History Doctoral Programs in the United States and Canada

Western Michigan Univ.

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

medieval and modern Europe, U.S., public, ethnohistory, gender

Program Description

The department enjoys an international reputation in medieval history, and graduate students in this field have the advantage of WMU's rich cast of medieval specialists in other programs, including the Medieval Institute. The department is also distinguished by a uniquely strong program in Public History, with strong ties to public history institutions in the region. It has significant strengths in North American history. Cooperatively with the Anthropology Department at WMU, the History Department offers a Graduate Certificate in Ethnohistory, which students can earn while pursuing an M.A. or Ph.D. Other emphases include: Gender History, Great Lakes Regional History, Environmental History, Atlantic History and History Education.

Special Programs or Resources

The Institute of Cistercian Studies maintains a library collection of medieval manuscripts, incunabula, and scholarly books from and about the Cistercian Order. This collection is housed in the university's Waldo Library. The combined University and Institute book and journal holdings in Cistercian and medieval studies form one of the best collections on the subject in the world. Graduate students are encouraged to use materials from the rare book and manuscript collection as part of their training in paleography and historical studies. In the rare book reading room, they have the opportunity to work with original manuscripts, in addition to facsimiles.
The International Congress on Medieval Studies sponsored by the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University offers a special opportunity to students of medieval history. At this annual meeting held in May of each year, approximately 3,000 scholars from Europe, North America, and beyond come together to discuss their research in the history, theology, liturgy, manuscript tradition, economics, art and archaeology of medieval Europe. WMU graduate students are able to present the results of their research at this congress and attend sessions by scholars from around the world.
The library's Archives & Regional History Collections houses over 20,000 linear feet of historical University, regional, and local government records. Among its collections is the French Michilimackinac Microfilm project, one of the most extensive collections of microfilmed materials relating to the French presence in Michigan to 1783. These materials, on permanent loan from the Mackinac State Historic Parks Board, can be read in the reading room. They are collected from several archives, including the national archives of Canada, the U.S. and France.
The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center in St. Joseph, Michigan, partners with the department's Public History Program to offer internships and provide field experiences. The holder of the Frederick S. Upton Fellowship in Public History is assigned to work 20 hours a week at the HMCC and receives an M.A or Ph.D. fellowship plus travel and research funding.

Financial Aid

The Department of History offers Graduate Assistantships and Doctoral Associateships to approximately thirty students. Total compensation in salary, stipend and tuition remission ranges between approximately $14,000-18,000 (M.A.) and $24,500-$33,000 (Ph.D.) annually, depending on circumstances. Funded M.A. students serve as teaching and research assistants. Funded Ph.D. students generally teach their own courses after their first year of coursework. Several WMU fellowships are available to graduate students through the Graduate college, including the Thurgood Marshall Fellowship and the Martin Luther King/ Cesar Chávez/ Rosa Parks Future Faculty Fellowship. The King/Chavez/Parks fellowships are offered to U.S. students from historically underrepresented groups with regular admission to a doctoral program who wish to pursue a full-time teaching career in post-secondary education in the U.S.

Degree Requirements

45 hours post-M.A., including 12-18 hours of Dissertation Credit; Comprehensive Examination required.

University Information:

University Type: Public

Carnegie Institution Ranking: Doctoral/Research Universities—Extensive

Department Demographics:

First PhD conferred: 1998

History PhDs conferred to Date: 12

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

Faculty Mix:
	Full Professor	11
	Associate Professor	11
	Assistant Professor	8
	Instructor/Lecturer
	Joint Appointment	3
	Emeritus Faculty	7
	Part-time faculty	5

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

Number of Graduate Students in Program (Fall 2005): 59
(Graduate student counts include those enrolled in terminal Master's degree program)

Proportion of Full-Time Graduate Students: 83%

New Graduate Students Entering Program, Fall 2004: 16

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

 

Other Information

     Current Dissertations in Progress

     PhDs Conferred by Department