The Ph.D. in History is a highly selective program. It is both small enough to ensure plenty of faculty-student engagement and large enough to allow students to pursue research within broad chronological, geographic and thematic fields. We encourage students to develop the widest possible range of methodological skills in dealing with historical sources. The faculty in the Department of History have broad teaching and research interests, with particularly strong major fields in United States history (especially the U.S. South), Latin American history; Europe from the Renaissance to the present; and ancient and medieval Europe. In addition, minor fields are offered in a variety of geographic, transnational and thematic fields.
Students earn their M.A. degree while working towards the Ph.D. degree. Candidates working towards the Ph.D. must complete the following requirements:
- Complete required historiography and methodology courses: HIST 7001 Seminar in Historical Practice (3 c.h.) in the fall semester of their first year and HIST 7003 Historiography & Methods I (3 c.h.), before the start of their second year. HIST 7003 Historiography & Methods I (3 c.h.) is normally taken as an independent studies sequence over the spring and summer of the first year.
- Complete at least a further twelve credits of course work, including HIST 7005 Historiography & Methods II (3 c.h.) before the start of their third year. HIST 7005 Historiography & Methods II (3 c.h.) is normally taken as independent studies over the summer.
- Students must include in their course work at least three 7000-level seminars in addition to the required seminar HIST 7001 Seminar in Historical Practice (3 c.h.) (independent studies do not count as a seminar). Courses taken outside of the department of history require approval of the advisor.
- Complete two required writing courses: HIST 7006 Intermediate Hist. Writing (3 c.h.) is normally taken over the summer before the second year, and HIST 7007 Advanced Hist. Writing (3 c.h.) is normally taken in the summer before the start of the third year.
- Demonstrate proficiency in two languages (one language for students whose first field is United States or Britain from 1500).
- Complete the following service obligations: Five semesters of TA and RA service. Depending on departmental need, students have the option to teach their own course in the fall or spring of their third year.
- Complete HIST 7008 Prof. Deve. and Documentation (3 c.h.), leading to the successful compilation and defense of the portfolio.
- Write an acceptable dissertation, and defend this in an oral examination.