History Doctoral Programs in the United States and Canada

Central Michigan Univ.

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

U.S., Europe, Latin America, Africa, East Asia

Program Description

The Joint MA/PhD program in Comparative and Transnational History at Central Michigan University requires a year of study abroad at one of four partner institutions: the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, Germany, or Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla in Puebla, Mexico. Doctoral candidates usually undertake comparative projects requiring a return to one of the partner locations for research on their dissertations, and faculty from the partner institutions participate in dissertation advising and directed research.

Special Programs or Resources

Central Michigan University boasts the Clarke Historical Library, with extensive collections in the history of Michigan, the Great Lakes, and the Old Northwest. The University's Park Library houses over 1,100,000 books and bound journals, an extensive collection of electronic resources, microfilm and manuscript materials, and excellent interlibrary loan services. Graduate students also have ready access to the state library and archives in Lansing on hour away as well as the research collections of other libraries and museums in the state. Our partner institutions all maintain active centers of research with access to extensive and rich collections of archival material, including the National Archives of Scotland one hour from Glasgow, the Erasmus Center for Early Modern Studies and the N.W. Posthumus institute (among several others) in Rotterdam, rich archival and cultural resources in Weimar one half hour from Jena, and the extensive archaeological treasures and archival resources of Puebla and nearby Cholula.

Financial Aid

The department supports doctoral students in their studies at CMU with teaching and research assistantships. Each student in the Joint Program is supported by a fellowship during the required year of study abroad. Students who maintain adequate progress in the program typically receive funding for four years.

Degree Requirements

90 hours beyond the B.A., including 54 hours of course work and 36 hours of dissertation credit. Students complete written qualifying examinations in two major fields or one major field and two minor fields. The field in the history of the Atlantic World counts as two major fields.

University Information:

University Type: Public

Carnegie Institution Ranking: Doctoral/Research Universities—Intensive

Department Demographics:

First PhD conferred: 1999

History PhDs conferred to Date: 3

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

Faculty Mix:
	Full Professor	8
	Associate Professor	2
	Assistant Professor	12
	Instructor/Lecturer	1
	Joint Appointment
	Emeritus Faculty
	Part-time faculty	2

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

Number of Graduate Students in Program (Fall 2005): 61
(Graduate student counts include those enrolled in terminal Master's degree program)

Proportion of Full-Time Graduate Students: 68%

New Graduate Students Entering Program, Fall 2004: 15

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

 

Other Information

     Current Dissertations in Progress

     PhDs Conferred by Department