The M.A. in History serves multiple purposes, as it will 1) provide much needed depth of training for educators who are certified to teach Social Studies; 2) enhance the expertise of students who enroll at WNMU in order to become part-time instructors at community colleges and/or 3) as a program that will be offered online, offer enhanced access to graduate work in History for students who currently live in rural areas or otherwise have limited access to such opportunities in higher education.

While students are welcome to design their coursework around traditional regional concentrations, this program is intended to complement WNMU’s identity as New Mexico’s public liberal arts institution. Students are accordingly encouraged to organize their graduate study in History around the four great questions common to WNMU’s undergraduate core curriculum: What is truth? What is justice? What does it mean to be human? What is the good life?

The Department of Social Sciences and Cultural Studies employs three full-time faculty to oversee the M.A. in History program. Professors Andy Hernández, Scott Fritz, and John Lavalle hold terminal degrees, are dedicated to the teaching of History, and are engaged in research and publication in their respective areas.  Dr. Lavalle is an active member of the Society for Military History, the German Studies Association and the Rocky Mountain European Scholars Consortium. He serves on the editorial board of Focus on German Studies. His ongoing research concentrates on social class and officer selection in the German army. Dr. Fritz researches the history of business in the Southwest. He has published articles in history journals and presented papers at academic conferences and public colloquium. He is currently writing a book on the history of small businesses in Southwestern New Mexico. Dr. Hernández has conducted research the history of the Southwest and Northern Mexico, including extensive research on the Indian Slave Trade and commerce in early 19th century New Mexico, and on various topics relating to Inter-American Relations. He has also presented papers at dozens of conferences on these subjects. His publications in various encyclopedia entries relating to Inter-American relations as well as journal articles on the Plan de San Diego and on the long-term impact of recent failed efforts to construct an interoceanic canal across Nicaragua.

• Students will be able to explain in their work how humans in the past shaped their own unique historical moments and were shaped by those moments, and how those cultures changed over the years that was covered in the class.
• Students will distinguish between primary and secondary sources, identify and evaluate evidence and empathize with people in their historical context.
• Students will summarize and appraise different historical interpretations and evidence in order to construct past events.
• Students will apply historical knowledge and historical thinking in order to infer what drives and motivates human behavior in both past and present.

The M.A. in History requires successful completion of at least 36 hours of coursework. Students admitted to graduate study in History at WNMU are required to complete HIST 507—History and Historians. Students may complete up to 6 hours of advisor-approved courses in a related field and may request approval of up to 9 hours of transfer credits.

In order to satisfy capstone requirements, students may choose to complete a thesis or comprehensive examinations based on their coursework. Students choosing the thesis option must receive approval for a thesis proposal after completing 15 graduate hours in this program and must defend their completed thesis before a committee of faculty.

Students applying for this M.A. program are strongly encouraged to have completed their Bachelor’s degree in History. Applicants with degrees in other fields must demonstrate that their undergraduate study included significant engagement with discipline of History, to include at least 18 hours of student in History or Social Sciences. Applicants must have completed the last 64 credits of study with a GPA of at least 3.3 out of 4.0 and must submit a letter of intent as well as three letters of recommendation.

To apply to WNMU and declare a major or minor in history, click on the link below.

Over the past decade several Madison Fellows have found WNMU’s Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies to be an attractive match for their interests and goals. The Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies is a unique degree that affords advanced study in multiple disciplines, with History and Political Science being the most popular concentrations for Madison Fellows so far.

WNMU’s tuition and fees are competitive when compared to most MA programs across the United States. The Department of Social Studies and Cultural Studies offers a broad range of courses in History and Political Science that would be especially attractive for Madison Fellows. Our institution continues to commit to accepting Georgetown Summer Institute credits as either HIST 578: Topics in U.S. Constitutional History or POLS 578 Topics in U.S. Constitutional History. Please note that all 6 credits of the Summer Institute must count for either HIST 578 or POLS 578—it is not possible to count the Summer Institute for 3 hours of HIST 578 credit and 3 hours of POLS 578 credit.

We also have the privilege to share the endorsements of two Madison Fellows in particular. Amy Page graduated in 2015, and had this to say about our program: “Western New Mexico University provided the rigor I desired from a Master’s program and the flexibility I needed as a full-time teacher. The university worked with me to integrate the requirements for the Madison Memorial Fellowship flawlessly with my MAIS History and Political Science concentrations. I thoroughly enjoyed the communication, support, and working relationships the professors and advisors fostered. I have and will continue to recommend WNMU as an excellent program to fellow Madison scholars, students, and friends.”

Elly Loman, who began her studies at WNMU in the Fall 2018 term, remarked that “Western New Mexico’s Interdisciplinary Studies program has enabled me to work completely online and at my own pace. There are no in-person requirements in their program, allowing me to spend more time with my family. Several of WNMU’s political science courses fulfill the Constitutional Studies requirement of the James Madison Fellowship, and their high-interest history courses provide variety in your studies. In my program–in addition to the Constitutional Studies courses–I’ve also taken courses about World War One and World War Two, and I’m currently taking a course on the Drug Wars. These are high-interest courses, which have afforded me an opportunity to learn more about what interests me.”

We are delighted that Madison Fellows have found our program to align so well with their interests and look forward to working with many more in the coming years. If you have questions about our program, Dr. Andy Hernández, Professor of History, or Dr. Joel Blaxland, Assistant Professor of Political Science, would be delighted to speak with you further. You can contact them at: Andy.Hernandez@wnmu.edu and Joel.Blaxland@wnmu.edu.