Master of Arts in Historical Studies

As of 2008, the two year MA degree in Historical Studies has been introduced at CEU as a joint initiative of the Department of Medieval Studies and the History Department. It consists of two tracks: Interdisciplinary Medieval Studies, and Comparative History of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. In November 2007, this new program became registered by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York (US) for and on behalf of the New York State Education Department, and in July 2008 by the Hungarian Accreditation Committee.

The introduction of the two-year program is a common initiative with the Department of Medieval Studies, within the framework of the School of History and Interdisciplinary Studies. By joining forces, the intention is to offer a multifaceted degree program, strongly underpinned by a systematic introduction into theories, methods and research skills in history and its related disciplines, focusing on Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe (the comparison with Western Europe and other “borderlands” are not neglected, either) from late antiquity to contemporary times, aimed at the understanding of persistent themes in the experience of these regions in a longue durée perspective. The two-year option does not affect the integrity of the accredited one-year MA programs currently offered by both departments separately, and it extensively relies on their curricula.

Who should apply?

The two-year MA program is as demanding as its one-year alternative, but its pace and substance is designed to meet the interests of students who may need more work on the basics of historical scholarship. It is specifically intended for applicants with a three-year BA (“Bologna type”) degree in history, or ones who may have received four or even five years of undergraduate education, but in a social science or humanities discipline other than history. Holders of four of five year undergraduate degrees in history are now advised to apply to the one-year program (though may be directed to the two-year program upon the examination of their background).

Program Structure

In accordance with the CEU academic calendar the Department of History offerings are divided into a Pre-Session and Zero Week (3 weeks in September), the Fall term (12 weeks from late September to December), the Winter term (12 weeks from January to the end of March) and a Spring Session (10 weeks in April and June).

The first year of the two-year program is to a considerable extent integrated between the Departments of History and Medieval Studies. It is intended to ensure good training in methods and theoretical basics as well as languages and other skills, regardless of the period studied, the specific field of study (such as intellectual history, social and political history, the history of arts, medieval archaeology, etc.), or the sub-regional orientation (Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Southeastern Europe, etc.).

The Pre-Session and Zero Week are designed to accommodate students to the CEU environment. The program includes an excursion, introductory sessions for students about resources both within CEU, course introductions, as well as getting acquainted with the archival and library resources in Budapest.

The first term comprises several mandatory courses, while other courses are selected from a set number of mandatory fields (“mandatory elective” or “topical survey” courses).  Some courses are separate electives for medievalists and modernists.

In the second term the number of common courses declines and the choice of electives increases (but still planned as to be open for both Medieval and History students). The number of special courses for each group is larger and preparations begin for the second year. A thesis prospectus is to be submitted by the end of the academic year, and students start to work on it under the guidance of a supervisor in the MA thesis planning seminar during the winter term, to be continued in the thesis workshops offered in the month of May. The three-week April research break serves for students to explore possible archival and other sources at home or elsewhere. The university provides modest grants to assist students in accomplishing their research (in early February, information is made available about the application procedure for these grants).

The joint year ends with a spring session, starting in the last week of April. Medievalists have a one-week field trip (prepared for during the Winter Term by a field trip seminar) to sites and areas offering insights into the medieval civilization of the region, and “modernists” go on an educational trip of several days to one or two cultural capitals of the region (traditionally, the “Vienna trip”).  This is followed by the thesis workshops mentioned above: students present and discuss the results of their research done in April with their peers and faculty members.

In June, the prospectus defenses of the first-year students takes place, in the same period as the MA Thesis defenses of the second-year students and the one-year MA students. Approval of the prospectus by a committee of the relevant department is a condition of continuing studies. Specific research tasks for the summer break are also planned.

In the third term (the fall term of the second year) students take specialized seminars and advanced methods courses. The fourth term and the spring session of the second year are almost fully devoted to thesis-related tasks (supplementing research results when needed, attending thesis writing workshops and writing the thesis).

Workload and Graduation requirements

In order to graduate, two-year MA students must earn 80 credit points, out of which 8 are obtained for a successfully defended thesis. The remaining 72 are course credits (including thesis planning seminars and thesis writing workshops). One course credit equals one hour (50 minutes) of classroom attendance per week over a 12-week long academic term. History Department courses are usually 2 or 4 credit courses (i.e., two or four hours per week for a term), with proportionate reading assignments and other requirements which altogether demand a time investment of c. 3 times as much as the number of class contact hours.

Over the two years, the credit obligation is 26 from mandatory courses, 4 from mandatory electives, and the remaining 42 should be collected from elective courses. Elective courses are arranged into two groups: “common electives” (courses announced in the broad fields of the so called “topical survey” courses) and “separate electives” (announced in thematic concentrations peculiar to the History Department as distinct from the Medieval Studies Department.) The latter include: “Ethnicities, Nations and Empires”; “Intellectual History”; “History of Science”; Historical Sociology (Global and Transnational History)”; “Memory and Representation”; “Environmental History”. In order to achieve a proper balance and range within their training in history, students are required to take a minimum number of credits from both “common elective” and “separate elective” courses (an aggregate of min. 10 and 22, respectively). It is possible to take a small number of credits through demonstrated advance in the study of foreign languages, and also to take a limited number of cross-listed courses from other CEU departments.

Students thus have significant flexibility to select courses. Supervisors and other faculty assist them in making a selection that is best suited for both their specific field of research and the program’s aim of interdisciplinary training. A tentative program for the entire year is discussed and designed individually with each student in each September. Naturally, minor changes, due to, for example, new interests on the part of a student, are possible.

Curriculum