The Department offers M.A.s in European history, US history and History of Science and administers?an?interdisciplinary M.A. programs?in Judaic Studies. The department also provides the opportunity for students to design special M.A. programs in areas such as African History, Medieval European?History?and Pre-Modern Chinese History. In consultation with an appropriate faculty member students may petition the department for approval for a special M.A. Students interested in pursuing an M.A. degree in Latin American Studies are encouraged to apply for admission to the UCSD Center for Iberian and Latin American Studies (CILAS) M.A. degree program. Required courses vary?for?each major field (see below), but all courses must be taken for a letter grade.

At the end of the final quarter of enrollment, Masters' students must pass a comprehensive one-hour oral exam in their field with three faculty examiners who have worked with them. The main examiner (usually the Research Seminar instructor) will approve the student's orals list, consisting of 40 to 70 books and articles that have been read over the course of the year. The student may also identify general themes as a way to organize the questioning during the exam. The student should provide all members of the examining committee with a copy of the list, at least one week before the exam.