Funded MA - Southern U.S. History

[oceansize]

Does anyone know of any Southern U.S. history programs that offer funding for MA students?

I've searched the forum and found a few schools in each category, but I'm having trouble finding an overlap. (Maybe none exists.) Any suggestions would be welcome.

[LadyRara]

Mmmm... a funded M.A. program. The idea of it makes me salivate. :-) Not specifically Southern U.S. history programs.

[oceansize]

Haha, I know - it's like finding a unicorn. I'm thinking I may have to lower my expectations, but I don't know if it's worth going unless I can get at least partially funded.

[Sparky]

Instead of looking for dedicated southern U.S. programs, or programs with that as a set subfield, can you expand your search to look at anywhere that has U.S. as a subfield (or no subfields at all, I guess) but has a professor you might work with? On the MA level, it seems to me that you would mostly need one prof who is familiar with the sources/archives that might be of interest to you (presumably for your thesis work), and then you would use your coursework in various classes to focus in on your interests more narrowly. (So if you do women's economic history in the rural South, write your medieval Mediterranean paper on women traders in precolonial Islamic Africa, or whatever; write your U.S. papers on southern topics).

A lot of people find themselves switching subfields during the MA (or even PhD), and while obviously there are many who *don't*, there's another reason not to be tied down by narrow subsubfield before you even start.

ETA: Observe that I am in no way suggesting you compromise on funding, haha. Oh, priorities.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Sparky

[oceansize]

Sparky, thanks for the great advice. I'm looking into an MA (as opposed to a Ph.D.) at this point partly because I've been out of school for several years, and I need to hone in on my research interests. I think your suggestion of tying my interests into other coursework will help me to do that.

I've identified Ohio University and Georgia Southern as possibilities after looking at older threads on this site. Is there some way to find out which other programs might offer funding? I've done basic research through the websites of various schools, and some of them mention MA funding. I'm not sure if this means they actually give funding, or if it's more like, "sure, there's an outside chance we might fund an MA candidate if we have money left over after the Ph.D. candidates are funded, but it hasn't actually happened in over a decade." Would it be inappropriate to contact the DGS?

[Riotbeard]

University of Alabama offers funded M.A. (although funding is tough to get), although there is some expectation (but not quite obligation) that good M.A. students will stay on for a PhD. I would look into southern state schools and see how their PhD programs work, because if they are like UA you don't apply for the PhD without an MA, but there best applicants to there MA program have chances at a funded MA. I think this possible at Georgia also, but not sure.

[New England Nat]

Funded MA programs are rare, and even if you end up paying for a large part of it, it may still be worth it. I had a research assistantship during my MA that was nothing like comprehensive but I wouldn't have gotten into a good phd program without the experiance.

[Bearcat1]

It's absolutely appropriate to contact the DGS about funding! I've also found, in my searches and conversations with faculty and various departmental staff that there is often "unadvertised" funding. It will certainly be more difficult with an MA, but it's definitely worth inquiring about.

[Strixa]

U Memphis gives MA students funding and has a great southern history track.