in history, students who meet the requirements listed above must fill out the appropriate section of the standard major form in consultation with a graduate or undergraduate history adviser, who must approve the student's admission to the program. To obtain a B.A./M.A. degree in history, students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 overall as well as fulfill the following undergraduate and graduate requirements:

1) Students complete their undergraduate coursework for the B.A./M.A. degree by taking 11 history electives. Students must satisfy the general education, residency, and GPA requirements of the College for a Bachelor of Arts degree, as well as fulfill the department's requirements for the undergraduate history major. Therefore, to earn the B.A. portion of the combined degree, students must: complete 6 of the 11 required B.A. history courses at CCNY, take Historian's Craft (HIST 21300) and earn a grade of C or higher, and take a broad array of history courses. The department encourages history majors to concentrate in a particular geographical or thematic area to be chosen in consultation with an undergraduate history adviser. Students are encouraged to take 4-5 courses in that area. Please consult the Undergraduate Program section of the website for additional information about requirements for the B.A. degree in history.

2) Students complete their graduate coursework for the B.A./M.A. degree by taking 8 M.A. courses, including the required course on Historical Methods and Historiography (HIST B0000). Students should begin to take M.A. courses upon admission to the program and should not wait until they have finished the undergraduate portion of the B.A./M.A. degree. Master's courses taken beyond the 8 required for the B.A./M.A. degree may be counted towards the 11 required undergraduate electives. It is strongly recommended that B.A./M.A. students take Historical Methods and Historiography (HIST B0000) at their earliest convenience, as it provides an introduction to historical reasoning and writing at the graduate level. Students must satisfy the residency and GPA requirements of the College for the M.A. Degree and fulfill the general requirements of the M.A. program in history, as described below.

For the M.A. portion of their degree, students may pursue one of two tracks: a non-thesis track or a thesis track. See the appropriate tabs on the B.A./M.A. menu for further information about the two tracks.