Master of Arts in History

Thesis Option

The thesis option, like the non-thesis option, requires 30 credits that include at least three 500-level graduate seminars.  Up to nine credits of HIS 599 may be taken for thesis credit, and a thesis defense with the student’s committee completes the requirements for the degree.

Considering the Thesis Option

Many students enter the program planning to write a thesis, and writing a thesis can be an extremely rewarding experience.  Before you decide to pursue this option, however, please consider that some students who choose the thesis option take an extra summer or semester to complete their degrees.  Why?  Students start to work on the thesis in the second semester and sometimes find it’s difficult to complete all the tasks that go into the project in three semesters: narrowing down the topic; completing research; developing historiographical and theoretical frameworks; and preparing drafts of each chapter.    

Completing a thesis within a two-year program is doable for students who demonstrate: efficient time management; persistence and the ability to work alone; good writing and organizational skills; the ability to frame a question for research that will result in a contribution to the literature; and access to faculty who are able and willing to advise you on the topic you have chosen.

We want you to have a satisfying research experience and have developed guidelines to help you complete your thesis in a timely fashion.  But you should be prepared to do research during the summer in between year one and two, and for the possibility of registering for one credit in the summer after year two if you cannot defend that spring.

Applying for and Completing the Thesis Option

Students who wish to pursue the thesis option may apply to do so after their first semester of coursework.  The process for applying, and moving forward, is as follows:

By the end of semester one or start of semester two: 

  1. Meet with your likely thesis adviser and the graduate director to discuss your interest.
  2. Have two URI professors you studied with during semester one provide the graduate director with references (emailed notes are sufficient).  While grades are important, we are most interested in whether you attended class regularly, submitted complete assignments on time, and demonstrated good writing and organization skills.  Students with incompletes are not good candidates for the thesis option.
  3. Provide the graduate director and your likely thesis adviser with an informal thesis proposal of about a page.
  4. Register for a class you’ll take in semester two in which you could develop a research prospectus and/or historiographical paper that could serve as a launching point for your thesis. 
    • Students may find HIS 401, 441 or 481 a good way to complete this requirement, but you also could take HIS 591 or a 500-level seminar.
    • The advantage of HIS 401/441/481 is that you could go on to take HIS 495 and complete your major research paper through the non-thesis option if you change your mind. Any of these classes would provide valuable experience and a good scholarly product regardless of whether you conclude you have a viable thesis topic.
  5. All students writing a thesis must start thinking about how they will complete training in “Responsible Conduct of Research.” See the FAQ sheet for information about how to complete this requirement: http://web.uri.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/423/RCRFAQflyer10_2015.pdf 

By the end of semester two:

  1. Identify two other thesis committee members, one inside and one outside the department. (Please remember that committee members must be members of the graduate faculty, which usually means full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty, as well as long-term lecturers.  Most CCE instructors are part-time faculty or lecturers.) 
  2. Submit the Establishment of a Graduate Program Committee form available on the Graduate School’s website (http://web.uri.edu/graduate-school/forms/)
  3. Consider applying for any relevant grants if you will need funding to support your research over the summer or fall semester. Every spring and fall, URI’s Center for the Humanities awards grants of up to $1,000 to support graduate student research (depending on available funds).  Every fall, the Graduate School awards Enhancement of Graduation Research Awards of up to $1,000.

 By the START of semester three:

  1. Complete your formal Master’s Thesis Proposal for the Graduate School. Guidelines for the thesis proposal (and all subsequent steps) are located at:  https://web.uri.edu/graduate-school/academics/thesis-dissertation/
  2. Although the proposal is not due until the December before you graduate, students who wait until the last minute tend to defer the real work of finishing research and writing the thesis. We strongly discourage this!
  3. Before you complete and submit the proposal, schedule a meeting with your committee to formally present your proposal and seek feedback on the project. This is a new requirement for our department, implemented in keeping with Graduate School policy in order to help you by soliciting feedback from your entire committee early in the process.
  4. After that meeting, have your committee members sign your Thesis Proposal Approval form, available at http://web.uri.edu/graduate-school/forms/.
  5. This also is the right time to submit your Program of Study form, available at http://web.uri.edu/graduate-school/forms/. Please note that there are different POS forms for MA thesis and non-thesis students.
  6. If you are conducting oral history interviews or any other research involving “living human subjects,” pay very careful attention to the requirements of the Institutional Review Board and whether you need IRB approval for your research. Please see this website for guidelines: http://web.uri.edu/researchecondev/about/irbexemptrequirements/ 

By EARLY in semester four:

  1. Have a draft of your thesis prepared in time for your major adviser to read. (Other committee members will read the final draft and may or may not choose to read an earlier draft.)   You cannot expect your adviser to read your first draft a few weeks before your final draft is due.
  2. With your adviser, identify a second person from outside the department to serve as the chair of the defense proceedings.
  3. Use these resources to stay on top of forms and deadlines about scheduling your defense:

How Long Should a Master’s Thesis Be?

This is a common question.  Most theses are in the 75-100-page range, but this is only a rough guideline and it may be more appropriate to consider word count.  Length varies considerably according to topic and subfield.

We Are Here to Help

Completing a thesis should be a rewarding process for both students and faculty.  We are here to consult anytime and want to see you succeed.

Talk to Other Students

Find out why other students at URI have decided to pursue the thesis or non-thesis option.  We can put you in touch with some of them before you take the plunge.