History Doctoral Programs in the United States and Canada

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Arkansas , Univ. of

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

U.S. South, U.S., modern Europe, Arkansas, Middle East

Program Description

The Doctorate of Philosophy in History is primarily a research degree. It is designed to produce scholars who will make significant contributions within their chosen field of research. All candidates for the degree, therefore, are required to participate in seminars devoted to an investigation of the philosophical and methodological underpinnings of the discipline, to demonstrate an ability to utilize primary and secondary materials in two foreign languages, to successfully complete rigorous written qualifying examinations in four designated fields, and to submit an original and extensive research contribution in the form of a doctoral dissertation.
While the program is research-oriented, the department recognizes that most candidates will engage in teaching during all or part of their careers, and further, that while a competence in the subject matter is the fundamental qualification for that activity, an ability to transmit knowledge and to stimulate thought is an acquired skill. Therefore, the department seeks to provide doctoral candidates the opportunity to engage in supervised teaching activities as a part of their graduate work. The teaching experience is monitored by a professor who serves as a mentor. The mentor provides the Graduate Advisor with a written appraisal of the candidate's classroom performance.
The Faculty of the Department of History at the University of Arkansas range widely across the discipline, in a variety of geographies and cultures, from the ancient to the post-modern world, with teaching and research emphases in political, social, diplomatic, cultural, intellectual, and environmental history. The Departments strengths at the graduate level include the history of the American South, American West, American religion, African-American history, American Civil War, modern Europe, and the modern Middle East. History Department faculty members have won a wide array of prestigious grants and fellowships to pursue research in this country and abroad. These include awards from the Fulbright Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Social Science Research Council, National Humanities Center, American Antiquarian Society, Institute for Advanced Study, Nobel Institute, the Carter G Woodson Institute, and the Newberry and Huntington libraries. Members of the present and emeritus faculty have been awarded Fulbright College and University research and teaching awards, including Master Researcher and Master Teacher, Alumni Distinguished Awards for teaching and research, and the Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award.
Arkansass History doctoral students have received highly competitive fellowships (including awards from Fulbright and Mellon foundations, the American Center for Oriental Research, the Medieval Academy, and the US State Department), to support research and language study in the Middle East and Europe, and to visit the Vatican archives, presidential libraries, national, state and local archives, and special collections at private and public institutions. They earn Fulbright College and all-University honors, including Yowell Teaching Awards, recognizing their achievements as outstanding instructors and promising scholars. Recent graduates have won tenure-track or visiting positions at Wake Forest University, Texas A & M University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Malang (Indonesia), and Coastal Carolina University.

Special Programs or Resources

The reference librarians at Mullins Library on the University of Arkansas campus provide excellent guidance for students engaged in historical research. Historians make particular use of the library's Special Collections, which includes a wide array of primary source research materials, such as the papers of Senator J. William Fulbright. Interlibrary Loans makes available books, articles, and documents from collections around the world.

Financial Aid

Ph.D. candidates are eligible for graduate teaching assistantships in the amount of $10,000 per academic year. The deadline for applications is January 15 of each year. The Graduate School awards Distinguished Doctor Fellowships (DDF) in the amount of $30,000 and Distinguished Academy Fellowships (DAF) in the amount of $20,000. Both the DDF and the DAF are renewable for a period of four years and are given to exemplary students in any field. All graduate assistants in History receive full tuition waivers. The Department of History also awards several other fellowships to advanced doctoral students, including the Diane Blair Fellowship for the Study of Southern Politics and Culture, the Willard Gatewood Fellowship for the Study of Southern History, and the Mary Hudgins Fellowship for the Study of Arkansas History. Students who are from underrepresented groups and are U.S. citizens may apply for the Benjamin Franklin Lever Tuition Fellowship from the Graduate School.

Degree Requirements

A detailed statement of degree programs and admission requirements together with application forms may be obtained on the history department's web site at www.uark.edu/history. Prospective candidates are also encouraged to consult with the request from the Graduate Advisor, Department of History, Old Main 416, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701.