MA in Atlantic History and Politics
The Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy and MU College of Arts & Science's one-year, 30-credit hour MA in Atlantic History & Politics immerses students in an interdisciplinary examination of the connections and conflicts that have defined the histories of the diverse peoples of the Atlantic basin, including the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Courses that students can apply to the degree likewise cover a broad sweep of time, from the dawn of European empires, through the age of revolutions, into the more recent "American century." The MA situates the development of modern nation-states, including the United States, in relation to the broader exchange of ideas, goods, and power across the Atlantic world, and in addition to subject-specific knowledge, students will leave the program with refined faculties of critical thinking, crisp writing, and verbal agility, traits coveted by employers in a wide range of professions. The degree begins each July with a month of study at Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford, and continues with candidates taking graduate coursework at the University of Missouri during the fall and spring semesters.
Degree Requirements
The curriculum for the MA in Atlantic History and Politics includes the following requirements:
- Nine hours of coursework completed at University of Oxford
- A three-credit hour interdisciplinary seminar taken during the fall semester of students' academic year on campus
- Six credit hours of discipline-specific training in the Departments of History and Political Science
- An experiential, professional development seminar sponsored by the Kinder Institute
- Nine hours of graduate-level, elective coursework in History, Political Science, Public Affairs, Black Studies, and other relevant departments
All courses in the MA must be taken at the 7000-level or above, and at least 24 credit hours must be earned through 8000- or 9000-level courses. 30 credit hours of coursework are required to complete the degree, and students must be in residence at MU for the fall and spring semesters of the MA. See below for additional elective credit requirements.
| Core Requirements | 21 | |
| I. Oxford Study Abroad (all courses listed are required) | 9 | |
| CNST_DEM 8041 | The Making of the Atlantic World | 3 |
| CNST_DEM 8042 | From the Age of Revolutions to the Age of Nation-States, 1760-1900 | 3 |
| CNST_DEM 8050 | Britain and the World | 3 |
| II. Fall and Spring On-Campus Required Courses | 12 | |
| CNST_DEM 8045 | Atlantic History and Politics | 3 |
| HIST 8480 | Historiography | 3 |
| POL_SC 9120 | Voting and Elections | 3 |
| or POL_SC 9140 | American Political Institutions | |
| or POL_SC 9175 | Evolution of American Legislatures, 1619 to the Present | |
| or POL_SC 9220 | Constitutional Law: Institutions and Powers | |
| CNST_DEM 8060 | Kinder Institute Colloquia | 3 |
| Elective Credit | 9 | |
| Elective credit can come from any graduate-level course in the Departments of Political Science, History, Public Affairs, or Black Studies and must include a minimum of three credit hours taken at the 8000- or 9000-level. Students are able to petition the degree director to have three credit hours of graduate coursework from another relevant department apply toward completion of the MA. At least three credit hours of elective coursework must focus on topics outside of the United States and modern Britain. Per approval, up to three hours of course credit can also be earned by students who arrange their own internship or work placement position at an institution or organization that aligns with the degree's scholarly focus. | ||
Thesis Requirements
In lieu of a thesis, students will produce an article-length, discipline-appropriate paper through any 8000- or 9000-level, research-intensive course associated with the MA curriculum and be assessed on the MA's study abroad component. All assessments will be subject to the MU Graduate School's committee and defense requirements.
Additional Degree Options
Dual Degree JD/MA
The Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy and the School of Law offer an integrated program in which students may obtain both an MA degree in Atlantic History & Politics and a JD degree from the School of Law. Although an MA degree in Atlantic History & Politics normally requires one year plus one summer of study, and a JD requires three years, many students will be able to complete the program in three years plus two summers. Students also have the option of completing the program in 3.5 years.
The program outlined here meets requirements for the JD degree with 83 hours of law credit, and 6 elective credit hours in Atlantic History & Politics, for a total of 89 credit hours. Requirements for the MA degree in Atlantic History & Politics are met with 24 credit hours of courses in the Kinder Institute, the Department of History, and the Department of Political Science and 6 elective credit hours within the School of Law. The detailed program of study in Atlantic History & Politics is subject to approval by the student’s advisor in the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy and by the Director of Graduate Studies at the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy.
Applicants to the Dual Degree Program must submit formal applications for admission to the School of Law and to the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, accompanied by a statement requesting permission to pursue the Dual Degree Program. Students must meet the requirements for admission to both programs.
Sample Plan of Study
| First Year - Summer | ||
| HIST 8041 or CNST_DEM 8041 | 3 | |
| HIST 8042 or CNST_DEM 8042 | 3 | |
| HIST 8050 or CNST_DEM 8050 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 9 | |
| First Year - Fall | ||
| HIST 8045 or CNST_DEM 8045 | 3 | |
| HIST 8060 | 1-3 | |
| POL_SC 9120 | 3 | |
| HIST 8460 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 10-12 | |
| First Year - Spring | ||
| HIST 8480 | 3 | |
| HIST 8060 | 1-3 | |
| HIST 7835 | 3 | |
| POL_SC 9310 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 10-12 | |
NOTE: While the required courses outlined in the above "Sample Plan of Study" will remain the same, the elective courses (HIST 8460, HIST 7835 and POL_SC 9310) will vary depending on student interest and course offerings during the year that a candidate takes part in the MA in Atlantic History and Politics program. In addition, the required Political Science course above, POL_SC 9120, might also vary depending on course offerings, and the semester in which students take Historiography, HIST 8480, is subject to change based on course allocation needs in the MU Department of History.
Admissions
Applicants are required to meet two sets of minimum qualifications for admission: the requirements of the MA in Atlantic History and Politics and the minimum requirements of the graduate faculty, enforced by the Office of Graduate Studies. Because requirements vary, you must refer to the degree program's graduate admission page to learn program-specific admission criteria, application deadlines, eligibility and application processes. Before official admission to the University of Missouri, your application materials will be reviewed by both the Graduate School and the degree program to which you've applied.
Contact
For general questions about the MA in Atlantic History and Politics, contact:
Prof. Robert Stephen Gray Fletcher, Program Director
(573) 882-0534
r.fletcher@missouri.edu