The Academic Program
A Guide to Courses and Credits
Students (and faculty) will sometimes note that we use a bewildering array of terms to describe courses, and we have some rather arcane rules and conventions concerning credits. The differences in terminology sometimes just reflect changing conventions within the department rather than any concrete differences in practice. The rules about credit hours are often to mesh departmental curricular needs with the bureaucratic requirements of the College. Here are a few things that you should know.
Foundation Courses
This is the term used for the three part chronological sequence of courses
required of all AMH Ph.D. students. The courses are taught in rotation by
AMH professors; we generally offer each course either once or twice a year.
These are essentially chronological “readings courses” intended
to build historiographic knowledge.
Introduction to Historiography (HIS
6061)
This is the only specific course that every graduate student must take. This
course is intended to provide students with an introduction to various schools,
theories, and philosophies of history. The course is taught in rotation
by various members of the graduate faculty. Doctoral students
must receive a B or better in this course for it to count towards the Ph.D.
Readings Courses
This is simply a term used to describe courses that are organized around substantial
readings on a particular topic. They are sometimes called “topical seminars.”
Research Seminars
As the name suggests, these courses are commonly organized around substantial
research projects. Often research seminars provide a cluster of students with
the opportunity to work on their own theses, prospectuses, or dissertation
chapters.
Regardless of the label, graduate seminars will vary in their scope and assignments. Some will stress original research and writing, some will emphasize intensive reading and historiographic discussion, some will dig deeply into a particular topic, others will introduce students to a wide range of scholarship. Individual instructors will adopt very different approaches even when they are using similar terminology. The best strategy is to inquire about the specific course.
The Fourth Credit
Some time ago the Graduate School moved to reduce the credit hours for standard
seminars from four credits to three credits. This produced a host of logistical
and pedagogical problems. In some cases it simply does not make sense for
a student to take three or even four intensive courses in the same semester.
One option is to register for a “fourth credit” in the form of
an “Individualized Study” (HIS 6905) attached to an existing seminar.
Professors adopt different approaches to the fourth credit hour. Some add
an extra assignment, others do not differentiate between three and four credit
hour students.
Trailers
Sometimes professors permit graduate students to take “graduate trailers”
to their upper-level undergraduate courses. These generally involve additional
assignments and meetings beyond those completed by the undergraduates. The
AMH section has an informal rule against trailers in AMH courses.
Credit Hours
• A student who is registered for 9-12 credits is considered a full-time
student.
• Students on fellowships with stipends of $3,150 or more per semester
must be registered for 12 credits.
• Students on assistantships (between .24 and .74 FTEs) must be registered
for at least 9 credits.
• Students on 12 month fellowships must be registered for classes during
the summer sessions.
• Students who have summer assistantships (TAs, for instance) must also
be registered for credit hours.
Incompletes
• Students may not have more than one incomplete on their record at
the same time without special permission. It is best to reserve incompletes
for unanticipated situations (illness, family emergencies) rather than relying
on incompletes in the normal scheme of things.
• Incompletes automatically become Fs on the record at the end of the
next term. On occasion the instructor can submit a “change of grade”
form at a later date, thus replacing the F with another grade, but in the
meantime such a grade can easily jeopardize funding.
Courses
HIS 6905: Individual Study
Individual study courses can range from 1 to 4 credits.
HIS 6910: Supervised Research
Students may take no more than 5 credits of 6910. S/U.
HIS 6940: Supervised Teaching
Students may take no more than 5 credits of 6940. S/U.
HIS 6957: Nonthesis Project
Research for non-thesis M.A. Project. 1-3 credits. Students may count up to
6 credits toward their non-thesis M.A. Students who opt to write a Masters
thesis can NOT count HIS 6957 toward their thesis-driven M.A. S/U.
HIS 6971: Master’s Research
Students completing a Masters thesis may count up to 6 credits of Master’s
Research toward their thesis-driven M.A. Students who opt for the non-thesis
M.A. can NOT count HIS 6971 credits toward their degree. S/U.
HIS 7979: Advanced Research
Open to doctoral students who have not yet been admitted to candidacy. S/U.
HIS 7980: Doctoral Dissertation
Reserved for doctoral students who have been admitted to candidacy at the
time of registration. S/U.
Consult the Graduate Catalogue [link] for a comprehensive discussion of course designations.
