phd history length

The Profession

How Long to the PhD?

Robert B. Townsend | Feb 1, 2006

One of the recurring questions we hear from doctoral programs and doctoral students is, "Just how long does it really take to get a PhD?" The answer, it appears, is around eight years.

As we noted in the January 2006 issue of Perspectives (" A Statistical Snapshot of History PhDs: 2004 "), published information from the federal Survey of Earned Doctorates offers two rather unusual measures of the time spent earning the degree—the time since the baccalaureate degree, and the years spent registered for courses after the baccalaureate degree. For history, the former has hovered around 11 years, while the latter was a bit over 9 years.

Of course, for many directors of graduate studies and doctoral students, this particular measure is of little use for assessing how much time someone should (or will) spend in a doctoral degree program. So the AHA staff asked the National Opinion Research Center, which administers and tabulates the survey, to look at some of its unpublished data for a more precise figure.

As expected, the actual time spent in specific doctoral programs is much lower than the published figures. Among new history PhD recipients in 2004, the median amount of time spent in a particular program was 8 years. This included 3.5 years on coursework and exam preparation, and 4 years on the dissertation.

There was surprisingly little variation between the various geographic subfields on these questions. New European history PhDs reported the least time spent in coursework—with a median of just three years among those who received the PhD since 2001 ( Figure 1 ). This compares to four years or more among students who received PhDs in African and Latin American history in 2004. It should be noted, however, that we have only one year of data on those fields, which could cause some skewing.

It is a bit surprising to find that the median time spent on the dissertation is identical in each of the geographic field specializations at four years. Given the variations in language requirements and travel to distant archives, we would have expected some variation between the fields, but the median has been steady in each field over the past four years.

The only points of variation occurred in the more specific field of the history of science, which had a median of 3.5 years spent on the dissertation, and the "general history" category, which popped up to a median of 5 years in 2004, when a number of African and Latin American historians migrated into their own categories.

The data from the federal survey does not indicate whether the students already earned credits toward the degree in an earlier program, and whether the coursework was taken on a full- or part-time basis. Nevertheless, the data provides a better measure of the actual time spent by students in history doctoral programs before they receive the PhD degree.

—Robert Townsend is AHA’s assistant director for research and publications.

Tags: Graduate Education

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History PhD

First awarded by the University of Maryland in 1937, the Doctorate in History is conferred for superior achievement in historical research, writing, and interpretation.

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PhD Program Overview

The Doctorate in History (PhD) is an essential component in the training of professional historians. The most significant requirement of the PhD degree program is the dissertation, an original and noteworthy contribution to historical knowledge. In anticipation of dissertation research, students spend several years mastering bibliographical tools, research and writing methods, and general, special, and minor fields of study.

Admission to the PhD program is offered to highly qualified applicants holding at least a Bachelor's (BA) degree, normally in History or a related discipline. Application and admissions procedures are described on the Department of History's  graduate admissions page .

The length of time required to complete the PhD varies by field of study and student. Students admitted with a Bachelor's (BA) degree might expect to complete the program in five to six years of full-time study. Students entering with a Master of Arts (MA) degree might expect to complete the program in four to five years of full-time study. The degree must be completed in no more than nine years.  Students typically take two years of course work, prepare for and take language exams (if required for their field) and comprehensive exams, and then research and write the dissertation.

Program Requirements and Policies

General program requirements.

• Course work in the major and minor fields
• Language examinations if required by field
• Comprehensive examinations
• Dissertation prospectus
• Advancement to candidacy
• The dDssertation

Each of these program requirements must be met before the PhD can be conferred.

Course Requirements

All PhD students entering with a Bachelor's (BA) degree (or equivalent) must take, at a minimum, the following courses (total 30 credits, not including 12 credits of “Dissertation Research”):

• Contemporary Theory (HIST 601; 3 credits)
• Major Field General Seminar (HIST 608; 3 credits)
• Readings courses in the major field (HIST 6XX and 7XX; 9 credits)
• Readings courses in the minor field (HIST 6XX and 7XX; 9 credits)
• Research seminars (HIST 8XX; 6 credits)
• Dissertation Research (HIST 898/899; 12 credits)

Special Notes:

• Courses completed during previous post-baccalaureate degree programs and/or at other institutions may be considered to satisfy course requirements. However, students entering the PhD program with a Master's (MA) degree or equivalent in History or a related discipline must take a minimum of two  600-800 level courses in the major field, one of which should be with the major advisor.
• Requests for course requirement waivers, equivalency, and credit transfers should be directed to the Director of Graduate Studies. A request must include the course syllabus and transcripts showing the final grade. The endorsement of the advisor is typically sought.
• Up to nine credit hours of major and minor field readings courses may be taken at the 400 level.  Students seeking to take a 400 level course for graduate credit should consult the instructor of record to discuss course expectations before registering.
• HIST 708/709: “Directed Independent Reading for Comprehensive Examinations” does not count toward the nine-credit readings seminar requirement.
• Students in the U.S. and Latin America fields are expected to take two major field seminars (HIST 608)–in this case, one of these 608s will be counted toward the “Readings courses in the major field” requirement.
• Students must complete the entire program for the doctoral (PhD) degree, including the dissertation and final examination, during a four-year period after admission to candidacy, but no later than nine years after admission to the doctoral (PhD) program. Students must be advanced to candidacy within five years of admission to the doctoral (PhD) program. 

Fields of Study

Doctoral students should choose one of the following as their “major field” of study:

Global Interaction and Exchange

• Jewish History (Classical Antiquity to the Present)

Latin America

Middle East

• Technology, Science, and Environment

United States

Learn more about fields of study and faculty work produced in each field by visiting the research fields page .

The Minor Field

All doctoral students are required to complete a minor field of study outside the major field of study. This requirement is typically met through nine credit hours of coursework. However, a student may opt to satisfy the requirement by written examination.

A minor field is usually a field of history outside the student's major field of concentration. For example, a student in the U.S. field may select a minor field in Latin American history; a student in the Women & Gender field may select a minor field in European history. The minor field may be a standard national-chronological field (e.g., 19th-century United States; Imperial Russia; Postcolonial India), or it may be a cross-cultural, cross-regional thematic field (e.g., the Atlantic in the era of the slave trade; gender and Islam). Or, it might be taken in a department or program outside of History (e.g., Women's Studies, English, Government & Politics, Classics and Comparative Literature).

For students opting to satisfy the minor field requirement via coursework, all courses must be approved by the student's advisor and must, to the satisfaction of the advisor and the Graduate Committee, form a coherent field of historical inquiry distinct from the general field. Courses taken at the master's level may count towards fulfillment of the minor field requirements, subject to the approval of the advisor and, in the case of courses taken at outside institutions, of the director of graduate studies.

Language Requirements

Language requirements must be fulfilled before a student is admitted to candidacy. While no MA degree requires language examinations, students will often have to learn one or more foreign languages in their field of study to successfully complete their research. They will also need to learn these languages if they wish to continue on towards a PhD. When applying for either program, preference will be given to students with prior experience with languages in their fields of study.

Language requirements differ across the varying fields within history.

No foreign language requirements for the PhD. If a student’s dissertation topic requires research in foreign language materials, the advisor will decide if the student needs to show proficiency by taking an examination in the language in question.

Spanish and Portuguese. For admission, applicants will be evaluated on their language abilities, and preference will be given to applicants with a strong command of Spanish and/or Portuguese. All PhD students must show proficiency by examination in both languages by the time they are admitted to candidacy. Exceptions to one of those languages (typically Portuguese) if the student’s dissertation requires the use of indigenous languages or documents produced by ethnic minorities. In such cases, students must be proficient in those languages.

One language (in addition to English). Depending on the field, the adviser may determine that the student needs to show proficiency in an additional language.

For admission, students must have proficiency at the advanced intermediate level in at least one major Middle Eastern language (Arabic, Persian or Turkish). All PhD students must acquire advanced proficiency in their chosen language either by course work or exam by the time they are admitted to candidacy. In addition, students must demonstrate proficiency in one European language by the time of their comprehensive exams.

Ancient Mediterranean

For admission, students should present knowledge of classical Greek and Latin at the intermediate level and reading knowledge of either French or German. Knowledge of classical Greek, Latin, French and German is required for the PhD. Other language skills, eg. Italian, Spanish, Modern Greek or Hebrew, may prove to be necessary for dissertation research but are not formal program requirements. Students satisfy the requirement in Latin and Greek in one of two ways: either by completing three upper level or graduate courses (400-600 level) in each language and obtaining at least a B in all courses and an A- or better in at least two of the courses; or by passing a departmental sight translation exam. This exam consists of translating (with the help of a dictionary) three passages of three sentences each (roughly one-fourth to one-third OCT page) selected from prose authors of average difficulty. Students show proficiency in French and German through the regular departmental language exams.

Medieval Europe

For admission, proficiency in either Latin, French or German and familiarity with a second of those languages. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in Latin, French and German. They can satisfy the Latin requirement in one of two ways: either by taking three upper level or graduate courses (400-600 level) and obtaining at least a B in all courses and an A- or better in at least two of the courses; or by passing a departmental sight translation exam. This exam consists of translating (with the help of a dictionary) three passages of three sentences each (roughly one-fourth to one-third OCT page) selected from medieval prose authors of average difficulty. Students show proficiency in French and German through the regular departmental language exams. Depending on the field, students may have to know an additional national/regional language like Spanish or Italian.

Early Modern Europe

For admission, proficiency in one foreign language related to the field. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages. Depending on the field, students may also have to know Latin.

Modern Europe

For admission, students must know the language of the country or region in which they are interested. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in the language of the country/region in which they are interested plus another European language.

Russia/Soviet Union

For admission, three years of Russian or the equivalent. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in Russian plus either French or German. Depending on the area of interest, the adviser may require an additional language.

For admission, advanced intermediate-level proficiency in modern Hebrew. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in modern Hebrew and one other language necessary for their fields. The advisor may require other languages as necessary.

Chinese History

For admission, students must have had at least two years of university-level Chinese language courses. All PhD students must acquire advanced proficiency in Chinese since they will be using Chinese documents for their dissertations.  Before admission to candidacy students must pass a Chinese language exam in which they will translate about 30 lines of modern, scholarly Chinese into English. As with all departmental language exams, students will be able to use a dictionary, and they will have four hours to complete the translation.

Language Examinations

Except as specified for Latin and ancient Greek, the typical language proficiency examination includes a summary and translation of a passage from a work of modern scholarship in the student’s field. The director of graduate studies appoints a faculty member, typically the student’s advisor, to coordinate the exam and select an excerpt from a published work of historical scholarship in the student’s field. Students write a 200-300 word summary of this five-to-seven page excerpt from the scholarly literature in their fields, and then they do a direct translation of an indicated 30-line passage within that excerpt. The direct translation must be accurate and rendered in idiomatic English. Students have four hours to complete the exam, and they may use a language dictionary that they themselves provide.

Language exams can be taken at any time before candidacy. The exams are read by two members of the faculty: typically, the student’s advisor, who chooses the passage and serves as chair of the exam committee, and one other member of the faculty chosen by the D\director of graduate studies in consultation with the advisor. Faculty from outside the department who have the necessary expertise are eligible to serve as evaluators. The two possible grades are pass and fail. If the two readers do not agree, the director of graduate studies will appoint a third faculty member to read the exam. Students who do not pass on the first attempt may retake the examination without prior approval. After a second failure, the student must petition for reexamination. The chair of the language exam committee will notify the director of graduate studies about the results of the exam within one week after the exam, and the graduate coordinator will notify the student in writing about the results, which will then be inserted into the student’s records. All students should normally pass their language examinations during their third year of the program, though given the complexity of the language requirements in different fields of study, the department recognizes the need to exercise some flexibility in the timing of this requirement.

• Comprehensive Examinations

Comprehensive examinations (comps) are a standard feature of historical training in the United States. The examinations require the examinee to demonstrate mastery of historical scholarship and historiography in a major field, including specialized mastery of the authors, themes, works and topics most relevant to the intended dissertation topic. All students register for HIST 708/709: “Directed Independent Reading for Comprehensive Examinations” for two semesters, once in the semester prior to the one in which they are scheduled to take the examinations (normally the fifth semester of the student’s program) and the second in the same semester as their examinations (normally the sixth semester of the student’s program). As noted above, these courses do not count towards the nine-credit readings seminar requirement.

Comprehensive examinations include the following:

• A special field examination in the form of an essay. Students prepare an essay of 4,000 to \5,000 words in length, 16-20 pages, double-spaced in a 12-point font. The special field is a subfield of the major field in which the dissertation is centered.
• A take-home major field examination administered in written format. Students have 48 hours to complete the exam, which should be 5,000 to 6,000 words, 20-24 pages, double-spaced in a 12-point font in length.
• A two-hour oral examination by the examination committee, including coverage of both the take-home major field exam and the essay that comprises the special field exam.

Timeline : The comprehensive examinations are administered during the first half of the student’s sixth semester in the program. The special field essay has to be submitted to the graduate coordinator before the student takes the major field examination. The oral examination follows within two weeks of passing the major field examination and the special field essay. Students entering the program with an MA in history might be expected to complete their comprehensive examinations during their fifth semester in the program. (Also see the “Combined Timeline for Comprehensive Examinations and the Prospectus” at the end of this document.)

Reading Lists : The format, content and length of the reading lists for the comprehensive examinations vary by field but the list should normally be in the range of 200 to 250 books. Of these, about two-thirds should be in the major field and one-third in the special field. In all fields, students develop their reading lists in consultation with their advisors and other members of the examination committee. The reading list must be compiled and approved by the examination committee by the end of their second-year summer (after the student’s fourth semester in the program). For students coming in with an MA in history who would like to take their examinations during their fifth semester in the program, the list must be ready by the end of the student’s third semester. After approval, limited changes may be made solely by mutual agreement of the student and his/her advisor.

The examination committee : The examination committee consists of three or four members of the Graduate Faculty, typically all members of the history faculty. The director of graduate studies designates the committee members and chair, in consultation with the major advisor and the student. The committee chair shall not be the student's advisor. All committee members contribute questions to the written and oral examinations. Most or all of these same committee members are normally also on the student’s dissertation committee but the composition of the examination and prospectus committees do not need to be the same.

Grading : Comprehensive examinations will be graded pass, pass with distinction or fail.

Combined Timeline for Comprehensive Exams and Prospectus

• Both the initial version of the prospectus and the special field essay are due before the major field take-home examination during the first half of the sixth semester of the student's program.
• The major field take-home examination should be completed also during the first half of the sixth semester of the student's program after the initial version of the prospectus and the special field essay are submitted.
• The two-hour oral examination on both the take-home major field exam and the essay that comprises the special field exam follows within two weeks of passing the major field examination and the special field exam. This oral exam can take place during the second half of the sixth semester of the student’s program.
• The one-hour oral examination based on the initial version of the prospectus also takes place during the second half of the sixth semester of the student’s program but only after successful completion of the two-hour oral examination (#3 above).
• The final version of the prospectus as approved by the advisor is due on the first day of the academic semester that immediately follows the comprehensive examinations, which is normally the seventh semester of the student’s program.

Prospectus & Candidacy

Dissertation Prospectus

The dissertation prospectus is a written précis of the proposed dissertation research, its significance, the sources and methods to be used, the relevant bibliography including primary source materials and the plan of completion. It is intended to form the substance of grant proposals students will write in order to apply for both internal and external grants and fellowships. Each field of study has its own expectations for the length of the prospectus, but normally these should be concise documents not to exceed 10-12 pages in length, followed by a bibliography. In all fields, the prospectus is developed by the student in close collaboration with the advisor and other members of the examination committee.

The preparation of the prospectus includes the following stages :

• An initial version of the prospectus.
• A one-hour oral examination based on that initial version.
• A final version incorporating any revisions suggested by members of the dissertation committee and approved by the advisor submitted to the graduate coordinator.

Timeline : The initial draft version of the prospectus should be submitted to the graduate coordinator during the first half of the student’s sixth semester before the student takes the major field examination, normally at the same time as the special field essay. The one-hour oral examination of the prospectus based on the initial version is scheduled during the second half of the student’s sixth semester in the program following satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examinations. The final version of the prospectus as approved by the advisor is due on the first day of the academic semester that immediately follows the comprehensive examination. (Also see the “Combined Timeline for Comprehensive Examinations and the Prospectus” at the end of this document.)

The relationship between the prospectus and the special field Essay: The special field essay normally covers the historiography of the entire subfield within the major field in which the dissertation is anchored, while the prospectus is more narrowly concerned with the specific research topic of the dissertation.

The examination committee: The prospectus oral examination committee consists of the advisor and at least two other members of the Graduate Faculty, who are normally also members of the student’s dissertation committee. The advisor chairs the examination. All committee members contribute questions to the oral examination and make suggestions for revisions. Upon passing the oral examination, the student will complete any revisions requested (as determined by the advisor and the committee) and submit the final prospectus approved by the advisor to the graduate program coordinator.

MA “Along the Way”

When a student receives a pass or pass with distinction and the endorsement to continue on in the PhD program, the student has the option to request that the Master of Arts degree be conferred "along the way," subject to fulfillment of the standard requirements of the MA degree.

In some instances, the examination committee may recommend that a PhD student taking comprehensive examinations be given a pass at the MA level, sufficient for the conferral of a terminal master's degree. Such a recommendation will be made with the expectation that the student not continue on towards doctoral candidacy.

Petition for Reexamination

In the case of failure of a language examination taken for the second time or one or more components of the comprehensive examinations and the prospectus preparation process (special field essay, take-home major field examination, two-hour oral examination and prospectus oral examination), the student may petition the director of graduate studies to take the whole examination or the relevant component(s) a second time. If the petition is approved, the student may retake the examination as soon as possible. A student may petition only once to retake all or part of the comprehensive examinations and the prospectus preparation process.

Successful completion of the prospectus is typically the last step before application for advancement to candidacy.

• Advancement to Candidacy

A doctoral student advances to candidacy when all degree requirements (i.e., course work, demonstrated competence in languages or special skills, comprehensive examinations and the dissertation prospectus) have been satisfied, with the exception of the dissertation.

Formal admission to candidacy (sometimes known as "All but Dissertation" or "ABD" status) is granted by the dean of the Graduate School. The application is routed through the director of graduate studies.

Advising & Committees

Each student admitted to the PhD program will choose an advisor who is a member of the Graduate Faculty and whose intellectual interests are compatible with the student's plan of study. All graduate students are required to choose an advisor by November 1 of their first semester. If they do not choose an advisor by that date, the director of graduate studies will appoint one for them. The faculty advisor will be responsible for advising the student on all aspects of their academic program, for approving the student's course of study each semester, for monitoring their progress through the program,and for notifying the student of the nature and timing of examinations and other evaluative procedures. The advisor, in consultation with the student and the director of graduate studies, will be responsible for constituting the Comprehensive Examination and Dissertation Examination committees. The advisor will also represent the student to the Graduate Committee, as appropriate.

At the conclusion of the first year of study, all students will make available to their advisor a transcript of coursework and major written work completed during the first year. Upon review of the appropriate materials, the advisor will then recommend to the director of graduate studies continuation, modification or, as appropriate, termination of the student's program. All recommendations for termination require discussion and approval of the Graduate Committee.

Students may change advisors. The director of graduate studies and the new faculty advisor shall approve changes in advisors before a student advances to candidacy. After advancement to candidacy, changes shall be approved only by petition to the Graduate Committee. A change of advisor must be recorded in the student's electronic file.

Registration and Degree Progress

Continuous Registration

All graduate students must register for courses and pay associated tuition and fees each semester, not including summer and winter sessions, until the degree is awarded.

Pre-candidacy doctoral students who will be away from the university for up to one year may request a waiver of continuous registration and its associated tuition and fees. Waivers shall be granted only if the student is making satisfactory progress toward the degree and can complete all the degree requirements within the required time limits. Interruptions in continuous registration cannot be used to justify an extension to time-to-degree requirements.

Once advanced to candidacy, a student is no longer eligible for Waivers of Continuous Registration. Doctoral candidates must maintain continuous registration in HIST 899: “Doctoral Dissertation Research” until the degree is awarded.

The Graduate School makes available an official leave absence for childbearing, adoption, illness and dependent care. The dean of the Graduate School must approve the leave. The time-to-degree clock is suspended during an approved leave of absence.

Additional information on continuous registration and leave absence policies is published online in the Graduate Catalog.

Time-to-Degree

All students admitted to the doctoral program are expected to

• advance to candidacy within three years from initial enrollment in the Ph.D. program, and
• complete all degree requirements within six years of entering the program.

Progress-to-Degree

All students in the doctoral program will be expected to demonstrate steady progress toward the completion of degree requirements. At a minimum, the Graduate School requires students to maintain a B average in all graduate courses. However, the Department of History expects a higher level of performance, with the great majority of a student’s grades at the level of an A- or above.

Students in major fields that require lengthy language or special skill acquisition might be granted a one-year extension to progress-to-degree expectations. Additional extensions will require the approval of the Graduate Committee.

In order to meet progress-to-degree expectations :

• 800-level research seminar work should normally be completed by the end of the fourth semester in the program.
• The major field reading list must be compiled and approved by the examination committee by the end of the summer after the student’s fourth semester in the program.
• Students should complete their comprehensive examinations by the end of their sixth semester in the program. Students coming in with an M.A. in history should normally complete their comprehensive examinations by the end of their fifth semester in the program.
• Each student will be expected to submit a copy of the final dissertation prospectus approved by the advisor to the graduate program coordinator at the beginning of their seventh academic semester in the program.
• All students should normally pass their language examinations during the third year of their program.
• The director of graduate studies will review fully each student's progress-to-degree as well as the overall progress-to-degree by degree cohort at least once a year.

Failure to make satisfactory progress-to-degree or to maintain the expected grade point average may result in the suspension or loss of departmental funding, the denial of a petition for extensions, and in extreme cases, a recommendation for dismissal.

NOTE : The above guidelines on continuous registration, time-to-degree and progress-to-degree guidelines are for students matriculating in fall 2018 or thereafter. Students entering the graduate program in prior semesters are subject to guidelines at time of matriculation.

Extensions and Waivers

The Graduate Committee will consider petitions for waivers to departmental guidelines. Petitions for waivers to Graduate School requirements must be submitted to the dean of the Graduate School, using the appropriate form. In most instances, the petitioning student will be required to provide a rationale for the waiver request, and, as appropriate, a convincing plan of study. The advice of the student's advisor may be sought. The advisor will be required to endorse any waiver request that involves extensions to overall time-to-degree as well as the major benchmarks of progress-to-degree.

All petitions should be directed to the director of graduate studies. The director of graduate studies, and in some cases the dean of the Graduate School, will notify the student of their disposition of petitions for extensions.

Sample Program of Study

Introduction.

The program of study often varies by field and many factors may extend or reorder the sequence and length of the program of study.

The following program of study assumes that the doctoral student will be assigned a teaching assistantship in the second, third and fourth years of study. Students coming in with an MA in history will be expected to complete the program in five or five and a half years.

Foreign language study is not incorporated into this program.

 First Year (Departmental Fellowship)

• Major Field General Seminar (608) or Contemporary Theory (HIST 601)
• Major Field Readings Seminar
• Minor Field Course
• Research Seminar OR Minor Field Course
• Exploratory Research

Second Year (Teaching Assistantship)

• 2 courses out of the following three categories:
• Research Seminar 
• Research Seminar
• Reading for Comprehensive Examinations
• Initial Prospectus Preparation

Third Year (Teaching Assistantship)

• HIST 708: Readings for Comprehensives”
• Prospectus Preparation 
• Grant Applications
• HIST 709: “Readings for Comprehensive Examinations”
• Prospectus Oral Examination 
• Final Version of Prospectus
• Dissertation Research

Fourth Year (Teaching Assistantship)

• Dissertation Research (HIST 899)

Fifth Year (Departmental or External Fellowship)

• Grant Applications  

Spring & Summer

• Dissertation Writing

Sixth Year  (Departmental or External Fellowship)

• Job applications  
• Job applications

Graduate Placement

Learn more about the career and life paths of our PhD alumni.

Graduate Coordinator, History

2131 Francis Scott Key Hall College Park MD, 20742

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Graduate Program

Graduate program overview  .

The goal of the doctoral program is to train students to become both skilled scholars and conscientious teachers. Throughout the program students work with advisors and other faculty members as they engage in coursework , prepare for and take the  general exam , work as teaching fellows , and research and write the dissertation . On average it takes seven years to receive the doctoral degree*. Most graduates have pursued academic careers at universities and colleges in the United States and abroad, while others have gone on to successful careers in law and in government.

As a large research university, Harvard offers many resources and opportunities for its students in the form of lectures , conferences , research centers , fellowships, and grants . Students have access to the more than 80  libraries and 15 million volumes that comprise the Harvard University Library, the largest university library in the world.

Additionally, students may take courses offered by other departments in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences, or at other Harvard schools , such as Harvard Divinity School , Harvard Law School , Harvard Graduate School of Education , and Harvard Kennedy School .

In coordination with Harvard Law School, students may pursue both a PhD in history and a JD at the Law School . To learn more about this course of study consult the Coordinated JD/PhD program overview.

* The History Department does not offer a terminal master's program.

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The Graduate Program

Columbia has been one of the most important centers of graduate education in history since modern Ph.D. programs began in America over a century ago. Recipients of our degrees hold distinguished positions in virtually every major university in the United States, and in many abroad. Our program offers a broad education in most areas of historical scholarship and attempts to train students for a discipline and a profession in the midst of considerable change. That includes not simply assisting students in acquiring the knowledge and skills essential to becoming contributing scholars, but also helping them to become effective teachers and to exist comfortably within a demanding and complicated professional world.

The members of our faculty represent many different approaches to the study of the past, and we strive to attract students of similarly diverse interests and commitments. No one should feel that being at Columbia requires accepting any one approach to the study of history.

This part of our website is designed to provide both prospective and current students with answers to some of the many questions they may have about the department.

Admissions answers commonly-asked questions about our admissions process.

Under Ph.D. Fields you will find information about the separate fields of study available in our program and the relationship among them.

Fellowships and Financial Aid explains the various ways we provide our students with fellowships and financial aid.

Dissertations-in-Progress summarizes the course of study towards the Ph.D and highlights the work of our students.

Research awards and recent honors are showcased in Award Announcements .

The section entitled Placement sketches how we prepare our students for the academic job market and reports on how our students have done in that market in recent years.

In the Graduate Handbook , we explain our curriculum and our academic requirements and provide more detailed information about aspects of the program such as the MA, Orals, M.Phil., Dissertations, etc.

Our FAQs are useful for students seeking admission as well as for current students seeking quick information.

The Annual Newsletter keeps us informed about our students.

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You will work with a stellar faculty in the Department of History and neighboring departments as you acquire advanced skills in historical research, analysis, and writing, as well as teaching.

Nine research centers affiliated with the history program offer further programs in area studies, including The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, and The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. You also have access to the largest university library system in the world, consisting of 80 libraries and 17 million volumes.

Examples of dissertations students have worked on include “Cold War Capitalism: The Political Economy of American Military Spending from 1949 to 1989” and “Imperial Schemes: Empire and the Rise of the British Business-State, 1914–1939.”

Graduates of the program have gone on to teach at Yale University, Princeton University, NYU, and the University of Maryland. Others have gone on to positions outside academia as startup founders, lawyers, policy analysts, and museum curators.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of History and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

African History | Ancient History | Byzantine History | Early Modern European History | East Asian History | Environmental History | International and Global History | Latin American History | Medieval History | Middle Eastern History | Modern European History | Russian and Eastern European History | South Asian History | United States History

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of History .

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required. While there is not a specific length requirement, most writing samples are around 20 to 25 pages. If you are submitting a sample that is part of a larger work (a chapter from a thesis, for instance) you may include a brief abstract situating the piece in the larger work.

Statement of Purpose

Your statement of purpose should include why you want to study history in graduate school, why you want to study at Harvard, and indicate your research interests and potential advisors. The required writing sample should be of remarkable quality and ask historical questions. Reading ability in two languages other than English is helpful. Most statements of purpose are around 3 to 5 pages.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Optional

In coordination with Harvard Law School, students may pursue both a PhD in history and a JD at Harvard Law School. To learn more about this course of study consult the Coordinated JD/PhD program overview.

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for History

See list of History faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Department of History

Program Guidelines

The Guidelines for the graduate program in History are intended to be a reference for all policies and procedures relevant to the Ph.D. programs in History and History of Science. All students are also responsible for adhering to university policies as described in Rights, Rules, Responsibilities  and all Graduate School Policies .

Table of Contents

The program of graduate study, pre-generals: the first and second years.

• The General Exam

Post-Generals: The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Years

Financial support, departmental funding opportunities, job placement.

The History Ph.D. program at Princeton University provides students with a common grounding in the advanced study of history; at the same time it affords each student an opportunity to work out a program of study suited to their own interests.

The normal duration of the program, and the maximum period of regular enrollment, is five years. During the first two years, the student participates in courses, writes two research papers, completes language requirements, defines a major and two minor fields of study, takes the general examination, and defines a dissertation topic. In the third, fourth, and fifth years, the student researches and writes the dissertation. Either the pre- or the post-generals phases of the program may be shortened, however, depending on the student's previous preparation and the requirements of the dissertation. It is understood that not all students will finish their dissertations by the end of the fifth year. Although formal enrollment ceases at that time, sixth year students are eligible for DCE (Degree Completion Enrollment) status. (Please note: the maximum of five years of graduate enrollment includes time spent in absentia on outside fellowships).

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) serves as the Department's general adviser on academic questions. The DGS maintains the liaison between students and faculty as well as between the students and the Graduate School Office in Clio Hall. The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) is responsible for approving programs of study and choices of fields and for interpreting Departmental and University regulations. The DGS has the authority to make exceptions to the various procedures that will be described in this booklet, and is, therefore, the first person with whom a graduate student should consult to explore any special arrangements.

The Financial Officer is the professor in charge of financial aid and placement, and they handle questions pertaining to departmental research, language study, and conference funding, and assists students in finding suitable positions upon their completion of graduate study.

By the fall term of the second year, each student selects a prospective area for a dissertation and requests an appropriate faculty member as their dissertation supervisor. The student thereafter consults with this faculty member about choice of courses, seminars, and fields of study and, above all, about preparations for defining a dissertation topic. If this faculty member is absent on leave, the student may need to ask another member of the faculty to oversee their work temporarily.

First-year students are expected to enroll in three courses each semester (including HIS 500 in the fall). First-year students are normally not permitted to enroll in courses off-campus through the IUDC or Ivy+ consortium agreements. Permission to participate in any Exchange or Consortium program is at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate School Office of Academic Affairs.

Second-year students ordinarily enroll in two courses the first semester and one course the second semester. Alternatively, second-year students may enroll in three courses in the first semester and devote the second semester entirely to preparing for the general examination. Second-year students are permitted to take a maximum of two courses off-campus through Exchange or Consortium agreements.

Successful completion of nine graded graduate seminars is required before a student may take the general examination.  Courses include: graduate seminars offered by the History Department; graduate seminars in other departments; student-initiated Reading Courses; and graduate seminars offered at other institutions as approved by the Graduate School. Although much of each student's program will be aimed at preparing for the general examination, students are strongly advised to take some courses in the first two years that do not fall within their general examination fields. For most students, the first two years of graduate school will provide the last opportunity to receive systematic instruction in subjects outside their specialized interests.

History 500 - Introduction to the Professional Study of History

This seminar serves as an introduction to some of the main traditions of historical inquiry and to some of the major problems confronting contemporary historians in all fields. First-year graduate students are required to enroll.

Research Seminars

The principal task of a student in such a seminar is the writing of a research paper based on primary materials. The instructor assists by providing guidance on research methods and the appropriate bibliographic tools. The selection of the paper topic requires special care to ensure that the paper can be completed in the semester in which it is assigned. The student should not attempt to produce a publishable paper in a research seminar; on the other hand, some research papers do prove publishable after further research and revision.

Research seminars are generally specialized in their subject, and therefore require a working knowledge of the field. When the materials are not in English, it is assumed that the student can use the appropriate language in research.

Reading Seminars

These courses introduce a student to the major historical problems of a relatively broad field — the principal literature, the major interpretations, the relevant bibliographies, and the crucial issues that historians are currently examining. Reading courses require written work in some form — for example, a series of short reports, a bibliographic essay examining the available literature on a topic, interpretive essays, or critical reviews of major books. With the approval of the instructor, however, a student may produce a research paper that evolves out of the work of the course.

Reading and Research Seminars

These seminars combine features of the reading and research seminars. They begin with several weeks of general background reading before proceeding to the preparation of a substantial research paper. In many cases, faculty offer writing options — for example, a bibliographic essay — for the student who wishes to take such seminars without writing a long research paper.

Student-Initiated Reading Courses

When students wish to develop some field or topic which cannot be covered in the formal program of reading and research seminars, they may request permission to take a specially arranged graduate reading course with a particular member of the faculty who, in turn, is prepared to offer such a course. Such courses may assume a wide variety of forms: they may be research or reading oriented, and they may involve from three up to a half dozen or more students. Several rules must be followed:

• There will be at least twelve regularly scheduled meetings throughout the semester.
• A grade and written evaluation of each student will be submitted by the faculty member supervising the course.
• Every effort should be made to initiate these courses before the term in which they are to be given. See the Graduate Program Administrator for assistance with completing the required paperwork. The Proposed Reading Course form is available via the graduate History website under Archimedes .

Student-Initiated Reading Courses must be graded (A-F) and taken for credit. There should be a writing component, which can take one of several forms: regular end-of-term research paper, ongoing response papers, annotated bibliographies, or short essays throughout the term. Students are not allowed to audit this type of course.

Anyone who wishes to explore the possibility of such a course should first find out whether any other students share a similar interest in a topic and should then determine the overall size of the group that might wish to take part; at the earliest possible moment, the student should also discuss the matter with the member of the faculty who is to be asked to supervise the course. But students should also understand that a particular professor may not be able to sponsor such a course — either because of previous commitments or because it does not fall within their interests.

Supervised General Reading

Students who wish to work out arrangements with particular faculty members involving individual tutorial work or "supervised general reading" may do so if other alternatives are not available, but only with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. Circumstances that justify such arrangements include not being able to work out one of the specially arranged reading courses described above, or the need to pursue a certain topic in preparation for the general examination. The faculty member concerned will advise the student on matters of bibliography and will meet informally with the student during the semester. Some written work will normally be required. This option is not available to students in their first term. Supervised general reading does not count as one of the nine required graded graduate seminars.

Other Course Options

Undergraduate lecture courses.

Graduate students may enroll in undergraduate lecture courses in history or in other fields as part of their regular program of study. In such cases, students will be expected to pursue a program of additional readings to supplement the undergraduate materials. This may be done on an individual basis or, if several students are interested, through a graduate precept. The consent of the instructor and the Director of Graduate Studies must be obtained and the required paperwork must be completed (i.e. the same “Proposed Reading Course” form used for student-initiated reading courses). See the Graduate Program Administrator for assistance.

Enrollment in an undergraduate course may be advisable in the following situations: to prepare for a research seminar in an advanced field where the student may have insufficient general preparation, or to review a field prior to taking the general examination.

Graduate Courses in Other Departments

Students are encouraged to elect a course in another department as part of their regular program, provided that it is pertinent to their fields of specialization. It is usually necessary for the student to secure the permission of the instructor and the approval of the graduate representative in the other department.

Students ought to be aware that courses in ancient history are offered by the Department of Classics. Courses in Near Eastern and East Asian History are offered by the departments of Near Eastern Studies and East Asian Studies.

Graduate Courses at Other Institutions

The Graduate School has made arrangements with a number of other institutions to allow for cross-registration. Students who wish to take a course at another institution through one of these programs must fill out the appropriate paperwork and adhere to the relevant deadlines. Students must obtain the permission of the DGS to enroll in a course outside of Princeton and the course must be taken for a grade.

Research Papers

Since training in research is one of the most significant elements of graduate education, the Department expects each student to write at least two research papers during the two years they are involved in course work. Students ought to keep in mind the possibility of using their research papers to investigate areas for dissertation topics. It is highly desirable to do some early research in the language(s) of the prospective dissertation. Each of the two research papers must be certified as an acceptable research paper by the respective instructor. Collaborative work is not acceptable towards certification of a research paper.

One of the two research papers must be written in the course of the first year. Students may write the paper in the context of a research seminar or in consultation with faculty independent of a formal course, and they may do so in either semester. If the paper is written in the context of a research seminar, a draft must be submitted to the instructor by the course deadline (Dean’s Date) for a grade. Revisions will likely be required to raise the paper to the standard for certification. If the paper is written for a course in another department it may qualify as a certified research paper provided that 1) it is a piece of historical research and 2) the certification form is signed by a faculty member of the History Department.

The research paper should be completed within the semester in which it is initiated. In all cases an acceptable paper must be submitted to the instructor and certified by June 15 of the first year, at the latest, or the student will not be reenrolled for the second year. The second research paper must be submitted to the instructor and certified as acceptable by April 1 of the second year before the student can take the general examination.

Students who hold an M.A. degree upon entering the program may request that the M.A. thesis or a research paper completed in pursuance of the M.A. be accepted as one of the two required research papers. To qualify, such a paper must be accepted by an appropriate faculty member in the department, subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. The faculty member may require that the paper be rewritten to meet their standards.

Definition of the Research Paper

Since students are asked to write different kinds of papers — which are variously described as bibliographic essays, brief reports, book reviews, and so forth — it might be helpful to point out that the research paper is a distinct enterprise only in its emphasis on original work and the use of primary sources. The research papers demonstrate a student's capacity for the kind of work that will be essential to the dissertation. But that task can be accomplished in no more space than is needed for some bibliographic essays. Although the nature of the evidence, the approach, and the subject determine length, it should be emphasized that the research paper, as a genre, most closely resembles the journal article. Most scholarly journals have a limit of approximately twenty-five pages for submissions.

Language Requirement

The minimum requirement of the Department is a reading knowledge of either French or German (or Spanish in the case of American History). Within each field of study, the faculty decides which additional languages are required and the necessary degree of proficiency. In rare cases when the student, the student's adviser, and the Director of Graduate Studies all agree that the substitution of another language is reasonable, appropriate, and academically sound, some other language may be used in place of French or German. The following field requirements apply:

American History

Proficiency in Spanish, French, or German. A high level of proficiency is required.

British History

Proficiency in either French or German. A high level of proficiency is required.

East Asian History

Proficiency in one East Asian language and one European language.

European History

Proficiency in two languages other than English, one of which is either French or German. Students in medieval history are normally expected to be proficient in Latin, French, and German. Students in Byzantine history should be proficient in ancient/medieval Greek, French and German, and preferably Latin or one other ancient language.

Latin American History

Proficiency in two of the following: Spanish, Portuguese, French, or an indigenous language subject to faculty approval.

Middle Eastern History

Proficiency in one Middle Eastern language and one European language.

Russian History

Proficiency in Russian and either French or German.

South Asian History

Proficiency in one South Asian language and one European language.

The faculty of the History Department set most of the language examinations. Examinations in some languages, however, may be administered by appropriate language departments at Princeton or another institution when an examiner is not available within the History Department. For most languages, the examination consists of two passages to be translated, one with and one without a dictionary. For some languages, including Russian, Arabic, and East Asian languages, the examination consists of only one passage to be translated with a dictionary. While online language dictionaries may be used for the dictionary section of the exam, online translation services are strictly prohibited.

Successful completion of a language training program does not exempt students from taking the departmental language examination. Only native speakers of a language other than English may appeal to the Director of Graduate Studies for an exemption from taking the departmental language examination. Language examinations that have been passed will be recorded on the student’s academic transcript.

Language examinations will be announced at the beginning of each semester. Entering students should arrange one language examination early in their first term. The Department expects students to pass at least one language examination before enrolling for the second year. No student may complete the general examination or enroll for a fifth term without passing all language requirements. In fields that demand more than two languages, all but one of them must be passed prior to enrolling for a third term. Second-year students who fail the language exam at the regularly scheduled time may petition the Director of Graduate Studies and receive a second chance to take the exam in the same term, in order to fulfill the language obligation at a time which interferes less with general examination preparation.

Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)

Students will fulfill the mandatory Responsible Conduct of Research (HIS 503) seminar over the course of their first year.

Due Dates and Deadlines

All coursework for the fall term must be submitted to professors by fall Dean’s Date. If the fall term course work is not submitted, the student’s reenrollment is deferred. Second-year students with incomplete work from the fall term may not take the general examination in May of the second year.

All coursework for the spring term must be submitted to professors by spring Dean’s Date. The only exception applies to second-year students taking the general examination in May. For these second-year students, an extension of three weeks is granted for the submission of spring term coursework.

Students are expected to complete coursework in the semester in which it is assigned. In rare cases, an extension on the deadline for coursework can be granted at the discretion of the course instructor to accommodate extenuating circumstances due to a student’s personal or academic situation. If an extension is granted, a firm extended deadline must be agreed upon by the faculty member and the student and the new deadline must be communicated to the Graduate History Office.

A grade of “Incomplete” (INC) is given only in exceptional circumstances when there are compelling reasons, discussed in advance between the faculty member and the student, either for the student’s not turning in the work by the end of the academic term or for the faculty member’s not grading the work by the end of the academic term.

If a student has not turned in the final paper or work for a course within one year after the beginning of the course, the grade in that course will be recorded as a permanent “F” on the academic transcript. Students with Incompletes (INCs) on their records are ineligible for departmental research or language funding awards.

The General Examination

General information.

Students are expected to pass a written and oral examination in each of three fields before the end of their fourth semester of graduate study. The examinations in the three fields constitute the general examination. The general examination tests the student's acquaintance with the events and historiography of a given period or topic; the student's grasp of the issues involved in the study of these periods or topics; and the student's ability to follow, construct, and criticize historical interpretations of these issues.

Choosing Fields of Study

Each student chooses a major field corresponding to a broad segment of history that encompasses a variety of historical problems and that contains a body of literature rich enough to nurture the development of a professional historian. The major field should represent the area of history that a student will be primarily prepared to teach; it should be roughly equivalent to the period covered by an upper-level undergraduate survey course, as indicated in the following examples:

In American History, the major field should consist of the period covered by any two of the basic reading seminars, History 587, 588, 589, 590 or their chronological equivalent; for example, the United States from the Early Republic to World War I, or from Reconstruction to the present, from 1830 to 1945, and so on.

Students concentrating in Colonial and Revolutionary America, however, may confine their major field to a period of approximately two centuries, e.g., 1607-1815 or 1688-1865.

In other areas, the broader chronological and geographical sweep of the subjects makes a similar correlation between field definitions and existing courses impossible. In those areas, students should plan major fields either in the history of several countries for approximately a century, or in the history of a single country for a longer period. Examples of such major fields are: Europe since 1870; Europe in the 19th Century; Tudor-Stuart England; the Ancient Regime and the Revolution in France; Italy in the Renaissance, 1300-1550; France and England in the High Middle Ages; etc.

In all areas the precise focus and emphasis of the major field will be determined by prior consultation between the student and their examiners; in each case, the specific content of the student's previous program of study and their special interests within the field will help to determine the nature of the examination and the weight given to specific aspects of the field.

If a student wishes to offer a chronological minor field in American History, its scope should be equivalent to the period covered by one of the basic reading seminars listed above; for example, the United States from the Early Republic through the Civil War, or from 1815 to 1890, and so on. It is also possible to offer a thematic minor field in American history; for example, American social history, American legal history, the diplomatic history of the United States. Again, in other areas, it is more difficult to lay out prescriptive guidelines for minor fields. Possible minor fields in European history include the following: Renaissance and Reformation; 16th-century Europe; England, 1558-1760; Western Europe, 1815-1918; European cultural history, 1815-1914; Modern Britain.

In selecting minor fields, students are urged to consider the increasing importance of non-Western history and of studies outside the discipline of history. Not only is there much interesting work being done in these areas, but also many colleges and universities are looking increasingly for beginning teachers who can function effectively in fields outside of Western history. The Department encourages students to consider choosing a minor field in another discipline, for example, classics (especially ancient history), demography, economics, sociology, literature, the history of art, or areas in regional studies. A student who desires to offer a minor field in another department will need to consult appropriate faculty members and the graduate representative in that department in addition to the Director of Graduate Studies in order to secure approval for the proposed field.

Students may not take both minor fields in the history of the same country or region as their major field; that is, a student whose major field and one minor field are in the U.S., and/or pre-1776 North American history must choose the other minor field in an area unrelated to U.S. history; a student whose major field is the Old Regime in France and one minor field France from 1789 to 1848 must choose the other minor field in an area unrelated to French history; and so on. In some cases, a minor field in a markedly different time period may be substituted for a different country or area: e.g., a student taking a major field in Europe since 1870 and a minor field on France from the Treaty of Versailles to World War I might offer a second minor in some aspect of medieval French history. The Director of Graduate Studies must approve all such combinations of major and minor fields.

Students specify all their fields on a form provided for this purpose at the beginning of their second year of study; this proposal, and any subsequent alteration of it, must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Preparing for the General Examination

Students prepare for general examination fields by taking courses and by further reading on their own. In all areas, students should normally plan to have at least two courses containing substantial general readings as a basis for a major field, and at least one for a minor. All students majoring in American history are required to take two of the basic reading courses (587 through 590). These two courses should match the chronology of the major field as closely as possible. In other areas, students should consult with the faculty teaching in their specific fields of interest in order to arrive at a combination of courses that will provide a solid substructure for their preparation. Although reading and "reading and research" courses will often be the most helpful for preparing fields, research seminars may also constitute extremely useful preparation. If for any reason the Department is unable to provide basic courses suitable for preparing students in an approved field, the Director of Graduate Studies will assist the student in finding satisfactory alternate means of field preparation. If necessary, the Director may grant exemptions from the normal course requirements or from the requirement that specially arranged reading courses contain a minimum number of students.

Taking the General Examination

To be eligible to complete the general examination, a student must have fulfilled the appropriate language requirements, have completed two certified research papers, and have completed all of the work in the courses in which they have enrolled in the first three semesters. No student with an ‘Incomplete’ from the first three semesters will be permitted to complete the general examination until the outstanding course work has been finished.

Students should take their examinations on all three fields at one time. If, due to extenuating circumstances, a student needs to divide the examination (by offering the major field at one sitting and the two minors at another), they must appeal to the Director of Graduate Studies for consideration. If, due to extenuating circumstances, a student wishes to delay all three field examinations to an exam period other than May of the second year, they must appeal to the Director of Graduate Studies for consideration of an alternative timeline.

Normally, the Graduate School does not allow examiners outside of Princeton University to be part of General Examination committees. No general examination committee may have fewer than three faculty examiners. An examiner may offer two fields for a student but at least one of those must be jointly offered with another examiner to ensure that there are at least three faculty members on the committee.  

The written portion of the exam is generally distributed to students at 9:00 am on the first Monday of spring reading period.  Students are to return their answers to the graduate office by 3:00 p.m. on the Friday of the same week. Late examinations will not be accepted. Written exams will be distributed to faculty Friday afternoon for review in advance of the oral examination. The word count for the entire exam may not exceed 4,000 words for each field (i.e., 12,000 words in total) regardless of the total number of questions to be answered.

All content for the written examination must be created within the exam week. No portion of the written answers should be copied from notes or practice exams, and students should not have anyone else review their work nor should students discuss their exams with other students until after all oral exams have concluded. Students are responsible for adhering to all University policies on academic integrity.

The oral portion of the exam is typically two hours long, with one full hour devoted to the major field and a half hour for each of the minor fields. Students may bring clean copies of their written essays and reading lists into the examination room, along with a blank notepad and pen or pencil. Students may request a brief pause between fields during the oral exam.

Results of the General Examination

Immediately following the oral exam, the student's overall performance will be evaluated and recorded as pass, fail, or pass with distinction. The student must pass each of the three field examinations; marginal performance in one field may be compensated for by a strong performance in another field. Failure in any one field cannot, however, be compensated for by work in another field, no matter how distinguished. Inadequacy on a written examination in a field can be compensated for by excellence in the oral examination, and vice versa.

The examining committee will record brief comments on the General Examination Report Form which is to be submitted to the Graduate History Office within 24 hours of the exam. The student will receive a copy of the form and the comments. Results will be reported to the Graduate School within ten days of the oral exam.

A student who completes all departmental requirements (coursework, language exams, and research papers, with no incompletes from the first year and first semester of the second year) but fails one or two of the general examination fields may take the exam a second time if they are otherwise making satisfactory academic progress and meet the criteria for reenrollment.

A student who fails one or two of the examination fields needs to retake only the field(s) in which they failed. If the student fails the general examination a second time, then Ph.D. candidacy is automatically terminated. The student must resolve any incompletes from the final semester’s coursework before the terminal M.A. degree may be awarded.

If a student fails all three general examination fields, the Director of Graduate Studies will consult with the examining committee to determine whether the student should be reenrolled and given the opportunity to retake the exam or should be awarded the terminal M.A. degree and have their enrollment terminated. If the student is reenrolled and given an opportunity to retake the exam but fails the general examination a second time, then Ph.D. candidacy is automatically terminated. In either case, student must have completed all departmental requirements (coursework, language exams, and research papers, any incompletes resolved) before the terminal M.A. degree may be awarded.

Any student who will retake the general examination should expect to retake the exam during the next exam period. Only in exceptional circumstances will the DGS approve for a student to delay the retaking of the examination to a later exam period. In no case may the student delay the retake of the examination for more than one year.

It is important to be aware that successful completion of the General Examination is a pre-requisite for progression to the PhD but that advancement is not automatic.  Advancement to candidacy for all students is decided by a vote of departmental faculty at a full faculty meeting, which is informed by a recommendation from the Director of Graduate Studies. This recommendation is based on a student’s General Examination performance and the faculty’s assessment of their entire academic record since beginning the graduate program in History. Refer to the Enrollment section of the Guidelines for detailed enrollment policies.

The Master’s Degree

The Master of Arts degree is normally an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy, but may also be awarded to students who for various reasons leave the Ph.D. program. Students who have satisfactorily passed required coursework (with all incompletes resolved), fulfilled language requirements in their field of study, and completed the two required research papers may be awarded an M.A. degree. Students must complete the required “Advanced Degree Application” via TigerHub upon learning the Department’s determination of their candidacy in order to receive the master’s degree.

Dissertation Prospectus

The beginning of the dissertation project is the dissertation prospectus. Students will normally participate in the department's mandatory Dissertation Prospectus Workshop in June of the second year.

To be eligible, students must have passed their general examinations and have done so no later than their fourth semester of enrollment, or have special permission from the Director of Graduate Studies to participate. Passing the prospectus seminar is a required part of degree work in the department. Students are expected to participate actively in the workshop and devote their time and effort to completing a fully shaped prospectus before the summer is over.

Prospectus Approval

After the Prospectus Seminar, students are required to have a meeting together with their adviser and first reader (or with their co-advisers) to discuss the prospectus. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for the student to benefit from informal conversation with their key mentors regarding the intellectual and practical plans for the project.* The approval form should be signed by both the adviser and the first reader following this meeting. The signed form and approved prospectus must be filed with the Graduate Office before December 1 of the student’s third year (or six months after completion of an off-cycle general examination); continuation as an enrolled student will be contingent upon approval of the prospectus. 

*Ideally this meeting would take place in person but participants can join remotely when necessary —the key principle is that the student and both faculty engage in a joint conversation.

The Dissertation

While the dissertation is the principal business of the third, fourth and fifth years of graduate study, the student is well advised to begin thinking about a topic in their first year at Princeton. The summer between the first and second years can be used to good advantage for preliminary research, including exploration of archival resources in the United States and abroad. Such early investigations will help in the preparation of a prospectus and will be of special benefit to students who hope to compete for fellowships for research abroad in the third year (deadlines for these competitions will fall early in the first semester of the second year). Before the general examination students should have settled on a dissertation topic, chosen a dissertation supervisor, and should be moving forward toward their dissertation projects.

To facilitate definition of a dissertation topic, the department is prepared to support exploratory pre-dissertation research travel to archives between a student's first and second years.

The department has established the following guidelines for the dissertation:

• The dissertation should represent an original and significant contribution to knowledge.
• The dissertation should be based upon primary research.
• The dissertation should clearly demonstrate the capacity of the student to pursue independent historical research.
• The dissertation should be written in clear and coherent prose.
• Decisions concerning the scope of the dissertation and its length should be based primarily upon the nature of the problem and documentation. An acceptable dissertation may take various forms: it may be as short as 75 pages or as long as 300. Only in exceptional circumstances should it exceed 300 pages in length. The department assumes that most students will have completed their research and writing by the end of their fifth year of study; earlier completion is certainly feasible in many cases. The scope and length of the thesis should therefore be such that a finished project can be created in no more than three years of work.
• Whatever the scope of length of the dissertation, it should be capable of development for publication as an article or series of articles in a scholarly journal, or as a book.
• Students are reminded that conciseness is a literary virtue; quality does not increase with length.

It is obviously in the best interests of a student to select a dissertation topic which falls within the special competence of some member of the Princeton faculty. Otherwise, it is unlikely that either the student or the project will receive adequate care and attention. Occasions may arise, however, when a student is enthusiastically involved in a dissertation topic that is feasible but for which no member of our faculty can provide specialized guidance. In such cases, when the student, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the faculty member whose interest most closely approximates that of the student all agree that the topic is so promising that the disadvantages are offset, the Director of Graduate Studies may seek to establish an informal arrangement with a scholar at another institution to provide advice and guidance for the student's dissertation project. However, the department cannot provide compensation for outside scholars who agree to take care of such tasks, and in every case a Princeton faculty member must serve as the official supervisor.

Human Subjects Research and Oral History

All students who plan to interview people for their dissertation research are encouraged to complete the Human Research Training module provided by the university. Once completed, students will decide in conversation with their advisers whether or not they need to apply for IRB approval for their project.  If a student plans to quote their sources, then they are advised to obtain signed permission from informants.

Teaching Opportunities and Professional Development

The department recognizes that effective teaching is a partner to scholarship, and it tries to provide some kind of teaching experience for advanced graduate students who desire it. Prospective employers are attaching increasing importance to teaching experience, and the professional qualifications of a graduate student will be greatly enhanced if they have classroom experience.

Where possible, fifth-year students in residence, and some third- and fourth-year students, will receive appointments as Assistants in Instruction (AI's). An AI may teach in one course each term (approximately two to four classroom hours per week). The teaching assignment should not, therefore, unduly interfere with progress toward completion of the dissertation. AI's are paid according to the number of hours they teach each term. AI stipends and tuition rebates nominally exceed the standard level of the University Fellowship.

The AI normally conducts precepts (small discussion groups). The Department will hold regular meetings for students who are precepting to provide a general discussion about teaching. Most faculty members in charge of courses will also hold regular meetings with preceptors to discuss issues in their course.

The responsibility for AI appointments rests with the Chair of the Department. They will solicit applications from advanced graduate students who are interested in teaching in a given semester and will make staffing decisions in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and the instructors of the undergraduate courses in question. Advanced graduate students are not guaranteed teaching appointments; decisions about AI's will depend on course enrollments, faculty teaching schedules, and faculty assessments of a graduate student's probable effectiveness in the classroom.

Procedure for Receiving the Ph.D. Degree

When the dissertation is nearing completion, the student must inform the Graduate History Office that they would like to prepare for the FPOE at least three months in advance of the anticipated defense date. The Graduate Assistant will advise the student on matters of committee formation, scheduling, and required paperwork.

The standard practice of the department is that there should be only one external reader. The department will award an honorarium to only one such reader/examiner and will reimburse only one external reader for the expenses (travel and accommodation) associated with their presence in Princeton for the Final Public Oral Examination. Approval of the dissertation committee, including the external reader, is at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies. All committee members are expected to submit a reader report by the deadline announced by the Graduate Assistant. While it is permissible for one committee member to participate remotely (normally the external reader), the dissertation adviser and first reader are expected to be present for the defense. Recording of the Final Public Oral Examination is prohibited.

Reenrollment and Advancement to Ph.D. Candidacy

Each graduate student must be formally reenrolled for each succeeding year of graduate study. In general, the entering student may assume that if they do satisfactory work in courses and seminars and sustains the general examination, they will be readmitted. Administratively, it is the student’s responsibility to complete the reenrollment application online through TigerHub each year in order to be reenrolled and to complete the annual Academic Year Sign-In by the deadline dictated by the Graduate School.

The reenrollment application for first-year students receives careful scrutiny. Three times per year, the Director of Graduate Studies circulates a memo to all departmental faculty soliciting feedback on each graduate student's performance. The Director of Graduate Studies reviews each student's performance, evaluates all grades and course comments, and recommends to the department for or against reenrollment. The final decision on reenrollment is not based on any rigid standard for grades, but on the Department's overall evaluation of a student's promise and work. A decision against the reenrollment of a first-year student will be taken only in exceptional cases.

When a student has completed the general examination, the Director of Graduate Studies conducts a similar evaluation of their record. After reviewing the reports on the general examinations of each student, and, where appropriate, conferring with the examiners and other faculty with whom the student has worked, the Director of Graduate Studies recommends to the department whether or not the student be reenrolled and either that they be permitted to continue for the Ph.D. or that a terminal master's degree is awarded. Passing the general examination does not guarantee that a student will be advanced to Ph.D. candidacy if the student’s full academic record does not demonstrate satisfactory competence for advancement.

In order for students to be made fully aware of their standing in the Department, the Director of Graduate Studies annually holds a candid discussion with each first and second-year student about their status. In particular, each student whose performance falls at or just above the minimum level required for continuation is made fully aware of the situation.

Students in the third year and beyond receive comments on their reenrollment application from their academic adviser. In all cases, satisfactory progress towards the dissertation must be demonstrated in order for a student’s reenrollment to be recommended to the Graduate School.

Enrollment Statuses

The Graduate School offers various enrollment status options for graduate students. Students should refer to the Graduate School’s policies for more information regarding each of these statuses.

Regular Enrollment

Students enrolled in years one through five who are on campus on a regular basis and utilizing Princeton’s facilities are in Regular enrollment status. Funding does not affect this enrollment status. A student who is supported on an external fellowship may still be in Regular status if they reside locally.

In Absentia

Those students whose thesis research or other studies require that they be absent from Princeton for an extended period of time may apply for reenrollment with “In Absentia” status. In absentia status is normally an option only for those students who have completed the general examination, but requests from pre-generals students may be considered in exceptional cases.

In absentia status is usually granted for only one year but may be approved for as long as two years.  Any requests to hold absentia status for longer than two years must be made to the Director of Graduate Studies. If a student is participating in the Exchange Scholar Program, they are not considered “In Absentia.”

All appropriate University benefits are continued while a student is in absentia. A year in absentia counts as one of the five years of graduate enrollment, whether or not the student is supported by a University fellowship. Students who wish to apply for in absentia status will indicate their intention to be in absentia during reenrollment and also must request absentia status via TigerHub.

Leave of Absence

A student who wishes to interrupt their course of study at Princeton for personal reasons may apply for a leave of absence. Leaves of absence differ from in absentia in two important respects: the student on leave of absence is not enrolled, and the University stipends do not continue during such a leave.

DCE Enrollment and Plan for Completion Meeting

The regular academic program period concludes at the end of the fifth year and the Department encourages all eligible students to apply for Dissertation Completion Enrollment (DCE) status and reenroll. T o qualify for DCE status, the Graduate School requires that doctoral students “must have drafted or written a significant portion of the dissertation (at least one full chapter) and be actively engaged in research and writing.”  As part of the reenrollment process, fifth-year students should satisfy this requirement or its equivalent, and submit a Plan for Completion, consisting of a short narrative of their progress, describing the work they have completed to date and their timeline for completing the dissertation. Students will meet with their dissertation Advisor and First Reader (or co-Advisors) to review the Plan for Completion, after which the advisor should submit a signed form supporting the student’s reenrollment. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an opportunity for the student to meet with their advisory team to check in on the status of the dissertation writing and research. The signed form and approved narrative must be filed with the History Graduate Office before April 15 of the student’s fifth year.

Students who have exhausted their five years (ten semesters) of Graduate School funding and do not hold other outside fellowships may apply for departmental fellowship support for their sixth year. Continuation as an enrolled student and the awarding of such fellowships is contingent on demonstrated good progress toward the completion of the dissertation. 

If students do not elect to continue in DCE status, they will automatically enter Enrollment Terminated/Degree Candidacy Continues (ET/DCC) status at the conclusion of the academic year on August 31.  

ETDCC Status

All university benefits are discontinued in Enrollment Terminated/Degree Candidacy Continues (ET/DCC) status since enrollment has formally ceased. Graduate students are still able to defend their dissertations in ET/DCC status, however, in order to earn the Ph.D.

Students in ET/DCC status are expected to remain in contact with their dissertation adviser to provide updates on their progress towards completion. If a student does not contact the adviser, DGS, or department for one year or longer, they may be removed from ET/DCC status and degree candidacy may be terminated.

Fellowships

Fellowships held by graduate students at Princeton are of three basic types:

• University fellowships both sponsored and administered by the University from its own resources. University fellowship include both the regular UF stipend and other fellowships awarded by individual departments or programs on campus, including FWWS, PIIRS, and honorifics including Jacobus, Dodd, and Proctor fellowships.
• Other fellowships sponsored by government or private agencies, but awarded and administered by the Graduate School and the departments. Examples of this type of fellowship are NSF and ACLS fellowships.
• External fellowships awarded (normally on a competitive basis) by the sponsoring agencies. A student who holds one of these fellowships normally deals directly with the sponsoring agency, and must, therefore, concern him or herself with application and renewal forms, deadline dates, etc. Examples of this type of fellowship are Fulbrights, the Foreign Area Fellowship Program, and Canada Council Awards for Canadian Citizens.

Continuation of Fellowships

The Reenrollment Application that each student completes online via the TigerHub system (annually in early March) serves as an application for the continuation of University fellowship support. In normal circumstances, students who are doing satisfactory work will not suffer any reduction in the level of their fellowship support. Students are also responsible for keeping themselves informed of the deadlines they must meet to renew their fellowships, and should advise the Director of Graduate Studies immediately if they encounter difficulties in this process.

A limited number of students may earn money through a federally funded Work-Study Program. Students may work on campus as research assistants to faculty members, and off-campus for non-profit organizations or a local, state, or federal government agency. Information about eligibility and application procedures may be obtained from the Graduate School.

External Fellowships

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external fellowships. Notices of such fellowship opportunities are posted on the bulletin board in the graduate student lounge and sent via email by The Graduate School and the Graduate History Office.  

Deadlines are usually months ahead of the time that a student would actually receive a fellowship. Indeed, most applications must be filed by early November of the preceding year. Students should also consult the annual volume of the American Council on Education, Fellowships in the Arts and Sciences, as well as other reference materials located in the Career Services Office.

Students who are awarded external fellowships are required to notify the Graduate Administrator and provide a copy of the fellowship offer letter to be included in their academic file. If a student elects to take an external fellowship in lieu of university funding for either 10- or 12-months then eligibility for DCE-1 funding for the 6th year may be earned. The department adheres to all Graduate School policies regarding eligibility for and administration of DCE-1 funding and students who win an external fellowship are urged to discuss their individual situation with the Graduate Administrator before accepting the fellowship.

Graduate students who seek part-time employment while in regular enrollment must request permission from the DGS before accepting any position. The department adheres to the Graduate School’s Employment Policy which dictates that a student may not work more than an average of 10 hours per week.

If the employment is on-campus, the student must notify the department’s Business Manager immediately upon accepting the position for instructions for being paid through the Time Collection system. Students should not commence work until they have received information on how they will be paid.

International students who have employment authorization are eligible to receive a Social Security Number. Requests for SSN letters should be directed to the Graduate Administrator.

The History Department provides funds supplemental to the university fellowship for several purposes: language study, pre-dissertation research, dissertation research, attendance of conferences or relevant short-term academic programs, and travel to attend courses at other institutions if the course will fulfill the coursework requirement for the program.

Of these types of funding, the most important by far is research in preparation for the dissertation. The department considers it crucial for students to work from primary sources, not merely as a matter of professional training but also because the writing of first-rate history requires immersion in documents. Therefore, students may expect to receive funds for research in archives and libraries both before they take their general examinations, when they can sound out the possibilities for a thesis topic, and afterward, when their success in quarrying material from sources may shape their entire career. Funds are limited, and there are specific rules governing the awarding and use of them. It is the responsibility of the student to understand and follow the procedures outlined below.

Before undertaking a funded research trip, students must consult the department for approval of their plans, and they must submit a detailed budget. After returning, they must submit an accounting report, receipts, and boarding passes for all pre-approved expenses funded by the department.

Language Study Funding

Pre-enrolled students.

The department will pay for admitted students to enroll in a language course offered at Princeton the summer before starting graduate study. If a student wishes to study a commonly available language, the department will pay the Princeton University cost to study the language on campus plus the cost of summer housing and SHP for that period. The following languages are normally available for summer study at Princeton University: French, Spanish, and German. If a student wishes to pursue language courses at an institution other than Princeton University, they may apply to the department for consideration of the language study plans. If approved, the department will reimburse up to the cost of Princeton University language course tuition, summer housing, and SHP.

If a language is less accessible, the department will first suggest other institutions in the U.S. but will also consider study abroad on a case-by-case basis.

Enrolled Students

The department will pay for summer language study at Princeton or, with the approval of the Financial Officer and Director of Graduate Studies, for summer study at language institutes or other universities. Students wishing to pursue language study elsewhere should consult with their adviser and the Financial Officer before drawing up plans, and should be prepared to submit a letter outlining their course of study and an itemized budget. Pre-generals students may wish to consider combining language training abroad with pre-dissertation archival research in the summer following the first year of study.

If enrolled students need additional language preparation (beyond one language course) that cannot be provided at Princeton University but is available at a nearby university, the department will consider paying for such preparation at a reasonable level, including reimbursement of travel costs, on a case-by-case basis. The student should consult the Director of Graduate Studies and Financial Officer.

Pre-Dissertation Research Funding

The department will fund one pre-dissertation research trip. Most students schedule this trip for the summer following the first year of study, though it is also possible to schedule it in the summer following the second year or during a break in the academic year so as not to conflict with coursework. If necessary, students may make two or more pre-dissertation research trips, but must submit only one request and, therefore, one combined budget for pre-approval of this arrangement.

Applications for funding may be submitted to the History Department and to other programs and departments on campus which offer funding support for research travel.  More information can be found on the Student Activities Funding Engine (SAFE). Questions should be directed to the center or program to which you are applying.

Dissertation Research Funding

The department will fund one major archival research trip over the course of a student’s graduate career (between years one and five of the student’s regular enrollment period.) Students are expected to apply to internal and external sources of funds relevant to their research; once they have done so the Department will consider individual requests. Please note that the Department cannot cover the travel expenses of family members or of anyone other than the student.

Scholarly Travel Funding

The Department is able to support students’ participation in scholarly conferences and other short-term academic or professional programs with pre-approval. For additional information about the specific policy, please visit Archimedes .

Students are also encouraged to apply to the Dean’s Fund for Scholarly Travel, administered by the Graduate School.

Miscellaneous Funding

The Department can subsidize train travel for a student to attend classes at nearby universities if the student has received departmental approval for enrolling in the course and authorization for travel reimbursement from the Director of Graduate Studies.

The Department will pay for microfilming up to a reasonable amount, if the microfilm is not available in the Princeton libraries.

Graduate students may apply for funding to support student-organized conferences, workshops, and special events. The Center for Collaborative History (CCH) allocates all departmental funding for such activities; the CCH accepts funding requests on a rolling basis. To ensure that students are managing their time effectively, requests to organize an event must first be approved by the student’s adviser and Director of Graduate Studies before the funding request can be submitted. Requests to organize an event will not be approved for pre-generals students except under exceptional circumstances.

Graduate students participate in the work of the Graduate Program Committee. These students are elected by the graduate students as a group under arrangements to be determined by themselves. The President of the Graduate History Association will call a meeting early in the fall for this purpose.

Students should bring concerns, questions, and ideas for new initiatives to the administration of the GHA. The GHA acts as liaison between students and the department, Graduate School, and University.

When a student has advanced far enough in their dissertation work to begin to seek professional employment or postdoctoral fellowships the student should contact the department's Placement Officer. This will normally take place when the student has begun the writing of the dissertation and completed two to three chapters. Early in the fall semester the Placement Officer will meet with all of the students who will be actively seeking employment during the academic year. The Placement Officer will provide a more detailed description of the procedures for finding academic positions, and will seek additional information about the student — for example, what kind of courses the student is prepared to teach, an estimate of the date by which the dissertation will be completed, the kinds of schools at which the student prefers to teach, etc. At that time the Graduate Assistant will prepare a professional dossier for each student actively seeking employment. The dossier consists of:

• A curriculum vitae, prepared by the student
• A record of the student's graduate career at Princeton, which includes a transcript of courses taken and grades received (grades may be omitted if requested by the student)
• Letters of recommendation written at the student's request by the student's dissertation supervisor and other faculty members familiar with the student's work.
• Dissertation Abstract
• Other supporting materials as requested by the student.

It is the student's responsibility to prepare their own dossier and to request faculty letters of recommendation, all of which must be prepared very early in the fall. The Placement Officer will advise students on the preparation of their dossiers, and they are responsible for helping each student assemble as strong and as complete a dossier as possible.

The letters of recommendation in the placement file may be either open or confidential, depending on whether the student formally waives their right to access to these materials. Students who waive their right or access to their files should know that the Placement Officer is empowered by the Department to remove material from the dossier which, in their judgment, is unfair to the student; and may also ask faculty members to revise their letters of recommendation where that seems appropriate. The student has the right to have their course grades excluded from the placement dossier.

All academic positions in history are publicly advertised in the AHA Perspectives, the newsletter of the American Historical Association, which is received by the Department. Students seeking employment are responsible for keeping themselves informed of job openings, and for notifying the Graduate Program Assistant and the Placement Officer of those positions to which they wish to apply.

Students who wish to consider a career other than teaching, such as government or private industry, are urged to visit the Career Services office at 36 University Place, Suite 200 (above the U-Store). It has a well-stocked reading room and various corporations and agencies have interviews on campus each year.

All materials must be submitted at least three (3) weeks prior to the student’s first deadline. The final version of the dossier will be approved by the Placement Officer and submitted by the Graduate Assistant. The Graduate History Office will maintain and forward dossiers for students until they have secured a tenure-track job.

The Graduate History Office sends announcements of jobs and fellowships to graduate students via email once a week and the job descriptions are posted on the Graduate History website announcements page. The department subscribes to The Chronicle of Higher Education, The History of Science Society Newsletter, and the American Historical Association Perspectives. These are all available for review in the graduate student lounge.

Alumni of the graduate program in History are encouraged to remain in regular contact with departmental administration to ensure that our employment records and contact information remain accurate. Alumni may also be interested in participating in the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni (APGA).

Graduate alumni should register for a TigerNet alumni email address to ensure they can access the full range of services for alumni, including the departmental dossier service.

Graduate Students

Learn more about our  students' research interests and dissertation projects.

CURRENT STUDENTS

Ph.D. Program

Stanford Ph.D. Program in History aims to train world-class scholars.

Every year we admit 10-12 promising students  from a large pool of highly selective applicants. Our small cohort size allows more individual work with faculty than most graduate programs in the United States and also enables funding in one form or another available to members of each cohort.

Fields of Study

Our graduate students may specialize in 14 distinct subfields: Africa, Britain, Early Modern Europe, East Asia, Jewish History, Latin America, Medieval Europe, Modern Europe,  Ottoman Empire and Middle East, Russia/Eastern Europe, Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine, South Asia, Transnational, International, and Global History, and United States. Explore each field and their affiliates . 

The department expects most graduate students to spend no less than four and no more than six years completing the work for the Ph.D. degree. Individual students' time to degree will vary with the strength of their undergraduate preparation as well as with the particular language and research requirements of their respective Major fields.

Expectations and Degree Requirements

We expect that most graduate students will spend no less than four and no more than six years toward completing their Ph.D. Individual students' time-to-degree vary with the strength of their undergraduate preparation as well as with the particular language and research requirements of their respective subfield.

All History Ph.D. students are expected to satisfy the following degree requirements:

• Teaching: Students who enter on the Department Fellowship are required to complete 4 quarters of teaching experience by the end of their third year. Teaching experience includes teaching assistantships and teaching a Sources and Methods course on their own.
• Candidacy : Students apply for candidacy to the PhD program by the end of their second year in the program.
• Orals:  The University Orals Examination is typically taken at the beginning of the 3rd year in the program.
• Languages: Language requirements vary depending on the field of study.
• Residency Requirement : The University requi res  135 units of full-tuition residency  for PhD students. After that, students should have completed all course work and must request Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status. 

Browse the Ph.D. Handbook to learn more .

The History Department offers 5 years of financial support to PhD students.  No funding is offered for the co-terminal and terminal M.A. programs. A sample Ph.D. funding package is as follows:  

• 1st year: 3 quarters fellowship stipend and 1 summer stipend 
• 2nd year: 2 quarters TAships, 1 quarter RAship (pre-doc affiliate), and 1 summer stipend 
• 3rd year: 2 quarters TAships, 1 quarter RAship (pre-doc affiliate), and 1 summer stipend 
• 4th year: 3 quarters of RAships (pre-doc affiliate) and 1 summer stipend 
• 5th year: 3 quarters of RAships (pre-doc affiliate) and 1 summer stipend

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your studies at Stanford. candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

How to Apply

Admission to the History Graduate Programs are for Autumn quarter only.  Interested applicants can online at  https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/apply-now and submit the following documents: 

• Statement of Purpose (included in Application)
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
•  Transcripts are required from all prior college level schools attended for at least one year.  A scanned copy of the official transcript is submitted as part of the online application.  Please do not mail transcripts to the department.   We will ask only the admitted students to submit actual copies of official transcripts.
• 1 Writing Sample on a historic topic (10-25 pages; sent via  Stanford's online application system  only)
• The GRE exam is not required for the autumn 2024 admission cycle
• TOEFL for all international applicants (whose primary language is not English) sent via ETS. Our University code is 4704.
• TOEFL Exemptions and Waiver information
• Application Fee Waiver
• The department is not able to provide fee waivers. Please see the link above for the available fee waivers and how to submit a request. Requests are due 2 weeks before the application deadline.

The Department of History welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.

The Department of History also recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

Application deadline for Autumn 2024-25 is Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 11:59pm EST . This is a hard -not a postmark- deadline. 

All application material is available online. No information is sent via snail mail. Interested applicants are invited to view a Guide to Graduate Admissions at  https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/ . 

Questions? 

Please contact  Arthur Palmon  (Assistant Director of Student Services).

Department Bookshelf

Browse the most recent publications from our faculty members.

The Chinese Computer: A Global History of the Information Age

In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States

Uncertain Past Time: Empire, Republic, and Politics | Belirsiz Geçmiş Zaman: İmparatorluk, Cumhuriyet Ve Siyaset

Embodied Knowledge: Women and Science before Silicon Valley

Compton in My Soul

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History, PhD

The Graduate Program in History at the University of Pennsylvania has a long tradition of distinction. Beginning as one of the first programs in the United States to offer doctoral study in history, (the first Ph.D. in History was conferred in 1891); the Department continues to pioneer new areas of scholarship. In the last twenty years, faculty members of the departments in American, European, and World History have assumed a leading role in their fields. Today, few departments in the country match Penn's Department of History in coverage and depth across the entire range of history from medieval times to the present.

For more information: http://www.history.upenn.edu/graduate/program-guidelines

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Sample Plan of Study

The total course units required for graduation is 14.

Program Milestones

• Language and Technical Competency Requirement
• Field Requirements
• Teaching Requirement

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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History, PhD

• Program description
• At a glance
• Degree requirements
• Admission requirements
• Tuition information
• Application deadlines
• Program learning outcomes
• Career opportunities
• Contact information

american, government, medieval, world

Cultivate a strong background in historical research methodology and scholarly analysis. Your skills in text analysis, research and writing acquired from systematic examination of many issues relevant to today's society prepare you to enter the competitive workforce.

The PhD program in history offers outstanding opportunities for graduate study in North American, European, public and global-comparative history.

The School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies' world-class faculty members deliver courses and individualized mentoring in a wide range of historical topics, such as urban history, environment and sustainability studies, politics and policy, immigration, gender, race and ethnicity, and comparative history. In addition, doctoral history students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the numerous collaborative opportunities that exist throughout the university in ASU's many innovative schools and centers.

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (16 credit hours) HST 502 Public History Methodology (3) HST 640 Historical Methods (3) HST 641 North American History (3) HST 643 Global History (3) HST 644 Area Studies in History (3) HST 682 Advanced Research Skill (1)

Electives and Research (44 credit hours)

Other Requirement (12 credit hours) HST 591 Seminar (6) HST 792 Research (6)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) HST 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information In general, all credit hours must be at the 500 level or above. Graduate credit may be awarded for 400-level courses; it must be approved in advance and documented in the student's file.

The doctoral program requires a minimum of 84 credit hours and may be completed in four to five years. Students with a master's degree may apply 30 credit hours toward the 84 required credit hours with approval of the academic unit and the Graduate College. If the student does not already have a master's degree in a related field, then the remaining 30 credit hours are made up of electives and research to reach the 84 credit hours required for the doctoral program.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree, in any field, from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. The most competitive applicants have a GPA of 3.30 or higher.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• statement of purpose
• resume or curriculum vitae
• writing sample
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. The history program requires a TOEFL iBT score of at least 90. A student whose native language is not English also must submit a copy of an article or research paper in the student's native or principal research language in addition to the English writing sample required of all students.

Students are required to submit a minimum of three email addresses of faculty or others qualified to speak to the student's suitability for graduate study in history. Letters of reference should be submitted by the recommenders in addition to the electronic reference form they are asked to complete.

The statement of purpose is to be addressed to the history admission committee and should explain the applicant's scholarly background and training, career goals, the primary field the applicant wishes to pursue, the proposed research specialization, and why the applicant wants to pursue graduate study at ASU; it should be about 500 words in length.

The writing sample, either published or unpublished, may be an article, a research paper, or any other extended sample of expository skill, and it must be no longer than 35 pages in length. Longer writing samples should not be submitted without first consulting the graduate director. Documents and files should not be password protected. Acceptable file types are .rtf, .pdf and .doc.

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:

• Demonstrate mastery of three domains of historical knowledge as well as display expertise in their proposed topic of study
• Accomplish meaningful contributions to the profession through accepted publications and presentations
• Identify and complete applications for funding opportunities that can support their research

Graduates possess the foundational skills in research, writing, and communication and fundamental training needed for careers in research, archival work, higher education, teaching, public history, government service, and a host of other areas in the public, private and nonprofit sectors.

They serve as first-rate historians, highly qualified instructors at two-year schools and universities, researchers and consultants for business and government, archivists, foreign service officers, management professionals, community organizers and public servants. Other career examples include:

• editorial and publishing professional
• K-12 school teacher
• museum director and staff
• nonprofit director
• university professor

Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch | COOR 4595 [email protected] 480-965-5778

Department of History

Ph.d. programs.

The Department of History’s doctoral degree program seeks to train talented historians for careers in scholarship, teaching, and beyond the academy. The department typically accepts 22 Ph.D. students per year. Additional students are enrolled through various combined programs and through HSHM.  All admitted Ph.D. students receive a  full  financial aid package  from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. 

History of Science and Medicine

The  Program in the History of Science and Medicine  (HSHM)  is a semi-autonomous graduate track within the Department of History. HSHM students receive degrees in History, with a concentration in the History of Science and Medicine.  There is a separate admissions process for students interested in the History of Science and Medicine. For more information, please see the  HSHM website . 

Combined Doctoral Programs

Joint ph.d. programs.

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Department of History

• Current Students
• PhD Program Overview

The Doctorate in History

The PhD program in History at the University of New Mexico prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the historical profession.   Students learn methods of historical analysis, a variety of historical interpretations, and practical applications of the field.   Our PhD students complete coursework and conduct historical research, while many also engage in public history, teach, and produce historical content for scholarly and popular venues. Many PhD alums work in education, museums, academic publishing, public history, and the public and private sectors.  

The PhD program requires a total of 66 hours of coursework credit: a minimum of 48 hours of classwork and a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation credit hours (HIST 699).   Of the 48 hours of classwork credit, 30 hours consist of core requirements and the remaining 18 hours are electives. No more than 2 courses of independent study, or “Problems” courses, (HIST 697, at 3 credit hours each) may count toward these requirements. 

Core requirements: 

• All PhD students are required to take two core courses: HIST 664 (Advanced Historiography) and HIST 665 (Historical Research Methods). Students with a primary specialization in Medieval Europe may substitute Medieval Research & Bibliography (taught as HIST 668) for HIST 665.    
• All PhD students must fulfill the departmental language requirement: one language other than English for students choosing a Regional Concentration in US/American West and two languages other than English for students selecting a Regional Concentration in either Latin America or Europe.    
• Each student will select a Regional Concentration from the list below. At least 4 courses (12 credit hours) in the Regional Concentration are required, of which at least 2 courses (6 credit hours) should be seminars (labeled with “Sem” prior to the course title, and numbered HIST 666 to HIST 695). At least one of these seminars should be within the Regional Concentration but outside of the area of Specialization.  
• Each student will also select a Thematic Concentration from the list below.   At least 2 courses (6 credit hours) in the Thematic Concentration are   required, at least one of which is outside the Regional Concentration.  
• Finally, each student must select an Outside Field/Public History. At least two graduate-level courses (6 credit hours) from the   same   department or program outside of the Department of History are required (except with approval of the DGS and major advisor; if you select the Public History option, the requirement that both classes be in the same department may be waived with the approval of the DGS).  
• PhD students interested in graduate certificates, graduate minors and dual degrees should review the information   here.   

Examinations: 

• After completion of all coursework and fulfillment of the foreign language requirement, students may schedule their comprehensive exam. The exam structure consists of three parts: a dossier, an oral examination, and a public presentation. 
• The dossier is a portfolio of graduate materials including syllabi, reading lists, and writing samples. See the   PhD Qualifying Examination Dossier Guidelines .  
• The oral examination covers material from both concentrations, the regional and the thematic. 
• The public presentation is in a format and on a topic selected by the examining committee. It must take place within two weeks of successful completion of the oral examination. 

Doctoral students select two concentrations – one regional and one thematic – around which to organize their programs of study. These represent the department faculty’s areas of expertise. 

The Regional Concentrations are: 

• The Department of History offers a regional concentration in United States/American Western History. The U.S. faculty focuses on American Colonial History, Constitutional and Legal History, Gender, Social, and Intellectual History, as well as twentieth-century politics and economics. In addition, about nine faculty members teach and write on some aspect of the American West, with areas of specialization that include the Spanish Borderlands, Native American history, Environmental History, western Popular Culture, western Religion, Women in the West, Science in the West, and the twentieth-century West. Since about a third of the department specializes in some aspect of the History of the West, UNM boasts one of the most intense regional programs now available. 
• The graduate program in Latin American History is among the country’s most robust, with six faculty researching, teaching and advising on a wide variety of topics, periods, and subregions. The Latin American History program offers comprehensive historical coverage of the region, including the Southern Cone  (Herrán Avila, Hutchison), Brazil (Bieber), the Andes (Gauderman), Central America (Gauderman, Hutchison) and Mexico and the U.S.-Mexico borderlands (Garcia y Griego, Gauderman,  Herrán Avila, Truett). They cover the region’s full chronological scope, from pre-Colombian and Early Spanish and Portuguese America through early National, twentieth century, and contemporary Latin American history. Faculty also specialize in gender and sexuality (Gauderman, Hutchison), race and ethnicity (Bieber, Gauderman, Truett), frontiers and borderlands (Bieber, Truett), Cold War (Herrán Avila, Hutchison), and Latin American migration (Garcia y Griego, Gauderman). Latin Americanist faculty also contribute to the department’s broad strength in Indigenous history (Bieber, Gauderman, Truett).  
• Students who select Europe as a regional field will benefit from diverse faculty whose   research specializations encompass the Late Antiquity, Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern periods. Regional interests are Iberia, the Mediterranean, France, Italy, the Balkans, the British Isles, the Low Countries, Russia, and Eastern Europe. Topically our research and teaching interests complement the new Carnegie thematic fields: Gender and Sexuality, Religion, Race and Ethnicity, War and Society, Frontiers and Borderlands, Environment, Politics and Economy. The specializations within the European field are: Late Antique and Medieval; Medieval and Early Modern; and Modern.  

The   Thematic Concentrations   are: 

• Gender and Sexuality 
• Race and Ethnicity 
• Frontiers and Borderlands 
• War and Society 
• Environmental History 
• Religion 
• Politics and Economy 

For more detailed information on the History PhD program, please consult the Graduate Handbook [link] and the Roadmap for completion of the PhD [link]. Contact the   Director of Graduate Studies   with any questions. 

Doctoral Program Prerequisites 

Successful completion of an MA in History, or a closely related field (if approved by the History Graduate Entrance Committee). For information on admission to the program, see   here . Prospective applicants may also contact the Director of Graduate Studies,   Dr. Shannon WIthycombe ,   for further information.  

HIGHLIGHT LINKS

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Department of History

• Graduate Courses

The Johns Hopkins Department of History welcomes graduate students as members of a diverse and congenial community of scholars. The department takes seriously the idea that graduate students are junior colleagues with much to contribute. The program is designed for students who wish to proceed directly to the PhD degree and aims primarily to train students for careers as research scholars and university teachers. At the same time, we also recognize and support students who choose to pursue other career option.

The Hopkins history department is the oldest PhD program in history in the United States and the recipients of our degrees hold distinguished positions in universities and colleges in this country and abroad.

The department continues to pioneer new areas of research. The department’s particular areas of strength include the United States (including especially African American history, colonial America, and the history of capitalism), Europe from medieval times through the 20 th century, the Atlantic world, modern Africa, Early Modern Empires (including especially the Spanish, Ottoman, and Qing empires), and Jewish history. Most members of our faculty focus on social, economic, intellectual, and cultural history. The department hosts clusters of faculty with common interests in transnational, comparative, legal and urban histories, histories of religion and heterodoxy, gender history, and the Black World. We endeavor to recruit students with a similarly varied set of interests and orientations.

The combination of flexibility, independence, scholarly collegiality, and intensity of intellectual exchange offered by the Hopkins program gives it a distinctive character. The weekly department seminar, held on Monday afternoons from 3:00-4:30pm and attended by faculty and graduate students, is the center of intellectual life in the department. The Monday Seminar – as well as specialized seminars including the Black World, European History, Gender History (known as Geminar), Atlantic World, 20 th Century U.S. History, and East Asian seminars – brings together students, faculty, and invited scholars from outside the university to discuss their research work. These seminars create a lively intellectual community in which graduate students quickly become contributing members.

The Hopkins history program places a high premium on careful mentoring of students by individual faculty. The decision to nominate any student for admission is made by the one or more faculty members who will become that student’s sponsor or sponsors. Applicants should indicate the proposed field of specialization and their interest in working with a specific cluster of faculty at the time of application.

The main criteria for admissions are outstanding intellectual promise and an evident talent for, and strong commitment to, research. Each applicant is required to submit a sample of written work, preferably a research paper that demonstrates careful use of primary documents. An ability to read at least one foreign language is also expected.

The department began offering fellowships for six years beginning with the class that matriculated in 2023. Normally, each student is required to perform four semesters of supervised teaching or research duties at some point during the graduate program, most often as a teaching assistant during the second through fourth years. For classes that matriculated prior to 2023, the department offers write-up grants conferring tuition and stipend on a competitive basis. Recipients of these grants must plan to defend their dissertations within the funded year and are expected to focus entirely on the completion of their dissertation.

The Butler Prize

The Butler Prize is awarded annually to the best paper written by a first-year student. Each year the chair of the department appoints a faculty committee to select the winner. Papers are normally nominated by faculty sponsors. The prize was established in 1957 by Dr. Alexander Butler, a graduate of the department.

Graduate Student Resources

• Graduate Handbook
• Policy on Mentoring Commitments for PhD Students and Faculty Advisors
• Graduate Student Directory
• Guide to the Advisor-Advisee Relationship
• Sample Timeline for the First Year Paper
• Minor Field Agreement Form
• Comprehensive Field Agreement Form
• Funding Renewal Form
• How to Prepare for your Dissertation

DPhil in History

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The DPhil in History is an advanced research degree, awarded on the basis of successful completion of an individual research thesis and an oral examination. 

The DPhil in History offers the opportunity to carry out research on one of the following subject areas:

• British and European History 1700-1850
• British History, 1850 onwards
• Early Modern History 1500-1700
• European History, 1850 onwards
• Global and Imperial History
• History of Science, Medicine, and Technology
• Intellectual History
• Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
• Medieval History
• Military History
• South Asian History
• Women's, Gender, and Queer History

If you're thinking about applying for a DPhil researching economic and social history, you should consider whether it would be more appropriate to apply for the  DPhil in History (Economic and Social History) .

If studying full-time, you are expected to submit your thesis three, or at most four, years from the date of admission. If studying part-time, you are expected to submit your thesis six, or at most eight, years from the date of admission.

You will be expected to attend and to contribute to the wide range of research seminars, conferences and workshops organised by the division and faculty. You will also have access to specialist training courses offered by the Bodleian Libraries and IT Services. Your supervisor will advise you on what seminars will be more beneficial for your chosen research area. You can attend any lectures, across the University, that you wish to (subject to any specific restrictions), and we encourage students to take advantage of this and explore areas outside of their specific research topic.

Further information about studying part time

The faculty is able to offer the DPhil in History in full-time as well as part-time mode of attendance. Please note that any published statistics as regards acceptance rates are not an indication of applicants having a better chance of acceptance in part-time mode. All DPhil applications are assessed together and compared with each other, irrespective of the mode of study. 

The faculty's research degrees are not available by distance learning. Although there will be no requirement to reside in Oxford, part-time research students must attend the University on a regular basis (particularly in term-time: October and November, mid-January to mid-March, and late April to mid-June) for supervision, study, research seminars and skills training, to ensure a comprehensive integration into the faculty's and University's research culture and with their full-time peer groups. The dates of attendance will be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor. 

We cannot sponsor student visas for part-time study as the study patterns are not compatible with Home Office regulations on attendance monitoring. However, other options may be available and you should contact the  admissions  office to discuss.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Faculty of History and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available.

It is usual practice that DPhil students have one supervisor, but a co-supervisor will be appointed if additional specialist knowledge is required. One supervisor must be a permanent member of the Faculty of History, but a co-supervisor can be appointed from a different department. In exceptional circumstances, a co-supervisor from outside the university may be appointed. 

Please note that if you have contacted a potential supervisor prior to submitting your application, any indication made by an academic that they may be willing to supervise a potential project, is not a guarantee that you will be offered a place, or that the supervisor in question has capacity to supervise you in that particular year.

Your supervisor(s) is there to provide advice, guidance, and support throughout your DPhil. You should meet your supervisor(s) early in your first term to establish a clear framework for your research and writing, and identify any skills training needed to undertake your research. It is up to you and your supervisor to decide on the frequency of future meetings. In the first year, you should meet your supervisor at least twice a term, and keep in frequent contact. As you become more engaged with your research, you may meet your supervisor less frequently, but you should maintain regular contact with them.

You will also benefit from the advice and support of other members of the faculty who will be involved in your progression through the transfer and confirmation stages of the degree, and you will be able to draw on the expertise of scholars and colleagues throughout the wider university.

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a full-time PRS student, or eight terms as a part-time PRS student, you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. This application is normally made by the second term for full-time students and by the fifth term for part-time students.

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require the submission of a thesis outline and a piece of written work. Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status to show that your work continues to be on track. This will need to done within nine terms of admission for full-time students and eighteen terms of admission for part-time students.

Both milestones normally involve an interview with one or two assessors (other than your supervisor) and therefore provide and important experience for the final oral examination.

Full-time students will be expected to submit a substantial thesis of not more than 100,000 words after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. If you are studying part-time, you will be required to submit your thesis after six or, at most, eight years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in History you will need to defend your thesis orally ( viva voce ) in front of two appointed examiners.

Graduate destinations

Approximately half of students who complete their doctoral thesis go on to further academic posts worldwide. Some work in museums, or as freelance historians; others are in professional administrative positions in areas such as the civil service, university administration, banking, and publishing.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a master's degree with distinction or a high pass  (a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation);  and
• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours  (a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation); in history or cognate disciplines.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent. 

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.75 out of 4.0. However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a cumulative GPA of 3.8.

Applicants for the History DPhil are expected to have a masters in a historical subject. If you decide to apply without a prior master's degree in history, please ensure that you link your proposed thesis topic with your previous expertise when you present it in your application. You should also show that you have already done a considerable amount of background research into the topic. Your submitted written work should show your writing and research skills in their best light as it will be important to show that you have the necessary skills for historical research and writing. 

Many applicants will be enrolled on a master’s course at the point of application, in which case any offer made will be conditional on completing that master’s course to the level specified in the condition.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

• In the case of mature students/intended career changes professional experience in cognate areas may compensate for shortcomings in the formal academic record. 
• Publications are not required.

Further guidance

When assessors judge that a formally qualified and otherwise promising applicant requires strictly limited further training to embark on a doctoral programme, a doctoral place may be offered but only on the stipulation that the student successfully complete relevant elements of one of the faculty's master's courses before attempting 'transfer' to full doctoral status, meaning that the student may be asked to attend seminars or classes intended for master’s students.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

Assessors may get in touch with an applicant by email in case of any queries, but this is very rare.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Initiatives to improve access to graduate study

This course is taking part in  the 'Close the Gap' project  which aims to improve access to doctoral study.

For this course, socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.  Further information about how we use your socio-economic data  can be found in our page about initiatives to improve access to graduate study.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Intellectual life and community

Working as an Oxford graduate student is an exhilarating experience. History in Oxford stretches from c. 300 to the present, and embraces an exceptionally broad geographical range. It comprises an active research community of up to 800 academics and graduate students. The faculty's research is organised around  historical periods, research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects , and graduates are key participants in the wide range of seminars, workshops and conferences run by the Faculty of History .

Further opportunities for exchange are provided by the interdisciplinary communities fostered within individual colleges, which also offer dedicated support for graduates by means of personal advisors. The Oxford Centre for Research in the Humanities (TORCH) offers a stimulating range of interdisciplinary activities. History graduates are also encouraged to join the Oxford History Graduate Network (OHGN) , which fosters friendships, conversations and collaboration.

In the field of history of science, medicine, and technology, the study environment is particularly enhanced by the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, the Museum of the History of Science, and the Centre for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology. There is a large number of academic experts with interest in these fields across the collegiate University and you will benefit from a variety of interdisciplinary resources, including weekly seminars. 

The Oxford environment provides a unique opportunity to develop intellectual curiosity whilst remaining focused on your own work without becoming blinkered - an integral part of a successful graduate career.

Libraries and archives

Graduates in Oxford are fortunate in having access to over a hundred libraries. The University's core research resource in the humanities are the Bodleian Libraries, whose combined collections contain more than 11 million printed items, in addition to more than 50,000 e-journals and a vast quantity of manuscripts, maps, music and other materials

The Bodleian has been a library of legal deposit for 400 years. The Bodleian Libraries’ Special Collections Department attracts scholars from all over the world. Further strengths include the countless databases and digital resources currently offered by the Bodleian and being developed through Oxford’s Digital Humanities programme.

You are also able to draw on the specialist resources offered by the Bodleian History Faculty Library which provides dedicated support and training courses for all graduates. You also have access to the many college libraries and to college archives which can house significant collections of personal papers as well as institutional records dating back to the middle ages.

History in Oxford stretches from c 300 to the present, and embraces in addition to its British and European heritage an exceptionally broad range of World history. It comprises an active research community of up to 800 senior academics and graduate students, all contributing to a range of research seminars, lectures, academic societies, and personal contacts.

Research in the faculty is organised around historical periods and research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects, and you will always be welcome at seminars, workshops and conferences across all periods and themes.

You will be encouraged to make use of these opportunities as widely as possible without endangering your own degree work. Striking the right balance between intellectual curiosity and temptation and intellectual discipline, and remaining focused without becoming blinkered, should be an integral part of a successful graduate career. The Oxford environment provides all the ingredients for this.

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The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships , if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. 

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities  for this course can be found on the faculty's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Full-time study.

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Part-time study

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:

• Balliol College
• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Corpus Christi College
• Exeter College
• Harris Manchester College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Mansfield College
• Merton College
• New College
• Nuffield College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• The Queen's College
• Regent's Park College
• Reuben College
• St Anne's College
• St Antony's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St Hugh's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• Somerville College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines and when to apply  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to contact anyone in the faculty before you apply. You are not responsible for finding your own supervisor. However, you are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with the  research expertise within the faculty  when preparing your research proposal, to make sure that there is a supervisor available in the same area as your proposed project. Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available. The faculty determines supervision arrangements, taking due account of the workload and commitments of its academics. If you are made an offer, a supervisor will be assigned to you, and identified in the offer letter.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.

You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).

Proposed supervisor

It is not necessary for you to identify a potential supervisor in your application.

However, please check that a supervisor with expertise in your proposed area of research is available before applying. Details can be found on the faculty website. You are free to consult a specialist in your field for advice on your project, if you think that would be helpful.

Referees: Three overall, academic preferred

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

References should generally be academic, though if you are returning to study after extended periods of non-academic employment then you are welcome to nominate professional referees where it would be impractical to call on your previous university tutors.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in both a group environment and sustained individual and self-motivated investigation.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Research proposal: A minimum of 500 words to a maximum of 1,000 words

Your research proposal must be written in English. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count, though any footnotes should be included.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This should be a developed proposal of your individual research project. It will provide crucial evidence of your readiness for doctoral research. Your proposal should cover all of the following:

• a research question: the central issue or problem with which you intend to grapple, and a working title;
• historiography: some account of the current state of scholarship in this area. You may want to explain why you are dissatisfied with existing scholarship: is it limited, dated or unconvincing? What kind of contribution will your work make?
• sources: an indication of the sources you expect to use, where these can be found, how they will contribute to your research, what if any technical skills you will need to work with them (eg language, quantitative, use of specialist software), and whether you already have, or will need to acquire, those skills; and
• method: some discussion of your approach to dealing with sources and constructing your thesis. Some of the following considerations may apply. At what level is your inquiry: micro or local, regional or national, comparative or transnational? Will you be using qualitative or quantitative techniques? Samples or case studies? Will your research draw on a body of theory? Does your approach draw on the agenda or methods of related disciplines such as anthropology, or literary studies?

This will be assessed for:

• your reasons for applying
• the coherence of the proposal
• the originality of the project
• evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
• the ability to present a reasoned case in English
• the feasibility of successfully completing the project within three years
• preliminary knowledge of research techniques
• capacity for sustained and intense work
• the ability to contextualise, and analyse the evidence.

It will be normal for your ideas subsequently to change in some ways as you investigate the evidence and develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at this moment.

Written work: An academic writing sample of no more than 4,000 words in total length

Written work should be from your most recent completed qualification, but does not need to relate closely to your proposed area of study. Extracts from a longer piece of work are welcome, but please include a preface which puts the work in context.

The work will be assessed for your:

• understanding of problems in the area
• ability to construct and defend an argument
• powers of analysis
• powers of expression.

It must be submitted in English (if this work has been translated, you must indicate if the translations are your own, or what assistance you had in producing the English text).

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document. Any footnotes should be included in the word count. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide   Apply - Full time Apply - Part time

ADMISSION STATUS

Closed to applications for entry in 2024-25

Register to be notified via email when the next application cycle opens (for entry in 2025-26)

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 5 January 2024 Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2024-25

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Faculty of History

• Course page on the faculty's website
• Funding information from the faculty
• Academic and research staff
• Faculty research
• Humanities Division
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0) 1865 615000

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

• College of Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Division
• College of Liberal and Professional Studies

Graduate Program

Tradition of distinction.

The Graduate Program in History at the University of Pennsylvania has a long tradition of distinction. One of the first programs in the United States to offer doctoral training in history (first Ph.D. conferred in 1891), the Department continues to be a leader. Few history departments in the country can match ours in global coverage and scholarly depth for the study of the past over the last half millennium.

Our faculty includes winners of distinguished honors, including the Bancroft, Parkman, and Pulitzer prizes; Carnegie, Guggenheim, MacArthur, Sloan, SSRC, and Spencer fellowships; Fulbright, NEH, and ACLS grants, among many others; and election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In addition, current members of the Department have served as presidents of the Association for Asian Studies, the American Academy for Jewish Research, the Middle East Studies Association, and the Sixteenth Century Society & Conference.

Small and Selective

Penn History admits roughly ten Ph.D. students each year, with generous fellowship support to support them through their studies and dissertation research. A hallmark of our program is close mentorship by committee. Each graduate student meets regularly with their advisor and two or three other faculty members to discuss research, course work, and career goals.

We train students to think deeply and broadly about sources, methods, and theory. In addition to comprehensive training in history, we encourage our students to take courses related to their intellectual interests in other programs, departments, and schools, including archaeology, comparative literature, education, folklore, law, philosophy, political science, sociology, and social policy. In addition, our graduate group draws from the talents of extra-Departmental historians and historically-minded scholars across the university.

Excellent Record

We are proud of our placement record. The majority of our Ph.D. graduates have secured tenure-track positions at research universities and liberal arts colleges throughout the United States and the world. Other graduates have made distinguished careers at government agencies, research institutions, libraries, and museums.

Over the decades, our alumni have made important contributions to the historical understanding of gender, class, race, and ethnicity; the history of economic and demographic transitions; intellectual and cultural studies; the social bases of political action; community formation and structure; cultural conflict and accommodation; and urban studies—among other things.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History Online Uncover History and Forge Understanding

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100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Become a Professional Historian with an Online PhD in History

Are you interested in a career in education, research, politics, archaeology, or management of national landmarks and museums? Whatever your career goals are, Liberty University’s PhD in History can provide a theoretical background as well as research nd writing experience. These tools can help you excel in either academic or non-academic career fields related to humanities and social sciences.

An online doctorate in history can prepare you to pursue a variety of career opportunities. You might join the world of academia as a professor, professional researcher, or publisher. Or you could pursue a position as a museum curator, international development specialist, author, archaeologist, or federal government employee.

Academics and many other career fields need people like you who are knowledgeable about the undercurrents, culture, and societal standards surrounding historical events. Prepare to excel in whichever career field you choose when you pursue Liberty University’s online PhD in History.

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• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty University’s History PhD Program Online?

When you choose Liberty, you’re choosing to pursue a degree from an accredited university. We offer a Christ-centered curriculum, flexible course scheduling, and affordable rates. Our goal is to provide you with academic excellence that is grounded in faith and consistent support throughout your academic journey.

Liberty University holds regional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ( SACSCOC ). This means we have earned accreditation that demands high academic standards. Employers can have confidence in your knowledge and abilities gained through the program. And you can rest knowing that your degree will benefit both your personal and professional life.

At Liberty, our mission is Training Champions for Christ . That means each of your professors is a Christian who incorporates a biblical worldview into every course. Your professors are professionals who have doctorates like our online history PhD degree.

You can complete our PhD in History through distance education with 8-week courses and no set login times. This flexibility allows you to pursue your online doctoral degree while maintaining commitments to your family, career, community, and church.

What Will You Study in Our Online PhD in History Program?

When you pursue our doctorate in history, you’ll learn historical concepts and how to educate others from a Christian perspective. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be able to do the following:

• Apply a Christian worldview to the study of history
• Apply historical methodology to professional settings
• Conduct original research that is based upon knowledge of the literature of the discipline
• Evaluate historiographic positions, like scholarly literature and interpretations, at the doctoral level

Potential Career Opportunities

• Academic publisher
• Archaeologist
• Federal government employee
• Higher education administrator
• International development specialist
• Museum curator
• Professional researcher

Featured Courses

• HIST 502 – Historiography*
• HIST 701 – Historical Professions
• HIST 711 – Development of Western Freedoms
• HIUS 713 – American Entrepreneurship since 1900

*Course guide coming soon

Degree Information

• This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences .
• View the Graduate Arts and Sciences Course Guides (login required) .
• View the PhD in History Handbook .

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

Eligible current and former military service members and their spouses may qualify for a special rate of $300/credit hour ( learn more ) .

All Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid Forms & Eligibility

Scholarship Opportunities

Admission Information for Liberty’s PhD in History

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• *Examples include but are not limited to: public or applied history, social sciences, political science, philosophy, government, international relations, geography, English, theology, church history, economics, a Master of Business Administration (MBA), museum studies, and library sciences.
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
• Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.

Transcript Policies

Official college transcript policy.

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

[email protected]

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Lynchburg, VA 24515

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Submit your application online or over the phone.

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees

Military Tuition Discount

We want to help you find the doctoral degree you want – at a price you’ve earned. As a thank-you for your military service, Liberty University offers eligible current and former service members like you or your spouse multiple pathways to earn a doctoral degree for only $300/credit hour . Find out how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity as you work toward your goal of reaching the pinnacle of your profession – for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a phd in history worth it.

If you love history and want to increase your career options and earning potential, then a PhD in History is worth your effort. The types of jobs you could qualify for range from positions in the federal government to academia to private companies.

Your earning potential will also increase because you hold a terminal degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professionals with a doctoral degree earn an annual median salary of $94,900.* This is a 27% increase from the salaries of their counterparts who only have a master’s degree.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at Education Pays (viewed online August 19, 2020). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

Can you get a PhD in History online?

Yes – with Liberty University’s online programs, you can earn your PhD in History 100% online. Our goal is to provide you with quality academics that are both affordable and flexible. We understand that you are a working professional with commitments. That’s why you have the flexibility to complete your doctorate wherever and whenever is most convenient for you.

What can you do with a PhD in History?

When you’re considering career options, a PhD in History is one of the most flexible doctorates you can earn. You will have job opportunities with the United States government, universities, private organizations, and more. Some of the specific careers that may be available to you include:

Is a PhD from Liberty University respected?

If you plan to choose Liberty for your PhD, you can rest assured that your degree will be respected. Liberty University is regionally accredited through SACSCOC . This means our program has to meet rigorous academic standards that are respected by future employers.

How long are the courses in this program, and what are the scheduling options like?

This program is offered in an 8-week course format, with 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times!

Are there any networking opportunities in this degree?

You will benefit from networking opportunities with other professionals in the program from around the country.

What makes Liberty University’s PhD in History unique?

The PhD in History is the first program of its kind offered from a conservative Christian, accredited university.

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Department of History

PhD in History (by distance learning)

Join our rich and thriving academic community and deliver research on key research areas in history, with the flexibility to study online.

Year of entry: 2024/25

If your passion lies in research, our doctoral degrees give you the independence to focus on a specialism of your choice. You'll have the flexibility to work from anywhere in the world. Study with us and receive expert research guidance from our supportive staff.

Your research

You'll focus on an independent research project on a topic of your choice. Your research will culminate in a dissertation of up to 90,000 words.

Join one of our leading research groups, which bring together historical expertise in various fields. Find out more about  our research groups .

[email protected]

Related links

• Research degree funding
• Accommodation
• International students
• Life at York
• How to apply

3rd in the UK for research impact

and 11th overall in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021.

Committed to equality

We are proud to hold an Athena Swan Bronze award in recognition of the work we do to support gender equality in history.

Access to exclusive resources

Our Borthwick Institute for Archives houses one of the most extensive collections of archives in the UK. York Minster Library is the largest cathedral library in the UK and holds material spanning 1000 years of history. We also have strong partnerships and consultancies with museums, archives, heritage sites, the media, artists and community organisations.

Explore funding for postgraduate researchers in the Department of History.

Supervision

We'll help match your research interests to our supervisory expertise. Explore the expertise of our staff.

Training and support

Your progress throughout your degree will be continually guided by your supervisor , who will help you to hone your focus and deliver specialised research. Alongside regular online meetings with your supervisor, you'll attend a Thesis Advisory Panel (TAP), consisting of at least one member of staff in addition to your supervisor. You'll meet twice a year (yearly for part-time students) to discuss your research project, including more general professional development and career training.

Course location

This course is run by the Department of History.

You can study this course from around the world. You must attend a five-day induction programme in York at the beginning of your first year. You'll also visit York in your second and third years (every other year for part-time students).

Entry requirements

You should have, or be about to complete, an MA degree in History or an equivalent subject with a distinction or very high merit.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language you must provide evidence of your ability.

Check your English language requirements

Apply for this course

Take a look at the supporting documents you may need for your application.

Find out more about how to apply .

Identify a supervisor

As part of any application for a research degree you will need to name one or more academic staff who could supervise your research. You should approach them informally to discuss your proposed project before you apply.

Find a supervisor

As part of your application, you'll be interviewed by one or two academic staff members, including your prospective supervisor. The interview will last around 30 minutes to an hour, with plenty of time for you to ask questions and find out what York can offer you. Your interview can be in-person or online.

Careers and skills

Your PhD will help to extend your qualifications, giving you the ability to use research and historical thinking to shed light on historical problems and communicate this knowledge with others. You will become equipped with transferable skills in communication, data analysis, archival research and collaboration, opening the door to a wide range of career opportunities.

Our dedicated careers team offer specific support including a programme of professional researcher development and careers workshops and 1:1 career support sessions. They will help you to build up your employability portfolio and to engage in activities that will build up your skills and experience within and outside of your research work.

Career opportunities

• archives practitioner
• heritage manager
• academic researcher
• museum professional
• historic buildings conservation officer
• lecturer or teacher

Discover York

Distance learning at York

Learn more about the York approach to distance and online learning.

Support and resources

Explore the support and resources we offer for distance and online learners.

Discover more about why York is the perfect choice for your research degree.

Meet us online or on campus

Find out all you need to know about applying to York

Scholarships

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• How Long Is a PhD Thesis?
• Doing a PhD

It’s no secret that one of the most challenging aspects of a PhD degree is the volume of work that goes into writing your thesis . So this raises the question, exactly how long is a thesis?

Unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all answer to this question. However, from the analysis of over 100 PhD theses, the average thesis length is between 80,000 and 100,000 words. A further analysis of 1000 PhD thesis shows the average number of pages to be 204 . In reality, the actual word count for each PhD thesis will depend on the specific subject and the university it is being hosted by. This is because universities set their own word length requirements, with most found to be opting for around 100,000.

To find out more about how these word limits differ between universities, how the average word count from STEM thesis differ from non-STEM thesis and a more detailed breakdown from the analysis of over 1000 PhDs, carry on reading the below.

Word Count Differences Between Universities

For any PhD student writing a thesis, they will find that their document will be subject to a word limit set by their university. In nearly all cases, the limit only concerns the maximum number of words and doesn’t place any restrictions on the minimum word limit. The reason for this is that the student will be expected to write their thesis with the aim of clearly explaining their research, and so it is up to the student to determine what he deems appropriate.

Saying this, it is well accepted amongst PhD students and supervisors that the absence of a lower limit doesn’t suggest that a thesis can be ‘light’. Your thesis will focus on several years worth of original research and explore new ideas, theories or concepts. Besides this, your thesis will need to cover a wide range of topics such as your literature review, research methodology, results and conclusion. Therefore, your examiners will expect the length of your thesis to be proportional to convey all this information to a sufficient level.

Selecting a handful of universities at random, they state the following thesis word limits on their website:

• University of Edinburgh: 100,000
• University of Exeter: 100,000
• University of Leister: 80,000
• University of Bath: 80,000
• University of Warwick: 70,000

The above universities set upper word limits that apply across the board, however, some universities, such as the University of Birmingham and the University of Sheffield, set different word limits for different departments. For example, the University of Sheffield adopts these limits:

• Arts & Humanities: 75,000
• Medicine, Dentistry & Health: 75,000
• Science: 80,000
• Social Sciences: 75,000-100,000

Although there’s a range of limit, it’s safe to say that the majority fall within the 80,000 to 100,000 bracket.

Word Count Based on Data from past Theses

A poll of 149 postdocs.

In mid-2019, Dr Eva Lantsoght, a published author, academic blogger and Structural Engineering Professor, conducted a poll which asked postgraduate doctoral students to share the length of their final thesis. 149 PostDoc students responded to the survey, with the majority reporting a length falling within the ‘80,000 – 120,000 words’ bracket as seen below.

Analysis of 1000 PhD Theses

Over a three-year time period, Dr Ian Brailsford, a then Postgraduate Learning Adviser at the University of Auckland, analysed 1000 doctoral thesis submitted to his university’s library. The PhD theses which formed the basis of his analysis were produced between 2008 to 2017 and showed:

• Average number of pages = 204
• Median number of pages = 198
• Average number of chapters = 7.6

We should note that the above metrics only cover the content falling within the main body of the thesis. This includes the introduction, literature review, methods section, results chapter, discussions and conclusions. All other sections, such as the title page, abstract, table of contents, acknowledgements, bibliography and appendices were omitted from the count.

Although it’s impossible to draw the exact word count from the number of pages alone, by using the universities recommended format of 12pt Times New Roman and 1.5 lines spacing, and assuming 10% of the main body are figures and footnotes, this equates to an average main body of 52,000 words.

STEM vs Non-STEM

As part of Dr Ian Brailsford’s analysis, he also compared the length of STEM doctorate theses to non-STEM theses. He found that STEM theses tended to be shorter. In fact, he found STEM theses to have a medium page length of 159 whilst non-STEM theses had a medium of around 223 pages. This is a 40% increase in average length!

Can You Exceed the Word Count?

Whilst most universities will allow you to go over the word count if you need to, it comes with the caveat that you must have a very strong reason for needing to do so. Besides this, your supervisor will also need to support your request. This is to acknowledge that they have reviewed your situation and agree that exceeding the word limit will be absolutely necessary to avoid detriment unnecessary detriment to your work.

This means that whilst it is possible to submit a thesis over 100,000 words or more, it’s unlikely that your research project will need to.

How Does This Compare to a Masters Dissertation?

The average Masters dissertation length is approximately 20,000 words whilst a thesis is 4 to 5 times this length at approximately 80,000 – 100,000.

The key reason for this difference is because of the level of knowledge they convey. A Master’s dissertation focuses on concluding from existing knowledge whilst a PhD thesis focuses on drawing a conclusion from new knowledge. As a result, the thesis is significantly longer as the new knowledge needs to be well documented so it can be verified, disseminated and used to shape future research.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

Related Reading

Unfortunately, the completion of your thesis doesn’t mark the end of your degree just yet. Once you submit your thesis, it’s time to start preparing for your viva – the all-to-fun thesis defence interview! To help you prepare for this, we’ve produced a helpful guide which you can read here: The Complete Guide to PhD Vivas.

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Love of history, appetite to learn drives marine corps veteran to earn phd, start own business, jodie sweezey, phd served 12 years in marines.

Jacob Langston , Digital Journalist

Jodie Sweezey discovered military history in her teens, but she waited until after she graduated college to join the military, a decision partly shaped by her father who served in Vietnam.

When she was 16 years old, her grandmother asked her to help with the family genealogy. That’s when Sweezey learned she was related to William Tecumseh Sherman, the Civil War general.

That piqued her interest, and Sweezey went to her local library and checked out the book “Sherman’s March to the Sea.”

“I was a kid who wasn’t big into reading or into history necessarily, but I devoured that book and was fascinated with military history and became a huge Civil War buff,” Sweezey said. “That, combined with my dad having been a Marine, just led me to look more closely at becoming a Marine.”

Later, her father made her watch the movie “Full Metal Jacket” after she announced her plans to join the Marines herself.

While the movie didn’t deter her plans, she put them on pause and headed to college. When Operation Desert Shield kicked off, she watched the war unfold on TV like millions of Americans.

“I knew that was it. I was going in the Marine Corps.,” Sweezey said.

She went to Officer Candidates School in 1991, unsure if she would be able to finish and become an officer.

“I think everybody thought I was gonna not graduate,” Sweezey said. “In fact, my DIs [drill instructors] didn’t think I was going to graduate. In the first couple of weeks, I was one of the ones they checked off as ‘You’re going home.’”

But don’t tell Sweezey that she can’t do something.

She not only graduated, but after a few weeks at OCS, she was put in charge of the platoon.

Sixty-five women started OCS in her platoon, but only 25 graduated. Of those, just 17 accepted commission, becoming Second Lieutenant.

Her “job” in the Marines was Motor Transport – the same Military Occupational Specialty as her father – and she was stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

After serving a few years, she left the Marines as a major when the Department of Defense reduced the number of officers on active duty by about 23% from 1989 to 1996 as part of the post-Cold War drawdown in U.S. military forces.

Her desire to learn never faded and after she left the military she earned a master’s degree in history.

After Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom started, Sweezey still had the desire to serve and joined the Marine Corps. Reserves. She reaffiliated with a civil affairs unit in Washington, D.C. that was preparing to deploy.

“I joined that unit and started to train,” Sweezey said. “Went from having been out all the way to ramping up for a deployment to Iraq. Not just a deployment to Iraq, but I ended up in Fallujah.

She went from being a civilian again to living in Fallujah and becoming the logistics officer for the civil-military operations center.

“Which is where all of the reconstruction and governance kinds of things were happening,” Sweezey said. “It was kind of the hub where people came for help and support.

Sweezey’s study of history and what she learned about the Iraqi culture led her down the road to further her already impressive educational achievements.

“There were a lot of things we missed and a lot of things we didn’t understand. And it was really that experience that led me to study anthropology because I recognized that there were some huge gaps in our understanding,” Sweezey said.

After her second tour in Iraq, she continued in the Reserves for a number of years, but then had to make a tough decision – either stay in the Marines or finish her PhD – she wasn’t able to do both.

Sweezey left a successful career in the Marines as a major. Her desire to learn is insatiable.

Her original plan was to study how trauma shapes society and gender-based violence with a visit to Kabul, Afghanistan – a place she already visited with a non-governmental organization. As the security situation in the area deteriorated, she had to find a new focus for her PhD.

Her 201-page PhD dissertation was titled “Livin’ the Dream? How Veterans of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom Negotiate the Experience of Illness as They Transition from Healthy Warrior to Sick Veteran.”

“I looked at what it means for a veteran to go from being this hard charging soldier, sailor, airman or Marine to this transition of then having everything fall apart and you become a sick vet, and what that does mentally and physically and does to your life.” Sweezey said.

With her doctorate in applied cultural anthropology complete, Sweezey went into business with three former Army civil affairs officers, offering subcontracting where they teach other militaries across the world how to handle civil-military operations.

“We started a company called Intended Consequences Group and our mission is providing that knowledge-base research consultancy to help organizations who are working cross culturally, to do that in a way that’s least disruptive to the population,” Sweezey said.

Her work with non-governmental organizations and her own company has brought Sweezey to Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon and Kosovo, to name a few.

To learn more about Intended Consequences Group Inc., click here.

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About the Author

Jacob langston.

Jacob joined ClickOrlando.com in 2022. He spent 19 years at the Orlando Sentinel, mostly as a photojournalist and video journalist, before joining Spectrum News 13 as a web editor and digital journalist in 2021.

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