M.A. Degree

M.A. Program Description
Degree Requirements
Research Facilities
Graduate Curriculum
Intellectual Community
Financial Aid
Application
Student Diversity

Master of Arts Program Description

The Program in the History of Medicine offers graduate training leading to the M.A. degree. Our students enter with diverse backgrounds in medicine, science, or history. Some begin their graduate study immediately after receiving their bachelor's degree. Others do their training in mid-career. The graduate training they receive introduces them to current scholarship in the history of medicine and science and prepares them to do research in the field. The M.A. is appropriate for those who wish to use history to enrich careers in medicine, public health, museum work, or journalism. The Program has close working relations with the University's Program in the History of Science and Technology, History Department, Program in American Studies, and Center for Bioethics. Students are encouraged to take part in their graduate work in these programs.

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Degree Requirements

M.A., Plan A (with a thesis)

• HMed 5200 and HMed 5201 – the introductory survey

• HMed 5210 and HMed 5211 – the historiography and research methods seminar

• Two elective credit hours in the History of Medicine at the 5xxx level or above

• A related field or minor of six semester credit hours at the 5xxx level or above

• Successful completion of one foreign language examination, ordinarily French or German

• Preparation and successful defense of the M.A. thesis The Graduate School requires that you register for ten semester credit hours of thesis credit.

M.A., Plan B (without a thesis)

• HMed 5200 and HMed 5201 – the introductory survey

• HMed 5210 and HMed 5211 – the historiography and research methods seminar

• A coherent program of twelve semester credit hours of electives at the 5xxx level or above approved by your advisor and by the Director of Graduate Study. These courses will most frequently be in History of Medicine, in History, in the History of Science and Technology, in American Studies, in Women's Studies, in Bioethics, or in one of the sciences. At last two of these additional credit hours must be in the History of Medicine.

• A related field or minor of six semester credit hours at the 5xxx level or above

• Successful completion of one foreign language examination, ordinarily French or German

• An oral examination focusing on two revised course or seminar papers

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Research Facilities

The University of Minnesota and the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul offer rich resources for historical research. The Owen H. Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine holds a fine research collection of some 60,000 volumes in the history of medicine and biology published before 1925. The University's Biomedical Library possesses a half million volumes, including 4,200 current journal titles. Among medical libraries, it is the nation's leading lender on Interlibrary Loan. The University holds other important collections of manuscripts and papers relevant to the history of medicine. These include the Social Welfare History Archives, the Immigration History Research Center, and the Charles H. Babbage Institute -- Center for the History of Information Processing. In the greater Twin Cities there are other important collections at the Minnesota Historical Society and State Archives and at the Bakken Library and Museum of Electricity and Life.

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Graduate Curriculum

The graduate program in the history of medicine and biological sciences is flexible, and every effort is made to tailor the student's training to his or her background and interests. Students are expected to gain a wide acquaintance with the current state of knowledge in this field as well as to demonstrate their ability to do independent historical research. Our graduate students take two history of medicine courses in their first year: HMed 5200, 5201, a year-long introduction to the history of medicine, and HMed 5210, 5211, a professional seminar on historiography, research methods, and current work in the field. In the second and third years, they can pursue more specialized areas via topical courses, seminars, and directed studies. We also insist on a strong supporting program comprising courses taken in the History Department and in the Program in the History of Science and Technology. The M.A. degree can usually be completed in a year or a year and a half of full time study. Students may write a master's thesis (Plan A) or take their degree under Plan B without a thesis but with additional coursework.

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Intellectual Community

The History of Medicine Program offers a congenial and stimulating environment for graduate study. We provide a common space for students to meet, study, work, and interact. In order to broaden our students' familiarity with the discipline and its active participants, we host an annual series of lectures by scholars from institutions throughout North America. Graduate students have the opportunity to interact with these visitors on a regular basis. We also encourage graduate students in the history of medicine and biological sciences to attend the lectures sponsored by the Program in the History of Science and Technology, the Bioethics Center, the Center for Medieval Studies, the Center for Women's Studies and to participate in workshops sponsored by the History Department.

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Financial Aid

Financial aid for graduate study in the history of medicine is available from several sources. Each year the Program awards the Sara Wangensteen Fellowship, a fellowship providing a living stipend, tuition, and health insurance. It is ordinarily given to a promising beginning student. Teaching and research assistantships and smaller fellowships are also available through the Program. In addition, funds for student support are available through the Graduate School and through teaching assistantships and research assistantships in other programs. The faculty will also help students locate likely outside sources of fellowship support and advise students in writing grant applications. Applications for financial aid must be made by December 31.

As an important part of a graduate student's training, we encourage advanced students to attend and to deliver papers at professional meetings, and we offer financial assistance for this purpose.

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Application

The history of medicine and biological sciences is an interdisciplinary field; some training both in history and in one or more of the sciences is desirable. Applications are welcome from those individuals possessing a bachelor's degree in history or in one or the sciences, or a professional degree in one of the health sciences. Students are normally admitted into the M.A. program first; however, highly qualified applicants may be admitted directly into the Ph.D. program. The master's degree is especially appropriate for people with MD or MPH degrees seeking some training in history.

You must apply electronically via the internet, using the on-line application form available at the Graduate School web site (http://www.grad.umn.edu/prospective_students/apply_online.html). Please send a duplicate of your application to the Program.

Although the Graduate School does not require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or letters of recommendations, we require both. You should take the general portion of the GRE and have your scores mailed to the Graduate School. We also ask that you have three people who know your academic work well send letters of recommendation directly to Director, Program in the History of Medicine. Students are also encouraged to send a writing sample and to explain in their accompanying letter their goals for graduate study. To be considered for financial aid students must arrange to have all their application materials submitted by December 31. We encourage you to contact us before applying. A visit to campus is recommended, but we would at least like to talk with you by telephone before you apply. We would be happy to introduce you to our graduate students so that you can gain a student's perspective on our Program.

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Student Diversity

The Graduate Program in the History of Medicine and Biological Sciences endorses and complies with the University of Minnesota's diversity policy. That policy can be accessed here.

Have you ever wondered how many students are attending all U of M campuses (63,769) or been asked where the U ranks nationally in the number of Ph.D. degrees awarded (5th)? Facts & Figures is a brochure of current information about the U and can be used for a wide variety of purposes and audiences, including prospective students, business leaders, visiting scholars, and others. A free PDF version is available at http://www.umn.edu/urelate/ufacts/ To order a full-color, high-quality version of the brochure, available for $12 for 50 or $45 for 200, contact Jerrod at pubasst@umn.edu.

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