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American University

Dept. of History
4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20016-8038

Phone 202.885.2401
Fax 202.885.6166
E-mail: history@american.edu

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

Early Modern and Modern Europe, British, Middle East, Public, and U.S.

Program Description

The Department offers graduate work leading to the MA and PhD degrees in history. It also offers an MA degree in Public History. Its areas of greatest strength and course coverage at the graduate level are in American history and in modern European history (including Britain and Russia). Students interested in other areas of the world and other time periods will find some relevant courses in the department, in other parts of the university, and through the resources of the Washington, D. C. Consortium of Universities. Such students will find it possible to develop minor fields of study ("outside fields") other than American and modern European history, as well as (major or minor) cross-national and cross disciplinary fields. The Department offers course work and guidance in public history, political history, diplomatic history, history of imperialism and post-colonialism, comparative history, intellectual history, quantitative history, social and cultural history, history of sexuality and gender, history of medicine and science, African American history and ethnic history.

Special Programs or Resources

The National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution and many, many other museums, archives, libraries and historical sites make our Washington D.C. location an incomparable place to study history. The Department has collaborative relationships with many of these institutions. The American University Library is part of the Washington Consortium of Research Libraries, which provides faculty and students with common access to the resources of eight university libraries. The Department annually offers a non-credit doctoral seminar which focuses on professional development issues such as research and writing, teaching and job search, and features the presentation of work in progress by doctoral students. Students may also participate in the University-wide "Greenberg Seminar." Technical support and training is available through the University's Center for Teaching, Research and Learning.

Financial Aid

The Department awards Doctoral Fellowships that include tuition remission, a stipend of $19,200 and the opportunity to serve (with pay) as a teaching assistant. Fellowships are awarded for three and four years, depending on whether or not the candidate enters with a BA or an MA.

Degree Requirements

For students entering with a BA, 72 credits; for students entering with an MA in history or a related discipline, 42 credits. Doctoral candidates must pass comprehensive examinations in four fields, including an outside field (two courses and a research paper) and the dissertation field (an approved prospectus).



University Information:

Information from Department of Education
(Includes information on the size, location, and general characteristics of faculty and student body)

Information from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
(Includes rating of the institution's rating of the graduate instructional program and size and setting)

 

Faculty Information (Fall 2011):

Full-time Faculty: 18

Relative Size based on Number of Full-time Faculty: Medium [Explain]

 

Student Demographics (Fall 2011):

Number of Doctoral Students in Program: 64

New Doctoral Students Entering Program: 6

Proportion of Doctoral Students Receiving Financial Aid: -1%

Number of Graduate Students Enrolled: 65

Relative Size Based on Graduate Student Enrollment: Medium [Explain]

 

Degree Information:

First PhD conferred: 1936

History PhDs conferred to Date: 196

Number of PhDs Conferred (2011–12): 2

Relative Size Based on PhDs Conferred: Small [Explain]

Current Dissertations in Progress

PhDs Conferred by Department

 

 

Last Updated: October 19, 2012