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How to Apply for a PhD in History?

The application deadline for the PhD Programme is in January every year. If you want your proposal to be successful, however, you’re advised to start working on your application well in advance. We recommend you follow these steps in the weeks and months before the deadline:

• If you’re interested in applying for a PhD in History, your first step is to identify a potential supervisor in the department. You can read the faculty research profiles to find a good match.
• You should then contact the Postgraduate Convenor  and/or a potential supervisor to express your interest in the PhD programme. She or he will then be able to discuss your proposed project with you and provide any feedback before you draft a research proposal.
• The research proposal is the single most important part of your PhD application. It’s where you set out the topic of your proposed project, the questions you’ll be investigating, and the methodology you’ll be using. Before drafting your proposal, you should read this guide we’ve prepared to help you write one.
• Once you’ve drafted your research proposal, you should send it to your potential supervisor. She or he will read it and provide you with feedback ahead of the application deadline.
• Once you have a polished research proposal, you can fill in the relevant application form . You can also indicate on the application form if you would like to apply for a funded studentship from the Open-Oxford-Cambridge Doctoral Training Partnership .
• You are also asked to identify two referees whom we can contact for a reference to assess your application. It’s a good idea to contact your referees well ahead of the application deadline and ensure they’re happy to provide a reference in support of your application.

What happens next?

In the days following the application deadline in January, a selection panel of members of the History Department will assess each application. The strongest applications will be shortlisted, and those applicants will be invited for an interview at The Open University’s main campus in Milton Keynes. Following the interviews, applicants will be informed of the outcome of their applications.

Competition for places in the PhD Programme is high and meeting the minimum entry requirement does not guarantee an offer of admission. It is also not always possible to identify a full supervisory team for a proposed project, regardless of how strong the proposal is and how well a candidate performs at the interview.

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The OU supports a diverse community of around 900 postgraduate research students, doing cutting-edge PhD and Professional Doctorate projects:

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Department of History

Ph.d. programs.

The Department of History’s doctoral degree program seeks to train talented historians for careers in scholarship, teaching, and beyond the academy. The department typically accepts 22 Ph.D. students per year. Additional students are enrolled through various combined programs and through HSHM.  All admitted Ph.D. students receive a  full  financial aid package  from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. 

History of Science and Medicine

The  Program in the History of Science and Medicine  (HSHM)  is a semi-autonomous graduate track within the Department of History. HSHM students receive degrees in History, with a concentration in the History of Science and Medicine.  There is a separate admissions process for students interested in the History of Science and Medicine. For more information, please see the  HSHM website . 

Combined Doctoral Programs

Joint ph.d. programs.

Graduate Students

Learn more about our  students' research interests and dissertation projects.

CURRENT STUDENTS

Ph.D. Program

Stanford Ph.D. Program in History aims to train world-class scholars.

Every year we admit 10-12 promising students  from a large pool of highly selective applicants. Our small cohort size allows more individual work with faculty than most graduate programs in the United States and also enables funding in one form or another available to members of each cohort.

Fields of Study

Our graduate students may specialize in 14 distinct subfields: Africa, Britain, Early Modern Europe, East Asia, Jewish History, Latin America, Medieval Europe, Modern Europe,  Ottoman Empire and Middle East, Russia/Eastern Europe, Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine, South Asia, Transnational, International, and Global History, and United States. Explore each field and their affiliates . 

The department expects most graduate students to spend no less than four and no more than six years completing the work for the Ph.D. degree. Individual students' time to degree will vary with the strength of their undergraduate preparation as well as with the particular language and research requirements of their respective Major fields.

Expectations and Degree Requirements

We expect that most graduate students will spend no less than four and no more than six years toward completing their Ph.D. Individual students' time-to-degree vary with the strength of their undergraduate preparation as well as with the particular language and research requirements of their respective subfield.

All History Ph.D. students are expected to satisfy the following degree requirements:

• Teaching: Students who enter on the Department Fellowship are required to complete 4 quarters of teaching experience by the end of their third year. Teaching experience includes teaching assistantships and teaching a Sources and Methods course on their own.
• Candidacy : Students apply for candidacy to the PhD program by the end of their second year in the program.
• Orals:  The University Orals Examination is typically taken at the beginning of the 3rd year in the program.
• Languages: Language requirements vary depending on the field of study.
• Residency Requirement : The University requi res  135 units of full-tuition residency  for PhD students. After that, students should have completed all course work and must request Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status. 

Browse the Ph.D. Handbook to learn more .

The History Department offers 5 years of financial support to PhD students.  No funding is offered for the co-terminal and terminal M.A. programs. A sample Ph.D. funding package is as follows:  

• 1st year: 3 quarters fellowship stipend and 1 summer stipend 
• 2nd year: 2 quarters TAships, 1 quarter RAship (pre-doc affiliate), and 1 summer stipend 
• 3rd year: 2 quarters TAships, 1 quarter RAship (pre-doc affiliate), and 1 summer stipend 
• 4th year: 3 quarters of RAships (pre-doc affiliate) and 1 summer stipend 
• 5th year: 3 quarters of RAships (pre-doc affiliate) and 1 summer stipend

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Join dozens of  Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students  who gain valuable leadership skills in a multidisciplinary, multicultural community as  Knight-Hennessy Scholars  (KHS). KHS admits up to 100 select applicants each year from across Stanford’s seven graduate schools, and delivers engaging experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. As a scholar, you join a distinguished cohort, participate in up to three years of leadership programming, and receive full funding for up to three years of your studies at Stanford. candidates of any country may apply. KHS applicants must have earned their first undergraduate degree within the last seven years, and must apply to both a Stanford graduate program and to KHS. Stanford PhD students may also apply to KHS during their first year of PhD enrollment. If you aspire to be a leader in your field, we invite you to apply. The KHS application deadline is October 11, 2023. Learn more about  KHS admission .

How to Apply

Admission to the History Graduate Programs are for Autumn quarter only.  Interested applicants can online at  https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/apply-now and submit the following documents: 

• Statement of Purpose (included in Application)
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
•  Transcripts are required from all prior college level schools attended for at least one year.  A scanned copy of the official transcript is submitted as part of the online application.  Please do not mail transcripts to the department.   We will ask only the admitted students to submit actual copies of official transcripts.
• 1 Writing Sample on a historic topic (10-25 pages; sent via  Stanford's online application system  only)
• The GRE exam is not required for the autumn 2024 admission cycle
• TOEFL for all international applicants (whose primary language is not English) sent via ETS. Our University code is 4704.
• TOEFL Exemptions and Waiver information
• Application Fee Waiver
• The department is not able to provide fee waivers. Please see the link above for the available fee waivers and how to submit a request. Requests are due 2 weeks before the application deadline.

The Department of History welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field.

The Department of History also recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

Application deadline for Autumn 2024-25 is Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 11:59pm EST . This is a hard -not a postmark- deadline. 

All application material is available online. No information is sent via snail mail. Interested applicants are invited to view a Guide to Graduate Admissions at  https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/ . 

Questions? 

Please contact  Arthur Palmon  (Assistant Director of Student Services).

Department Bookshelf

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Uncertain Past Time: Empire, Republic, and Politics | Belirsiz Geçmiş Zaman: İmparatorluk, Cumhuriyet Ve Siyaset

Embodied Knowledge: Women and Science before Silicon Valley

Compton in My Soul

The Fox Spirit, the Stone Maiden, and Other Transgender Histories from Late Imperial China

PhD in History

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Study History Where It Is Made

AU’s PhD in History will prepare you for a career as an educator, researcher, analyst, and writer working in academia, public and institutional history, and other fields requiring investigative and analytical skills. In this program, you will develop a deeper understanding of how historians investigate and interpret the past while you explore the past with your own original research .

You will receive a high level of mentorship and develop close working relationships with your professors. Under the guidance of our award-winning faculty , our students complete strong dissertations and present work at top conferences while making valuable connections and gaining experience in the Washington, DC, area.

This program is ideal for students interested in American and modern European history, including Russian history. Our department also has strengths in a variety of subfields , including public history, African American history, women’s/gender history, politics and foreign relations, and Jewish history. This diversity will open your options for research and allow for specialization without sacrificing breadth of study.

Rigorous Study with a Degree of Flexibility

Our program combines rigorous training in scholarship with the flexibility to pursue your intellectual interests. Our coursework will give you a solid foundation in historical theory and methodology, research methods, and United States or modern European history. Together with your academic advisor, you will design a program of study to match your academic goals . You will acquire and demonstrate mastery of tools of research , such as foreign languages, quantitative research methods, oral history, new media, and other methodologies. Your doctoral examinations will be tailored to fit your individual fields of study. You will then pursue your own research in writing your doctoral dissertation.

The Department will supervise PhD dissertations in the history of Modern Europe (normally for the period 1789 to the present), United States history (including the colonial period), US foreign relations, and modern Jewish history.

See all admissions and course requirements .

Cutting-Edge Faculty Dedicated to Your Success

Our history faculty makes national news, uncovers under-represented areas of history, and guides doctoral students , helping them generate innovative and influential research . From predicting presidential elections to publishing award-winning books and articles, our distinguished professors produce relevant historical scholarship and will train you do the same. With academic and professional mentorship from our faculty, you will you will enter the field as a thoroughly prepared and well-connected scholar.

Endless Opportunities in a Historic City

Pursuing your doctorate in the nation’s capital provides you with unparalleled access to renowned museums, archives, institutions, and resources . From the Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution and National Archives to the DC Historical Society, our students are only a metro ride away from exceptional local and national repositories. As part of the Washington Consortium , students at American University are able to take courses at colleges and universities throughout the DC metropolitan area, providing the opportunity to work with a variety of faculty in diverse programs and fields of study.

A truly global city, DC, contains hundreds of embassies, cultural organizations, and enclave communities. Brimming with history , the DC area offers Civil War battlefields, the Capitol, Mount Vernon, the White House, and countless landmarks of the colonial period, Revolutionary War, Civil War, and more recent American history. The city is also home to smaller historical organizations like the DC Historical Society and the DC Preservation League. Whether your interest is global, national, or local, this historic city undoubtedly has something for you.

Explore the Possibilities

Our students go on to become university and college faculty and administrators or work in federal and state governments, for museums and archives, and in other exciting fields. Our alumni teach at universities around the world , from the University of Houston in Texas to University of Prince Edward Island in Canada and Ludwig Maximilians Universität in Munich. Our PhDs hold positions with the nation’s most important institutions , including the Library of Congress, Department of State, National Archives and Records Administration, American Historical Association, National Endowment for the Humanities, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Recent and Current PhD Dissertation topics

• Auketayeva, Laura : "Gender and Jewish Evacuees in the Soviet Union during the Holocaust" 
• Barry, Michael : "Islamophobic & Anti-Islamophobic Ideas in America"
• Brenner, Rebecca : "When Mail Arrived on Sundays, 1810-1912" 
• Boose, Donelle : "Black Power and the Organizing Tradition: Work-ing Women of Washington, DC. 1965-1990"
• Chatfield, Andrew : "American Support for India’s Self-Determination from 1915-1920: Progressives, Radicals, and Anti-Imperialists"
• Duval, Lauren : "Landscapes of Allegiance: Space, Gender, and Mili-tary Occupation in the American Revolution"
• Englekirk, Ryan : "The Third Team: Unmasking Fraternity and Mascu-linity Among Major League Baseball Umpires 1970-2010" 
• Estess, Jonah : "The People’s Money: The American Revolution, Cur-rency, and the Making of Political Economic Culture in American Life, 1775-1896" 
• Frome, Gavin : "American Protestant Service Workers in Viet Nam, 1954-1975"
• Gabor, Ruth : "'Moda' for the Masses: Moscow Fashion’s Appeal at Home and Abroad during the Cold War"
• Gibson, Laura : "It’s Love that Counts: The History of Non-Nuclear Families in American Domestic Sitcoms"
• Grant, Jordan : "Catchers and Kidnappers: Slave Hunting in Early America" 
• Grek, Ivan : "Illiberal Civil Society in Russia, 1992-2000"
• Harris, Curtis : "Hardwood Revolution: The NBA's Growth & Player Revolt, 1950-1976" 
• Hawks, Julie : "Capital Investments: Engineering American Cold War Culture" 
• Jobe, Mary "Allison" : "'We Remember Him for His Character': The Life of James W. Ford and the Communist Party USA" 
• Kaplan, Anna : "Left by the Wayside: Memories and Postmemories of the Integration of the University of Mississippi"
• Killian, Linda : "Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine: The Shared Political Ideology at the Heart of American Democracy" 
• Kitterman, Katherine : "'No Ordinary Feelings': Mormon Women’s Political Activism, 1870-1896" 
• Langford, Amy : "Creating a Body Politic: Boundary Crossings and the (Re) Making of Latter-Day Saints on the U.S. Border, 1885-1920"
• Levin, Jeffrey : "Felix Warburg and the Establishment of the Hebrew University" 
• MacNeill, Lindsay : "Policing Politics in Austria, 1918-1955"
• Milwicki, Alon : "Baptizing Nazism: An Analysis of the Religious Roots of American Neo-Nazism"
• Rafferty-Osaki, Terumi : "'Strictly Masculine': Reforming and Per-forming Manhood at Tule Lake, 1942-1946" 
• Recordati, Maurizio : "Russia Turns Inward: Russian Grand Strategy in the Post-Crimean War Period (1856-78)"
• Sowry, Nathan : "Museums, Native American Representation, & the Public: The Role of Museum Anthropology in Public History, 1873-1929"
• Styrna, Pawel : "Polish-Russian Relations, 1904-1921"
• Vehstedt, Scott : "'Lets Help Finland': The Return of American Relief Aid in the Winter War, 1939-1940"
• Weixelbaum, Jason : "At the Crossroads of Fascism: The Decision of Ford, General Motors, and IBM to do Business with Nazi Germany"

Alumni Job Placements

Graduates of the history PhD program are working as professors, researchers, and directors across the US and at international locations. Here is a list of where select graduates have or are currently working:

• Director, National Coalition for History
• Assistant Professor, University of Prince Edward Island
• Assistant Professor, Towson University
• Assistant Professor of History and Director of American Studies, West Chester University
• Independent historian
• Senior Archivist, National Archives
• Associate Professor, Ryerson University
• Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
• Historian, US Army
• Senior policy adviser and special assistant to the president of the Humane Society
• Historian, Office of the Historian, Department of State
• Museum Director, Renton History Museum, Oregon
• Public History Coordinator, American Historical Association
• Assistant Professor, Bridgewater State University
• Lecturer in Sociology, California State University at Bakersfield
• Assistant Professor, Delaware State University
• Historian, Global Classroom, US Holocaust Museum
• Director, Digital Archive, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library
• Assistant Professor, Illinois State University
• Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland at College Park
• Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
• Assistant Professor, University of West Florida
• Independent historian and filmmaker
• Adjunct Assistant Professor of History, US Naval Academy
• Administrative Support Specialist at FEMA
• Senior editor and writer, National Endowment for the Humanities
• Instructor, Religion Dept., National Cathedral School (earned Master of Divinity after PhD)
• Curriculum and Publications Coordinator, AU Registrar's Office
• Assistant Professor, Seminole State College

News & Notes

PhD candidate Reza Akbari presented at the Middle East Studies Association's annual conference in Montreal, Canada. His presentation,  Etched in Mistrust: Continuity and Change in US-Iran Nuclear Negotiations (1969-1978),  argued that America's drive to keep Iran's nuclear program peaceful began decades before the establishment of the Islamic Republic.

PhD candidate  Andrew Sperling  published " A Halloween Party in Boston Turned Ugly when a Gang Hurled Antisemetic Slurs and Attacked Jewish Teenagers ," detailing the events of an antisemetic attack on Jewish teens at a Halloween party in 1950. 

Theresa Runstedtler 's new book on Black ballplayers of the 1970s and '80s setting the NBA up for success: Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywoof, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA (2023) .

Doctoral student Maurizio Recordati Koen won first prize in the 2022 Trench Gascoigne Essay Competition for "The Stuff of Strategy: How Sublime Strategics Turned into a Real Thing" in RUSI Journal.

John Schmitz (CAS/PhD '07) published Enemies among Us: The Relocation, Internment, and Repatriation of German, Italian, and Japanese Americans during the Second World War .

Doctoral student Jonah Estess presented his paper, "Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems: The American Revolution and the National Origins of the Politicization of Money" as part of the panel at this year's Business History Conference.

Andrew Demshuk published Three Cities after Hitler: Redemptive Reconstruction across Cold War Borders .

PhD candidate Katherine Kitterman wrote on women's voting rights in Utah for the Washington Post.

Inaugural Postdoctoral Fellow

Nguyet Nguyen brings new perspective to the Vietnam War.

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History Department

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PhD in History

The Ph.D. in history program is distinctively collaborative. As a doctoral student, you will work closely with advisors and other faculty on focused research and prepare for the comprehensive exams.

Program Overview

The program of study leading to the Ph.D. consists of four elements: the completion of coursework, the completion of language examination(s), the completion of qualifying oral examinations in three fields and the preparation of a dissertation.

Students entering the program from an undergraduate degree can finish  the program in seven years. Most graduates pursue careers in academia,  while others choose to apply their knowledge to career fields like law  or public service. 

Core Requirements

A Ph.D. in history requires the following:

• 48 course credits (12 course credits may be outside the department). The coursework develops basic analytical and research skills and grounds students in their areas of specialization.
• 24 dissertation credits must be devoted to research and writing of the dissertation.
• All together, students must have a total of 72 credits to receive the Ph.D.

Comprehensive Examinations

Candidates for the Ph.D. who entered with an undergraduate degree are required to take oral comprehensive examinations at the end of their third year of graduate study. Candidates who entered with approved and transferred credits from a master's degree program are required to take oral comprehensive examinations at the end of their second year of graduate study. Comprehensive examinations are approximately two hours in length and are taken in the major field and both minor fields.

Dissertation

The oral dissertation defense is conducted by a six-member examining committee, including an outside chair from another department/school. The chair must be a tenured faculty member of the University (ESF and Law faculty members cannot be chosen). The advisor and student jointly choose the remaining two members. The doctoral proposal must be approved by the student’s advisor and two other faculty members. The student is eligible to take the oral examination after the advisor and all dissertation committee members have approved the dissertation for defense. The examination, which is open to all faculty members, graduate students and the general public, consists of a defense of the dissertation and examination in the field of specialization in which it falls.

Foreign Language

Each student fulfills requirements in one foreign language prior to taking the master’s examination or submitting of a thesis.

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Nitya Chagti

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Maxwell history dissertations.

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I am Maxwell.

My study in the history Ph.D. program was an amazing journey into unknown realms. It was the cornerstone of my academic career and one of the most memorable times I had.

Jing Liu '19 (Modern Northeast Asian History) Shaingai Academy of Sciences

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Top 10 Best History PhD Programs in 2024

History helps us understand societies and allows humanity to learn from patterns and past mistakes.

Many are fascinated and enamored by history, leading to a passion that makes them want to know more.

If you’re a history lover thinking about further deepening your knowledge and establishing a career in the field, a PhD in the subject may be for you. The list of history PhD programs below contains some of the best available in the United States.

Table of Contents

Best PhD Programs in History

North dakota state university.

• North Dakota Residents $405/credit
• Minnesota Residents $514.58
• Non-US Students $607.77
• International Students $709.07

The North Dakota State University has offered its master’s degree in history since 1954. It wasn’t until 2002 that it began offering a PhD program in History. NDSU’s PhD program commonly takes three to five years to finish for full-time students, although it is not uncommon for some students to take longer.

Admission is available year-round, and applicants are required to provide GRE scores. International students whose first language is not English must pass the TOEFL. To apply for the PhD program, you must already have a master’s degree in history or hold one from another closely-related field.

There are limited funding and financial aid  opportunities available at NDSU, primarily as assistantships with tuition waivers and small stipends. This funding is renewable for four years for PhD students, provided academic requirements are met.

Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a program that allows distance learning, you will not find it in NDSU. NDSU also requires one year of residency on campus.

Boston College – Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences

• Your full-time PhD studies at Boston College will be fully paid for by tuition remissions with the expectation of good grades and an obligation to complete research/teaching assistantships and teaching fellowships.
• You may also get stipends of up to $35,875 per year.

Boston College offers masters and PhD degrees in different history specialties, with British, medieval, modern European, and United States history as some of their strongest. There are also other graduate studies interests in South Asian, East Asian, and Latin American history, and the history of religion.

Earning your PhD at Boston College means you can expect small class sizes that allow for individual and specialized attention. This institution’s program also allows for flexibility, although you are expected to complete your studies full-time.

Boston College is located in one of the best academic life centers globally, allowing students to network and collaborate with other universities through their studies.

University of Texas Arlington

• $10,828 per year in-state

The University of Texas Arlington offers students an on-campus PhD program that they can participate in part-time or full-time. Full-time course loads are nine credit hours per term, and full-time students are expected to complete their doctoral degrees within six years, while part-time students may take longer.

To apply for the PhD program at the University of Texas Arlington, you must have a BA or MA in history or  a minimum of eighteen hours of upper-division history courses during your undergrad. You must also provide your GRE scores.

The PhD in history program at the University of Texas Arlington specializes in transatlantic, transnational, and global history approaches focusing on US, European, Latin American, Transatlantic, and Transnational history. The award-winning faculty at this institution provides personalized attention to small class sizes.

The University of Texas Arlington has North America’s only specialized History of Cartography track that provides students access to the Garrett Map Collection , a world-famous map library.

Alumni of the program often establish careers as educators. They may find work as museum professionals or archival administration specialists outside of academia. They may also work for nonprofits or the government, and enjoy careers involving writing, research, and analysis at the highest level.

The University of Texas at Dallas  – PhD in History of Ideas

• $18,276 per semester

The University of Texas at Dallas offers something a little different — a PhD in History of Ideas. This PhD program was designed specifically for those who want to do advanced research or teach at a college level or higher. It concentrates on the study of philosophy as well as intellectual and cultural history with a focus on European and American history.

Students of this program can expect a flexible interdisciplinary approach to their studies that connects among specific areas of interest. Aside from their coursework in the History of Ideas, students must also attend two seminars each for visual & performance arts and literature.

Alumni of this program may become teachers and educators. They can also become curators of museums or historical sites. Other potential careers are research, history administrator, and archivist. Additionally, graduates of this program can work as managers of public or private historical organizations and work for governments or non-profit organizations.

University of California –  Santa Cruz

• $13,850 in-state
• $28,952 out-of-state

The University of California Santa Cruz offers an on-campus history PhD program that emphasizes a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approach to the study of history with a transnational and global orientation.

UCSC provides a rigorous program that blends instruction and independent work with the intent of training students in original historical research techniques. Students are encouraged to think innovatively and trained to talk, think, and teach beyond boundaries. This program prepares its students to teach university-level courses while also providing them with the tools they need to succeed in careers outside of academia.

The University of California’s Department of History, as well as its Santa Cruz campus, is well-known for its many strengths including:

• Gender, Sexuality, & Feminist Studies
• Colonialism
• Critical Race Studies
• Internationalism
• Nationalism
• Decolonial and Postcolonial Studies
• Class & Transnational Labor Studies

Admission to UCSC’s history PhD program is highly competitive. The institution states that they only admit the most qualified, highly motivated applicants and welcome and encourage diversity in their student body.

Note: The University of California Santa Cruz no longer requires applicants to provide GRE scores.

Indiana University – Bloomington

• Indiana residents:  full-time direct costs $25,406/total estimated costs $33,272
• Non-Indiana residents: full-time direct costs $45,594/total estimated costs $53,460

​​Indiana University Bloomington has one of the largest libraries and history departments in the United States, making it one of the top choices for those interested in a future career in the field. This institution provides one of the best history doctoral programs nationwide taught by 50+ talented faculty members.

According to the program itself, Indiana University Bloomington is dedicated to training first-class historians for careers in and out of the classroom. Despite having a larger faculty, classes remain small in size so that students can receive individualized attention and advisor support.

Interested students may apply for a PhD directly without having a master’s degree. Admitted students are allowed seven years to complete their coursework and another seven years for their dissertation. However, students commonly finish their studies at a much faster pace than the allowance.

Provided they qualify, students in need of financial aid can find it by working as an associate instructor, course assistant, research assistant, or editorial assistant. Fellowships and grants are also within reach for those interested enough to apply.

New York University (Arts & Science)

• $50,638 per year
• Most new students at the NYU GSAS receive multi-year funding through the Henry M. MacCracken Program  that offers four/five-year award terms, tuition remission for degree-required courses, health insurance, a nine-month living expenses stipend OR research assistantship, and a one-time $1,000 grant that students can use at their discretion.

New York University’s Graduate School of Arts and Science, founded over a century ago in 1886, is one of the oldest schools in the US that offers doctoral degrees. It has one of the best history PhDs available in the country.

Earning your PhD at NYU GSAS means you’ll need to commit to full-time studies of 12 points per semester. A PhD is 72 points, and students must complete 24 units within the first three years of their studies.

Learning is on-campus and there are no distance-learning opportunities at this time.

The history PhD program at the New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science is research-focused. Its main objective is to develop students’ professional skills in historical research and teaching history. This objective prepares students for an eventual career in academia or research. It also prepares future graduates, part of the job hopping generation , for other jobs such as archival management.

NYU GSAS’s major areas of study include but are not limited to:

• African Diaspora
• African History
• Atlantic History
• East Asian History
• Latin American and Caribbean History
• Medieval European History
• Early Modern European History
• South Asian History
• United States History

*Interested students do not need to take the GRE if they apply for a standalone master’s or PhD in history. However, applying to joint PhD studies will require GRE results.

*International students whose first language is not English must pass the TOEFL.

Rutgers (School of Arts & Science)

• New Jersey residents:  $19,724/year
• Non-New Jersey residents:  $32,132/year

Rutgers offers funding opportunities for qualified students in the form of partial or complete tuition remission and a stipend of up to $25,000 disbursed annually. Students eligible for this aid are obligated to complete fellowships and assistantships throughout their studies.

The history PhD program at the Rutgers School of Arts and Science was designed for full-time study, taking 5 years on average. The distinguished faculty of more than 60 historians cover all sorts of areas of study and time periods, though they have strong specializations in traditional regional, thematic, transnational, comparative, cultural-intellectual, social history, and more.

Students in the program publish their research and scholarly work relatively often in major historical journals. They also present their research both nationally and internationally.

This institution’s history PhD programs such as women’s and gender history, modern U.S. history, and African-American history are often some of the most top-ranked nationwide.

University of California Berkeley

• Admitted students receive a fully-funded fellowship that includes tuition and fee remission, insurance, and an additional stipend.
• In the following years, students receive a salary and a stipend during teaching assistantships and instructorships.
• A department research year grant is also awarded alongside a stipend.
• To find out more, see their financial aid page here .

UC Berkeley’s history department is one of the top-ranked in the USA, and it offers one of the best PhD history programs in the nation.

Students learn from award-winning faculty members who have won some of the most prestigious awards in the field, including the MacArthur “Genius Award” and more. The faculty and their research cover practically everything — most of the globe and almost all of humanity’s recorded history.

The PhD program at UC Berkeley is well-known for cultural history, but it also specializes in the history of science, political history, religious history, economic history, urban history, and more.

It prepares students in four fields of study:

• Three selected fields in history (first, second, and third)
• One outside field in another discipline

UC Berkeley is committed to diversity in its student body and accepts students from all over the world.

University of Michigan (College of Literature, Science & Arts)

• The plan involves six terms of fellowship support and six years of appointment as a grad student instructor or GSI.
• Students also receive summer support for the first four years.
• After the six years are over, there are additional funding opportunities  possible.

The history PhD program at the University of Michigan has an interdisciplinary, global, and multidimensional approach to student education and training. It is regularly among the top-ranked history departments in the United States, which is a testament to the quality of education the diverse students receive here.

The program combines innovative teaching by the institution’s talented faculty with state-of-the-art research and techniques. The aim is to provide students training and preparation in their research fields, allowing them to succeed in their careers in or out of academia.

After graduation, alumni of this program enjoy relatively great placement numbers. The institution reports that only three out of nineteen graduates say they are unemployed or have no opportunities upon graduation in the past two years.

Because of the generous funding package and bright future for alumni, this program is extremely competitive. It receives around 350-400 applications for only eighteen open slots per year. It’s also worth mentioning that the average master’s GPA for applicants is 3.87.

Students must complete one year (18 credits) of the program in residence on-campus and complete the entire program within six to seven years.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many years does it take to get a phd in history.

One of the main deterrents of earning any PhD is the time investment involved. The same applies to students who are earning their doctorate in history. According to Historians.org , the average time to finish a PhD in history programs is roughly eight years.

As a history PhD candidate , your program expects you to enroll in a minimum of three academic years for your graduate studies, known as your “residence.” Another common expectation is that PhD students should spend at least one year of residency at the university or institution awarding them the doctorate.

Despite requiring only three years of residence, it’s extremely rare for candidates to finish this quickly. Candidates must also fulfill the other important requirements, such as their dissertations, which often take around four years to complete.

Do I need a master’s in history to get a PhD in History?

If you’re thinking about applying for a PhD history program, you might be relieved to know that you don’t always need a master’s in history to qualify. For some educational institutions, the minimum educational attainment interested applicants need is a bachelor’s degree. However, there may be other requirements to apply, such as entrance exams, proof of interest in history, and recommendation letters.

The best thing you can do is find out whether the program you’re interested in requires a master’s degree before you apply.

How much does a history PhD cost?

The amount you pay per year may vary depending on where you choose to do your PhD.

On average, doctorates can cost as much as $30,000/year in tuition costs alone. Multiply that by eight years, and you may be paying $240,000 in total — not including any other costs incurred along the way.

If that amount sends you reeling, it might give you some relief to know that many of the best history PhD programs offer full funding and stipends to all admitted students.

There are also PhD programs in history that cost only half to a third of this amount overall.

How competitive are history PhD programs?

Those who have earned their history PhDs may tell you that the job market can be a challenge due to the limited number of positions available. The tight job market also means a more competitive admissions process, where it can be difficult to get into the PhD history programs of your choice. For example, some programs get almost four hundred applicants with fewer than twenty spots to fill.

Wrapping Up: Is a PhD in History for You?

The answer to this question depends on your preferences.

A PhD in History is often highly specialized, resulting in few career options upon graduation. However, those extremely passionate about the subject find extreme satisfaction in deepening their knowledge.

If you want a career in academia, or if you want to be working with history in some capacity in your job, a PhD may just be for you. Who knows, you may even qualify for a program that offers full funding!

Related Reading:

• Master’s in History: Ultimate Guide
• Top 5 Best PhD Programs in English
• Top 10 Highest Paying PhD Degrees
• Top 20 Online PhD Programs
• EdD vs PhD: Which One is Right For You?

Chriselle Sy

Chriselle has been a passionate professional content writer for over 10 years. She writes educational content for The Grad Cafe, Productivity Spot, The College Monk, and other digital publications.  When she isn't busy writing, she spends her time streaming video games and learning new skills.

• Chriselle Sy https://blog.thegradcafe.com/author/chriselle-sy/ Graduate Certificate vs Degree: What’s the Difference? [2024 Guide]
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College of Arts & Sciences

PhD Program

Interim Director of Doctoral Studies (Spring 2024) : Professor Alison Games Graduate Programs Manager : Carolina Madinaveitia Student Assistant to the Director of Doctoral Studies : Ashley Mayor

Welcome to Georgetown’s Ph.D. program in History! We are a top-notch program with strengths in multiple fields, including the United States, Early Modern and Modern Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and the Soviet Union, and East Asia. We encourage students with interests that span geographical regions, such as Environmental, Atlantic, and Diplomatic History. Our doctoral student community numbers roughly 100, with new cohorts of 10-12 fully-funded students each year. Our alumni have gone on to distinguished careers as historians in and out of the academy.

Our Ph.D. program has much to offer. In addition to the attention of a distinguished and award-winning History faculty, our students benefit from Georgetown’s many regional studies programs and intellectual centers, where interdisciplinary activity is prized. Opportunities for language training abound. No city has greater resources for historians than Washington, D.C.: the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the National Library of Medicine, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and many other institutions hold an unparalleled wealth of research material.

Our doctoral program is collegial and collaborative, with a vibrant intellectual life. Outside of class, students participate in seminars and conferences along with faculty, share in the activities of our Institute for Global History, grow through professional development workshops, and socialize with each other when the academic day is over. It’s a fun place to be a serious historian.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History Online Uncover History and Forge Understanding

Credit Hours

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100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Become a Professional Historian with an Online PhD in History

Are you interested in a career in education, research, politics, archaeology, or management of national landmarks and museums? Whatever your career goals are, Liberty University’s PhD in History can provide a theoretical background as well as research nd writing experience. These tools can help you excel in either academic or non-academic career fields related to humanities and social sciences.

An online doctorate in history can prepare you to pursue a variety of career opportunities. You might join the world of academia as a professor, professional researcher, or publisher. Or you could pursue a position as a museum curator, international development specialist, author, archaeologist, or federal government employee.

Academics and many other career fields need people like you who are knowledgeable about the undercurrents, culture, and societal standards surrounding historical events. Prepare to excel in whichever career field you choose when you pursue Liberty University’s online PhD in History.

Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America

• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty University’s History PhD Program Online?

When you choose Liberty, you’re choosing to pursue a degree from an accredited university. We offer a Christ-centered curriculum, flexible course scheduling, and affordable rates. Our goal is to provide you with academic excellence that is grounded in faith and consistent support throughout your academic journey.

Liberty University holds regional accreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ( SACSCOC ). This means we have earned accreditation that demands high academic standards. Employers can have confidence in your knowledge and abilities gained through the program. And you can rest knowing that your degree will benefit both your personal and professional life.

At Liberty, our mission is Training Champions for Christ . That means each of your professors is a Christian who incorporates a biblical worldview into every course. Your professors are professionals who have doctorates like our online history PhD degree.

You can complete our PhD in History through distance education with 8-week courses and no set login times. This flexibility allows you to pursue your online doctoral degree while maintaining commitments to your family, career, community, and church.

What Will You Study in Our Online PhD in History Program?

When you pursue our doctorate in history, you’ll learn historical concepts and how to educate others from a Christian perspective. Upon successful completion of this program, you will be able to do the following:

• Apply a Christian worldview to the study of history
• Apply historical methodology to professional settings
• Conduct original research that is based upon knowledge of the literature of the discipline
• Evaluate historiographic positions, like scholarly literature and interpretations, at the doctoral level

Potential Career Opportunities

• Academic publisher
• Archaeologist
• Federal government employee
• Higher education administrator
• International development specialist
• Museum curator
• Professional researcher

Featured Courses

• HIST 502 – Historiography*
• HIST 701 – Historical Professions
• HIST 711 – Development of Western Freedoms
• HIUS 713 – American Entrepreneurship since 1900

*Course guide coming soon

Degree Information

• This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences .
• View the Graduate Arts and Sciences Course Guides (login required) .
• View the PhD in History Handbook .

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

Eligible current and former military service members and their spouses may qualify for a special rate of $300/credit hour ( learn more ) .

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Admission Information for Liberty’s PhD in Aviation

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• *Examples include but are not limited to: public or applied history, social sciences, political science, philosophy, government, international relations, geography, English, theology, church history, economics, a Master of Business Administration (MBA), museum studies, and library sciences.
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
• Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.

Transcript Policies

Official college transcript policy.

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

Admissions Office Contact Information

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Email for Questions

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Email for Documents

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Lynchburg, VA 24515

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Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees

Military Tuition Discount

We want to help you find the doctoral degree you want – at a price you’ve earned. As a thank-you for your military service, Liberty University offers eligible current and former service members like you or your spouse multiple pathways to earn a doctoral degree for only $300/credit hour . Find out how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity as you work toward your goal of reaching the pinnacle of your profession – for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a phd in history worth it.

If you love history and want to increase your career options and earning potential, then a PhD in History is worth your effort. The types of jobs you could qualify for range from positions in the federal government to academia to private companies.

Your earning potential will also increase because you hold a terminal degree. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professionals with a doctoral degree earn an annual median salary of $94,900.* This is a 27% increase from the salaries of their counterparts who only have a master’s degree.

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at Education Pays (viewed online August 19, 2020). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

Can you get a PhD in History online?

Yes – with Liberty University’s online programs, you can earn your PhD in History 100% online. Our goal is to provide you with quality academics that are both affordable and flexible. We understand that you are a working professional with commitments. That’s why you have the flexibility to complete your doctorate wherever and whenever is most convenient for you.

What can you do with a PhD in History?

When you’re considering career options, a PhD in History is one of the most flexible doctorates you can earn. You will have job opportunities with the United States government, universities, private organizations, and more. Some of the specific careers that may be available to you include:

Is a PhD from Liberty University respected?

If you plan to choose Liberty for your PhD, you can rest assured that your degree will be respected. Liberty University is regionally accredited through SACSCOC . This means our program has to meet rigorous academic standards that are respected by future employers.

How long are the courses in this program, and what are the scheduling options like?

This program is offered in an 8-week course format, with 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times!

Are there any networking opportunities in this degree?

You will benefit from networking opportunities with other professionals in the program from around the country.

What makes Liberty University’s PhD in History unique?

The PhD in History is the first program of its kind offered from a conservative Christian, accredited university.

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Doctor of Philosophy in History of Ideas

Program description.

The PhD in History of Ideas degree program is designed primarily for individuals who wish to conduct advanced research and to teach at the college level, but it is open to qualified candidates who wish to enhance their knowledge and skills.

The program focuses on the study of history and philosophy, and especially the intersection of the two. Though students will choose an emphasis in either history or philosophy, their studies will be made in the context of both.

Besides coursework in history and philosophy, students may take seminars in literature, visual and performing arts and cognate disciplines.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program seek positions such as: teacher/educator, researcher, historical site/museum curator, public history administrator, public policy administrator, archivist, writer and manager for public and private historical organizations. Career settings may include higher education, non-profits, cultural and historical organizations, government agencies, international development organizations, museums and archives, business/corporate entities and independent consulting.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Application Requirements

Visit the  Apply Now  webpage to begin the application process.  

Applicants to the Doctoral degree program should have:  

• A baccalaureate degree (BA or MA) or its equivalent from an accredited institution of higher education, normally in an arts and humanities field.  
• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit 3 letters of recommendation from faculty, or other individuals, able to judge the candidate’s potential for success in the program.  
• Admissions Essay: Applicants must submit a 650-word narrative essay, which should be reflective rather than factual. The essay should address the applicant’s academic interests and goals and indicate how the program would enable such pursuits.  
• A writing sample: Submit an academic writing sample (e.g., a seminar paper or a critical essay). 
• International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of at least 80 on the internet-based test.  Scores must be less than two years old. See the  Graduate Catalog  for additional information regarding English proficiency requirements for international applicants.  
• Each application is considered holistically on its individual merits. You must submit all supporting documents before the Graduate Admissions Committee can review your application. 
• The Graduate Record Examination is not required. 

Deadline:  The application deadline is January 15. All applications completed by the deadline will be reviewed for admission. Applications submitted or completed after January 15 may be reviewed for admission only if spaces remain within the upcoming cohort and will be reviewed in order by the date the application file became complete.

Contact Information

Dr. Eric Schlereth Associate Professor and Program Head Phone: 972-883-2168 Email: [email protected]

Graduate Advising Pia K. Jakobsson Phone: 972-883-4706 Email: [email protected]

Graduate Admissions Phone: 972-883-6176 Email: [email protected] Request Bass School Graduate Program Information

Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology The University of Texas at Dallas, JO31 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021

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Department of History

Ph.d. program outline.

• Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program in History is designed to train students in the skills of conducting original historical research and crafting unique historical arguments.

In the course of their work as historians, Brown scholars draw on a wide range of methods and engage with a variety of audiences. Thus although we begin with the core skills of academic research and writing and teaching at the college and university levels, we do not end there. Many Brown doctoral students explore teaching in and writing for different settings, and prepare for a breadth of careers that value the skills that a obtaining a Ph.D. in history entails.

The Brown Ph.D. program is intimate and rigorous, and students are expected to complete in five to seven years. One of the program's hallmarks is a series of required courses in which an entire cohort is trained in core professional skills. This series is composed of: (1) a methodology colloquium that introduces the students to a wide range of theory and historical practice; (2) an advanced writing workshop in which students write an article-quality paper; (3) a professionalization seminar in which students are trained in the habits of mind and skills of the profession; and (4) a dissertation prospectus seminar. Critically, students in an entering cohort proceed through these courses together, so that discussions across fields, geographies, and chronologies are built into the doctoral program.

The program is divided into two stages

• During the  first and second years  students take seminars that introduce the major historiographical questions and methodologies of various fields and that develop their research skills; they write an article-length paper based on original archival research; they take a professionalization course that introduces them to the principal tasks and cultures of the profession (grant writing, for instance, and conference presentations); and they form an exam committee and begin preparation for the preliminary examinations.
• After passing the examinations by the end of their fifth semester, students develop a prospectus for and research and write their dissertation. The dissertation is typically completed in the  fifth or sixth year  (though some students take longer).  

The department offers four types of Ph.D. seminars:

• Field Seminars  (2970s) offer students a broad overview of a field, typically an exam field.
• Required Seminars  are the four seminars required of all Ph.D. students: Colloquium, Writing Workshop, Professionalization, and Prospectus.
• Special Topics Seminars  focus on the historiography of a particular nation or region, for example, a particular historical “event,” or historiographical debate. They allow for focused, close training, including specialized skills (e.g. paleography), readings in languages other than English, or extensive examination of the scholarship on a particular problem.
• Thematic Seminars  (2980s) offer students the opportunity to explore a particular theoretical/methodological frame in a transnational and transtemporal perspective.

The First and Second Years

In their first year, students take 3 seminars in the fall (2 plus the colloquium) and 3 seminars in the spring. Ideally, the courses should be a mix of Field and Thematic seminars, with the inclusion of a Special Topics seminar where appropriate. The colloquium is required of all first-year Ph.D. students and constitutes the basic introductory methodology and theory course for the degree.

Any student who wishes to do so may, after consultation with her or his advisor, substitute an independent reading course offered by a member of the department or a graduate-level course outside of the department.

Research Paper

During the spring semester of the first year, each student begins work on their research paper. Production of the paper is a year-long process that begins in a spring-semester Thematic seminar and concludes in the subsequent fall in the Graduate Workshop. Students designate one of their Thematic seminars as the foundation for the paper and compose a research prospectus as the final project in the course (the prospectus should include a literature review and a discussion of archival sources). Students engage in archival research during the summer and enroll in the Graduate Workshop in the fall, in which they write the final paper.

By the end of the first year, students are expected to have assembled a three-member exam committee.

Second Year

In their second year, students will serve as teaching assistants and will continue to take a mix of Field, Special Topics, and Thematic seminars. In addition, each semester they take one required course: in the fall, the Graduate Workshop, in which they write their research paper, and in the spring Professionalization, which focuses on the principal professionals tasks and expectations they will encounter in a career as a professional historian.

The First Two Summers

Students are required to make progress toward the completion of their degree during the summer months. The department recognizes that for some students progress will take the form of language training, while for others archival work or other research-related projects might be appropriate, along with reading for preliminary exams. During their first summer, all students are expected to complete significant archival research for their research paper.

During the third year, students must pass their preliminary examinations by the end of the fifth (fall) semester. Exams are typically scheduled for early December.

Preliminary Exams

By the end of the first year of study the student submit a departmental form that lists three fields in which she/he will be examined. The student will indicate the field in which her/his dissertation will be written. This will be the major field. The others will be minor fields. No more than two fields may be in the history of the same national culture. Normally, all three examiners will be members of the Department of History, and the fields will be chosen based on consultation with the examiners and the Director of Graduate Studies. A student may petition the department to prepare one field in another department or program.

Based on the foregoing, the first three years of the Ph.D. program for a typical student would look schematically like this

Fourth Year

The fourth year is typically a fellowship year, during which students conduct dissertation research wherever their work takes them.

The fifth year is typically funded as a teaching assistantship, during which time students continue research and writing of the dissertation.

Students in the fourth year and beyond register for HIST 2990, Thesis Preparation.

Additional Ph.D. Information

Doctoral dissertation, fields of study, funding and financial aid.

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Ph.D. in History

Application for fall 2024 open until feb. 15, program overview.

• History Graduate Financial Aid
• Comprehensive Examinations
• Courses & Resources

Degree Requirements

• Dissertation Prospectus & Defense
• Fields of Study
• Graduate Student Handbook
• Certificate in Contemporary History
• Recent History Ph.D.s

Students who enter the Ohio University Ph.D. program become part of a diverse and close-knit community, where faculty and students work together in pursuit of academic excellence. It is a program with a distinctive identity—it concentrates on contemporary history. By agreement with the Ohio Board of Regents, students must write their dissertations within the framework of contemporary history, which is defined by chronology as the period since 1918 (or the end of World War I).

Many Ohio University history faculty focus their teaching and research in contemporary history, enabling students to choose from a wide range of related courses. Those courses cover a broad geographic sweep, including Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. They also cover a diverse array of thematic fields, including cultural and intellectual history; women, gender, and social history; international relations and military history; politics and policy history. Faculty who work in earlier chronological periods also offer courses that Ph.D. students may take to satisfy supporting field requirements and to add both depth and breadth to their doctoral studies.

After passing comprehensive exams, Ph.D. students often have a chance to teach a course on their own, an important advantage for those who seek academic employment after completing their degree. Financial support for up to five years of doctoral study is available through teaching assistantships from the History Department and fellowships from the Contemporary History Institute .

Career Opportunitie s: The Ph.D. program in history prepares students for teaching and research at the university or college level, research positions in government or private organizations, and a variety of other careers.

Adviser & Planning Form

All Ph.D. students should have a faculty adviser, with whom they consult on a regular basis about their program of study. The adviser is a faculty member whose expertise coincides with the student's primary or dissertation field of study. The Ph.D. fields are listed below. Entering students have a provisional adviser. A student's interests may evolve after beginning the Ph.D. program, and it is possible to change advisers. A student who changes his or her adviser should inform the graduate office. Any such change, of course, also involves consultation with the old and new advisers and securing their consent.

• Planning Form for Ph.D. [PDF]

In consultation with their adviser, Ph.D. students should complete the Ph.D. planning form and file a copy with the department’s graduate office. Students should update their planning form whenever they make changes in their course of study. A student who completes a planning form in his or her first or second semester often fulfills degree requirements by taking different courses than he or she expected. Such changes occur for many reasons, and it is always difficult, if not impossible, to know which courses will be offered a year or more in advance.

Keep a copy on your computer and email copies to Dr. Paul Milazzo  and your faculty adviser. Each time you make a change in your planning form, email the revised version to the same three people. 

However you maintain your planning form, please make sure that the History Department graduate office always has the current version.

Ph.D. students must fulfill the requirements of three fields in history as well as a cognate field. The latter can be satisfied by successfully completing the Contemporary History course sequence or by taking courses in another discipline or disciplines that complement their historical studies. For students who have completed an M.A. at another university, some coursework from the previous university may satisfy some course requirements for the Ph.D. Please consult with the director of graduate studies on this matter. All Ph.D. students must take a research seminar, even if they may have had a similar course at another university. For those working in U.S. history, the seminar is usually offered every year; for those in European history, every other year; for those in non-Western history, by arrangement.

Program Requirements

Each student selects an area of concentration—Europe, Latin America, the United States, or the Non-Western World—and then completes related coursework in three examination fields (listed below) plus a cognate field, consisting either of courses in a related discipline or in the Contemporary History Institute . In addition, a one-semester research seminar in the first field and a historiography course are required. Please note that the first field is the dissertation field and consequently must be completed in a field that emphasizes or focuses on contemporary history (on the period since World War I).

Contemporary Dissertation Fields

The following also may be used as a second or third field:

• U.S. Cultural and Intellectual History
• U.S. Foreign Relations
• U.S. Military History
• U.S. Political History
• U.S. Social History
• U.S. Women and Gender
• Modern Europe: British Empire
• Modern Europe: Germany
• Modern Europe: Eastern Europe
• Modern Europe: Russia
• Modern Latin America
• Modern Africa
• Modern East Asia
• Modern Middle East
• Modern Southeast Asia

Other Examination Fields

The following are available as second or third fields only:

• Antiquity and Medieval Europe
• Colonial and Revolutionary America
• Colonial Latin America
• Early Modern Europe
• Nineteenth Century U.S.

Language Requirement

• See Foreign Language Requirement for Graduate Students in History
• Language Agreement Form Ph.D. [PDF]

• Requirements
• History Grad Student Association
• Public History Practicum
• Prospective Students

Our distinguished faculty works closely with students in graduate seminars, colloquia, and tutorials that form the core of advanced training at Chicago. As in any program, a student is expected to learn to read critically, to analyze primary sources skillfully, and to write rigorously. At Chicago we also expect students to produce work that significantly advances the frontiers of their field.

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The University of Manitoba campuses are located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininew, Anisininew, Dakota and Dene peoples, and on the National Homeland of the Red River Métis. More

University of Manitoba

University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada, R3T 2N2

History (PhD)

As a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History student, you will develop skills in historical analysis and independent research to prepare you for future professional careers.

Our program will train you to examine trends in modern historiography, to explore new techniques of research and to probe complex historical problems.

Program details

• Admission requirements

• Faculty of Arts • Faculty of Graduate Studies

• PhD in History

Expected duration

Program options.

• Part-time

Explore wide historical perspectives

Students will engage with faculty who have a wide range of expertise. Instruction covers a range of areas, including:

• Studies in Canadian and Indigenous history
• The Americas
• Africa and the Middle East
• Medieval and Early Modern Europe
• Modern Europe
• Modern World

Learn more about areas of graduate supervision.

Visit our faculty page for more information on the diversity of our research interests. 

Professional opportunities

Historical study is valuable preparation for a variety of careers. Graduates may find positions in teaching, journalism, industry, archives and the public sector.

Discover our financial supports

Several scholarships, fellowships and awards are available for graduate students in History. In addition to the awards offered through the Faculty of Arts, graduate students are eligible for awards through the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the UM Graduate Students' Association. Students can also pursue funding from external organizations.

Learn more about our financial supports.

The Department of History offers programs of study leading to a PhD in History. To earn your PhD, you must demonstrate independent investigation, original research or creative scholarship capability.

Expected Duration: 4 years

The PhD program consists of a combination of coursework and a thesis component.

Tuition and fees:  Tuition fees are charged for terms one and two and terms four and five. A continuing fee is paid for term three, term six and each subsequent term. (Refer to Graduate tuition and fees .)

All graduate students in History are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of a second language.

In addition to the minimum course requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, found in the Graduate Studies Regulations Section , students must complete:

• 18 credit hours of History coursework at the 7000 level, beyond the MA degree in History
• Candidacy exams in three fields of historical inquiry
• A thesis and oral examination

Second language requirement

All graduate students in History are required to demonstrate a reading knowledge of a second language, relative to the candidate’s research program.

Candidates who major in Canadian History must display a reading knowledge of French and English.

To satisfy the language requirements, students must do one of:

• Pass a language competency test by way of a translation exam;
• Complete an introductory language course and obtain a grade of B or better;
• Provide proof of successful completion of undergraduate coursework in the appropriate language

Sample course offerings

• HIST 7772: Getting Graphic with the Past: Comics, Graphic Novels, and History (3 credit hours)
• HIST 7772: Canada’s Left: National and International Perspectives (3 credit hours)
• HIST 7772: Thirty Years’ Crisis (3 credit hours)
• HIST 7700: Historical Method and Historiography (6 credit hours) 
• HIST 7220: Selected Topics in British History (6 credit hours) 
• HIST 7382: Archiving in the Digital Age (6 credit hours)
• HIST 7500: Jewish and European History and Historiography (6 credit hours)
• HIST 7520: The Age of Enlightenment (6 credit hours)

For full course descriptions, please visit the Academic Calendar .

Admission requirement

The following are minimum requirements for entry into the program. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

Admission decisions are based on the qualifications of the applicant as well as the ability of the Department of History and the University of Manitoba to serve the applicant’s intended program of study and area of specialization.

To qualify for admission to the PhD in History program, you must have a minimum of a MA degree in History or a related discipline with a GPA of 3.0, though normally applicants are not admitted with a GPA below 3.5.

How to apply

The PhD in History program has one application deadline per year, and applications are accepted for September entry only. Applications must be completed online and include several parts:

• $100 application fee (non-refundable)
• Unofficial copies of transcripts and degree certificates
• Statement of intent
• Publication/writing sample (30 pages maximum, no thesis)
• Two letters of recommendation (must be requested from within the application)
• Proof of English language proficiency , if required

Students interested in applying should consider contacting  prospective supervisors  by email, to determine whether a faculty member will be available for graduate supervision and to find out if their area of study would be an appropriate match.

 Please read the Faculty of Graduate Studies online application instructions before beginning your application.

Application deadlines

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Architecture reviews applications in March.

Applications open up to 18 months prior to start term.

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated.

Start or continue your application

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for City Planning reviews applications in March.

Winter applications are accepted on a case-by-case basis.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Design and Planning reviews applications in March.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Interior Design reviews applications in March.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Landscape Architecture reviews applications in March.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Anthropology reviews applications in March/April.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . Please contact the department for admission committee review timelines.

Applications open September 1 of year prior to start term.

Applications open   up to 18 months prior  to start term.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for History reviews applications in February.

Applications are reviewed on a  rolling basis .

Applications open July 1 of year prior to start term.

Applications are reviewed on a  Committee basis . The Committee for German and Slavic Studies reviews applications in February/March.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis .

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Management reviews applications in February / March.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Physical Therapy reviews applications in April / May.

Applications open  August 1 of the year prior to start term.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . Please contact the department for admission committee review timelines.

Program currently undergoing review, applications will not be opening at this time.

Select Preventive Dental Science in the Program drop-down on the application form.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Educational Administration, Foundations and Psychology reviews applications in March / April.

Applications to Educational Administration, Foundations and Psychology are currently closed.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Education reviews applications in February / March.

Applications to Education PhD are currently closed.

Applications are reviewed after the deadline, with decisions issued in March - April.

Currently not accepting applications to this program.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . Please contact the department for admission committee review timelines.

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated. Applications received by the March 1 deadline for a September start-date will receive first consideration for any available funding. Late applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis for any available funding, please contact the department for further information.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Human Rights reviews applications in January - March.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Law reviews applications in January - March.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Nursing (MN) reviews applications in April / May.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Nursing PhD reviews applications in February / March.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee reviews applications as per the timelines noted below each table.

Winter applications reviewed in October Summer applications reviewed in February Fall applications reviewed in June

Winter applications reviewed in June Summer applications reviewed in October Fall applications reviewed in February

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated. This includes having the support of a faculty supervisor before you apply.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Natural Resources Management reviews applications in March - June.

After the annual application deadline (see below), applications are reviewed on a committee basis by the Faculty of Social Work internal admissions committee. Once this process is complete, decisions are sent to all applicants in March / April. 

Applications open  July 1 of year prior to start term.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Social Work reviews applications in March / April.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Music reviews Fall term applications in December / January, and Winter term applications in July.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Occupational Therapy reviews applications in May / June.

Master of Occupational Therapy regular program  applications open September 15 of the year prior to deadline .

Master of Occupational Therapy accelerated program  applications open October 1  of the year prior to deadline .

The name of your confirmed supervisor is required at the time of application. To identify a prospective thesis research supervisor on your application, please  contact Immunology Faculty members .

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Community Health Sciences reviews applications in March / April.

Fall 2025 applications are currently closed.

The name of your preferred supervisor is required at time of application.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . Students selected for in-person interview will be notified in February.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Physician Assistant Studies reviews applications in April.

Offers of admission will be released to successful applicants on May 17, 2024 from the University of Manitoba Master of Physician Assistant Studies, the same day as the University of Toronto BScPA Program and McMaster University Physician Assistant Education Program. The three institutions are pleased to provide applicants their offers on the same day to help with the decision-making process.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Pharmacology and Therapeutics reviews applications one month after the application deadline.

Applications for Pathology MSc are reviewed on a  rolling basis .

Applications for Pathologist Assistant are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Pathologist Assistant reviews applications in April / May. 

The Pathologist Assistant program only admits Canadian and US students every two years. The Fall 2023 intake has been suspended. The next intake is tentatively scheduled for Fall 2025.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Statistics reviews applications in March / April.

Applications are reviewed on a  committee basis . The Admissions committee for Biological Sciences reviews applications one month after deadline.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions committee for Indigenous Studies reviews applications in February and June.

Applicants must submit their online application with supporting documentation and application fee by the deadline date indicated. For those who wish to be considered for scholarships, applications must be received by January 15 of the year in which you're seeking admission.

Applications are reviewed on a committee basis . The Admissions Committee for Applied Human Nutrition reviews applications in February.

Les demandes d’admission sont évaluées par un comité . Le comité d’admission évalu les demandes durant les mois de Mars et Avril.  

Les demandes peut être surmise jusqu’à concurrence de 18 mois avant le début de premier trimestre.

Toute demande d’admission en ligne doit être déposée, avec documents à l’appui, au plus tard aux dates indiquées.

Soumettre ou continuer votre application

Department of History

Our faculty members bring worldwide expertise to their roles as teachers, researchers, and student advisors. Plus, meet our faculty and staff.

Tuition and fees

Learn about tuition and fee requirements for graduate studies at UM.

Financial aid and awards

Find the variety of awards and funding options available to help you pay for school as a graduate student in History.

Academic Calendar

Explore program requirements and detailed descriptions for required and elective courses in History.

Explore the Faculty of Arts

Discover the wide-ranging opportunities in humanities, social sciences and interdisciplinary studies offered by the Faculty of Arts.

• Arts research
• Programs of study
• Student experience
• Arts financial aid and awards

Explore the Faculty of Graduate Studies

Discovery happens here. Join the graduate students and researchers who come here from every corner of the world. They are drawn to the University of Manitoba because it offers the opportunity to do transformational research.

• Funding, awards and financial aid
• Graduate student experience

Keep exploring

Discover more programs

With more than 140 graduate programs across multiple faculties, schools and colleges, the University of Manitoba offers more learning, teaching and research opportunities than any other post-secondary institution in the province.

• Master’s in History
• Master’s in Anthroplogy
• Master’s in Philosophy
• Master’s in Religion
• Doctor of Philosophy in Economics

Join the students and researchers who come here from every corner of the world.

What it's like to be a UM student

Be adventurous, challenge yourself and make a difference.

Opportunities for Indigenous students

Experience a world-class education in the heart of Canada.

Why international students study with us

We offer state of the art facilities with 140 years of history.

Our campuses

Admission and application inquiries.

Faculty of Graduate Studies Room 500 UMSU University Centre 65 Chancellors Circle University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus) Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

[email protected] Phone: 204-474-9377

Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Program inquiries

Department of History, Faculty of Arts 403 Fletcher Argue Building 15 Chancellor's Circle University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus) Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

[email protected] Phone:  204-474-8401

Visit the Department of History

Meet History faculty and staff

• Faculty Resources
• Request More Information

Graduation 2024

Innovation awaits, welcome to the graduate school of arts & sciences at wake forest university.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is one of the engines of creativity of Wake Forest University. Our hallmark is world-class scholarship fueled by an interdisciplinary, collaborative environment. Whether it is a traditional liberal arts approach, or cutting edge training in biomedical innovation, our small size (~800 students in total) ensures that you will have individual attention, tailored advising and research opportunities well-matched to your interests.

As a student here, you won’t just be a face in a crowd but part of a world-class team of researchers and educators working on important, world changing problems in their respective fields of knowledge. We’re dedicated to preparing the next generation of independent, intellectual leaders in their fields – whether it’s academics, industry or your own unique career path.

In the various pages on our site you’ll find that our programs span the full range of the liberal arts and sciences and the biomedical sciences. Currently, we house 30 master and doctoral disciplinary or interdisciplinary programs, and sponsor 12 programs jointly with the schools of Medicine (MD/PhD, MD/MS, MD/MA & MMS/PhD), Business (MBA/PhD), Divinity (MA/MDiv), and College (BS/BA & MA).

We welcome you – our current and prospective students, faculty and friends – to our website. We invite you to explore this website, and the our  biomedical science graduate programs website , and let us know if you have any questions we can help answer.

News & Updates

• Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week April 1, 2024
• Kimberly Jones – 2024 Hooding Speaker February 16, 2024
• GSAS Student Resume Workshop September 1, 2023

Graduate School at Brookstown

THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AT BROOKSTOWN IS HOME TO OUR LIBERAL ARTS PROGRAMS.

Innovation Quarter

INNOVATION QUARTER IS THE PRIMARY LOCATION OF OUR BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE PROGRAMS.

RIT graduate pursues Ph.D. across time zones

Nastaran Nagshineh, center, defended her Ph.D. thesis at RIT in April. Faculty from RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses served on her thesis committee and include, from left to right, Kathleen Lamkin-Kennard, Steven Weinstein, Nathaniel Barlow, and David Kofke (a professor at the University at Buffalo). Mohamed Samaha participated remotely and appears on the video screen behind the group and alongside Nagshineh’s picture.

Nastaran Nagshineh is one of the first Ph.D. candidates to bridge RIT’s Rochester and Dubai campuses. Her accomplishment creates a path for future students at the university’s international campuses.

Nagshineh completed her Ph.D. in mathematical modeling while working full time as a mathematics lecturer at RIT Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, teaching as many as five classes a semester. She described her Ph.D. journey as “an exercise in perseverance” due to competing demands and long days. Rochester is eight hours behind Dubai, and the time difference meant many late-night classes and meetings.

“I saw this collaboration as an opportunity, rather than as a challenge, because my primary adviser, Dr. Steven Weinstein (RIT professor of chemical engineering), and my co-adviser, Dr. Mohamed Samaha (RIT Dubai associate professor of mechanical engineering), both have the same area of research interest,” she said. “They both worked toward my success.”

Nagshineh is one of 67 RIT Ph.D. students who defended their thesis this academic year and who will earn their doctorate. RIT awarded 63 Ph.D. degrees in 2023.

In 2020-2021, RIT’s Graduate School met and surpassed the university’s goal of conferring 50 Ph.D. degrees during an academic year. That number will continue to grow as students cycle through the seven new Ph.D. programs that RIT has added since 2017, said Diane Slusarski , dean of RIT’s Graduate School.

Meeting these goals puts RIT on a path toward achieving an “R1,” or research-intensive designation, from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning. RIT is currently ranked as an R2 institution . Many factors go into changing a university’s status, including research investment and maintaining a three-year average of 70 Ph.D. degrees awarded per year, according to Slusarski.

“We have met the goals of the strategic plan, and now we look forward to contributing to the research innovation in the future,” Slusarski said. “We want to help the new programs thrive and win national research awards.”

RIT’s emphasis on high-level research is seen in Nagshineh’s Ph.D. work. She applies mathematical modeling to the field of fluid dynamics. Her research has been published in top-tier journals and has gained notice, said Weinstein, her thesis adviser.

Weinstein describes Nagshineh’s accomplishments as “a testament to a fantastic work ethic and commitment” and is inspirational to younger students at Rochester and Dubai.

“The collaboration between RIT Dubai/Rochester has continued,” he said. “Another paper was submitted a few weeks ago with Mohamed Samaha and Nate Barlow (RIT associate professor in the School of Mathematics and Statistics) as co-authors, as well as Cade Reinberger, a younger Ph.D. student in my research group.”

Mathematical modeling is one of RIT’s newer Ph.D. degree programs, and Nagshineh is among its earliest graduates. The program has doubled in size since it began accepting students in 2017, Slusarski said. This past fall, the mathematical modeling program had 35 students, with two graduating this year.

Altogether, RIT has 13 Ph.D. degree programs currently enrolling 438 students, with computing and information sciences accounting for the largest with 117 students. RIT’s other Ph.D. programs include astrophysical sciences and technology , biomedical and chemical engineering , business administration , color science , electrical and computer engineering, imaging science , mechanical and industrial engineering , microsystems engineering , and sustainability .

New programs in cognitive science and physics will launch in the fall.

The growth in RIT graduate education—with more than 3,000 master’s and doctoral students—reflects a demographic change in the student population, Slusarski said. “We have a higher percentage of women in the graduate programs than we have for RIT undergraduate programs.”

RIT’s graduate programs enroll 42 percent women, according to Christie Leone , assistant dean for the Graduate School.

Nagshineh, who also holds an MS in electrical engineering from RIT Dubai, welcomes her role as a mentor to other women students on both campuses.

“As a young woman in an Arabic country, the power of women is often underestimated and undervalued, and I hope to serve as a role model to female students, especially those that question their path,” Nagshineh said.

She plans to continue in her career as a professor and a researcher. “I would like to pursue a research program where I can advise my own students and teach them more deeply.”

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Meet Derek LeFebre, a PhD outstanding graduate and emerging educational historian shedding light on untold stories in history

As an accomplished teacher, emerging educational historian and rigorous scholar, PhD graduate Derek LeFebre demonstrates exemplary passion and commitment to his work. 

A Colorado native raised in Aurora, Colorado, LeFebre taught history, science and Spanish in Greeley for over 10 years before starting his doctoral studies. He chose to complete his PhD in Educational Foundations, Policy and Practice at the CU Boulder School of Education to work with renowned Professor Rubén Donato, as LeFebre was familiar with Donato’s educational history research into the experiences of Mexican Americans in Colorado. Instead of Colorado, his research, however, focuses on northern New Mexico, where he and his family have deep roots.

LeFebre’s dissertation examines how Hispano education evolved in relation to the Hispano land rights struggle from 1846 to 1919 in Northern New Mexico after the U.S. occupied New Mexico in 1846. His dissertation argues that Hispanos (individuals with multigenerational roots in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico) established schools to defend their land and autonomy, and his research “underscores how Hispano schools strengthened and fueled the land rights struggle during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.” 

To complete his research, LeFebre poured over primary source documents from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, including Spanish-language sources by Hispano educators and community members. In doing so, he also found and told stories of educators who became leaders in the struggle for Hispano land rights.

“Derek illustrates early examples of social justice educators in the late 19th century, including principles of social justice unionism, wherein education was oriented toward social change, linguistic preservation, and critiques of power and domination,” said Donato, his award nominator and dissertation advisor.

LeFebre’s outstanding dissertation and commitment to telling these untold histories of a community not well-represented in history is why the Donato nominated LeFebre for the 2024 Outstanding Dissertation Award. 

“He is one of the hardest-working students I have advised through my 35-year career in higher education. As a committed and rigorous scholar, Derek has demonstrated to be a remarkable student, instructor, researcher and community member with true critical consciousness of racial inequities within the educational system.”

LeFebre is excited to share his research with relatives and community members who, like his family, have deep roots in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. 

After graduation, LeFebre will begin preparing for the 2024 Western History Association Conference in Kansas City, where he will present on a panel, “Pedagogies of Liberation.” Not only does this graduation represent a significant milestone for LeFebre, it also marks Donato’s retirement after multiple decades. The legacy of scholarship documenting the many powerful contributions of Hispano educators and activists is in good hands as Donato passes the torch, and leaders like LeFebre take up this impactful and overdue scholarship.

In his own words

Please tell us a bit about yourself

I was born in Denver and raised in Aurora, Colorado. All my K-12 schooling experiences occurred in Colorado public schools. I graduated from high school in 1999 and became the first-generation in my family to attend and graduate from a university in 2004. I earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish and master's degree in history from the University of Northern Colorado. I chose CU Boulder because I wanted to study the history of education in northern New Mexico with Dr. Rubén Donato.”

What is one of the most significant lessons from your time at CU Boulder that you’ll carry with you into the next chapter of your life?

I learned a lot about generosity during my time at CU Boulder. There were so many generous people who assisted and supported me on the PhD journey. For example, Bill and Connie Barclay funded my dissertation research with a Miramontes Doctoral Scholars fellowship. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were many generous archivists and librarians who digitized archival sources and opened archival repositories for me. My advisor, Dr. Rubén Donato, was especially generous with his time. He spent hours reading and discussing my dissertation drafts. Finally, there was family. My primos Marc and Ida in Albuquerque hosted me during several research trips, discussed my project, and helped me translate old archival records. My wife, Elizabeth, and my children, Elias and Sylvain, were especially generous as they allowed me the time and space to complete this work. I am inspired by these acts of generosity. In the next chapter of my life, I am excited to be similarly generous to others.”

What does graduating from CU Boulder represent for you or your family/community?

My family is very proud that I will graduate from CU Boulder. They are proud that I will earn a PhD in Education. Many of my relatives and community members are also excited to read my research about the history of education in New Mexico. I have already shared it with several individuals who, like me and my family, have deep roots in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.”

What is your best piece of advice for incoming students?

Start writing. Dedicate an hour of time to writing in the early morning. Write at your local coffee shop. Be the first one to order a drink. Get to know the baristas. They should expect to see you every day. Keep a journal. Write a term paper. Compose a letter to your grandmother. It does not matter what you write. It matters that writing becomes a normal part of your daily routine. You will thank yourself for establishing this habit. Writing your dissertation will not be easy, but with a writing routine in place, it will come more naturally. You might even enjoy it. So...start writing.”  

What are your next steps after graduation?

After graduation, I will begin preparing for the 2024 Western History Association Conference in Kansas City. I am one of four historians who will present on panel called, ‘Pedagogies of Liberation.’” 

• Outstanding Graduate
• 2024 Outstanding Graduates

FIRST IRACDA Program section navigation

Ian krout, phd.

FIRST Fellow Emory School of Medicine Department of Cell Biology Email

• FIRST Postdoctoral Fellow, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 2024 - Present
• Ph.D., Toxicology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY - 2022
• M.S., Toxicology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY - 2020
• B.S., Environmental Science, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY - 2018
• Characterizing the role of toxicants (pyrethroids) in the onset and progression of Parkinson’s Disease
• Regulation of pyrethroid metabolism by the gut microbiome
• The interaction between the gut microbiome and alpha-synuclein in the gut: A driver for Parkinson’s Disease onset and progression

Research Mentor: Timothy Sampson, Ph.D.,  Assistant Professor of  Cell Biology, Emory School of Medicine

Teaching Mentor: Lawrence Blumer, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Morehouse College

Publications

• Coe, G.L., Krout, I.N ., Munro-Ehrlich, M. et al. Assessing the role of the gut microbiome in methylmercury demethylation and elimination in humans and gnotobiotic mice. Arch Toxicol 97, 2399–2418 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-023-03548-7
• Ian N Krout, Thomas Scrimale, Matthew D Rand, Targeted Intracellular Demethylation of Methylmercury Enhances Elimination Kinetics and Reduces Developmental Toxicity in Transgenic Drosophila, Toxicological Sciences, 2022;, kfac105, https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfac105 .
• Krout, I. N. , Scrimale, T., Vorojekina, D., Boyd, E. S., & Rand, M. D. (2022). Organomercurial lyase (MerB)-mediated demethylation decreases bacterial methylmercury resistance in the absence of mercuric reductase (MerA). Applied Environmental Microbiology. 0 (ja), aem.00010-00022. doi:doi:10.1128/aem.00010-22

Title: No Longer First-Gen: A Mother and Daughter Graduate From College at the Same Time

When Sabrina Pérez (C’24) graduates from Georgetown in May, she’ll no longer be the first person in her family to graduate from college. Her mom did two weeks earlier.  

For the past four years, the mother and daughter have experienced college together, 14 hours apart. As Sabrina studied English on the Hilltop, her mother, Samara Pérez, took classes in social work at a university in Fort Myers, Florida.

They’d check in on each other every day, sharing learnings and stories from class, swapping tips, and leaning on each other as they navigated college for the first time.    

“We really were first-gen students together and were able to help guide each other through this journey and talk through the classic college struggles,” Perez said. “I was like, I can’t say my mom doesn’t get it because truly my mom is getting it. She’s living it.”

Samara does get it.

“When you used to say, ‘Mom, you don’t understand.’ I was like, yes, I do,” she said to her daughter. “Take a breath. You’re going to make it. You have until 11:59 to turn that in, remember?”

In May, their hard work, late nights and decades of preparation will pay off as they receive their degrees at the same time.

“It makes me emotional,” Sabrina said. “Her biggest dream is to graduate from college.”

Sabrina remembers her mother, who immigrated from Venezuela at age 18, always encouraging her to go to college. “Education is power,” she’d say. When Sabrina was starting middle school, her parents moved their family from New York to Florida for better educational opportunities.

Sabrina learned about Georgetown through an alumna her mother babysat and worked for. She was drawn to the school’s values, its curriculum and community, and financial aid package. When she was accepted with a full ride, it felt like a collective win for her whole family, she said.

“It was like all of our acceptance,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to go to college without all of the sacrifices and their hard work. So it was such a joyous time.”

As she began school, her mother enrolled full-time in Florida Gulf Coast University. She had been taking classes off and on for 20+ years, but COVID-19 and a job change motivated her to accelerate the goal she had had since arriving in the U.S.

“I cannot be prouder of her,” Sabrina said. “It will always be the greatest gift in my life that I got to go through this time with her and see her accomplish her dream as I’m also accomplishing my dream of going to college.”

On the day of her mother’s graduation, the two sat down to discuss what it’s been like to go through college and graduate together. Listen in.

Sabrina : How are you feeling today on your graduation day?

Samara : I feel overwhelmed with happiness. I feel that I have completed a part of my life that I wanted to do for so long. Today I was thinking, sitting over there waiting for my name to be called, dreams don’t have expiration dates.

Sabrina : I remember being in elementary school and talking to Papa and being like, “Why is mama coming back so late? She already worked all day.” And he’s like, “Well, she’s going to school. She’s getting her degree.”

To remember that from elementary school to seeing you so many years later … was so emotional and special. You have worked harder than anyone I know for it. And I know it’s been your dream. Where did your love of education come from? Samara : My dream was going to college in Venezuela. But my family didn’t have the resources to give me that opportunity. So when I decided to come to the United States, I feel that I packed that dream with me on my suitcase. I’m like, someday, somehow, I will do it. I had to work my way up. I had to start learning the language. I had to work to help my family back there. Then I became a mother. I had to focus on raising you and your brother. Then I postponed it for a long time. Today — seeing it, having it — it was like, this is what I came here for. Sabrina : What were you thinking when I got into Georgetown?

Samara : For me, education is power. When you are able to have access to good education, you are going to have power to make decisions in life, to help others to go forward, to make a difference in the world.

So it was overwhelming. My daughter got into such a good school.

Every time I go to Georgetown and visit, I feel the community. I know that you feel safe and educated and have fun at the same time. So for me it was great.

Sabrina : That’s so good because I have loved my time at Georgetown, and I have felt so at home there.

Sabrina : How do you think it will feel coming to my graduation in two weeks?

Samara : It’s going to be such a special day, because I know how hard you have been working for this. It will be the best day of my life. It’s going to be great for you to see how far you have come.

Sabrina : I feel the same way with seeing how far you’ve come, how you put off this degree to let my brother and I achieve what we’ve been able to achieve and have this future, always putting us before yourself. Now you finally got to have that moment for yourself.

When they called your name, we were screaming and we were like, ‘That’s my mom!’ And dad was ‘That’s my wife!’ But watching you in this sea of caps and gowns and seeing your face smiling and even when you weren’t seeing us, just seeing the complete bliss and joy on your face … that’s when I started crying. …

Samara : We didn’t plan it this way.

Sabrina : We did not.

Samara : It was the most beautiful coincidence.

Sabrina : It was all worth the wait.

Samara : The power of education.

Sabrina :  I’m so proud of you. I love you.

Samara : I love you too.

Sabrina : Te amo.

Sabrina P é rez is a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences and the president of the Georgetown Scholars Program Student Board, an organization that provides wraparound support services for first-generation and low-income students.

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• Embracing Community

Encampment in Harvard Yard

Dear Members of the Harvard Community,   Over the last 12 days, the encampment in Harvard Yard has disrupted our educational activities and operations. The right to free speech, including protest and dissent, is vital to the work of the research university.  But it is not unlimited . It must be exercised in a time, place, and manner that respects the right of our community members to do their work, pursue their education, and enjoy the opportunities that a residential campus has to offer. The encampment favors the voices of a few over the rights of many who have experienced disruption in how they learn and work at a critical time of the semester. I call on those participating in the encampment to end the occupation of Harvard Yard.   The disruptions from this encampment at the heart of the University have been numerous. Harvard College exams and other important activities and events have had to move elsewhere. Safety concerns over the past two weeks, including those raised as a result of students sleeping outdoors overnight, have required us to sharply limit access to Harvard Yard. Although some community members have said they are undisturbed by these conditions, we continue to hear reports of students whose ability to sleep, study, and move freely about the campus has been disrupted by the actions of the protesters. We are especially troubled by increasing reports that some within, and some supporting, the encampment have intimidated and harassed other members of our community. When Harvard staff have requested to see IDs in order to enforce our policies, supporters of the encampment have at times yelled at them, tried to encircle them, and otherwise interfered with their work. We have also received reports that passers-by have been confronted, surveilled, and followed. Such actions are indefensible and unacceptable.   As first-year students move out and as we begin our extensive preparations for Commencement, this ongoing violation of our policies becomes more consequential. Thousands of family members, friends, and loved ones will soon join us to celebrate the achievements of graduate and undergraduate students who have earned the right to walk in Commencement. This celebration is the culmination of years of hard work and accomplishment. The members of the Class of 2024 deserve to enjoy this milestone uninterrupted and unimpeded. It would be especially painful if students who graduated from high school or college during the pandemic were denied a full graduation ceremony for a second time.   The individuals participating in the activities of the encampment have been informed repeatedly that violations of University and School policies will be subject to disciplinary consequences and that further violations and continued escalation will result in increasingly severe sanctions. Last week, faculties across the University began delivering disciplinary notices to students who continued to participate in unauthorized, disruptive activity in the Yard despite these notices.   I write today with this simple message:  The continuation of the encampment presents a significant risk to the educational environment of the University. Those who participate in or perpetuate its continuation will be referred for involuntary leave from their Schools.  Among other implications, students placed on involuntary leave may not be able to sit for exams, may not continue to reside in Harvard housing, and must cease to be present on campus until reinstated.   Enforcement of these policies, which are essential to our educational mission, is an obligation we owe to our students and the Harvard community more broadly. It is not, as some have suggested, a rejection of discussion and debate about the urgent issues that concern the University, the nation, and the world. As an academic institution, we do not shy away from hard and important questions. There are many ways for our community to engage constructively in reasoned discussion of complex issues, but initiating these difficult and crucial conversations does not require, or justify, interfering with the educational environment and Harvard’s academic mission. Our disagreements are most effectively addressed through candid, constructive dialogue, building not on disruption, but on facts and reason.     Sincerely, Alan M. Garber