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University of Memphis

Dept. of History
219 Mitchell Hall
Memphis, TN 38152-3450

Phone 901.678.2515
Fax 901.678.2720
E-mail: sherman@memphis.edu

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

African American, Modern Europe, Ancient Egypt, and U.S.

Program Description

A PhD student, in consultation with the major professor/advisor and Advisory Committee, will choose three fields of study. One will be designated the dissertation field. Dissertation fields are offered in African American, United States before 1877, United States after 1877, Ancient World, Britain, Modern Europe, Women and Gender, and Global with minor fields in (in addition to the above) Medieval-Renaissance Europe, Early Modern Europe, Latin America, Africa, China and Japan, Russia and Near East. Normally a dissertation in Ancient History must be in the area of Egyptology. Upon approval of a petition to the Graduate Studies Committee from both the student and a prospective dissertation director, a dissertation may be completed in a field that is not normally a dissertation field. The Department of History is committed to developing certain specific areas of specialization: African/African American History, Mid-South Regional Studies, Social/Cultural History, Ancient Egyptian History.

Special Programs or Resources

The Hypostyle Hall project in Egypt provides an opportunity for epigraphic field work for advanced graduate students in Egyptology. The Oral History Research Office is a subdivision of the department and is committed to enlarging its collection of veterans' oral histories by planning several years of intensive interviewing of World War II veterans in the area. The Special Collection/Mississippi Valley Collection of the Ned R. McWherter library is a major resource for students researching African-American history and Southern Mid-South regional history. The collection also contains original maps, postcards, photographs--most of which come from two major Memphis daily papers, the Commercial Appeal and the now-defunct Press-Scimitar. In almost all cases, these are original black-and-white glossy photographs.

Financial Aid

The Department offers a limited number of graduate assistantships, divided into grading and teaching assistantships. Applications must be received by January 15th for assistantships for the following fall semester.

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 60 semester hours of regular graduate course work beyond the bachelor's degree, excluding credit received for dissertation. In addition, the student must complete a minimum of 12 hours of doctoral dissertation, for a minimum total of 72 graduate credits. Both written and oral comprehensive examinations are required.



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: 24

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

 

Student Demographics (Fall 2011):

Number of Doctoral Students in Program: 65

New Doctoral Students Entering Program: 12

Proportion of Doctoral Students Receiving Financial Aid: 35%

Number of Graduate Students Enrolled: 65

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

 

Degree Information:

First PhD conferred: 1974

History PhDs conferred to Date: 98

Number of PhDs Conferred (2011–12): 1

Relative Size Based on PhDs Conferred: Small [Explain]

Current Dissertations in Progress

PhDs Conferred by Department

 

 

Last Updated: October 19, 2012