Grad Student Testimonials

Learn Why Students Choose to Master in History at Cal Poly

 

"My long-term goal since graduating high school is to be a world history teacher in the junior college system. As it turns out, the history M.A. program at Cal Poly has been absolutely perfect for me. The diverse nature of classes and seminars in the graduate program has prepared me to teach at the junior college level. With rapid globalization and consolidation of human interaction throughout the world, there is a need more than ever to understand the history of the world in its entirety, and the history M.A. caters to this exact need. Cal Poly's history M.A. program enables students to understand all histories and cultures with tolerance, perceptiveness, and consideration. Furthermore, my experience at Cal Poly as a graduate student has been especially beneficial and unique as I have been able to build professional relationships with professors, acquire student teaching opportunities, and develop essential research/writing skills."
-Kevin McLaren, M.A. History Student

 

"My eventual goal with my M.A. is to pursue a Ph.D. later in my life in Modern German History, however I wanted to have the M.A. from Cal Poly to boost my overall academic resume and show that my education is more complex than just with my B.A. in History. In addition, the M.A. gives me the opportunity to show that I can lead lectures, conduct research, and am an expert in the area that I study - Modern European History. Particular classes that I have enjoyed taking include the 500 level seminar based ones that make up the majority of the program - some of my favorite being with Dr. Hopper. Within these courses, I've been able to not only find ways to effectively analyzed books and sources for papers and discussions, but also have the opportunity to lead seminar sessions and receive constructive feedback from both my professors and my peers. In addition to a comparison of the B.A. to the M.A., we are no longer just learning about history, but adding to the overall interpretation and professional world in creating it. The M.A. Program has overall made my research, lecturing, and analyzation skills stronger and has taught me as well how to deal with some of the more complex theories and methods that professional historians engage in while interpreting history."
- Devin Kennedy, M.A. History Student