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Northwestern University

Dept. of History
1881 Sheridan Rd.
Harris Hall
Evanston, IL 60208-2220

Phone 847.491.3406
Fax 847.467.1393
E-mail: history@northwestern.edu

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

Africa, Americas, East Asia, Europe, and Latin America

Program Description

The Northwestern program is distinguished by its relatively compact size, admitting only 15 to 20 students each year. It seeks to prepare students for distinguished careers as teachers and scholars.

Special Programs or Resources

Students have access to exceptional archival and library resources at Northwestern (especially its Africana collection) and in the Chicago area, among them the Newberry Library, the Chicago Historical Society, and the University of Chicago. Among key related programs at Northwestern are the Program of African Studies, the Gender Studies Program, and the University's rich resources in performance, music, and other arts. They also benefit from diverse, career-building teaching opportunities and ample resources to develop teaching skills both within and beyond the department.

Financial Aid

All students admitted into our Ph.D. program receive 12-month fellowship assistance during their first year (currently an $18,000 stipend plus tuition) and a guarantee, contingent on satisfactory progress, of four years of full funding. Most receive their first year's funding from Northwestern, others from some outside granting agency. After their first year, Ph.D. students in history customarily receive teaching assistantships for the next three years, or else funding from other University sources or from outside sources (in both cases, our students have been highly competitive). In the last several years, the Department has also funded all fifth and sixth-year students at the levels they requested.

Degree Requirements

The principal formal requirements for the Ph.D. in history are as follows:

1) Completion of 18 courses during the first two years of study, including two quarters of work each year in an intensive research seminar;

2) Passing of examinations in three areas (a general field, a specialization within that field, and a minor field) during the second and third year of study;

3) Demonstration of pertinent language skills;

4) Submission of a dissertation prospectus or proposal by the beginning of the third year of study;

5) Presentation of an approved dissertation.

Satisfying the first four requirements leads to admission to candidacy for the Ph.D.; approval of the dissertation by the responsible faculty committee results in the award of the degree.

Within the framework of these general requirements, students develop individual programs of study and research with designated advisors and advisory committees, subject to the approval of the department's graduate program committee. These faculty advisors help students define fields, select an appropriate combination of specific courses, design and schedule suitable language study and examinations, and develop dissertation projects.



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: 34

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

 

Student Demographics (Fall 2011):

Number of Doctoral Students in Program: 97

New Doctoral Students Entering Program: 13

Proportion of Doctoral Students Receiving Financial Aid: 81%

Number of Graduate Students Enrolled: 89

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

 

Degree Information:

First PhD conferred: 1918

History PhDs conferred to Date: 498

Number of PhDs Conferred (2011–12): 9

Relative Size Based on PhDs Conferred: Large [Explain]

Current Dissertations in Progress

PhDs Conferred by Department

 

 

Last Updated: October 19, 2012