Program requirements

Master’s Stream in Holocaust Studies

Thesis-Based MA Option

The thesis-based MA stream in Holocaust Studies consists of a minimum of 16.5 units of graduate credit:

  1. GMST 501 or SLST 501 (1.5);
  2. GMST 502 or SLST 502 (1.5);
  3. GMST 580 (1.5);
  4. 1.5 units in Holocaust Studies (one of GMST 581, GMST 582, GMST 583, GMST 584, GMST 585, GMST 589, SLST 581);
  1. 3 units in GMST (1.5 units may be a Holocaust-related course in another

department);

  1. 1.5 units Summer Practicum/Internship Term: GMST 587.
  2. Thesis (minimum of 70 pages) worth 6 units of credit.

All courses, except GMST 501/SLST 501, GMST 502/SLST 502, and GMST 580 are variable in content and may be taken more than once, with departmental permission. At the end of GMST 501/SLST 501, students are expected to submit a Thesis Proposal that will allow them to start work on their Thesis (GMST 599/SLST 599).

Non-Thesis MA Option

Students in the Holocaust Studies stream (non-thesis option) complete 10.5 units of course work, one summer practicum/internship (1.5 unit), and write a major research paper in the form of a journal article (30–35 pages) worth 4.5 units of credit. Students can also opt to submit a visual arts project (photography, video, or computer art), a performance-based production (musical or theatrical), or a creative writing project (fiction, drama or poetry). All creative submissions must be complemented by a scholarly essay (15–20 pages) that discusses the creation of the art work and places it in a historical context. Students are encouraged to link their research paper or creative projects to the focus of their practicum or internship placement. The projects will be graded by the supervisor and an additional faculty member (whose expertise is relevant to the student's research) and will not be subject to an oral defense.

Practicum / Internship Requirement

All students in the MA stream in Holocaust Studies are required to complete a practicum or internship in a Holocaust Studies related field, which normally takes place in the summer term of the first year of the MA program. There is no pre-set practicum/internship programs. With the help of Germanic and Slavic Studies, students explore practicum/internship opportunities based on their individual interests and available options. The practicum/internship can be in Canada or abroad at an organization, archive, memorial site, education centre, or museum that exhibits, archives, or works in Holocaust and human rights related fields. Some practicums/co-ops are partly or fully funded, but there is no guarantee of funding.