Minimum Expectations

Students must demonstrate satisfactory progress towards the completion of their degree. In all courses students must

1. Receive a grade of 2.67 or higher in all courses taken in the History Department.
2. Maintain a minimum cumulative 3.0 graduate GPA.
3. Adhere rigorously and conscientiously to academic standards of honesty (see below).
4. Demonstrate serious commitment to scholarship and intellectual engagement.
5. Abide by all requirements of the School of Graduate Studies (see School of Graduate Studies section of the Graduate and Professional Catalog), in addition to those of the Department of History.

In terms of administrative procedures, students must punctually file the following forms, each of which must be approved by the M.A. adviser, the faculty adviser and the other members of the supervisory committee:

1. A tentative program of study, and the form listing the initial members of the Supervisory Committee, by the 15th of October or 15th of March before the completion of the student's 15th credit hour.
2. A final program of study, and the form listing the final members of the supervisory committee, by the 15th of October or 15th of March before the completion of the student's 30th credit hour.
3. The student must have identified a Faculty Advisor who has agreed to serve as the student’s lead instructor for the semester of study. Faculty Advisors, like tentative programs of study, may be changed over the course of a student’s study.

Each year students are required to submit a formal report of their progress toward their degree. The narrative statement should include a description of students’ coursework, exam preparation, research activities (including progress toward the thesis/dissertation/final project, conference activities, publications, exhibits, and the status of grant applications), awards, and internships, as applicable.  In addition, students should outline their goals for the coming academic year.  

Students in the microhistory or public-history tracks must declare their intent to track their studies by the completion of their 12th credit hour by forming a viable committee and completing a program of study.

Extenuating Circumstances

Students incapable of meeting administrative deadlines may request an extension from the M.A. adviser. These requests must be made in writing in advance of the deadlines. Incompletes will be given only when there are legitimate reasons for not completing course requirements on time, and only when there are reasonable expectations that work can be completed within the time allowed by the School of Graduate Studies (maximum of one year).

Probation

Failing any of these conditions means that the student is not making satisfactory progress towards the completion of her/his degree. In that case, the student will be placed on probation and will have to petition the department, through a letter to the M.A. adviser and graduate committee, for permission to resume his or her studies the following semester. The department will then recommend a reasonable plan for remediation. If the student fails to meet the standards set by the department, the student will be declared ineligible for enrollment and dropped from the program.

Academic Dishonesty

Plagiarism is an inexcusable act in the view of the History faculty. Any student guilty thereof will be liable to expulsion from the program. A detailed statement by the faculty is available in the History office.  Please refer to the UMKC Student Standard of Conduct.

Research dishonesty refers to any conduct that is intended to mislead or communicate false research data or results, or which communicates such data or results in reckless disregard of their false or misleading character. Illustrations of research dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following:

• False or misleading statements or publications concerning research data or results
• Intentional or reckless distortion or misinterpretation of research data or results
• Use of research methods which the researcher knows to be unreliable or which produce erroneous results, unless appropriately explained in publications and reports of the research
• Release of research data or scholarly efforts of other persons, and representing them as one's own or failing to give appropriate credit to their sources
• Misuse of the work of others or misrepresentation of authorship as that of the student