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University of Virginia

Corcoran Dept. of History
Nau Hall
P.O. Box 400180
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4180

Phone 434.924.7147
Fax 434.924.7891
E-mail: ph4p@virginia.edu

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

Africa, East and South Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and U.S.

Program Description

The normal duration of the Ph.D. program is five to seven years. The program is the same whether or not the student has received an M.A. degree in history from another institution.

Students should be in residence at the University for at least three years. During this time students should complete the required coursework, take the general examinations for the Ph.D., work with undergraduates as a graduate teaching assistant, and complete a prospectus for the Ph.D. dissertation. During the remaining years the student should research and write the doctoral dissertation. In the fourth year and beyond, the student can also continue to teach either as a graduate teaching assistant or, for the most advanced students, as an independent instructor of undergraduate courses.

The program is structured with an intensive focus on coursework during the first two years, transitioning to extensive supervised experience in college teaching as a complement to continuing research.

Special Programs or Resources

The Department's intellectual breadth is enhanced by its close relationship with the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American & African Studies, the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES), the Classics Department, an emerging Law & History nexus between the Department and the School of Law, the Miller Center for Study of the American Presidency, and the program in Science, Technology & Society at the Engineering School. Members of the Department are also closely involved with several interdisciplinary programs in the College of Arts & Sciences such as, American Studies, Latin American studies, Middle-Eastern Studies, Medieval Studies Program, and Studies in Women & Gender. Others work at the convergence of humanities and digital technology, both in research and in novel approaches to historical pedagogy.

Financial Aid

The graduate program in history is small, highly selective, and especially well supported by the University. If a student is admitted, the University will provide a competitive financial package that will include a stipend for living expenses, remission of tuition, and cover fees and health insurance.

Usually this support will be provided through the University; sometimes the support can be provided by an outside sponsor. Continuation in the program and of financial support is contingent on performance judged in annual assessments mentioned later in this Guide.

The University and the Department also provide other, limited, financial support for student research, including travel to archives, presentations of research at scholarly conferences, and language study beyond the minimum language requirement  whether at the University or at some other US or foreign institution.

Degree Requirements

For a detailed description, see www.virginia.edu/history/graduate/program.



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: 50

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

 

Student Demographics (Fall 2011):

Number of Doctoral Students in Program: 96

New Doctoral Students Entering Program: 11

Proportion of Doctoral Students Receiving Financial Aid: 50%

Number of Graduate Students Enrolled: 122

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

 

Degree Information:

First PhD conferred: 1904

History PhDs conferred to Date: 663

Number of PhDs Conferred (2011–12): 13

Relative Size Based on PhDs Conferred: Large [Explain]

Current Dissertations in Progress

PhDs Conferred by Department

 

 

Last Updated: October 19, 2012