History Doctoral Programs in the United States and Canada

Maine, Univ. of

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

U.S., Canada, Europe, women, historical archaeology

Program Description

The Department of History at the University of Maine offers a graduate program leading to the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy. Through a series of seminars, special topics courses, and individually arranged tutorial sessions, students are brought into close working relationships with the faculty and are allowed considerable flexibility in designing their courses of study. At the master's level, students pursue a course of study in one geographical area, such as America, Asia, Canada, or Europe, while doctoral students choose American, Canadian-American, or International history as their major focus. Within such regional frameworks, a number of topical approaches are possible that reflect the research interests of the faculty. Because faculty research interests converge in important ways, however, Maine's graduate program in history offers a number of truly unique opportunities for advanced study. One such convergence builds on the strength of the Canadian-American program by focusing on the Northeastern Borderlands Region of New England, the Atlantic Provinces, and Quebec; within this regional framework, students can explore a wide range of economic, environmental, political and social topics.

Special Programs or Resources

The University of Maine is a major educational and research institution with about 12,000 students and 650 faculty located in central Maine. Founded in 1865, it opened its doors in 1868 as the land-grant university of the state. Today, the Orono campus is the site of a dynamic, modern university, encompassing eight colleges, the graduate school, and a full range of other academic and non-academic programs.
The University of Maine offers excellent resources for graduate students in history. Fogler Library contains nearly a million volumes, 6,700 periodical subscriptions and continuations, more than a million microforms, and, as an official depository for both the U.S. and Canada, nearly two million U.S. and Canadian federal government publications. The Library's general collection contains substantial material in Canadian, regional, maritime, women's, environmental, and anti-slavery history, while specialized collections include Maine-related materials, sound recordings and music scores, maps, manuscripts, Canadiana, patents, and educational materials for teachers and students. Its on-line catalog, Ursus, gives direct access to all library collections in the University of Maine System, the state's major public libraries and the Maine State Library and indirect access, via the internet, to on-line catalogs at research institutions around the world. Graduate students in history also have access to the folklore and oral history collections at the University's Maine Folklife Center.

Financial Aid

All students applying for admission to the graduate program may also apply for financial aid, in the form of various fellowships, scholarships, or teaching assistantships, by marking the appropriate places on the application form. Complete applications involving requests for financial aid should be filed by January 15; those arriving after that date may be considered for admission alone.

Degree Requirements

For the Master of Arts degree, candidates follow one of two options. Under the Thesis Option, students complete at least thirty semester hours of course work, six hours of which will be thesis credit. Students must pass an oral examination on the completed thesis. Those selecting the Non-Thesis Option take at least two graduate research seminars in lieu of the thesis and must pass an oral examination upon completion of their course work. All students at the master's level must demonstrate competence in one foreign language. Doctoral candidates fulfill the customary requirements of American graduate schools by completing advanced course work beyond the master's level; passing a series of comprehensive examinations; demonstrating competence in one foreign language; and researching, writing, and defending a dissertation.

University Information:

University Type: Public

Carnegie Institution Ranking: Doctoral/Research Universities—Extensive

Department Demographics:

First PhD conferred: 1966

History PhDs conferred to Date: 94

Relative Size Based on PhDs Conferred (2000–04): Medium [Explain]

Faculty Mix:
	Full Professor	11
	Associate Professor	5
	Assistant Professor	3
	Instructor/Lecturer
	Joint Appointment
	Emeritus Faculty	5
	Part-time faculty	2

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

Number of Graduate Students in Program (Fall 2005): 67
(Graduate student counts include those enrolled in terminal Master's degree program)

Proportion of Full-Time Graduate Students: 72%

New Graduate Students Entering Program, Fall 2004: 10

Relative Size Based on Graduate Student Enrollment (2002–04): Medium [Explain]

 

Other Information

     Current Dissertations in Progress

     PhDs Conferred by Department