DepartmentofHistoryGraduateStudentManual

2020-21

NewMexicoStateUniversityDepartmentofHistoryMSC3H

P.O.Box30001LasCruces,NM88003---8001

Department of History Website

TABLEOFCONTENTS

PageApplyingforGraduateStudy 3-4Welcome 5Where’stheCatalog? 5OurThematicProgram 6-7

Borders,BoundariesandFrontiersModernityandItsDiscontentsMyth,MemoryandHistoryNatureandSociety

GeneralPlansofStudy 7ThesisTrack 8PublicHistoryTrack/DualTrack 9-10GraduateStudentPoliciesandAcademicPerformance/Misconduct 10Registering/First---TimeAdvising 11-12WritingaThesis:Expectations 12ChoosinganAdvisor 13ApplyingforCandidacy 14PuttingTogetheraCommittee 14ThesisProposalDefense 14Conference/PublicSpeakingRequirements 15OralExaminations 15Funding:GraduateAssistantships 16AdditionalFundingandAwards 16-17StayingConnected 18UsingSTARtoreviewyourtranscript/trackyourprogressonline 18TransferringCredit 18ConflictResolution 19BecomingaHistorian 19-20LibraryandOtherResourcesforResearch 20-21OverviewofAssignmentsforHistorians 22-24StudentandSupportOrganizations 25TakingaLeaveofAbsence 25-26HistoryFaculty 26-27CourseOfferingCatalog 27

3

APPLYINGFORGRADUATESTUDYINTHEDEPARTMENTOFHISTORYATNEWMEXICOSTATEUNIVERSITY

TheDepartmentofHistoryoffersgraduatework leading to theMasterofArtsdegreeinvolving36hoursofcoursework(roughly12courses).StudentsmayoptforatraditionalMastersinHistory,forwhichtheywriteathesis,foraMaster’sinPublicHistory,forwhichtheycompleteapublichistoryinternship/project,orforacombinationofbothofthesetracks.ThehistorydepartmentoffersgraduateworkinavarietyofregionalfieldsencompassingAsia,Europe,LatinAmerica,andtheUnitedStates.Thedepartmentalsooffersgraduatelevelcourseworkinwomen'shistory,environmentalhistory,andthehistoryofscienceandmedicine.Inaddition,thedepartmentoffersgraduatepreparationinbroadthematicfields that are comparative and interdisciplinary in approach. These fields, and thegraduate reading courses addressing them that form the core of our program, areBorders,BoundariesandFrontiers;NatureandSociety;History,MythandMemory;andModernity and Its Discontents. Please see p. 6-7 below formore information on ourthematicfields.In addition to fulfilling the basic requirements for admission to the Graduate School,applicants must present undergraduate passage of at least 12 credits in history withgrades of B or higher, including 6 upper division history credits. Those lacking thispreparationmustnormallymakeupdeficienciesbeforebeginninggraduatecoursework.Studentsapplyingforadmissiontothegraduateprograminhistoryarerequiredtosubmitan application formand transcript to theGraduate School, aswell as a strongwritingsample(preferablyhistoricallyoriented;notanewessayorarticle,butonecompletedinthepast),threelettersofrecommendationideallyfromHistoryfacultymembersatNMSUorotherinstitutions,andatwo-to-three-pagestatementofpurpose.GREscoresarenotrequired. Students should apply approximately fourmonths in advance of the desiredenrollment date. Those who would like to apply for graduate assistantships andfellowshipsshouldapplybyFebruary15thforthefallsemesterandbyOctober15thforthe spring semester. Students who are not applying for graduate assistantships orfellowshipsmayapplyatanytimeforacceptanceintothegraduateprogram.Candidateswhochooseacourseofstudyrequiringaforeignlanguagewillberesponsiblefortheirownlanguagepreparation.

4

Allcoursework in theDepartmentofHistoryatNMSU is inEnglish.TheDepartmentofHistorydoesnotmaintainanyspecificEnglishlanguageproficiencyrequirement.Englishlanguageproficiencywillbedeterminedbytheapplicant’sessayforapplication,andthegraduatecommitteemayadmitstudentswiththeprovisionalrequirementthattheytakesupplementalEnglishcoursework.

AllofthecomponentsoftheapplicationaretobesubmittedelectronicallytotheGraduateSchoolthroughthiswebsite:

gradschool.nmsu.edu/apply/

For further details, specific requirements, and course offerings, see the GraduateCatalog.

Wewillonlyreviewcompleteapplications.Youcanexpecttohearbackwithinafewweekstoamonthafteryourcompleteapplicationhasbeenreceived.

Foranyadditionalinformation,pleasecontact:

Dr.MargaretMalamud,DirectorofGraduateStudies,mmalamud@nmsu.edu,575-646-4310

Dr.Mark Choc-Oretega, DirectorofPublicHistory (interim),mcioc@nmsu.edu ,831-295-6000

Jay Venegas,interim DepartmentalSecretary (interim),jvenegas@nmsu.edu, 575-646-4601

GraduateSchool,gradschool.nmsu.edu,575-646-2736

5

Welcome

Ifyou’reanew,transferring,orcontinuinggraduatestudentatNMSU,thenthismanualwas writtenwith you inmind. Thismanual will guide you through thewide array ofoptionsandrequirementsforgraduatestudyatNMSU.

TheDepartmentofHistoryofficeislocatedinBreland Hall 239 (maps.nmsu.edu/ searchunder “Breland Hall”). Our office hours areMondaythroughFriday8:00a.m.to12Noonand1:00to5:00p.m.(MST).Ourmainofficenumberis575-646-4601

Therewillbeanorientationmeetingatthestartofeveryfallsemestertogivenewgraduatestudentsanopportunitytomeetfacultyandmeeteachother,andtogooverdepartmentalpoliciesandprocedures.

Where’stheCatalog?

FindItHere:Catalog

TheGraduateCatalogisonlineandwillprovideyouwithcurrentinformationregardingregistration, financialaid,grades,housingandpaymentplans.Besure to take time tofamiliarizeyourselfwiththissite, insteadofwaitinguntilyouarehalf-waythroughtheprogrambeforediscoveringit.

ProgramOverview

Insteadoffocusingprimarilyononegeographicalareaand/ortime-period,studentsstudyhistoryinthecontextsofthethemesbelow.Theideabehindthisistogiveyouabroadertheoretical framework in which to study history. Rather than giving you a deepunderstanding of only one particular area, our program helps you literally createconnectionsbetweenseeminglydisparateenvironments,cultures,andperiods.Thiswillbeofparticularhelpindevelopingyourthesis,internshipthesis,andforfutureusewhenwritingyourdissertation.Thesearetheissueshistoriansdealwithonaregularbasis,andchancesareyouwillbeabletoapplythemtowhatevertopicsyouareassignedtostudy.Students will select coursework appropriate to their own interests (see DegreeRequirements,below), and inaddition,will allbe required to takeoneormoreof thefollowingthematicreadingseminars:

6

Borders,BoundariesandFrontiersconcernsthespacesinwhichpeopleinteract.Bordersaresometimespoliticalanddefinedwithlegalprecisionbygovernments,ortheymaybegeographic,etchedintothelandbyariverormountainchain.Oftenvigorouslymonitoredormilitarized,bordersaretransgressedaspeoplemigrateandasgoodsareexchanged.Boundariesmaybethoughtofasculturallinguisticperimetersthatdefineapeopleoranation.Theymaybe"ethnic"innature,ortheymaybedefinedintermsofprofessionalinterests. Whenever groups compete over resources or professional and/or culturalinterests, boundaries are threatened. Frontiers are sites where interaction, conflict,adaptation,andmixture(mestizaje)takeplace.Usuallyimpreciselydefined,frontierscanberealsites(asthehinterlandofacolonialsettlement)orimagined(astheSevenCitiesofGold). The theme of Borders, Boundaries and Frontiers helps us to conceptualize howgroupscomeintocontactwithoneanotherthroughcolonialism,imperialism,migration,globalization,andculturalinteraction.

ModernityandItsDiscontentsencouragesatransnationalperspectiveandtendstobreakthebarriersoftimethatnormallydivideanddefineusashistorians.Feudalismandpost---industrialsystemsarebothpartofthetheme,asindustrializationisnotastaticprocessbuthas occurred in a combined and uneven way in almost all parts of the globe.Industrializationinvolvesthestudyofclassinalltimesandperiods,butalsothestudyofmanagement, capitalism, and competing economic systems. Industrialization calls intobeingnotonlythehistoryofthe(man,woman,andchild)worker,butalsoofthefamilyand the larger society -- their attitudes and beliefs as well as their modes of living.Industrializationismorethanjustthetaleofthefactoryworker.ThePeruvianartisanandthe Southern slave, the Chinese peasant, the South African gold miner, the MarketRevolution religious evangelist, the eighteenth-century pirate, the American housewifeandtheBrazilianslumdwellerareallencompassedbythethemeofindustrialization.

Relatedto industrialization isthestudyofmodernity,which,again, involvesavery longtimespan.Thestudyofmodernitycrossesnotonlytimeperiodsandcountriesbutalsodisciplines. Students may study the rise of the modern nation state, the evolution ofmodern science, the history of the philosophical consideration of “the modern,” themodernmilitarymachineortheaestheticsofmodernart,architecture,andfilm.Onemayalso study the many times and events in which people attempted to escape theimplicationsofmodernity,asathemealwaysinvitesitsopposite.

Myth,MemoryandHistoryisconcernedwiththewaysinwhichcultureshapespeople’sperception of themselves as well as how self-identity shapes the culture around us. Itexploreshowtheconceptofidentityislinkedtoquestionsofhistoricaltradition,culture,andrepresentation,aswellastosuchissuessuchasethnicity,gender,classandregion.While society and culture often shapes identity in hegemonic ways, boundaries,“resistance”and“affirmation”canalsobevitalinshapingidentitiesandcultures.

TheMyth, Memory, and History theme encourages the comparative study of culturalinfluencesonidentityformation,includingtheriseofallegiancestostates,ethnicgroups,andotheridentities.Studentsmayusethismultidisciplinaryapproachtointerpretculture

7

andidentityinrelationtolargerglobalissues,ortheymayconcentrateonmicro-identitiesandculturessuchas thoseshapedbyprofessionalorsectarianconcerns. Identitiesandcultures as subjects of study include religious, artistic and scientific cultures aswell asethnic,nationalandglobalcultures.

NatureandSocietylooksathumancultureinrelationtothebiosphere.Itconsidershowhumansandnaturalenvironmentshaveinteractedandreshapedeachotherinthepast.Itstudiestheecologicalandenvironmentalnicheswherehumanshavesucceededandfailedandthereasonsforthesesuccessesandfailures.It isconcernedwithhowhumanshavealtered the environments of theplaces theyhave inhabited through irrigation systems,agricultural and pastoral practices, and industry; and it studies the social, political andtechnologicalsystemsthathavesustainedtheseeconomicactivities.NatureandSocietyasks such questions as: How has the natural environment influenced human actions,decisions,andculturalandsocialdevelopment?Howhavepeopleperceivedorimaginedthenaturalworld?Howhavetheyreshapedandevenreorderedthenaturalenvironment?Howhavetheystruggledwitheachotheroverwaystheenvironmentshouldbetreatedandunderstood?Andwhathavebeentheintendedandunintendedconsequencesoftheiractions?

The Nature and Society theme also explores the ways in which weather patterns andclimatechangeshaveaffectedthedevelopmentofcultures.Itlooksatthehistoryoffoodsand at the social systems and cultural practices that have developed around thedomesticationandproductionoffoodstuffs.Itseesglobalizationintermsofthespreadofbiotasandpathogensaswellasthespreadofsocialandpoliticalsystems.Itincorporatesparasitesanddiseasesintohistory,andlooksatthereligious,politicalandmedicalsystemsthat humans have designed to control and manage disease. Finally, as cultural andintellectualhistory,itexamineshowdifferentcultureshaveunderstoodnatureandtheirrelationshiptonature.

GeneralPlanofStudy

Studentswill:

� Inthefirstsemesterpossible,takeHistory598,TheCraftofHistory� Bytheendofthesecondsemester,selecttheiradvisorandconsultwithhimor

her/thegraduatedirectorregardingtheformationoftheircommittees� Submitaplanofstudy(applicationtocandidacy)totheGraduateSchool,and

takepartinapre---thesishearingwiththemtoreviewtheirwrittenproposal.� Presentatleastoneconferencepaper,orundertakesomekindofpublic

speakingatleastonceduringtheirtimeasagraduatestudent� Students,inconsultationwiththeiradvisor,mustscheduletheiroral

examinationforadateatleastoneweekbeforetheGraduateSchool’ssemesterdeadline,saveinemergencysituations.

� PublicHistorystudentsshouldmeetwiththeircommitteeaftercompletingtheirinternship,butbeforewritingtherequiredarticlebasedontheinternship.

8

TheDepartmentoffersthreetrackstowardtheM.A.degreeinHistory.

Dr.MargaretMalamud (mmalamud@nmsu.edu) is thegraduateadvisor for thesis trackstudents, and Dr.Mark Cioc-Ortega (mcioc@nmsu.edu) advises the Public History anddual-track students. You are expected to take aminimum number of course credits incertain areas,which are spelled out in detail below. Your advisorwill help you choosecoursesthatbothinterestyouandsatisfytherequirementsforyourdegree.

Beforeyoustartgettingmorecreditsunderyourbelt,however,youmustfirstchooseapath.

ThesisTrack

This track is typically regarded as the primary stepping stone toward a Ph.D. program;however,manystudentshavealsochosenthistracktoaugmenttheireducationalskills,teachatasecondaryorcommunitycollegelevel,developtheirresumeforlaworpolitics,orsimplyforpersonaldevelopment.ManyPh.D.programswillaskforathesisuponyourapplication,andsincethisprogramwillbothinstructandrequireyoutocreateone,itisanautomaticadvantage.

Thistrackwillrequireyoutotakefourseminars:History598,TheCraftofHistory(offeredduringthefallsemester),oneresearchseminar,twothematicreadingsseminars,andatleastsixgraduatelevelhistorycourses(twoofwhichmustbeoutsideyourareaofinterest).The latter will include at least one 490-and-above Public History course. Students willresearchandwriteathesis(roughlyonehundredpagesinlength).Finally,youwillinvitethree professors (one of whom must be outside the History Department) to form acommittee, which will appraise your thesis and course recollection during an oralexamination.Theentiretrackweighsinat36credits,orthreecoursespersemester.

DegreeRequirements,ThesisTrack:

� Students in this program must take four core seminars (12 credits): History598/TheCraftofHistory(offeredeveryfall);History596/TheGraduateResearchSeminar;andtwothematichistoryreadingseminars

� Studentsmusttakesixothergraduateclasses(450---orabovelevel–18credits).� One500---and---abovecoursemustbeinPublicHistory,� WithpermissionoftheDirectorofGraduateStudies,studentsinthisprogrammay

taketwoclasses(6credits)ofrelevantcoursesoutsidetheHistoryDepartment� Presentatleastoneconferencepaper,orundertakesomekindofpublic

speakingatleastonceduringtheirtimeasagraduatestudent� Studentsmustalsowriteathesis(6credits)andpassafinaloralexaminationover

graduatecourseworkandtheirthesis

9

PublicHistoryTrack

history.nmsu.edu/publichistory/

Public History is a hands-on approach to research that examines the various forms ofmediaandmethodsemployedtobringhistorytothepublic.Fromhistoricpreservationand archives, tomuseumexhibits, tours, and oral histories, Public History emphasizesactiveworkinthefield.ThePublicHistoryProgramisdesignedforstudentswhoplanforcareersinmuseums,historicpreservation,archives,andgovernmentalorbusinesshistory.ManyPublicHistorystudentsdon’tchoosetogobeyondtheMaster’sDegreeandpursueaPh.D.,preferringinsteadtobeginworkingintheirchosenfield.However,manyPublicHistorystudentshavealsogoneontogetPh.D.’simmediatelyfollowingtheirMaster’s.

TherequirementsforPublicHistoryaresimilartothethesisrequirements,withtwomainexceptions.Youarerequiredtotake fourclasses (12credits)ofPublicHistorycourses,includingthePublicHistoryseminar(offeredduringthespringsemester),aswellasthethreecoreseminarsthatthethesistrackstudentsmusttake.Studentswriteapublishablearticle.

DegreeRequirements,PublicHistoryTrack:

� Studentsinthisprogrammusttakefourcoreseminars(12credits):History598/TheCraftofHistorySeminar(offeredfallsemester),ThePublicHistorySeminar,andoneeachofaReadingandResearchSeminar

� StudentsmustalsotakethreePublicHistoryclasses(whichmayincludeinterdisciplinaryclassesuponapprovalofadvisor)[9hrs.]

� Studentsinthisprogramwillalsotakeatleastthreegraduateclasses(450orabove)oftraditionalHistory.[9hrs.]

� Atleasttwoclasseswillbeinnon---UnitedStateshistory� Presentatleastoneconferencepaper,orundertakesomekindofpublic

speakingatleastonceduringtheirtimeasagraduatestudent� Fortheoralexam,studentswillpassquestionsontheirarticleandonthe

coursesthattheyhavetakenwiththeircommitteemembersandwillpresentaportfoliooftheirPublicHistorywork

ForallPublicHistorystudentswhofulfilltheaboverequirementsforthePublicHistorytrack,theGraduateOfficewilladdtotheirtranscriptthatthestudentcompletedaspecializationinPublicHistory.

10

DegreeRequirements,DualTrack:

StudentswhowishtopursuebothathesistrackandapublichistorytrackfortheirM.A.degree must complete the credits required for the public history track, perform aninternship, receive approval for their thesis research, prepare a portfolio that meetspublic history requirements, present theportfolio at a public session, anddefend thethesis in oral examinations before a faculty committee. They must also present oneconferencepaperorparticipateinoneformofpublicspeaking.Inordertosatisfactorilycompleteboth tracks, the studentwill enroll in three internship credits and six thesiscredits, andwill therefore earn at least 39 credits in completing theM.A. Dual trackstudentswillberesponsiblefortakingHistory598(TheCraftofHistory);History596(TheResearchSeminar);History594(ThePublicHistorySeminar);andonethematicreadingseminar.

Conclusion

Basically,thethesistrackwillgiveyoumoreoptionsindoctoralprogramsandacquaintyoumorethoroughlywithprofessionalhistorywriting,thePublicHistoryprogramwillgiveyoumoreoptionsforworkimmediatelyafteryourMaster’sdegreeandacquaintyouwiththevariousmeansbywhichhistorianskeephistoryaliveforthegeneralpublic,andtheDualTrackoptionoffersamixofboth.

GraduateStudentPoliciesandAcademicPerformance/Misconduct

Agraduatestudentmust:� MaintainaGPAof3.0intheirHistoryclasses.Ifastudent’shistoryGPAfalls

below3.0,heorshewillnormallyberemovedfromtheGraduatePrograminHistory.

� GainthewrittenpermissionoftheiradvisortohaveanycoursesoutsidetheHistoryDepartmentcounttowardtheirMAdegreeandHistoryGPA.Amaximumof6creditsoutsideHistorymaycounttowardtheMAinHistory(9500-and-abovecreditsinPublicHistory).

� TakeatleastonegraduateseminarayearifcontinuouslyenrolledintheMAprogramuntildepartmentalrequirementsarefulfilled.AstudentwhodoesnotmeetthiscriterionwillnormallyberemovedfromtheGraduatePrograminHistory.StudentswhoareabsentfromtheprogramformorethanayearmustreapplytotheGraduateSchool.Iftheyareabsentfromtheprogramforlongerthanayear,theymayalsoberequiredtoreapplytotheDepartmentofHistory.

� IntheirfirstyearintheMAprogram,graduatestudentsmusttakeandearnatleastaBinonegraduateseminar.AstudentwhodoesnotmeetthesecriteriawillnormallyberemovedfromtheGraduatePrograminHistory.

� Each graduate student must file an application to candidacy, which formallysummarizesthestudent’sprogramofstudies,nolaterthanthecompletionof12creditsofgraduatework.

11

Ifagraduatestudent:

� EarnslowerthanaBinoneHistoryclass,heorshewillbegivenawrittenwarning.

� EarnslowerthanaBinmorethanoneHistoryclass,heorshewillbeautomaticallyremovedfromtheGraduatePrograminHistoryandwillbegivenawrittenwarningregardingtheirremovalfromtheprogram.

� ReceivesoneNP(NoProgress)oncreditsforhisorherthesisorinternshipreport,heorshewillbegivenawrittenwarning.

� ReceivesmorethanoneNP(noProgress)oncreditsforhisorherthesisorinternshipreport,heorshewillbeautomaticallyremovedfromtheGraduatePrograminHistory.

� Isfoundguiltyofacademicmisconduct,thestudentmayfailtheclassinwhichthemisconducttookplace,ordependingontheassessmentoftheinstructorandtheDepartmentHead,mayberemovedfromtheprogram.ForanoveralldefinitionofwhatacademicmisconductincludesatNMSU,seesectionBhere.

StudentsmustabidegenerallybytheNMSUStudentCodeofConduct.

If you are in doubt about whether or not you are engaging in plagiarism oracademicmisconduct,donothesitatetoconsultwithyour instructororthesisadvisor.TheDepartmentofHistoryemphasizesintegrityinresearchandcreativeactivitiesandexpectsresponsibleconductwhereresearchandcreativeactivitiesareconcerned.Studentsmayberemovedfromtheprogramfortheviolationsoftheseprofessionalstandards.

At the end of each semester, the Graduate Committee will evaluate each graduatestudent’sprogress.Advisorswillreferanystudentswhodonotappeartobemeetingtheprogram’s standards to theGraduateCommittee. If theGraduateCommittee confirmsthis,thegraduatestudentwillbeinformedinwritingandtheGraduateCommitteewillrecommendtotheDepartmentHeadthatappropriateactionbetaken.

Pleasenotethatiftheyarenototherwiseinformed,studentsmayassumethattheyareproceeding apace in their progress towards the degree. Advisors and the GraduateCommitteereviewastudent’sprogressandplansat leastonceayear,buttheydonotissueannual,writtenprogressreportsinthecaseofgoodprogress.

RegisteringandFirst---TimeAdvising

The Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Malamud, advises all incoming thesis trackstudents and Dr. Cioc-Ortega,the i n t e r imdirector of our Public History program,advises all incoming public history students and dual-track students. Ultimately, thegraduatedirector,yourchosenthesis advisor, or the public history advisor will adviseyou every semester. Advisors gooverstudents’programsof study toensure that theyare taking an appropriate number and selection of courses each semester. Allgraduatestudentsarerequiredtoseetheir

12

appropriateadvisor,eithertheHistoryDepartment’sDirectorofGraduateStudies,DirectorofPublicHistory,orthesisadvisor,beforeenrollingeachsemester.Allgraduatestudentswill be evaluated by their advisor each semester to ensure that they are makingappropriateprogresstowardearningadegree.Whenadvised,graduatestudentshavetheopportunitytodiscusswitheithertheDirectorofGraduateStudies,TheDirectorofPublicHistory, or their thesis director, any aspects of his or her studies, or ask anyquestions/address any concerns relevant to the successful completionof their degree,includinganyproblemsthatmayhindertheirprogress.

Jay Venegas (jvenegas@nmsu), the i n t e r i m departmental secretary, assistsnew andincoming students with class registration. Once you are in the system, youcan registeronline.Youwillalsobeabletoaccessyourfinancialaidstatusandgrades.Remember, it’s always best to register as soon as possible for upcoming classes,because if youwait tillthe lastminute there’s a distinct possibility that the classmaybe cancelled, particularly seminars. Also, know that any classes listed under“Special Topics (400/500 withsubtitles)”areregularcoursesthathaven’treceivedanofficial course number yet. You may also have to get your advisor’s or the classinstructor’ssignatureforseminarsandspecialstudies.

AfterregisteringattheGraduateSchool,youcangototheRegistrar’sOfficetorequestaprintoutofyoursemesterschedule.Ifyouarereceivingfinancialaid,youwillneedtosigntheupperrighthandboxofthisprintout.TakeitovertotheAccountsPayablewindowsinorder to receive your subsidy check during the first two days of the semester. ThedistributionscheduleisintheScheduleofClassesforeachsemester.

WritingaThesis:Expectations

Yourthesisshouldbeabout100pagesinlength,withroughlyfivechapterstotaling20pageseach.Thispapercannotbemerelyasummaryofpreviousresearchbyotherscholars,butmustbeyouruniquecontributionfoundedonyourownresearchofprimarysources.The introductionusuallycontainsareviewofhistorical literatureonthetopic (seeHistoriographicalPaperbelow),whichexplainstothereaderwhatotherhistorianshavewrittenaboutthetopic,sothattheycanseemoreclearlythemeritofyourcontribution.Studentscanfindrecentlyacceptedtheses,iftheywouldliketolookatsomeexamples,inthedepartmentaloffice.

13

ForbothTracks:

ProgramofStudy

Afteryou’vecompleted12creditsofgraduatecourses,beginworkingwithyouradvisortowardsputtingtogetheraplanfortherestofyourtimehere.

ChoosinganAdvisor

Oncestudentshavedeterminedtheareaofresearchonwhichtheywouldliketowritetheirthesis,theywillswitchadvisorsfromtheDirectorofGraduateStudiestotheirown,permanent thesis advisor. A thesis advisor is someone who specializes in a field ofhistoricalresearchrelatedtoastudent’sproposedthesistopic.Thesisadvisorshavetheexpertise and professional preparation to assist students with their research anddetermineiftheirthesistopicsareappropriate,timely,andinnovative.Whilethereisnohardand fast ruleas toexactlywhen students chooseanadvisor, as a ruleof thumb,studentsshouldtrytochooseathesisadvisorbytheendoftheirfirstyearofstudy.Thisisyourthesisadvisor,nottobeconfusedwiththeGraduateDirectorortheDirectorofPublicHistory.YourthesisadvisormustbeamemberoftheGraduateFacultyatNMSUandbeafull-timefacultymemberoftheDepartmentofHistory.Onceyouchooseathesisadvisor, he or she will become your overall academic advisor for the duration of theprogram. It is the responsibility of thesis advisors to assist students in choosing theirspecific research topics, finding relevant sources for research, and crafting the finalproduct of a written thesis. Thesis advisors will help students establish a timeline forforming a graduate committee and completing their thesis and degree. It is theresponsibilityofthegraduatestudent,inturn,tomaintainregularcontactwithhisorherthesisadvisorandfollowthespecificadviceanddirectionsheorshegivestowardsthecompletionofresearch,athesis,andafinaldegree.

NotethatiftheHistoryDepartmenthasaspecialistinyourfieldofinterest,thatinstructormustbeyouradvisor(for instance,historiansofEuropeorAmericashouldnotoverseethesesonthehistoryofChinaifthereisaresidentfacultyspecialistofChinesehistory,etc.). If there is no specialist in your field of interest, students will select the mostappropriateadvisoramongthefacultyavailable.StudentsshouldinformtheDirectorofGraduateStudiesif/whentheychooseapermanentadvisorandreceiveapprovalforthischoice,whichwillberegisteredinastudent’sfile.Ifastudentchangesadvisors,heorsheagainshouldinformtheDirectorofGraduateStudiesoftheirswitch.

Faculty on sabbatical are not required to oversee graduate student work. Faculty arerequired to inform their advisees of upcoming leaves and sabbaticals, and graduatestudentsarerequiredtomakespecificandcleararrangementswiththeiradvisorsaboutwhattheirworkingrelationshipwillbeduringthetimethatfacultyareaway, includingarrangementsaboutdegreecompletionandoralexams.

14

ApplyingforCandidacyGraduateSchoolForms

AftercompletingatleasttwelvegraduatecreditshereatNMSUgraduatestudentsneedtoapplyforcandidacy.Basically,it’sformsyouneedtofilloutsotheGraduateCollegecandotheirjobwhenitcomestoconferringyourdegree.Therearefourformsaltogether:theApplicationforAdmissiontoCandidacyforMaster’sDegree,theApplicationofCommitteeforFinalExamination,theApplicationforDegreeandfinallythebindingslip (these lasttwoformsinvolvefees;checkwiththeGraduateSchoolforthecurrentamounts).TheseformscanbefoundandfilledoutonlineattheaddressaboveoryoucanpickthemupattheGraduateOfficeintheEducationalServicesbuilding.

PuttingTogetheraCommittee

� By the end of the second semester, students must consult their advisor and thegraduate director regarding the formation of their committees. A student’s thesiscommitteesharestheresponsibilityofreviewingthestudent’sprogressandguidingthestudenttowarddegreecompletion.Oralscommitteeswilltypicallyconsistofthestudent’sthesisadvisor;asecondmemberofthehistoryfaculty,typicallywithwhomthe student has taken classes; and a Graduate Faculty member from outside thedepartment, knows as theDean’s Representative. Both the thesis advisor and theDean’sRepresentativemustbemembersof theNMSUGraduateFaculty. Studentsshouldnotapproachanypotentialcommitteememberwithoutapprovalfromtheiradvisor.Thesisadvisorswilladvisegraduatestudentsonhowtochoosecommitteemembersandwillapprovethefinalcompositionofastudent’scommittee.Studentsmustconsultwiththeirthesisadvisorandreceiveapprovaltochangethemembersoftheir thesis committee once the committee has been formed. Students mayoccasionallyopttohaveatotaloffourcommitteemembersifsuchaconfigurationisappropriatetotheirthesisandenrichestheirresearch.

� Submitaplanofstudy(applicationtocandidacy)totheGraduateSchool,andtakepartinapre-thesisproposal defense.

WritingtheThesisProposal/SchedulingtheProposalDefense

Athesisproposalshouldbeabout4-5pagesinlength,andshouldcontainastatementofyourworkingthesis,theargumentsyouexpecttomake,andabitaboutthesourcesyouexpecttouseandhowyouexpecttousethemtobuildyourargument.Youshouldalsoincludeafullbibliographyofthesourcesyouhaveusedandexpecttouse.

Consultwithyourcommitteetoscheduleadefenseofthisthesisproposalatamutuallyagreeable time, and make sure that all members of the committee have the thesisproposalinhandseveraldaysaheadoftime.Athesisproposaldefenseshouldtakeaboutahalfhour,duringwhichtimeyourcommitteememberswillaskyouquestionsandgiveyousuggestionstoaidyouinyourresearch.

15

Conference/PublicSpeakingRequirement:

AllgraduatestudentsenteringtheHistoryDepartmentasofthefallof2013mustgiveatleast one public presentation of their research or present a conference in order tograduate.Attendingconferencesisnotonly importantformeetingothers inyourfield,butalsotopracticearticulatingyourideasverballyandorganizingyourthoughtsinaclearmanner. Conferences and public talks are opportunities to share with others analysisyou’reproudoforresearchyou’veperformed.Theyoftenhelpopendoorstopublications,Ph.D.programs,orevenemployment.

Thetwomostaccessible,localvenuesforsuchapresentationaretheannualPhiAlphaTheta Conference which takes place every spring, and/or the annual GRAS (GraduateResearchandArtsSymposium,whichisannouncedeveryfallandtakesplaceeveryspringoncampusatNMSU.Otherpotentialvenuesincludepubliclectures,orconferencepapersandnationalorinternationalconferences.Individualadvisorscanalsosuggestadditionalconferencesandspeakingopportunities,andwillchecktoconfirmthattheiradviseeshavefulfilledthisrequirementbeforegraduating.

Afterwritingthethesisorinternshippaper:OralExam

Oralexams-finalmaster’sexamination–aretheculminationofthedegreeprogramandreflecttheaccomplishmentsofthegraduatestudent.Oralexaminationsarediscussionsthat address questions regarding your thesis or internship and your coursework andtypically last about two hours. It is themoment when graduate students present theresultsof their thesis inaseminarstylediscussionofquestionsandanswerswiththeirthesiscommittee.Theirgoalistodetermineifthestudentisabletospeakknowledgablyabout their fieldof research,bothbroadly (including coursework) andon their chosenthesistopic. Inpreparation,remembertokeepnotesfromallofyourclassesorganizedand legible, so you can refresh yourself prior to your exam. It is important that, inconnectionwithyouroralexam,youreviewallnotesandmajorconceptsstudiedinanyclassestakenatthegraduatelevelatNMSUandthatyouarereadytorelatethematerialcoveredinyourthesisorinyourinternshiparticletowiderhistoricalevents,concepts,andtrends.ItisperfectlyOKtoconsultyourexaminersaheadoftimeandaskwhetherthereisanythinginparticularyoushouldbeconcentratingon.

Duringtheoralexamination,itistheresponsibilityoftheDean’sRepresentativetoensurefairnessandthemaintenanceofacademicstandards.TheDean’sRepresentativewilltakepartintheoralexaminationandwillsubmitareporttothedeanofthegraduateschoolattheconclusionoftheexaminationtoconfirmthattheexaminationwas(orwasnot)successfullycompleted.

Students,inconsultationwiththeiradvisor,mustscheduletheiroralexaminationforadate at least one week before the Graduate School’s semester deadline, save inemergencysituations.OralexaminationsintheDepartmentofHistoryaregenerallynotopentothepublic,tofamilymembers,ortoanyoneoutsidethecommittee.

16

Funding

In addition to financial aid, there are several options to help pay for your continuingeducationwhileatNMSU.ContactDr.Malamudwithquestionsortoapplyforanyofthefollowingopportunities.

GraduateAssistantships

Graduate Assistants (GAs) are basically professors’ apprentices. Whether makingphotocopies, grading undergraduate assignments, or even substituting for an absentprofessor,GAstypicallyworkamaximumof20hoursperweekandarepaidaccordingly,roughly$16,000peracademicyear.

Thepositionsarelimited(thereareseven,total)andthereforecompetitive.GAshipsareawardedyearlyandinterestedstudentsshouldindicateontheirapplicationiftheyareinterested in receiving one. TheGraduate Committee awards GAships based on theirestimationofapplicants’potentialtospeakarticulatelytoandinteractprofessionallywithanEnglish-speakingundergraduateaudience, theirpotentialabilityasgraders,and theirorganizational capacity to manage undergraduate courses. Graduate students willestablish,togetherwiththeinstructorstowhomtheyareassigned,howoftentheywillmeetwiththeinstructorandwhattheirexacttasksandassignmentswillbe,sincetheworkassignedtograduatestudentsvariesconsiderablybyinstructor.Assistantshipscanlastamaximumoffoursemesters,butnotallwill,andsometimesthispositionwillnotbe renewed. GAs may be terminated at any time for unsatisfactory work, includinglateness,unprofessionalbehavior,ortheinabilitytocompletethetasksassignedbytheinstructor in a satisfactory and timely fashion. The Director of Graduate Studies willinformGAsattheendofeverysemesterinwriting/byemailiftheirGAstatusiscontinuingorending.

GAs are assigned shared office space with other GAs, and these offices have sharedcomputer.GApositionscomewithanin-statetuitionwaiver(meaning,youpayin-state,as opposed to out-of-state, tuition), as long as the student maintains a 9-credit persemester/full–timestatus.

Formoreinformationaboutobtainingin-statetuition,see:UniversityRegistrar'sOffice

AdditionalFunding

FellowshipsandGrantsarepostedandannouncedonthebulletinboardsoutsideoftheHistoryDepartmentofficeandalsoonthehisgradlistserve.Fortipsonadditionalfunding,seetheGraduateSchoolAwardspage,andtheFellowshipsandGrantsinformationlistedthere:http://gradschool.nmsu.edu/gradschool/announcements.html

Tobeeligibleforscholarships,allgraduatestudentsshouldsignup,assoonastheyenrollintheMAprogramat: http://scholarships.nmsu.edu/

17

Awards

JoanJensenAwardThisawardgrantsastudent$200forresearch,eithertowardsaM.A.thesisorPublicHistoryinternshipthesis.

MonroeBillingtonAwardforBestThesisThis is an endowment set up by the late Monroe Billington, who was a departmentprofessor,torecognizethebestgraduatethesiseachyear.

Steele-JonesFellowshipsTheSteele-JonesFellowshipisawardedonceayear,typicallytomeritoriousstudentswhodonotholdaGAship.Theamountofthefellowshipvariesperyear,butistypicallyaround$1800. It does not waive out-of-state tuition. The Department of History’s GraduateCommittee, serving in the roleof awards committee for graduate students,will selectSteele-JonesFellows.

EdwardandLydieThieryHullTravelAwards

HullTravelAwards,rangingupto$1000,canbeusedforanyacademicpurpose,includingassistance for scholarly travel. The Committee will solicit applications for Hull TravelAwards each semester inOctober andMarch andwillmeet each semester to discusspotentialawards.

The Graduate Committeewill periodically review these award criteria, andmaymakerecommendations to the department regarding potential changes in the criteria. ThecommitteeanddepartmentwillalwaysbeguidedbyLydieHull’smandatethattheHullfundsbeusedsolelyforthebenefitofgraduatestudentsinHistory.

ArtsandSciences/GraduateSchoolGraduateStudentTravelGrants

TheCollegeofArtsandScienceswillawardcompetitivetravelgrantsforgraduatestudentsto attend conferences, meetings, workshops, or external collaborations. Awards mayrangefrom$500to$1,000.ThedeadlineforthisapplicationisusuallyatthebeginningofFebruary. See http://artsci.nmsu.edu/en/graduate-resources/student-travel-grants forthemostup-to-dateinformation.

TheGraduateStudentCouncilalsooffersmatchingfundstograduatestudentspresentingconferencepapers,workshopattendance,andotherresearch-relatedactivities.Seehttps://gsc.nmsu.edu/funding/

18

StayingConnected

Thebestwaytokeepinformedofallthehappeningsaroundthedepartmentistomakesureyouremailaddressisonthehisgradlistserve.TalkwithDr.MalamudorJay Venegastogetyournameon thehistorygraduate student listserve,and thencheckyouremailoften for up-to-the-minute details regarding Phi Alpha Theta and Graduate StudentCouncilmeetings, jobopenings, internships,andconferences.Oncesubscribed,youcanalsopostyourownannouncementstothelistathistgrad@nmsu.edu

Eachnewandcurrentfull-timegraduatestudenthasamailboxintheHistoryDepartment.ItislocatedinBreland238.You’llalsowanttomakesurethatDepartmentSecretaryhasyourcurrentaddress,NMSUemail,andphoneand/orcellnumberonfileincaseanyoneinthedepartmentneedstocontactyou.

STARreportsandreviewingyourtranscript/progressonlineStudents may review their transcripts, at any time, by checking their STAR (StudentAcademicRequirements)report,whichdetailshowmanycreditsstudentshaveaccrued,howmanyareinprogress,andhowmanyremain.StudentscanconsulttheirSTARreportsindependently,whenevertheychoose,ortogetherwiththeiradvisor:

https://degreeaudit.nmsu.edu/

TransferringCredit

Studentsareresponsibleforanyrequestsfortransfersofcredit.ThetransferofcreditformisontheGraduateschoolwebsite:

http://ece.nmsu.edu/files/2014/03/Graduate_TransferCheck.pdf

Studentsusuallydiscussthetransferablecourseswithanadvisor,prepareamatrixofwhatcoursestransfer,notingwherethesecoursesweretaken,whattheirfinalgradeinthesecourseswas,andwhatcoursestheycandirectlyorfeasiblyreplaceatNMSU.StudentsbringthismatrixandtheaboveformtotheGraduateStudentServicesOffice.Studentsmaynotreplaceanyofthefourcorecourses(thematicreadingseminars,594,596,AND598) withanycoursesfromanotherinstitution.Studentsmaytransferupto6creditsof courseworkfromanotherinstitutiontowardstheirMAinhistoryatNMSU.

Inaddition,priortobeingadmittedintothegraduateprograminhistory,studentsmaytakeuptothreegraduate-levelcoursesatNMSUthatwillcounttowardstheirMA.FeelfreetocontactCathyRobinsoninGraduateStudentServices(575-646-2152)foradditionalquestionsabouttransferringcreditorcountingcreditsearnedpriortoadmission.

19

ConflictResolution

Ifatanytimeduringastudent’sprogresstowardstheirdegreethereisaneedforconflictresolution,eitherbetweenagraduatestudentandhisorherthesisadvisor,committeemember, or instructor, the initial task of conflict resolution will reside with theDepartmentHead.Graduatestudentswhowishtoappealanypartoftheirevaluations,eitherfortheirworkasstudentsorasGraduateAssistants,maydosoinwritingtotheDepartmentHeadoftheDepartmentofHistory.TheDepartmentHeadrepresentsthefirstvenueinconflictresolutionandwill listentogrievancesandseekresolutioninatimelyfashionand, ifnecessary, followprocedures toadvance theconflict inquestion to theDeanoftheGraduateSchoolifadditionalappealsarenecessary.

BecomingaHistorian

LanguagesWhilemasteringasecond,orthird,languageisn’trequiredofgraduatestudentsatNMSU,it’s a good idea to make it a personal goal. Many PhD programs require mastery oflanguages related toyour fieldof study,andanearly startononecan reallyhelpout.However,evenifyourfuturePhDprogramdoesn’trequireanadditionallanguage,you’llfindthatyourresearchskillsaregreatlyaugmentedbyhavingoneinyourtoolbelt.CareersinHistoryThere’sactuallymore tohistory than just teaching itor learning it,asyou’ll soon find.Checkoutthesewebsitestoseeallthevariousdirectionsyourdegreemighttakeyou.

TheAmericanHistoricalAssociation’s“CareersforStudentsofHistory”:https://www.historians.org/pubs/careers/index.htmhttp://www.historians.org/grads/index.cfm

SubmittingArticlestoJournalsThis isoneof themost important things youcando to really get your careergoing inhistory. Speak with your advisor for help and recommendations regarding promisingjournals.Ifyoudon’tthinkyouhaveanythingtosubmit,takealookattheresearchpapersyou’verecentlycompletedforclasses.Takeyourprofessor’srecommendations,revisethepaper,andtrysubmittingittoajournaljusttoseewhathappens.Havingyournameinprintisathrill;italsolooksgreatonyourcurriculumvitae.Thereisalistofjournalsthatare interestedinpublishinggraduateworkontheNMSUHistoryDepartmentGraduatePage;havealooktofindajournalthatmightbeanappropriatevenueforyourresearch.

DevelopingSkillsAlwaysbeonthelookoutforadditionalopportunitiesorclassesthatcanteachyouhowtoconductoralhistories,howtoeditprimarysourcecollections,howtoprocessarchives,andevenhowtogetinvolvedinhistoricpreservationandmuseumwork.Ifyou’reathesistrackstudent,trytakingafewPublicHistorycoursestogainadditionalskills.Studentsinbothtracksshouldalwayskeepaneyeonthehisgradlistingsforinternshiporvolunteeropportunitiesatmuseums,archives,orotherrelatedcenters.

20

CurriculumVitaeThisisyouracademicresumeandyoushouldbegintodevelopit,withyouradvisor’shelp,whenyoubeginyourstudiesatNMSU.Itconsistsofyouracademicrecordofemployment,paperswritten,articlespublished,lecturesdelivered,conferencesattended,andoutsideactivities in the community. Update it on a regular basis so youwill have it ready todistributeforgrants,fellowships,internshipsandemployment.

ResourcesforResearch

CampusLibrariesandInterlibraryLoan(ILL)NMSU has two on-campus libraries. At the beginning of each semester they offerorientationstotheirservicesandwerecommendyouattendoneormoreofthese.

YoushouldalsoplanonbecomingfamiliarwiththeInterlibraryLoanSystemsoonafterstartingyourfirstsemester.Whenthelibrarieslackthematerialsyouneed,ontheshelvesoronline,ILLbecomesapartnerinyourresearch.Foroldermaterials,youcanalsoconsultSpecialCollectionsastheysometimeshavenon-circulatingcopiesyoucanview.

UsingILLToaccessILL,gotohttp://lib.nmsu.edu.Thenclickon INTERLIBRARYLOAN-REQUESTIT!Youwillneedtoregisterusingyouremailloginandpassword.

Forarticles,mostsearchengines(likeArticleFirst)haveabutton,“RequestIt.”Clickitandfilloutthenecessarydata.Articlestypicallyarriveoveremailandtakeaboutthreetosevendays,onaverage.

Forbooks,boththeNMSUlibrarycatalogandtheWorldcatdatabasealsohaveRequestIt!buttonsontheirlistings.Ifyoudon’tgothroughthesecatalogs,youwillneedtogototheRequestIt!siteandenterinformationonaform(author,title,placeofpublication,publisherand,ifpossible,ISBNnumber);youcanalsogotoILLdeskinZuhlLibraryoffthemainlobby.Theywillhelpyouconductsearchesandsendyouanemaillettingyouknowwhenithasbeenreceived.AllILLrequestscanbepickedupatthemaindeskinZuhlLibraryoncampus.YoucanreturntotheILLsitetocheckonyouraccountstatusand/orrenewmaterials.Makesureyoudosoatleasttwodayspriortoitsexpirationdate.

Books, it shouldbenoted, can takemuch longer to arrive, sobe sure to submit yourrequestswellinadvanceoftheresearchpaper’sduedate.

HistoricalAbstracts/America:HistoryandLifeThese are tremendous bibliographies for historians whose research requires deeperinvestigationthanthelibrarycatalogcanprovide.Theycollectbooks,bookreviews,andjournalarticlesdealingwithallpossiblehistoricaltopicsfromprehistorytothepresent.Therearealsodirectlinkstofull-textversionsofarticles.HistoricalAbstractsdealswithresearchonnon-Americantopics:it’sprobablyobvioustoyouwhatAmerica:HistoryandLife covers. You can access these sites by going to http://nmsu.libguides.com/az.php

21

selecting “America: History and Life” or “Historical Abstracts” Note: these, like alldatabases,arealittlefiddly.Bepreparedtospendsometimefussingwiththemtomakethesearchenginesdowhatyouwant.

WorldCatWorldCatstandsforWorldCatalogandisjustthat:thelibraryoftomorrow.Thisisawayto access every online catalog in the nation. Through this search engine you can findsundryformsofmediaonjustabouteverytopicimaginable.YoucanaccessWorldCatoffthe lib.nmsu.eduwebsite by opening Article Databases, and selecting the link off thesubmenuthatfollows.RememberthatyouwilllikelyneedtousetheILLsystemtoacquireanyresourcesfoundthere.

ArchivesandSpecialCollections

BransonLibrarycontainstwotremendousresourcesforhistorians:TheRioGrandeHistoricalArchive(RGHC)andSpecialCollections.BotharelocatedinBransonLibraryonthepedestrianmalloncampus.

TheRioGrandeHistoricalCollectionatNewMexicoStateUniversityactsasarepositoryfornon-currentuniversityrecordsandformanuscriptsandpersonalpapersdocumentingtheculturalheritageandhistoryofNewMexicoandtheSouthwest.RGHCacquires,preserves,andmakes available for research, records of organizations, personal papers, and otherunpublished materials relating to New Mexico and the adjacent Spanish Borderlands.MaterialsfromotherareasalsoareacceptedprovidingtheygenerallysupporttheresearchneedsofstudentsandfacultyofNMSU.ItislocatedonthefourthfloorandisopenMondaythroughFridayfrom9:00a.m.to12:00p.m.andfrom1:00p.m.to4:00p.m.Therearenoweekendhours.Moreinformationcanbefoundhere:http://lib.nmsu.edu/archives/rghc.html

Special Collections, located on the second floor, contains rare maps, books andmanuscripts which can be viewed by appointment or from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. MondaythroughFriday.YoucanviewthearchivesfindingaidsonlinethroughtheLibrarysiteathttp://lib.nmsu.edu/archives/specialcollections.html

22

AssignmentsDependingonyourundergraduateexperience,yourgraduateexperiencemay introduceyou to severalnew typesof assignments. Even familiar assignmentsmayhave changedtheirnaturesinceyoulastdealtwiththem.Whileindividualinstructorsarethefinalarbitersofexpectations,refertothefollowinglistofgeneraldefinitionsasaguideanytimeyou’renotquiteclearaboutwhatisexpectedofyou.BookReviewsorPrécisThebooksyouwillbereadinginmostofyourclasseshaveallbeenreadandanalyzedbyyourprofessors,soremember:theydon’tneedasummaryofwhatthebookwasabout.(Imagine thatyouhavea favoritemovieyou’veseen twenty times.You takeyourgoodfriendstoseeit,andafterwardsyougooutforcoffeeanddiscussion.You’vebeendyingtoknowhowtheyfeltaboutit,andyoufinallyaskthem.Insteadofanalyzingitwithyou,theyalljustsystematicallyrecounttheeventsofthefilm.Wouldyoubedisappointed?Sowouldyourprofessors.)Besuretomentionwhattheauthor’sprimaryobjectives/argumentsseemtobeintheseinitialparagraphs.Afterthisbriefsummary,youshouldbreakdowntheauthor’sargumentsinto small, easily---digestible portions. Did the evidence cited support or contradict theauthor’sconclusions?Didtheyfailtomentionsignificantincidentsorrelytooheavilyonquestionableevidence?Aretheirconclusionslogical(IfA=B,andB=C,thenA=C)orillogical(AllAareB,thereforeallBareA).Whatkindsofsourceswereused?Whatwastheauthor’sintendedaudience?ResearchPapersResearch papers are the foundations of theses, which in turn are the foundations ofdissertations,which in turn are the foundations of books. At the heart of any genuineresearchmaterialareprimarysources.

� Primarysourcesaretheactualrecordsfromwhichwehistoriansderivehistory.Newspaperarticles,journals,diaries,oralhistories,photographs,courtrecords,andcensusreportsareexamplesofprimarysources.Theyaretheartifactsandvestigesofatime,event,orplaceproducedbyeye-witnesses.

� Secondarysourcesareinterpretationsofprimarysources,suchashistorybooks,articles,ordocumentaries.

Excellentresearchpapersneedbothkindsofsources,balancedthroughouttheargument.Whilesecondarysourcesarealwayshelpfultoshowhowscholarlymindshaveinterpretedhistoricalevents,primarysourcesareabsolutelyessentialinresearchpapersinorderforyou to form your own arguments about history that are not dependent on other’sresearch.Agoodresearchpaperwillnotonlydemonstrateindependentresearch,butalsoan appreciation of historical context and historiography—the flow of scholarlyinterpretationovertime.

23

HistoriographyPapersDuringyourfirstsemester,youmayberequiredtowriteoneofthese.Don’tbescaredbyitssyllables.Historiographypapersareanalysesofthewaythathistoryhasbeenwrittenonaparticulartopicduringaparticulartimeperiod.Forexample,ahistoriographicalpaperonLewisandClarkwouldbeginbyexamining19thCenturyhistoriesabouttheexpedition.Whatwasimportanttotheauthorsatthetime?WhatwastheirviewofLewisandClark?Gradually, it would work its way up through the 20th Century to the present, askingquestions about how historians have represented Lewis and Clark during differentgenerations.Isthe19thCenturyLewisadifferentmanthanthe20thCenturyLewis?Ifso,howandwhy?AnnotatedBibliographiesAnnotationsrequirework,andlotsofit.Manystudents,whengiventhechoicebetweenwritingatwenty-pagepaperorputtingtogetheranannotatedbibliography,choosethelatterunderthefalseimpressionthatabibliographywon’trequireasmuchblood,sweat,andtears.Notso.Imaginedoingthirty-fiveone–pagebookreviews,back-to-back.Annotated bibliographies typically begin with a four-to-eight-page prospectus, whichservesasahistoriographicalroadmapforthebibliography.Let’stakeforourexampletheTrailofTears.Theprospectuswouldfirstbrieflyoutlinetheincidenttofamiliarizereaderswiththetopic,andthendiscussatlengthhowhistorianshavegrappledwithitovertime.Finally,theprospectussetsoutseveralquestionsthattheauthorseekstoanswerinthebibliography.HavehistoriansprovidedamoreorlesssympatheticportraitoftheCherokeeovertime?Howdidpopularconceptionoftheincidentchangeovertime,andwhatdothesechangestellusabouttheerasinwhichtheywerewritten?Thegeneralpurposeofannotationsistogivefuturescholarsconcisesneak-previewsofbookswrittenaboutaparticulartopic.Imagineyou’redoingaresearchpaperontheTrailofTears.Howhelpfulwouldthisbe?Infact,manythesesbeginwithanannotatedbibliography, as a foundation for beginning the actual research. Again, though,meresummariesneednotapply.Yourannotationsshouldalsobreakdowntheauthor’sargumentsand/orbiasesinsuchafashion thatwould answer thequestions set out in yourprospectus, andaddress thechangingparadigmsofthedifferenttimeperiodsinwhichtheywerewritten.Likewise,yourprospectusshouldreflectthevarietyofargumentsyou’reexamining,andrevealtheflow (or historiography) of the various arguments over time and place. Annotatedbibliographiesconsequentlybecomeanintensebalancingactbetweenprospectusgoalsandbibliographicalrealities.Equilibriumisthegoal.GeneralWisdomaboutWritingGraduatePapersThereisonewordthatisofparamountimportancewhenwritinganythingfromthispointforward: argument. Historical writing is not the art of reciting facts; it is the art ofinterpretingthepast.

24

RemembertoaskyourprofessorforsamplepapersfrompreviousgradeA-students.Theyoften keep a handful of these on hand to show you exactly what kind of format,presentation,composition,andargumentationtheyarelookingforinyourprojects.Ifyouhavefunwritingit,yourprofessorswilllikelyhavefunreadingit.Conversely,ifit’sboringforyoutowrite,itwillprobablybeboringforthemtoread.Nobodylikesaboringpaper,sopleasedon’tmakeyourprofessorsreadmorethantheyalreadyhaveto.Findthefinelinebetweenwritingprofessionallyand justbeingyou.Remember,youcanwritewithauthorityandasenseofhumor.Trytofindtheirony,theabsurdity,andthehumanityinallofyoursubjects.Historyitselfisfullofthesethings,andthebestanalysesaren’tafraidtoaddressthem.Second-to-last ifyourprofessoroffers to reviewaworkingdraft, takeadvantageof it,especiallyearlyinyourgraduateprogram.Alsofeelfreetoshareyourpaperwithotherstudents in the classbefore submitting the final draft. It alwayshelps to get asmanyopinionsaspossiblebeforetheredpencomesout.Regardingplagiarism:Don’t.Ifforsomedeplorablereasonyoufindyourselfpilferingsomeoneelse’swork,knowthattheprofessorsherearetremendouslyskilledatrootingoutsuchdeception,andyouwillultimatelypaythepricewithyourcareerand/orreputation.Inallhonesty,however,ifyouevenneedthissternwarning,you’reinthewrongfield;andbyfieldImeanacademiclifegenerally.Thatbeingsaid,rememberthatyou,too,canbethevictimofplagiarism.Thisisahighlycompetitivefield,anduniqueresearchcanbesomewhathardtocomeby.Keepasharpeyeout forthosewhomightclaimyourresearchand/orwritingastheirown.Shouldyoufeelyoumightbethevictimofplagiarism,speakwithyouradvisoraboutthesituation.

25

SupportOrganizationsPhiAlphaTheta(PAT)Phi Alpha Theta currently comprises over 800 chapters in 50states,withatotalmembershipofover150,000.Itoperatesbothatthestudentandtheprofessional level,andseekstopromotethe study of history by encouraging research, good teaching,publication,andscholarlyexchange.

SowhatdoestheNMSUchapterdoduringtheacademicyear?Itholdsmonthlymeetingsandfundraiserstohelpstudentsattendconferences. It also co-sponsors an annual symposium in thespringwithUniversityofTexasatElPaso(UTEP),andpresents

on---campussymposiaofcurrentinterestduringeachsemester.A graduate student becomes eligible for election to membership once she/he hascompletedatleastonethirdoftheresidencerequirementsfortheMaster’sDegree.ThetotalgradepointaverageinallcoursescompletedforgraduatecreditmustbeatleastaB+,andnogradeinthegraduaterecordmaybeafailureoritsequivalent.Feelfreetoattendthefirstmeetingofthesemestertomeeteveryoneandfindoutwhatisontheschedule. Ifyou’re interested,contact theAcademicAdvisoror thechapterpresident.Visithttps://history.nmsu.edu/pat/formoreinformation.GraduateStudentCouncilhttps://gsc.nmsu.eduThison-campusorganizationmeetspriortoeachASNMSU(studentgovernment)meetingtovoteonupcomingbillsandresolutionsthataffectgraduatestudentsatNMSU. It isimportant for History graduate students to attend these as every hour spent in GSCmeetings or activities counts formonies received for travel to conferences, resourcematerialsinthedepartment,etc.Eachspring,theGSCsponsorstheGraduateResearchArtsSymposium(GRAS)oncampus.Itgivesgraduatestudentsanopportunitytopresentpapersorpostersforfeedbackandprizemoney.Announcementsofmeetingsarepostedonthehisgradlistserve.TakingaLeaveofAbsence/ContinuousEnrollmentStudentsworkingonadvanceddegreeswhoplananinterruptioninstudiesforacalendaryear should address a request for leave of absence through their department head,alerting the dean of the Graduate School. The student must submit a formal letterthroughtheirdepartmentheadtotheDeanoftheGraduateSchool.Emailwillnotbeaccepted.Therequestshouldincludethebeginningdateandtheanticipatedendingdatefortheperiodofabsence.Agraduatestudentonleaveofabsencewillbeexpected

26

nottouseuniversityfacilitiesandplacenodemandsupontheuniversityfacultyandstaff,and,thereforewillpaynofees.Timespentinleave-of-absencestatuswillnotbecountedtowardtimelimits.AgraduatestudentwhofailstoregisterforonecalendaryearwithoutobtainingaleaveofabsencefromtheGraduateSchoolwillbeconsideredwithdrawnfromtheuniversityandwillneedtoreapplyandbereadmitted,bothtotheGraduateSchoolandtheDepartmentofHistory.HistoryFacultyandSpecialtiesAlltheinformationyou’relikelytoneedaboutthedepartment’sfacultycanbelocatedontheirwebsitesathttp://history.nmsu.edu/people/faculty/

Full---TimeFacultyJamieL.Bronstein,Professor

19thCenturyU.S./Social,CulturalandLaborHistory/Britain575-646-4200 jbronste@nmsu.edu

NathanBrooks,AssociateProfessorRussianHistory/HistoryofScience575---646---1824 nbrooks@nmsu.edu

IñigoGarcia---Bryce,AssociateProfessorModernLatinAmericanHistory575---646---2076 igarciab@nmsu.edu

KennethJ.Hammond,ProfessorChineseCulturalandIntellectualHistory575---646---1818 khammond@nmsu.edu

ElizabethHorodowich,ProfessorEarlyModernEurope/RenaissanceItaly/GenderHistory575-646-1515 lizh@nmsu.edu

JonHunner,ProfessorU.S.History/PublicHistory/U.S.West575---646---2490 jhunner@nmsu.edu

PeterKopp,AssistantProfessorandPublicHistoryDirectorU.S.History/PublicHistory/U.S.West/EnvironmentalHistory575-646-4037 pkopp@nmsu.edu

MargaretMalamud,ProfessorandDirectorofGraduateStudiesAncientandMedievalHistory/IslamicHistory575-646-4310 mmalamud@nmsu.edu

AndreaOrzoff,AssociateProfessorModernEurope/IntellectualandCulturalHistory/InternationalHistory575-646-4612 aorzoff@nmsu.edu

27

CollegeandEmeritusFacultyWilliamEamon,ProfessorEmeritus

HistoryofScienceandTechnology/EarlyModernEurope575-646-2005 weamon@nmsu.edu

ElviraMasson,CollegeAssociateProfessorAsianstudies575---646---1818 ehammond@nmsu.edu

DwightPitcaithley,CollegeProfessorRetiredChiefHistorian,NationalParkServiceAmericanwest,CivilWar,PublicHistory575---646---4230 dwightp@nmsu.edu

DietmarSchneider---Hector,CollegeAssociateProfessorU.S.West/ModernEurope575---646---4291 dschneid@nmsu.edu

HaroldTollefson,CollegeProfessorEurope/ModernMiddleEast505---646---6728 hatollef@nmsu.edu

DepartmentOfficeMaryHolguin,DepartmentAdministratorPhone:575-646-4601 Email:maryehol@nmsu.edu

DEPARTMENTOFHISTORYCOURSEOFFERINGSFORGRADUATESTUDENTS:

SeetheNMSUcourseschedule,accounts.nmsu.edu/catalog/forthemostcompleteandup-to-datelistofupcomingcourses.