History Doctoral Programs in the United States and Canada

Washington , Univ. of

Department Web Site

Areas of Specialization:

U.S./U.S. West/African American, ancient world, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Middle East

Program Description

Graduate students pursue M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in fields ranging from ancient to modern times and touching on nearly all parts of the world. There are 15 major divisions of study (e.g., Ancient Greece, Medieval, Africa, US, Modern Asia, etc.) and numerous areas of specializations within these divisions. Graduate students take courses in a host of affiliated programs as well. The Department is embracing more global and comparative history and graduate students can now pursue supporting fields of study in comparative gender, comparative colonialisms, comparative ethnicity and nationalism, and historiography.

Special Programs or Resources

The UW library system ranks among the top 10 largest in North America with over 5 million volumes as well as very large microform holdings. In addition to the large collections in Suzzallo and Allen libraries, graduate students can also access research materials held in specialized collections such as: East Asia, Near East, Slavic and East European, South East Asia, Pacific Northwest, etc. The History Department sponsors the Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest and partners with Political Science as co-sponsors of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies. Both Centers support graduate students and undertake public programs. History has strong ties to many other units including the Jackson School of International Studies, American Indian Studies, American Ethnic Studies, Women Studies, Philosophy, Astronomy, Classics, English, and Near Eastern Languages and Civilization.

Financial Aid

A recent survey of the History graduate student body found that approximately 75% of students were receiving full funding for the academic year, while another 25% were receiving partial funding through a combination of private and public resources. The Department uses a substantial part of its funding to recruit graduate applicants. Some fellowships can be used to recruit students in any field and some are restricted by the donor to students in particular fields, for example, ancient history, labor history, and Pacific Northwest history. About three quarters of our entering M.A. and Ph.D. students each year are funded through a combination of departmental and University monies, usually in the form of fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships. All applicants for admission are considered for any departmental aid for which they are eligible.

Degree Requirements

The Department of History requires students to complete an M.A. in History (or a closely related field) before beginning work in our Ph.D. program. Consequently, students who will have completed a B.A. in History must apply for our M.A. program. A student normally completes the M.A. program in 2 years. During this period the student must complete 36 credits normally consisting of field courses, independent study and other relevant classes intended to prepare for the two written field exams. In addition, the student must take a two-quarter research seminar and produce a seminar paper, fulfill a foreign language requirement, and successfully pass written exams in the student's two areas of specialization. The student may choose to substitute a thesis for the seminar paper. All requirements for the degree must be completed within 6 years. A doctoral student normally takes two years after the M.A. to get to the General Examination and achieve candidacy. In this two-year period, the student must complete 60 credits normally consisting of field courses, independent study and other relevant classes intended to prepare for the four written field exams. In addition, the student must take a two-quarter research seminar and produce a seminar paper, fulfill remaining foreign language requirements (if any), and successfully pass written and oral exams in the student's four areas of specialization. After achieving candidacy, the student focuses on researching and writing the dissertation and preparing for the Final Examination (the defense). During this time the student must complete a minimum of 27 doctoral dissertation credits. All requirements for graduate degrees must be completed within 10 years.

University Information:

University Type: Public

Carnegie Institution Ranking: Doctoral/Research Universities—Extensive

Department Demographics:

First PhD conferred: 1922

History PhDs conferred to Date: 473

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

Faculty Mix:
	Full Professor	15
	Associate Professor	11
	Assistant Professor	8
	Instructor/Lecturer
	Joint Appointment	9
	Emeritus Faculty
	Part-time faculty	16

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

Number of Graduate Students in Program (Fall 2005): 84
(Graduate student counts include those enrolled in terminal Master's degree program)

Proportion of Full-Time Graduate Students: 84%

New Graduate Students Entering Program, Fall 2004: 15

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

 

Other Information

     Current Dissertations in Progress

     PhDs Conferred by Department