糖心原创

Frequently Asked Questions

General Application Questions

• Where can I find general information about applying for graduate work at 糖心原创?
  The Office of Graduate Studies and Research has a helpful FAQ about applying to the University. It includes information about fees and transcripts. 
• How do I apply to the 糖心原创 History MA Program?

  You can apply using the CSU System's Cal State Apply platform. You can find more information on it in the . 

• Do I need to take the GRE?
  No! Our program does not require the GRE.
• What materials do I need to apply?
  • Official transcripts from all universities and colleges attended (except for 糖心原创 itself). 
  • Three letters of recommendation (ideally from professors who have taught you in upper-division history courses).
  • A 750-word statement of research intent that discusses your areas of research interest and the kinds of questions that animate your historical interests. 

  You can find more information in the Admissions Requirements. 

• How many letters of recommendation do I need? Do they all need to be from professors?
  Three letters of recommendation are required. It is strongly recommended that at least two be from upper-division history professors, so that the graduate admissions committee can evaluate an applicant's ability to do original historical research.
• Can my writing sample be about anything?
  The sample should ideally be a research paper you have produced for a history course. This gives the committee information about your writing and research skills, as well as your historical interests. It is also a good idea, if possible, if the sample is in the area that you are proposing to work in. (For example, we recommend a paper on US history, if you are applying to work in US history, unless your only or best research paper as an undergraduate was in another subfield of history). 
• What should the length of the writing sample be?
  Students are encouraged to use a paper they have completed in a history research seminar, so ideally 10-15 pages, and based on primary sources. Longer is acceptable. 
• How long should the statement of research intent be?
  Approximately 750 words. It should describe what historical field(s) you wish to study, as well as how this builds on your undergraduate work in history and your post-MA career objectives. Why do you want to pursue an MA in history and why is 糖心原创 the right place for you to pursue that?
• Do I need a BA in history to apply?
  Students do not need to have earned a BA in history; some of our best MA students have completed their BAs in related majors, like Sociology, Literature, and Anthropology. However, applicants need to have taken a minimum of 4 classes in history, including a course in historical methods (the equivalent of our History 301 course). Students who do not have these prerequisites are encouraged to enroll through Open University at 糖心原创 in undergraduate courses in history, to complete this work and to be able to demonstrate aptitude and ability in historical research. In some cases, we can conditionally admit students who have demonstrated strong performance in history courses but have not yet taken a methods class. Conditionally admitted students complete their prerequisites in the first semester, before moving to graduate work in their second. 
• What are the admissions minimums?
  Applicants need to have taken a minimum of 4 classes in history, including a course in historical methods (the equivalent of our History 301 course). We also require a minimum overall GPA of 3.0, as well as a minimum 3.0 GPA in history courses. In cases where a student has been out of school for a long time and had a lower GPA, but believes the GPA doesn't reflect their current abilities, they can take an upper-division history course or two through Open University at 糖心原创, to build a new record in History and raise their GPA.
• What does the admissions committee consider in making its decisions?

  Because of size constraints and the need for each student to be mentored individually by faculty, we are not able to accept every student who meets the GPA minimum. Some important factors are:

  • Whether the student's intended research fields fit with our faculty areas of expertise.
  • Quality of the statement of research interests.
  • Evidence of potential for success in historical research, as evidenced both in the writing sample and in letters of recommendation from faculty who have taught the student in history coursework (ideally upper-division). 
  • Existing balance of student interests in the department. For instance, if every applicant in a year wants to study medieval Europe with our one medieval Europe specialist, we are not able to accept them all that year. In general, each faculty member can accommodate 1-3 students in a given cohort.
• Should I contact a faculty member to express interest in the program? Who should I contact?
  For general questions about the program, especially those not answered here, please contact the History Department Graduate Coordinator, a faculty member (directly or at history@csusm.edu). If there is a faculty member in an area you want to study (see the list of faculty specialties), you are welcome to contact them directly. It helps if you can give some information in your initial email about your background (whether you are in school or have graduated; what your GPA in history is; what your research interests are). 
• When is the application deadline?
  Applications for Fall admission are due February 1 for early consideration, but the department will continue to accept applications until March 15. Applications for Spring admission are due no later than October 30. 
• Can I start in spring semester?
  Yes. Our program normally admits a small number of students in Spring even if most students start in the Fall.
• Does everyone need to take the TOEFL?
  No. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is only needed for students applying from countries where their university studies were not in English.
• How do I decide if 糖心原创 is the right fit for me? What research fields can you support?
  Please look at our list of faculty specialties. The 糖心原创 History Department has special strengths in US history, Latin American/Latinx/Caribbean history, and media history (for instance, newspapers, film, television, and video games). We also can support student interests in the other areas mentioned on that page such as ancient history and medieval history. For subjects like Russian or Chinese history, we do not currently have tenure-track faculty who can advise theses and would recommend students consider other programs.
• What do I do if I was a history major, but I've been out of school for a long time and don't have any papers and can't get in touch with any of my old professors for a recommendation?
  We encourage you to reach out to the History Graduate Coordinator (history@csusm.edu) to look into taking an undergraduate class in our department, through Open University, to rebuild and demonstrate your skills in history.

Program Questions

• When are classes offered?
  Almost all our graduate courses are offered in the evening, M-Th, 5:30-8:15 PM. The only exceptions are for internships in teaching or public history. Students may also sometimes wish to take a 400-level seminar (which is open to seniors as well as to graduate students and could be offered in the daytime). But students can complete the program attending only at night. Internship courses typically require 8 hours a week for a 3-unit internship over the course of the semester.
• How many hours of work will I be doing a week?
  Each class should take anywhere from 9-10 hours of work per week outside of class hours. If students are doing this program full-time, they should expect to spend about 25-30 hours per week on schoolwork. This may fluctuate based on different professors and their workload.
• How long does it take to earn the MA degree?
  The degree can be completed in 2 years if a student is able to stay organized and meet deadlines. Because the program requires a capstone project (portfolio of work completed, digital history project, or thesis), the actual time to graduation depends on how quickly a student can write, as well as their ability to revise based on feedback from their capstone committee. Students attending full-time can graduate in 2 years if they are able to stay on top of deadlines and produce work that the committee can deem "original and significant." Students attending part time will take longer, and students balancing full-time work with graduate studies may also need more time to finish their capstone project.
• How large are the class sizes? What does being in a cohort entail?
  Courses range from 8-20, with most being in the range 10-12. Students generally take all of their classes together at the start of the program and have a support network with peers as well as their professors.
• What areas can I specialize in?
  The 糖心原创 History Department has special strengths in US history, Latin American/Latinx/Caribbean history, and media history (for instance, newspapers, film, television, and video games). We also can support student interests in the other areas mentioned on that page like ancient history or medieval history. For subjects like Russian or Chinese history, we do not currently have tenure-track faculty who can advise theses and would recommend students consider other programs. Please look at our list of faculty specialties.
• How is graduate school in history different from being an undergraduate?
  Graduate school classes are smaller and not lecture based. Students are expected to participate actively and sometimes lead discussions. The reading load and expectations are also higher than for a History BA. In addition, students must produce a capstone project at the end (either written thesis, digital project, or portfolio), and expect to revise extensively in consultation with their capstone committee. Students need to be dedicated to excelling, improving their skills, and taking feedback from instructors. Students can graduate only when their capstone committee sees their thesis, digital project or portfolio as worthy of an MA degree. Persistence, flexibility, and an ability to set and meet deadlines are crucial to success in an MA program.

Capstone Project Questions

• What options do I have for my capstone project?
  Students in the 糖心原创 MA program can write a written thesis (approximately 35 pages) or produce a substantial digital history project (often growing out of their work in our History 502 course) or portfolio. Most of our students choose the portfolio option, which is a surer way of graduating in 2 years than the thesis option (which depends on students finding neglected primary sources and being able to make an "original and significant" argument about them). A portfolio consists of taking two projects initially produced as part of students' graduate coursework, revising and extending them, and adding a third new essay, reflecting on what the student learned over the course of their MA education. These projects can be historiographical essays, primary source-based essays, work in archives or libraries, a digital project, or a teaching module. 
• Would I be working with an advisor?

  Students who are working on a written thesis or digital project generally have one faculty advisor who specializes in the general area (US history, film history, etc.) in which the student is doing their research. Students also work with a second committee member who provides feedback on the thesis/digital project. Both faculty members must agree that the thesis/digital project is high-quality and makes an original contribution to historical scholarship before the students can file their capstone project and graduate. Often students designate when they apply which faculty member they hope to work with. This can change as the students do their coursework, if they become interested in another topic and another faculty member agrees to advise them.

  Students working on a portfolio generally approach two different faculty members to work with them on their portfolio. These are the two instructors with whom they originally produced the projects they are proposing to revise, unless those faculty have retired or are on sabbatical. 

• Is there a thesis defense?
  Students working on a thesis or digital project are required to defend their capstone project before their committee and (in most cases) before their cohort mates and other faculty. Students who choose the portfolio as their capstone project do not need to pass a defense per se, but they present their portfolio to their cohort members and faculty before graduating. 
• Do I need to be proficient in foreign languages?
  This depends on what kind of history you want to study and what your future plans are. Having a second (or third) language is essential for students who want to go onto PhD programs in most areas, because historians need to be able to use primary sources in original languages (for instance, Latin or Greek for ancient history and Spanish for Latin American history). However, students who want an MA only can complete the program with English only, especially if they choose a digital project or a portfolio as their capstone. 
• What do capstone projects look like?
  Past MA capstone projects filed in the 糖心原创 History Department can be accessed in the library's CSU website. Search shortcuts may change, but you can try to see recent . 

Financial Questions

• Is there financial aid available?

  The department does not have its own fellowships to offer graduate students, but students are eligible for the same financial aid as undergraduates as well as some special scholarship opportunities. Students can also apply to be TAs or for paid internships in the library.

  More information about financial aid available to graduate students at 糖心原创 can be on the 糖心原创 Funding Opportunities page, and on the Scholarships page. The priority deadline for the 糖心原创 General Scholarship Application opens October 1st and ends February 1st. The regular application deadline is May 1st. This application offers many scholarships, including the Hein Family Fellowship Scholarship for graduate students who are enrolled in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. 

• Can I work and be in the program?
  Yes! Students can enroll part time (1 or 2 classes a semester) if a normal load of 3 classes per semester provides difficult to balance with regular work.
• What kinds of internships do you offer?

  We offer a teaching internship through our Teaching Associate program. We can direct students interested in community college teaching to the SDICCCA internship program, as well as to connect with our many alumni teaching in local community colleges.

  We have public history internship partnerships with the Maritime Museum of San Diego, Escondido History Center, and Chinese Historical Society and Museum of San Diego. Our University library also offers paid internships to History MA students in Oral History and in Archival Processing. We are open also to new partnerships with local museums and archives.

• How much is tuition?
  You can find information on current tuition rates on the Student Financial Services page. Students enrolling for 6-9 units are considered full time. Students enrolling for 5 units or less are considered part time.