yale history thesis handbook

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Director of undergraduate studies:   Daniel Magaziner , [F], Edward Rugemer [Sp] 190 York St., 432-2724; history.yale.edu

The History major is for students who understand that shaping the future requires knowing the past. History courses explore many centuries of human experimentation and ingenuity, from the global to the individual scale. History majors learn to be effective storytellers and analysts, and to craft arguments that speak to broad audiences. They make extensive use of Yale’s vast library resources to create pioneering original research projects. Students of history learn to think about politics and government, sexuality, the economy, cultural and intellectual life, war and society, and other themes in broadly humanistic—rather than narrowly technocratic—ways.

History is one of Yale College’s most popular and intellectually diverse majors, encompassing nearly every region and time period of the global past. The study of history is excellent preparation for careers in many fields, including law, journalism, business and finance, education, politics and public policy, social activism, and the arts.

Course Numbering

Courses numbered HIST 001–099 are first-year seminars, with enrollment limited to eighteen. Remaining course numbers are organized by region, not by rigor or difficulty. Courses numbered in the 100s explore the history of the United States or Canada; those in the 200s, Europe, Russia, and Britain; and those in the 300s, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Courses numbered in the 400s address global topics. Most of these courses are lecture courses, although some are seminars. Courses whose numbers end with the letter “J” are departmental seminars, which are research focused; all departmental seminars are available for preregistration by History majors and are capped at fifteen students.

Prerequisite

The prerequisite for the major is two term courses in History. Courses completed in fulfillment of the prerequisite may be applied toward the requirements of the major.

Requirements of the Major

Ten term courses in History are required, including prerequisites, and in addition to the senior essay. 

Upon declaration, all History majors select either the global or the specialist track. The global track is designed for students seeking a broad understanding of major trends in the history of human societies throughout the world. The specialist track is for students seeking to focus in a particular geographic region, such as the United States, or in a thematic pathway, such as empires and colonialism. Majors may change tracks until the end of the course selection period in the second term of the junior year.

The global track requires one course in five of the six different geographic regions (see below). Students must also take two preindustrial courses, covering material before the year 1800, and two departmental seminars, identified by a “J” suffix to the course number (such as HIST 156J ).

The specialist track requires at least five (and up to eight) courses in a particular geographic region or in a thematic pathway (see list below). Courses appropriate for each region and pathway are listed on the  department website. Students must also take at least two courses outside their area of specialization, and their overall course work must include at least three geographic regions. Like students in the global track, students in the specialist track must take two preindustrial courses, covering material before the year 1800, and at least two departmental seminars, identified by a "J" suffix to the course number (e.g. HIST 156J ). Students in the specialist track may design an area of specialization with the approval of a faculty adviser and the director of undergraduate studies (DUS).

Regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and United States

Pathways: cultural history; empires and colonialism; environmental history; ideas and intellectuals; international and diplomatic history (formerly international history); politics, law, and government (formerly politics and law); race, gender, and sexuality; religion in context; science, technology, and medicine; social change and social movements; war and society; the world economy

Students in either track may count the same courses toward geographical, preindustrial, and seminar requirements. For instance, a departmental seminar on premodern Japan simultaneously fulfills the preindustrial, seminar, and Asia geographical requirements.

Departmental seminars All students who declare the History major are entitled to preregister for two departmental seminars (designated by a course number ending in J, such as HIST 156J ). Many seminars are popular and fill up quickly. Students may use their preregistration privileges at any time after declaring the major, in their sophomore, junior, or senior years. Sophomores contemplating study abroad are urged to consider taking at least one seminar in the sophomore year. Residential College Seminars, study abroad courses, and courses in other departments that count toward the History major do not fulfill the departmental seminar requirement. Please note that the department offers seminars that are not J seminars and do not satisfy the departmental seminar requirements, although they can satisfy other requirements (preindustrial, region, pathway, etc.) Such non-J seminars are either a) cross-listed with other departments, or b) do not require the primary source research that departmental (J) seminars require. Students cannot preregister for non-J seminars during departmental preregistration.

Distinction in the major Students who receive an A or A– on the two-term senior essay and who receive the requisite grades in their remaining coursework are awarded Distinction in the Major. (See The Undergraduate Curriculum, Honors .) Students who do not complete the two-term senior essay are not eligible for Distinction.

Credit/D/Fail  Departmental seminars cannot be taken Credit/D/Fail.

Senior Requirement

Students in the History major are not passive consumers of historical knowledge: they create original works of history themselves. As seniors, History majors complete a work of original research in close consultation with a faculty adviser. The range of acceptable topics and methodological approaches is wide. The aim is to take on study of a significant historical subject through research in accessible primary source materials.

Most students choose to write a two-term independent senior essay, for two course credits toward the major. The two-term essay is required to earn Distinction in the Major. A smaller number of students choose to write an independent one-term senior essay, for one course credit toward the major.

The one-term senior essay History majors may choose to write a one-term independent senior essay during the fall term under the guidance of a faculty adviser. However, students who choose the one-term option are not eligible for Distinction in the Major or history prizes. The one-term essay is a substantial research paper (roughly half the length of the two-term senior essay) based on primary sources, along with a bibliographic essay. Seniors receive course credit for their departmental essays by enrolling in  HIST 497  during the fall of senior year. In rare circumstances, with permission of the adviser and senior essay director, a student enrolled in  HIST 497  during the fall term may withdraw from the course in accordance with Yale College regulations on course withdrawal and enroll in  HIST 497  during the spring term. Additional details about the senior essay are provided in the Senior Essay Handbook , available on the History website.

The two-term senior essay History majors seeking to earn Distinction in the Major must complete a two-term independent senior essay under the guidance of a faculty adviser. The typical senior essay is 40–50 pages (no more than 12,500 words), plus a bibliography and bibliographical essay. Seniors receive course credit for their departmental essays by enrolling in HIST 495 (first term of senior year) and HIST 496 (second term of senior year). The grade for the final essay, determined by an outside reader in consultation with the faculty adviser, is applied retroactively to both terms. Additional details about the senior essay are provided in the Senior Essay Handbook , available on the History website. History majors graduating in December may begin their two-term senior essay in the spring term and complete the senior essay during fall term.

Additional option for the senior essay Some students embark on the two-term essay but discover that their choice is not a good fit.  Students who enroll in  HIST 495 during the first term may opt out in consultation with their faculty adviser and the senior essay director. This decision must be made in accordance with Yale College regulations on course withdrawal . Instead, the student will enroll in HIST 497 in the spring term to write a one-term senior essay. Students who opt out will not be eligible for Distinction in the Major or History prizes. Additional details about the senior essay are provided in the Senior Essay Handbook , available on the History website.

All students who declare the History major are assigned an adviser from among the departmental faculty. The adviser is available throughout the year for consultation about courses and the major. Students in the global track are assigned an adviser from the general History faculty. Students in the specialist track are assigned an adviser in their area of specialization. At the beginning of each term, students majoring in History must have their schedule signed and approved by their departmental adviser or by the DUS. Students may request a specific adviser in consultation with the DUS, though the department cannot always accommodate such requests.

Course substitution History majors are permitted to include up to two courses taught outside the department toward fulfillment of the major, with the approval of the DUS. Nondepartmental courses may fulfill geographic, region/pathway, and preindustrial distribution requirements. They may not fulfill departmental seminar or senior requirements.

Combined B.A./M.A. degree program Exceptionally able and well-prepared students may complete a course of study leading to the simultaneous award of the B.A. and M.A. degrees after eight terms of enrollment. See Academic Regulations, section L, Special Academic Arrangements , “Simultaneous Award of the Bachelor's and Master's Degrees.” Interested students should consult the DUS prior to the sixth term of enrollment for specific requirements in History.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Prerequisites 2 term courses in History

Number of courses 10 term courses (incl prereqs, not incl senior essay)

Distribution of courses Both tracks— 2 courses in preindustrial hist as specified; 2 departmental sems; Global track— 1 course in each of 6 geographical regions (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, U.S.); Specialist track— at least   5 courses in specific region or pathway; at least 2 courses outside region or pathway; overall course work must include 3 regions

Substitution permitted 1 or 2 nondepartmental courses approved by DUS

Senior requirement Two-term senior essay ( HIST 495 and 496 ) or one-term senior essay ( HIST 497 )

History explains why the world is the way it is.   Yale’s history department offers a range of courses that help students to explore the past, make sense of the present, and shape the future.   Students of history investigate why societies have changed and developed over time and how human beings both make the world and are made by it.   The study of history develops not only an understanding of the significant ideas and experiences of the past, but also such skills as organizing research projects, writing expository prose, and presenting effective oral arguments.

History courses cover a wide range of topics; there is no single introductory course.   The department offers several first-year  seminars each  year, and most History lecture courses are open to all students, including first-year students.   History departmental seminars require the instructor’s permission for enrollment and are open chiefly to history majors.

The History major is one of the largest, most diverse, and most popular majors at Yale.   Before they enter the major, students must take two term courses in history, preferably in the first two years.   Most students begin with a First-Year Seminar, Directed Studies, or introductory lecture courses in areas that interest them.   These courses count toward the major requirements.   Upon declaring their major, students select either the global track, which emphasizes a broad understanding of world history, or the specialist track in which students specialize in a region (such as U.S.   History) or a thematic pathway (such as politics, law, and government) within their History coursework.   A list of pathways and regions, along with the courses relevant to them is available on the department  website .

After graduation, History majors enter many fields, including law, medicine, public policy, business, journalism, and the arts.   Some go on to graduate study in history.

Questions about history courses may be addressed to the director of undergraduate studies (DUS). Students who want to accelerate, combine history with another major, or study abroad should consult the DUS in the fall.

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

Professors Abbas Amanat, Sunil Amrith, Lauren Benton, Ned Blackhawk, David Blight, Edyta Bojanowska, Daniel Botsman, Paul Bushkovitch, Deborah Coen, Carolyn Dean, Fabian Drixler, Marcela Echeverri, Carlos Eire, David Engerman, Paul Freedman, Joanne Freeman, John Gaddis, Beverly Gage, Bruce Gordon, Greg Grandin, Valerie Hansen, Robert Harms, Matthew Jacobson, Gilbert Joseph, Paul Kennedy, Benedict Kiernan, Jennifer Klein, Regina Kunzel, Naomi Lamoreaux, Bentley Layton, Noel Lenski, Kathryn Lofton, Mary Lui, Daniel Magaziner, Joseph Manning, Ivan Marcus, John Merriman, Joanne Meyerowitz, Alan Mikhail, Samuel Moyn, Nicholas Parrillo, Peter Perdue, Mark Peterson, Stephen Pitti, Naomi Rogers, Paul Sabin, Stuart Schwartz, Timothy Snyder, David Sorkin, Harry Stout, John Warner, Arne Westad, John Witt, Keith Wrightson, Taisu Zhang

Associate Professors Paola Bertucci, Rohit De, Marcela Echeverri, Anne Eller, Crystal Feimster, Elizabeth Hinton, Andrew Johnston, Isaac Nakhimovsky, Joanna Radin, William Rankin, Edward Rugemer, Marci Shore, Eliyahu Stern, Jonathan Wyrtzen

Assistant Professors Jennifer Allen, Sergei Antonov, Denise Ho, Jessica Lamont, Ben Machava, Nana Quarshie, Carolyn Roberts

Senior Lecturers Jay Gitlin, William Klein, Stuart Semmel, Rebecca Tannenbaum

Lecturers Sakena Abedin, Ria Chae, Ivano Dal Prete, Suzanne Gay, Maria Jordan, Tyler Kynn, George Levesque, Chitra Ramalingam, Terence Renaud, Miriam Rich

See visual roadmap of the requirements.

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Early Modern Studies

You are here, the renaissance studies graduate student handbook.

• Course of Study and Degrees
• The First and Second Years
• The Third Year
• The Fourth Year and Beyond

I. Course of Study and Degrees

Introduction Renaissance Studies is an interdisciplinary doctoral program devoted to the history, literature, art, music and culture of Europe during a period that extends from the later fourteenth century through the sixteenth century in Italy and from the sixteenth through the mid-seventeenth century in Northern Europe.

Since its inception in 1977, the program has been guided by several important aims:

• to offer a formal framework within which to train students along the interdisciplinary lines formerly practiced by scholars who were often the self-trained products of European universities, and thereby to preserve and strengthen an important set of traditional skills;
• to provide for the development of new kinds of cross-disciplinary studies by exposing students to the up-to-date methods and scholarship in a variety of fields;
• to provide, in greater depth and breadth than traditional departments allow, a knowledge of the many inter-connected developments that this remarkably complex period comprises;
• to produce Renaissance specialists, firmly based in a major field, who can become leading scholars in traditional disciplines while crossing disciplinary boundaries.

The graduate program is administered by a Chair and Director of Graduate Studies, and by an Executive Committee consisting of faculty from the departments that contribute to the program. A Student Advisory committee, consisting of the representatives elected by students, meets as needed with the administration to discuss the program and to offer its recommendations.

Consult the “ Yale University Graduate School Programs and Policies ” for a full explanation of requirements and procedures.

II. The First and Second Years

• Course Requirements
• Language Requirements

Funding for Summer Language Study

Course Requirements 

Language Requirements 

For more information on application procedures please see:  Summer Language Institute Fellowships  (Non-Yale Summer Session Programs)

III. The Third Year

• The Oral Examination
• The Dissertation Prospectus

The Oral Examination 

The Dissertation Prospectus The dissertation prospectus defines the project that will be the focus of the student’s advanced research at Yale and, in many cases, for years to come. Apart from the completion of the dissertation itself, it is the most important and decisive of the requirements in the program. It is impossible, of course, to describe the ideal dissertation topic, but there are some obvious parameters that include, but aren’t necessarily limited to:

• Originality: the quality that makes a dissertation a “new” contribution to its field, whether it is the discovery of facts, the identification of a new problem or area of inquiry or a new interpretation of old one, or an addition to the materials in the field in the form of an edition or collection
• Significance: i.e. the existence of the dissertation should not just be a novelty but one that makes a significant difference in the way people think about or study a subject.
• Rigor: a quality of scholarship and documentation such that the writer’s statements can be tested.
• Finitude: the scope and ambition should be of a kind that permit the dissertation to be written in two, or at most three, years. (A dissertation need not be a book, but should be a first or partial draft toward a book).
• Compelling Interest to the Writer: the ideal project should be one so fascinating or important to you that you can always enjoy working on it, even when such work proves difficult or frustrating.

It may be useful to know that the form currently in use in the Yale Graduate School asks dissertation readers to assess “the strengths and weaknesses of the work and the way in which it makes an original contribution to its field,” and it asks for ratings of 1) command of literature of the subject; 2) originality; 3) insights and judgement; 4) clearness; 5) style; 6) mastery of the method used in research.

Some of these considerations are more relevant than others at the dissertation prospectus stage. The key ones have to do with achieving a sufficient degree of conceptual distinctiveness to put your work on the map, i.e. the way to get yourself on the map and thereby make a contribution to your field is from the very start to make every effort to envision where your topic and approach stand in relation to others and to anticipate how they will make a difference to the way the field is constituted. In writing a dissertation, you address yourself not only to a topic but also to a readership; you should not only find your topic interesting but be able to explain why it matters to you and why it should matter to others.

As you sort these questions out, avail yourself of advice from faculty. Moreover, in all of your reading, you should be thinking about  what makes some scholarly books appealing to you as “model dissertations” and others not.  And you will find it helpful to avail yourself of the opportunities discussed under “Professional Development,” below. But your choice of a topic is inseparable, finally, from your choice of an advisor. If you have been thinking in your coursework and talking with your instructors about possible topics, the choice of topic and advisor should be easier to make, but you may also consult with the DGS. Once you and your advisor have identified a dissertation topic, you should begin to work together on the writing of the dissertation prospectus.

Because of the considerations discussed above, a dissertation prospectus should not only identify the “topic” or area of inquiry but also propose a “thesis,” an argument or an angle of attack that is going to define and organize your approach to the topic. It should furthermore include a statement about the possible implications or significance of the project – about its relation to existing scholarship and the goals you hope to achieve. These general matters should be followed by a brief chapter-by-chapter sketch explaining how you will deploy your materials and methods. Your prospectus, about 8-10 pages of prose, should be accompanied by three or four pages of bibliography identifying the sources, primary and secondary, that will be most essential to your project. In lieu of full annotation, which is not necessary, you should indicate your mastery of the bibliography by breaking it down under conceptual headings.

Finally, there are two related caveats about the writing of the prospectus: 1) It almost always takes longer and proves more difficult than students anticipate, but often this is because students have underestimated its importance throughout the first two and a half years. A student who has been thinking about dissertation topics while choosing courses, writing papers, and preparing for the oral examination will find it much easier to complete the prospectus than one who has not. 2) Aspects of the prospectus genre, in which you must anticipate the results of research not yet completed, are intrinsically frustrating (this is only your first taste of writing grant proposals!). While you want your prospectus to be sufficiently researched and conceptualized to carry you unimpeded into work on the dissertation itself, remember that is an carefully constructed hypothesis and not the finished experiment. An element of provisionality is always to be assumed.

Teaching By provision in their letters of admission, students generally begin teaching in the fall semester of the third year. Initial appointments are typically at the Teaching Fellow 3 or TF 3.5 level. Such appointments usually involve leading once weekly a 50-minute discussion section attached to a lecture course and grading the assignments of the students in the section. Students obtain appointment by applying to the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the appropriate department. Departments such as English, History, and History of Art each spring post a list of the following year’s needs for teaching Fellows and ask applicants to indicate their preferences. In some departments, faculty lecturers themselves have considerable input into the appointment process, so it is worthwhile to speak to them about assignments in their courses. Final decisions about appointments are usually made, however, by the DUS, and must take account of factors like eligibility and qualification for various assignments. Appointment to Teaching Fellowships are always conditional upon undergraduate enrollments, and because Yale’s so-called “shopping period” sometimes makes such enrollments unpredictable and unstable, Teaching Fellows must be prepared to show a degree of flexibility in their willingness to accept changes of assignment.

In this somewhat difficult and dicey situation it is well to bear in mind that:

• Every effort is made, not only in the departments but at the Graduate School’s Teaching Fellow program, to ensure that every eligible applicant receives a teaching position; a special effort is made to ensure equity for graduate students from departments and programs that do not themselves have appointments to offer.
• Flexibility about assignments not only improves the likelihood of successful placement but can also improve the professional credentials of the Teaching Fellow.
• Your DGS, kept properly informed of your search for an appointment, can offer considerable support.
• In the history of the Renaissance Studies Program, there has been only one eligible student, in one semester, who requested but did not receive a Teaching Fellow appointment.

Renaissance Studies students typically teach for four semesters at the TF 3 or 3.5 level. Then, either before or after a year on Dissertation Fellowship, under special circumstances, some  undertake a semster or a year of teaching at TF 4.0, serving as instructors, for example, in one of the English Department’s freshman courses or in one of the History Department’s junior seminars. Such appointments are not guaranteed to be available, and the competition for them is always stiff. On balance, however, Renaissance Studies students have done remarkably well in obtaining appointments.

As an alternative departmental employment, advanced graduate students sometimes propose a seminar on a special topic to be offered through the Residential College Seminar Program. Proposals are submitted (early in September for spring-term seminars, and early in the spring for fall-term seminars) to the College Seminar Program (in the office of the Council of Masters); student-faculty committees in each of the Residential Colleges then determine, through a process that includes interviews, which seminars will be offered. Advanced students also occasionally find part-time teaching available at area institutions such as Albertus Magnus College, Southern Connecticut State University, The University of New Haven, or Quinnipiac University. Some students find interesting research or editorial appointments at places like the Yale Center for Parliamentary History, The British Arts Center, the James Boswell, Benjamin Franklin, or Jonathan Edwards papers projects, or the Yale University and Beinecke Libraries.

IV. The Fourth Year and Beyond

• Finishing the Dissertation
• Professional Development

Finishing the Dissertation In many cases, some or all of the three readers designated at the time of the Prospectus Defense may be called upon to read chapters or offer suggestions while the dissertation is in progress, but the primary advisor at all times is the dissertation director. Students should meet frequently with their directors during the writing of the dissertation.

Each year, in the spring, dissertation students are asked by the Graduate School to report on the progress of the dissertation, and these reports are reviewed and supplemented by the dissertation director and DGS before forwarding to the Graduate School. These reports are considered when students compete for dissertation fellowships like the Whiting and the Lurcy (for which nominations are usually made in February) or when they apply for University Dissertation Fellowships, Teaching Fellowships, and other awards. Advisors and administrators are sensitive to the highly individualized terms in which progress on the dissertation must be measured, but students should be mindful of six-year limit (extendable to seven years upon petition) for enrollment in the graduate school. In the present, highly competitive job market, moreover, candidates must have completed or be very near to completing the dissertation in order to be successful.

Dissertations being submitted in fulfillment of the Ph.D. requirement must be turned in to the Graduate School by the dates specified in the Yale Graduate School Programs and Policies. They are then distributed to the designated readers, whose reports are in turn submitted to the Renaissance Studies Executive Committee and the Graduate School before final approval for the Ph.D.

Professional Development A formal curriculum can only contribute so much to a student’s professional development, which includes an understanding of, and ability to perform according to, the standards, practices, responsibilities, and current interests of the professional disciplines. Much depends upon the student’s initiative in participating in the activities of the profession outside the classroom. Students are expected at attend guest lecturers and seminars sponsored by the Renaissance Studies Program, but they should also attend, whenever possible, lectures sponsored by the affiliated departments. They should strongly consider joining the Renaissance Society of America as well as the main professional organization in their area of concentration, such as the Modern Language Association, the American Historical Association, the College Art Association, the American Philological Association, the Society for Reformation Studies, and so forth. Membership in these organizations (which is relatively inexpensive for graduate students) provides subscriptions to the organizations’ journals, access to announcements about conferences, calls for papers, and job openings, and eligibility to to attend the organizations’ annual conferences. Reading the journals, attending conferences, proposing and delivering papers are all part of the professional development that takes place outside the classroom. Students should join the Medieval/Renaissance Colloquium at Yale and participate in its activities. At various times in the history of the Renaissance Studies Program, students have joined together to form reading groups and colloquia. Those who did so would probably say they often learned as much from each other as from their classes. But again, to be successful, such groups depend upon student initiative.

Placement In the job placement process, the candidate’s primary advisors are the Director of Graduate Studies, the dissertation director, and the departmental placement officer in the discipline in which the candidate is seeking placement. Notice of available openings is published by the primary professional organization in each discipline. Each organization also provides guidelines for candidates. Departmental placement officers advise candidates in the preparation of their application materials and sometimes serve as a liaison with the departments seeking suitable candidates. Some Yale departments offer prospective candidates mock interviews and other forms of preparation and support. As at earlier stages in their program, in taking courses, seeking advice, and planning the oral examination and dissertation, students from the Renaissance Studies Program can be expected to be treated on parity with students from the individual departments in their use of placement services.

It is impossible to summarize the qualities of a successful candidate, but at the bare minimum they will include the ability to summarize the results of a nearly complete dissertation and to demonstrate its scholarly significance as well as the ability to demonstrate persuasively both professional qualifications (including teaching experience) and personal strengths. The matters discussed under “Professional Development” above are all relevant.

Program in the History of Science and Medicine

You are here, senior project.

By the end of reading period in the spring term of the junior year, students choose whether they will work toward a yearlong or a one-term senior project. Yearlong senior projects are completed in HSHM 490, 491; one-term projects are completed in HSHM 492. Students who choose a one-term project must take an additional HSHM-listed course to complete the major. Distinction in the Major is awarded only to students who complete a yearlong senior project.

For both the one-term and yearlong senior projects, students must select a project adviser, propose a tentative topic and title, and submit a proposal to the Senior Project Director early in the fall term of their senior year. See the handbook for more details.

The senior project may be a written essay or an alternative project such as a film, exhibition, catalog, atlas, or historical data reconstruction. In the case of an alternative project, the student must identify a second reader in addition to the adviser before the project is approved by the senior project director. Either the adviser or the second reader must be a member of the faculty in History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health. Alternative projects will include a written component that explains the sources used and the intellectual significance of the project.

For more details about requirements and deadlines, please see the HSHM Senior Project Handbook.  

>> Click HERE to download the 2023–2024 Senior Project Handbook <<  

Please also see recent titles and prize-winning projects .

The HSHM Senior Project Director is Megann Licskai. For questions, please contact either Professor Licskai ( megann.licskai@yale.edu ) or the Undergraduate Registrar, Erica Lee ( erica.lee@yale.edu ).

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Where do i start: how to prepare for your senior thesis.

All majors here at Yale require the completion of a senior requirement in order to graduate. For some seniors, that may mean completing a project or taking a written or oral exam. For others, like myself, that means writing a semester or year-long thesis about a topic relating to your major of study. According to the Handbook for Directors of Undergraduate Studies in Yale College, “the senior requirement measures whether the student can demonstrate some form of mastering or substantial competence in some significant aspect of the subject of the major.” In other words, this requirement exists to show the knowledge and expertise you have developed through your time here at Yale. So, where do you begin?

One of the first things to complete on your “Senior Thesis To-Do List” is finding an advisor. Having an advisor who you are not only comfortable with but who also has experience in the topic you’re interested in is incredibly important. You’ll be spending a lot of time with your advisor and ideally, you want someone who will both push you in exploring your interests and be able to guide you on how best to approach a long thesis paper.

Once you have found an advisor, you should start narrowing down your thesis idea. Do not worry if you don’t have a specific thesis topic right off the bat. I surely didn’t and I’m glad I was able to have the opportunity to talk about topics at length with my advisor before we made a final decision. Begin BIG and then slowly start finding ways to make your thesis specific. My advisor and I had several meetings where we discussed the big topics I was interested in - gender, health, political science - and the various routes my paper could go in depending on the specific question I came up with. You want to find a topic that you are generally interested or passionate about, so take your time and explore.

After deciding on the specific thesis topic that you’ll be tackling in your paper, it’s time to begin your research and prep for the writing process. Writing a senior essay is a very daunting task. For my major - political science - the senior paper needs to be 25 pages minimum. This paper has the potential of being the longest paper you’ll write during your entire Yale undergraduate career and so, preparation is necessary.

A great resource offered by Yale to undergrads writing their thesis (or any other type of paper)  are library consultations, which you can schedule through the Yale Library Homepage. I recently had a consultation with a librarian in the social studies library and it was such a great experience. We spent about an hour and half talking about my thesis, sections I was possibly thinking about including in my essay and then explored the various databases I could use to find sources.

Tackling the senior thesis is all about patience and time management. It is going to be a long process, whether you’re writing it in one semester or taking the whole academic year. If you don’t pace yourself, it can soon feel overwhelming. So, ease yourself into the research process and take advantage of the resources your advisor and Yale can offer you.

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Department of the History of Art

You are here.

Welcome to our webpage for graduate studies. Here you will find practical information about our PhD program, including details about departmental course and language requirements, faculty expertise and publications, graduate students and their projects, and more. (Please note that Yale’s History of Art program does not include an MA-only option.) For more specific questions regarding departmental requirements, timelines, and procedures, please click on “Description of Graduate Studies ( Red Book ).” If you should have in-depth inquiries pertaining to your intended field of specialization, I recommend that you contact the relevant faculty member via e-mail. If you have questions about the department generally, you are welcome to e-mail me as Director of Graduate Studies . 

If you are interested in making a visit to campus prior to applying, please contact the individual professor(s) in your preferred field(s) of study directly via e-mail to arrange a suitable day and time. Such visits should take place in the fall semester, before the applications are due. Please keep in mind that there is no requirement that applicants visit campus; some professors prefer to communicate with prospective students only via e-mail or a phone call. Even complex questions can be answered via e-mail.

We hope that you find the material contained here on the website illuminating and helpful. And we thank you for your interest in the Ph.D. program in the History of Art at Yale University.

For more information regarding requirements and admission see  Graduate Handbook: Red Book . 

Our graduate students also have access to the   GSAS Professional Development for: leadership and communication, mentorship, training, negotiation and people skills, practical interships, and advice on preparing for diverse Careers and the  Office of Career Strategy (OCS) for: diverse career exploration, networking, resumes and cover letters, interview prep, employer events, job hunting and intership resources, negotiation and decision-making.

You are here

Graduate handbook, department of sociology  graduate handbook, table of contents.

· Course requirements

·   Second-year Research Paper

· Field Exam

· Dissertation Prospectus

· Teaching Fellowships

· Dissertation Research and Writing

· Submitting the Dissertation

· Mentoring and Advising

· Sociology Department Grants

· Office Space

Welcome to the graduate program in Sociology at Yale University. We are thrilled you are here! We have prepared this Handbook to provide a thorough overview of the program and our requirements. Please review it carefully and always feel free to contact the DGS and Departmental Registrar with any questions.

Course Requirements

12 courses to be completed in first two years, including 4 required courses and 8 electives. One of the 8 electives must be a workshop taken for credit.

Course Waivers. Students entering the program with a masters degree will be eligible for a reduction of up to two courses, with the DGS and Dean’s approval. These reductions may apply to electives or to the statistics requirements, but may not apply to Theory or Logic of Social Research. Please contact the DGS and Departmental Registrar to discuss possible waivers.

Online course selections are due before the beginning of the semester. You can use Yale Course Search to identify classes and will need to log into Yale Hub to access the registration system. To make changes to your course selections after the deadline, you will need to complete the Course Schedule Change Notification Form and return it to the Departmental Registrar (the Registrar can send you a copy). The deadline to change enrollment in a Fall-term course from Credit to Audit and from Audit to Credit is October 29. The deadline in the Spring term is March 6. You may not add a course after the OCS deadlines, except with the Dean’s permission.

Joint Degrees: Special arrangements will be worked out for students enrolled in joint Ph.D. or professional programs.

Temporary Incompletes: Arrangements between students and instructors concerning incomplete work are  constrained by deadlines set by Graduate School regulations: in a single term, only one TI is permitted. Students should complete the Temporary Incomplete form and have their instructor sign it (by the grading deadline each semester) and send it to the Departmental Registrar.

Temporary Incompletes received in an academic year must be converted to final grades by October 1st of the following academic year. If a grade is not received by the Graduate Registrar by this date, a TI will be converted to a permanent Incomplete (I) on the student’s record.

Leave of Absence: See Programs and Policies on Graduate School site.

Requirements – Fall Semester of First Year

-Statistics I (SOCY 580). This course provides an introduction to probability theory, sampling theory, distribution and measurement theory, linear regression and the general linear model.

-Theory (SOCY 542). This seminar will be taught by a rotating group of faculty. Rather than specializing in one or another theorist or perspective, it will survey theoretical ideas from classical to contemporary debates. The course may be organized around themes or consider significant theorists one by one. It will provide a synthetic overview of conceptual issues and ways of thinking that mark the sociological imagination.

-Logic of Social Research (SOCY 578). This seminar is an intensive introduction to the methodology of the social  sciences. It covers such topics as concepts and indicators, propositions and theory, explanation and understanding, observation and measurement, methods of data collection, types of data, units of analysis and levels of variables, research design inference, description and causal modeling, verification and falsification. The course involves both the study of selected texts and the analysis and evaluation of recent research papers.

- Proseminar. Offered biweekly during the first semester, students will be presented with the full range of current faculty work. Very little student preparation will be required, and there are no examinations or papers. Students must register as Audit for this required course.

-1 elective. A course of your choosing, can be outside of the department with DGS’s approval.

Requirements – Spring Semester of First Year

-Statistics II (SOCY 581). Continuation of work from Statistics I.

-3 electives. Must have DGS approval if outside of department.

-Departmental Workshop. May audit.

Requirements – Second Year:

-The number of electives necessary to reach 12 required courses, typically 1 or 2 in the fall and 1 or 2 in the spring.

-Departmental Workshop for credit, either in fall or spring of second year. One semester of workshop is required. Credit will be conferred when students do the full range of readings and present a draft of the second-year paper in the workshop. Students are encouraged to audit workshops outside of their specialties.

-Second Year Research Paper preparation and completion by May 5th (details below).

Second-Year Research Paper

In addition to finishing the course requirements, which should be no more than four courses in the second year, the student’s second year focus will be on formulating, researching, writing, presenting, and revising an extended paper. This paper must be solo-authored by the student, who will be supervised by a committee of two faculty members, one of whom is the student’s Academic Advisor (see “Mentoring and Advising” section).

Initial discussion of this paper should begin at the conclusion of the student’s first year in the program, and a proposal will be formally developed at the beginning of the student’s second year. A draft of this paper must be presented in a Workshop in the course of the second year. After receiving feedback from Workshop participants, students will revise the paper in consultation  with their committee, who will evaluate it by the end of the second year of study.

The aim of the Second Year Research Paper is to kickstart the process of writing for publication. This paper should identify a theoretical controversy, methodological problem, or empirical puzzle. By making use of systematically generated evidence – whether gained from theoretical argument, secondary literature, or data (e.g. surveys, archives, interviews, participant observations) – the student should adjudicate between these theoretical claims, address the methodological problem in a new way, or solve the empirical puzzle. Primary research will not be expected.

The result of this effort will not necessarily be itself a publishable paper, but it will be a significant step towards this goal. Limited to around 30 pages, it will represent a reasonable product of one year’s part-time work. The second year Research Paper may or may not be related to the student’s subsequent graduate work. The Departmental Registrar has sample copies, please email with any requests.

The second-year paper is due on May 5 . This is a strict deadline and students should not plan on any extensions. Submission procedure: The student submits the paper to the committee, copying the Registrar, with a request that the committee email the Registrar with their approvals by June 3.

M.A. and M.Phil. Degrees : After completing one year of the program leading to the Ph.D. degree, the student may petition for the Master of Arts degrees. Two of the  eight term courses required for the M.A. must include statistics and theory. A grade of High Pass or above must be achieved in five of the eight required courses. A student may petition for the M.A. degree in the semester following the completion of the requirements.

After all requirements for the Ph.D. degree have been met except submission of the prospectus and the writing of the dissertation, and after at least one year of academic resident graduate study at Yale, the student will be eligible for the Master of Philosophy degree.

Students can petition online at the Yale Graduate School website by clicking into Forms, Degree Petitions, and returning the completed form to the Departmental Registrar. Please review your academic record to ensure you qualify before submitting the form.

Third Year Requirements

-Field Exam Completion – Fall Semester. The Field Exam must be completed by December 9 (details below).

-Dissertation Prospectus Completion – Spring Semester. The prospectus must be defended by May 20 (details below).

-Teaching Fellowship. Required for all 3rd year students in the fall and spring semesters (details below).

The general goal of the field exam is to ensure that students are familiar with the breadth of a particular subfield in sociology, which will aid them in developing a dissertation proposal and could eventually provide the basis for developing a course in that subfield.

Timeline . By the beginning of the third year, students must identify a committee of two faculty members with whom to work closely in developing their field exam. The field exam involves developing a reading list of approximately 50 items (books and articles), reading those items during the fall semester, and then writing a 15-25 page, double-spaced, review essay that a) provides a general overview of the development of the subfield and b) critical reflections on unresolved issues. The definition of the subfield can be broad (e.g. Health and Medicine, Culture and Theory, Political Sociology, Sociology of Gender, etc.) or slightly more narrow. 

Students must consult with their two advisers in defining the subfield and developing a reading list. To create a draft of the reading list, students may wish to search for review articles in Annual Review of Sociology and look up current graduate syllabi on courses related to the subfield (taught at Yale and elsewhere). The list of 50 items should include “classic” works in the subfield and more recent work. Examples of past reading lists can be found here: Race ; Inequality and Life Course ;  Culture and Theory ; Political and Historical ;  Economic and Organizational ; Health and Medicine .

The field exam essay will be evaluated similarly to the Second Year Paper by a committee of two faculty members. The field exam essay is due December 15 . This is a strict deadline and students should not plan on any extensions. Submission Procedure:  The student submits the essay to the committee, copying the Registrar, with a request that the committee email the Registrar with their approvals by January 13.

Dissertation Prospectus

Students will be required to appoint the Chair and two other members of the dissertation committee. The student will work closely with the committee to develop a Dissertation Prospectus. By the end of the 3rd year, the student will be expected to defend the Dissertation Prospectus in an oral examination with the committee. The Prospectus should include (a) statement of the research problem, (b) elaboration of how the student will go about solving the problem, i.e. research design or equivalent, (c) discussion of sources or data to be used and, if appropriate, the methodology, (d) an outline of the planned chapters.

The prospectus defense must be completed by May 20. This is a strict deadline and students should not plan on any extensions. Extensions must be approved by the DGS. Submission Procedure : After the defense, the student should email the completed dissertation prospectus form (signed by each member of the committee) and a copy of the prospectus to the Departmental Registrar.

Teaching Fellowships

Serving as a Teaching Fellow after the second year of full-time study is viewed as an integral part of graduate education. The Graduate School requires that all students teach in each semester of their 3rd and 4th years unless there are no teaching positions available in the department or if the student has research obligations elsewhere (in which case they can register in absentia and defer their teaching positions). Every effort is made to provide teaching positions within the Sociology Department, but if positions are not available, students may be asked by the Teaching Fellow Program office to fulfill their teaching obligations in other departments in the University. Please refer to the Teaching Fellow Program information at the Yale Graduate School site.

First-time TFs are expected to attend the Teaching at Yale orientation, offered by the Center for Teaching and Learning at the beginning of each semester.

Expectations for Sociology Department Teaching Fellows . Teaching fellows should be present for all lectures, sections, and examinations without exception. In other words, you should plan your schedule around your teaching responsibilities rather than the other way around, even if this causes some occasional inconveniences. Department policy is that TF absences or substitutes must be cleared by the instructor in charge. If you have to miss a lecture, section or exam due to illness or emergency, you should communicate this to the instructor, and you should only arrange for a substitute with their permission.

Fourth Year Requirements

-Dissertation Research/Writing (details below).

-Teaching Fellowship. Required of all 4th year students in the fall and spring semesters (details above).

Fifth Year Requirements

-University Dissertation Fellowship (UDF). The UDF is now automatic, applications are no longer necessary. Please contact gradfinaid@yale.edu during the summer before your 5th year to verify the UDF.

Sixth Year Requirements

Teaching fellowships are now guaranteed for sixth-year students who are planning to submit their dissertation by the end of the sixth year. The stipend will end in May of that year.

Dissertation Research and Writing

While all students are expected to adhere to the same deadlines in their first three years, we recognize that student progress through the subsequent dissertation phase of the program will be variable.

The dissertation represents a test of the candidate’s ability to select and carry out a major research project of professional quality. It should show the student’s mastery of the field of specialization, and it must demonstrably contribute to the body of sociological knowledge. The evaluation of the dissertation by the faculty is not a matter of whether or not the prospectus, as approved, was carried out. Rather, it is an independent assessment of the quality and intellectual contribution of the completed research itself as reported in the dissertation.

As well as the traditional style of dissertation, the department also permits essay-style dissertations (normally three essays on a given topic together with an introduction and conclusion).

Students will be required to complete a Dissertation Progress Report (DPR) online annually.

Submitting the Dissertation

Step 1: The student must notify the Sociology Department of their intent to submit the dissertation. The deadline to do so for the fall semester is September  1 and for the spring semester is February 14 . Procedure: Email the Department Registrar with your intent to submit and include contact information for all the members of your dissertation committee (Name, title, email, address, phone, institution, and department).

Step 2: Submit a PDF of your dissertation by March 15 for spring degree conferral or October 1 for fall degree conferral. A PDF copy of your dissertation may be submitted using the degree petition page in the Dissertation Progress Reporting and Submission (DPRS) site at any time within the academic year. Dissertations submitted after the above semester deadlines will be processed for the following degree date.

There are specific formatting rules that must be followed. See Yale’s Guide to Formatting the Dissertation .

Upon submission of your dissertation and approval of readers by the DGS, a pdf copy of your dissertation will be automatically sent to all readers.

Final changes must be uploaded in DPRS within 30 days of the submission deadline. To make changes to your dissertation after it has been submitted, email dissertationreaders@yale.edu . More information can be found on this page , including an instructional video.

Mentoring and Advising

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) will be the “general advisor” for entering first year students and will continue to be responsible for monitoring students’ progress through the program. However, during their first year, students may request, after consulting with the DGS, an Academic Advisor, who will replace the DGS as the student’s academic mentor. By the end of the first  year, students will, in fact, be required to designate such an Academic Advisor if they have not done so before.

The Second Year Paper will be supervised by a two-person committee. The chair will be the student’s Academic Advisor, the second member will be a faculty member chosen by the student in consultation with the advisor. This committee will make the final decision about whether the Second Year Paper is accepted. The same procedure will apply to the Field Exam, although the composition of the faculty committee can be changed at the student’s request.

Faculty will meet at the conclusion of every Spring semester to evaluate the progress of graduate students. The DGS will conduct this meeting and will consult with students’ Academic Advisors in preparation. Students in Years 2 and 3 will be required to complete a progress report, due in early April.

Each semester, the DGS will conduct at least one “Professional Development Workshop” in conjunction with other relevant faculty. These will cover requirements for the graduate program, such as Second Year Papers and Field Exams. They will also address the preparation and submission of professional papers, applying for research grants, and job market issues. The Graduate Division has produced a very helpful Guide to Advising for Students and Faculty , including overviews of when and how to seek out advising and suggested topics for students and faculty to discuss. We encourage all students and faculty to read it in full. 

Sociology Department Grants

Registered graduate students are eligible to apply for a one-time Camp Grant for up to $500. Camp Grants are intended to offset the costs of research-related expenses. Detailed information is circulated to all students at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.

Sociology Department Travel Funds

Graduate students presenting papers at conferences are eligible to apply for travel reimbursements. The department will reimburse for domestic and international travel expenses for amounts determined on a case-by-case basis. Travel fund requests must be submitted by designated deadlines. Deadlines and required application details are circulated to all students at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.

Office Space

Students are expected to keep their office space clean at all times, especially when leaving for extended periods, such as over the summer. If necessary, department staff may inspect office space and/or reassign office space. When moving offices or leaving after graduating, please make sure all of your belongings are discarded and/or cleared out of the office. Keys must be returned to the Departmental Registrar so they can be used for new occupants.

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Art History Research at Yale: Dissertations & Theses

• How to Research Art
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WHAT EXPERT RESEARCHERS KNOW

A thesis is typically the culminating project for a master's degree, while a dissertation completes a doctoral degree and represents a scholar's main area of expertise. However, some undergraduate students write theses that are published online, so it is important to note which degree requirements the thesis meets. While these are not published works like peer-reviewed journal articles, they are typically subjected to a rigorous committee review process before they are considered complete. Additionally, they often provide a large number of citations that can point you to relevant sources. 

Find Dissertations & Theses at Yale

Dissertations & Theses @ Yale University A searchable databases with dissertations and theses in all disciplines written by students at Yale from 1861 to the present.

Yale University Master of Fine Arts Theses in Graphic Design​ Finding aid for Arts Library Special Collections holdings of over 600 individual theses from 1951 to the present. The theses are most often in book format, though some have more experimental formats. Individual records for the theses are also available in the library catalog.

Yale University Master of Fine Arts Theses in Photography Finding aid for Arts Library Special Collections holdings of over 300 individual Master of Fine Arts theses from 1971 to the present. The theses are most often in the format of a portfolio of photographic prints, though some theses are also in book form. Individual records for the MFA theses are also available in the library catalog.

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2024 NHFP Fellows

Meet the 2024 nasa hubble fellowship program fellows, jaren ashcraft.

Host Institution: University of California, Santa Barbara

Proposal Title: Optimizing the Vector Field for Next-generation Astrophysics

Jaren Ashcraft grew up on the Big Island of Hawai'i. He earned his bachelor’s degree in optical engineering from the University of Rochester in 2019, and master’s in optical sciences from the University of Arizona in 2022. Jaren is currently pursuing his doctorate in optical sciences at the University of Arizona supervised by Dr. Ewan Douglas, and will graduate in the summer of 2024.

As a Sagan Fellow at UCSB, Jaren will study how optical polarization can limit the ability of next-generation observatories to directly image Earth-like exoplanets. This phenomenon, known as polarization aberration, is particularly problematic for the ground-based 30-meter Extremely Large Telescopes and the future space-based Habitable Worlds Observatory. Jaren will construct integrated optical models to assess the sensitivity of coronagraphs to the polarization aberrations of these observatories. He will then explore strategies to mitigate the influence of polarization aberrations on astronomical observations, including investigating novel technologies like metasurfaces and liquid crystals to serve as compensators.

Vishal Baibhav

Host Institution: Columbia University

Proposal Title: Dancing with Black Holes: Harnessing Gravitational Waves to Understand the Formation of Black Holes

Vishal Baibhav grew up near New Delhi, India. He earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati in 2016. In 2021, he earned his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University under the supervision of Professor Emanuele Berti. His research focused on black hole spectroscopy and gravitational-wave astrophysics. Currently, he is a CIERA postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University.

Despite breakthrough detections of compact-object mergers by LIGO, Virgo, and Kagra detectors, the birthplace and the origin of these compact objects remain unknown. Vishal's research is focused on fundamental questions such as how, when, and where these binaries form, and what physics drives their evolution. He is interested in understanding the life of stars that evolved into merging black holes and the environments that nurtured them. With future gravitational-wave detections, Vishal aims to address key questions about the formation of compact objects, specifically how black holes and neutron stars acquire their spins. As an Einstein Fellow, he will explore whether these spins are inherited from progenitor stars, or if stochastic processes and natal kicks during core collapse play a significant role in shaping them.

Kiersten Boley

Host Institution: Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory

Proposal Title:  Identifying the Key Materials for Planet Formation and Evolution

Kiersten Boley grew up in Rome, Georgia. She earned her associate’s in physics at Georgia Highlands College before transferring to Georgia Institute of Technology where she earned her bachelor’s in physics in 2019.  Kiersten earned a master’s degree in astronomy at The Ohio State University in 2021. She spent 2022 as an IPAC visiting graduate student at Caltech, working with Dr. Jessie Christiansen. Currently, Kiersten is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at The Ohio State University where she will earn her doctorate in astronomy in May 2024, advised by Professor Ji Wang, Professor Wendy Panero, and Dr. Jessie Christiansen.

Kiersten’s research investigates how elemental abundances impact planet formation and interior evolution through planet detection and interior modeling. Her interdisciplinary research aims to determine the materials required for planet formation by planet type and how their mineral compositions may impact the long-term evolution and habitability of rocky planets. As a Sagan Fellow, Kiersten will continue to study exoplanets through population studies focused on unraveling the dependence of planet formation on galactic location and stellar abundance using observational data. Additionally, she will investigate the long-term evolution and water cycling on rocky planets using theoretical interior models based on experimental data.

Michael Calzadilla

Host Institution: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory

Proposal Title: A Multiwavelength View of the Evolving Baryon Cycle in Galaxy Clusters

Michael Calzadilla grew up in Tampa, Florida. As a first-generation college student, he earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of South Florida in 2015. He subsequently crossed the pond to complete a master’s degree in astronomy as a Gates Cambridge scholar under the guidance of Professor Andrew Fabian at the University of Cambridge. Michael will complete his doctorate in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in May 2024 with his advisor Professor Michael McDonald.

Michael’s work focuses on multiwavelength observations of galaxy clusters to study the baryon cycle that drives the evolution of all galaxies. The largest galaxies residing in these clusters grow via material cooling from their hot atmospheres, which is balanced by feedback from star formation and active galactic nuclei. As part of the South Pole Telescope collaboration, Michael’s work is among the first to leverage recent Sunyaev-Zeldovich-based detections of galaxy clusters to observe this cycling of material out to unprecedented redshifts.

As a Hubble Fellow, Michael will develop machine learning techniques for characterizing the thousands of galaxy clusters being discovered by next-generation cosmological surveys resulting in clean, unbiased samples of the earliest galaxy clusters. Using synergies with large X-ray, optical, and radio datasets, he will seek to answer when galaxy clusters first dynamically relaxed, and how the effectiveness of supermassive black hole feedback has changed over time. He will also use new observatories for more targeted follow-up to investigate the role of feedback-induced turbulence in regulating galaxy growth.

Sanskriti Das

Host Institution: Stanford University

Proposal Title: Where the Energetic Universe Meets the Hot Universe

Sanskriti grew up in India and earned her bachelor’s in physics at Presidency University Kolkata in 2015, and her master's in physics at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 2017. She earned her doctorate in astronomy from The Ohio State University, USA in 2022. Since then, she has been an independent postdoctoral fellow at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University.

Sanskriti is interested in the co-evolution of galactic disks and the circumgalactic medium (CGM) through multiphase gas cycles between the disk and the CGM. Faint diffuse CGM signals tend to hide behind bright, variable, and complex backgrounds. Sanskriti devises innovative observing strategies and develops novel data reduction and analysis techniques to extract that signal. Using millimeter and X-ray telescopes, she looks for the hot CGM, the reservoir of baryons, metals, and energy missing from the stars and interstellar medium (ISM). She studies cold CGM using radio telescopes, looking for the accreting raw material for star formation that is missing from the ISM. She uses multiwavelength (radio, UV, optical, IR, and X-ray) data to study the corresponding galactic disks and connect their properties with the CGM. She is passionate about the history of astronomy and is actively involved in mentoring, outreach, and resolving gender inequity in astronomy as well.

As a Hubble Fellow, Sanskriti is excited to unravel the integrated impact of galactic feedback on the CGM using multiwavelength observations, and inform the next generation of millimeter and X-ray missions.

Jordy Davelaar

Host Institution: Princeton University

Proposal Title: Unraveling the Physics of Accreting Black Hole Binaries

Jordy Davelaar was born and raised in The Netherlands in a small country village called De Klomp. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics and astronomy at Radboud University in Nijmegen. In 2020, Jordy earned his doctorate in astrophysics from Radboud, where he worked under the supervision of Monika Mościbrodkza and Heino Falcke. After graduation, he has been a joint postdoctoral fellow at Columbia University and the Flatiron Institute’s Center for Computational Astrophysics.

Jordy’s primary research focus is modeling the emission produced in the accretion flows of supermassive black holes. To this end, he combines high-performance computing magnetofluid simulations with radiation transfer methods. His work on black hole accretion flows is used to interpret millimeter, near-infrared, and radio observations, e.g. the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration. More recently, Jordy started developing binary black hole models, aiming to predict electromagnetic signatures of Laser Interferometer Space Antenna targets with Chandra, XMM-Newton, and Athena.

A critical component to understanding where and how black holes merge and how they shape galactic evolution is host galaxy identification, which relies on electromagnetic observations. However, the field is still debating major theoretical uncertainties regarding the interaction of the binary with its environment and the potential signatures it might produce. As an Einstein Fellow at Princeton University, Jordy will develop novel accretion flow simulations of merging black hole binaries to identify tell-tale electromagnetic signatures and unravel the physics of accreting black hole binaries.

Alexander Dittmann

Host Institution: Institute for Advanced Study

Proposal Title: Bridging the Gap in Supermassive Black Hole Binary Accretion - From Simulation to Observation

Alexander Dittmann grew up in northern Virginia. He earned undergraduate degrees in physics and astronomy from the University of Illinois in 2018, after which he joined the Astronomy Department at the University of Maryland. He has also worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Center for Computational Astrophysics, and will complete his doctorate under the guidance of Cole Miller in April 2024.

Following his broad interests in high-energy astrophysics and fluid dynamics, Alexander has studied a variety of astrophysical topics from the origins of planetary spins to the final moments of binary supermassive black holes. He has also used data from NASA’s NICER telescope to measure the radii of neutron stars, gleaning insight into the enigmatic nature of matter within their cores. As an Einstein Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study, he will leverage cutting-edge simulations and his experience in astrostatistics to connect theoretical studies of binary black holes to the forthcoming bounty of time-domain observations of active galactic nuclei. 

Cristhian Garcia-Quintero

Host Institution: Harvard University

Proposal Title: Phenomenological Modified Gravity in the Non-linear Regime and Improving BAO Measurements with Stage-IV Surveys

Cristhian Garcia-Quintero was born and raised in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from the Autonomous University of Sinaloa in 2017. While still an undergraduate student, Cristhian was selected for an internship program, co-funded by the U.S. embassy in Mexico, allowing him to conduct research at The University of Texas at Dallas, where he returned to pursue his doctorate in physics in 2018 under the guidance of Professor Mustapha Ishak.

Cristhian's research is focused on large-scale structure analyses to improve our understanding of cosmology using ongoing and upcoming galaxy surveys. Cristhian is interested in testing the standard model of cosmology using current and future cosmological data while particularly emphasizing phenomenological modified gravity tests and data-driven approaches. Cristhian is heavily involved in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) where he has contributed to the Baryons Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) analysis. Cristhian is also working towards performing cosmological analyses based on cross-correlations between DESI and other surveys.

As an Einstein Fellow, Cristhian will extend his work on modified gravity to explore tests of gravity beyond the linear regime. Additionally, Cristhian will work towards improving the BAO measurements for DESI year 5 analysis and perform analyses that can benefit from synergies between Stage-IV surveys.

Amelia (Lia) Hankla

Host Institution: University of Maryland, College Park

Proposal Title: Explaining Radio to X-ray Observations of Luminous Black Holes with a Multizone Outflowing Corona Model

Lia Hankla grew up in Lafayette, Colorado. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physics and a minor in oboe performance from Princeton University in 2017 and then spent a year in Heidelberg, Germany as a Fulbright Research Scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy. In 2018, Lia returned home to Colorado for her doctorate in physics, where she collaborated with Jason Dexter, Mitch Begelman, and Dmitri Uzdensky with the support of an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. After completing her doctorate in the summer of 2023, Lia joined the University of Maryland, College Park as a Joint Space-Sciences Institute Postdoctoral Fellow and a Multimessenger Plasma Physics Center Fellow.

Lia is interested in anything involving plasmas and black holes, especially accretion disks and their surrounding coronae. Although these plasmas just outside the event horizon hold the key to unraveling how black holes evolved over time, they remain poorly understood because of the difficulty connecting small-scale particle processes to the global scales of the entire accretion disk and corona. Interpreting observations of radio to X-ray emission from around luminous black holes requires understanding how and where magnetic energy dissipates into plasma particle energy.

As an Einstein Fellow, Lia will decipher how these dissipation processes, including turbulence and magnetic reconnection, can further our understanding of nonthermal particle acceleration and winds in accretion disks and coronae. Her research aims to shed light on recent spectral timing and X-ray polarization observations of both stellar-mass and supermassive black holes, and to resolve long-standing questions regarding these mysterious objects in our universe.

Cheng-Han Hsieh

Host Institution: The University of Texas at Austin

Proposal Title: A Deep Dive into the Early Evolution of Protoplanetary Disk Substructures and the Onset of Planet and Star Formation

Cheng-Han Hsieh grew up in Taichung City, Taiwan, and earned his undergraduate degree in physics from National Tsing Hua University in 2018. He stayed at Yale for his graduate studies and will complete his doctorate in the summer of 2024 under the supervision of Professor Héctor G. Arce.

Cheng-Han’s research focuses on using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to characterize the substructure evolution within protostellar disks, where young stars and planets are forming. These substructures manifest varied natures - some potentially sculpted by pre-existing planets, while others, such as dense rings, may act as nurseries for the formation of planetesimals and subsequent planet generations. In particular, he is interested in pinpointing the early formation of disk substructures, which traces the onset of planet formation. As a Sagan Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, Cheng-Han will undertake a comprehensive statistical study of disk substructures around the youngest protostars, discerning the relationship between circumstellar disk properties and the primordial conditions of planetary systems. Ultimately, he aims to chart the full trajectory of giant planet formation.

Proposal Title: The Role of Magnetic Fields in Galaxy Cluster's Diffuse Structure Formation

Yue Hu grew up in Yuxi City, Yunnan, China. He earned dual bachelor’s degrees in automation engineering from Tongji University and the University of Bologna in 2018. Yue is poised to earn his doctorate in astrophysics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in spring 2024, supervised by Professor Alexandre Lazarian. During his doctorate, he developed innovative techniques for tracing 3D magnetic fields across various astrophysical conditions.

Yue's research focuses on the ubiquitous turbulence and magnetic fields in astrophysics, bridging the gap from the microscopic physics of cosmic rays to the macroscopic evolution of galaxy clusters. His work employs a blend of MHD turbulence theories, numerical simulations, and physics-informed machine-learning approaches. He has mapped the megaparsec-scale magnetic field in the El Gordo cluster using the synchrotron intensity gradient technique and MeerKAT radio observations.

As a Hubble Fellow, Yue will explore the role of magnetic fields in the evolution and formation of galaxy clusters, using cosmological simulations, and radio observations from VLA, LOFAR, and MeerKAT, alongside X-ray observations from Chandra and XMM-Newton. He aims to deepen our understanding of the magnetized galaxy clusters, which are among the universe's largest gravitationally bound structures. The research will also facilitate predictive models for the Square Kilometre Array and the Lynx X-ray observatory.

Wynn Jacobson-Galán

Host Institution: California Institute of Technology

Proposal Title: Final Moments: Uncovering the Rate of Enhanced Red Supergiant Mass-loss in the Local Volume

Wynn Jacobson-Galán grew up in Los Angeles where he attended Santa Monica Community College before completing a bachelor’s degree in physics at UC Santa Cruz in 2018. Wynn was an IDEAS Fellow at Northwestern University where he earned a master’s degree in 2021. Wynn is currently an NSF Graduate Research Fellow at UC Berkeley under the supervision of Professor Raffaella Margutti and will finish his doctorate in summer 2024.

Wynn’s research focuses on combining multi-wavelength observations (radio to X-ray) of a variety of supernova types to create a complete picture of the final stages of stellar instability and mass-loss before explosion. His primary interest is the utilization of ultra-rapid observations of young supernovae in order to bridge the gap between stellar life and death. As a Hubble Fellow, Wynn will probe the late-stage evolution of red supergiant stars through observations and modeling of type II supernovae. Using transient sky surveys, he will construct the first volume-limited, spectroscopically-complete sample of type II supernovae discovered within days of explosion in order to constrain the final evolutionary stages of red supergiant stars in the local universe. Additionally, Wynn will utilize ultraviolet spectroscopy/imaging of both young and old core-collapse supernovae to constrain the physics of circumstellar shockwaves and the mass-loss histories of red supergiants in the decades-to-centuries before explosion.

Rafael Luque

Host Institution: The University of Chicago

Proposal Title: Understanding the Origin and Nature of Sub-Neptunes

Born in Priego de Córdoba (Spain), Rafael Luque earned his bachelor’s in physics from the University of Granada (Spain) in 2015 and his master’s in physics in 2017 from the University of Heidelberg (Germany). He earned his doctorate in 2021 thanks to a Doctoral INPhINIT Fellowship from the European Union and “la Caixa” Banking Foundation, having worked with Professor Enric Palle and Dr. Grzegorz Nowak at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (Spain). Currently, Rafael is a "Margarita Salas" Fellow at the University of Chicago, working with Professor Jacob Bean.

Rafael's research aims to understand the origin and nature of sub-Neptunes. This class of planets has no counterpart in the solar system, but they exist in (approximately) every other star in the Galaxy. Several theories and models can explain their existence and demographic properties, but they make opposing predictions about their internal structure, location at birth, evolution history, or atmospheric composition. As a Sagan Fellow, Rafael will exploit the synergies between ground- and space-based observatories to build a sample of sub-Neptunes with precise and accurate measured properties (such as radius, mass, and atmospheric composition) that break the modeling degeneracies inherent to this class and help us infer a unique answer about their properties.

Madeleine McKenzie

Host Institution: Carnegie Observatories

Proposal Title: Uncovering the Unknown Origins of Globular Clusters

Madeleine McKenzie is an Aussie from Perth, Western Australia. She earned her bachelor’s degree in physics and computer science from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2018. In 2020, she earned her master’s in astrophysics at UWA and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) working on hydrodynamical simulations of globular cluster formation. For her doctorate, she transitioned from theory to observations to work with Dr. David Yong on the chemical abundance analysis of globular clusters at the Australian National University and is set to graduate at the end of 2024.

Following her passion for these ancient collections of stars, Madeleine has set the lofty goal of redefining what is and is not a globular cluster. With next-generation telescopes such as the James Webb Space Telescope discovering dense stellar structures in the early universe, understanding the different formation channels of the star clusters and dwarf galaxies in our backyard is becoming more important. As a Hubble Fellow, she will utilize kinematic and chemical element abundance variations, particularly that of iron peak and neutron capture process elements, to characterize the diversity of star clusters around our Milky Way. Using the Magellan Telescopes operated by the Carnegie Observatories, she will undertake an ambitious observing program to identify which balls of stars are masquerading as globular clusters using a combination of high-precision chemical abundances and isotopic analysis. The outcomes from her project will help improve our understanding of fields such as star formation, nucleosynthesis, stellar evolution, and the accreted halo of our Milky Way.

Jed McKinney

Proposal Title: The Role of Dust in Shaping the Evolution of Galaxies

Jed McKinney grew up between Old Greenwich, CT and Brussels, BE. He achieved his bachelor’s degree at Tufts University in 2017, and his doctorate in astronomy from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 2022. During his studies Jed was an IPAC Visiting Graduate Fellow at Caltech.  He is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin.

Jed’s research focuses on understanding the lifecycle of galaxies through the lens of dust. Dust, a by-product of star formation like interstellar pollution, is a small component of galaxies by mass but plays a transformative role in how we observe, interpret, and model them. Jed’s research uses both observations and simulations to directly test and contextualize the nuanced role of dust in galaxy formation. 

As a Hubble Fellow at The University of Texas at Austin, Jed will combine detailed spectroscopic surveys using James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA with large multi-wavelength imaging programs and simulations. Jed will measure directly the properties of dust grains in distant galaxies to uncover the relationship between dust, star- and supermassive black-hole formation out to early times in the history of the universe. This will enable a new and unbiased perspective on the mechanics of galaxy formation, one that is rooted in a comprehensive census of dust.

Keefe Mitman

Host Institution: Cornell University

Proposal Title: Decoding General Relativity with Next-Generation Numerical Relativity Waveforms

Keefe Mitman was raised in Madison, Wisconsin. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and physics from Columbia University in 2019 and his doctorate in physics from the California Institute of Technology in 2024. At Caltech, he studied black holes, gravitational waves, and numerical relativity with Professor Saul Teukolsky and the Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes (SXS) Collaboration.

Keefe’s research largely focuses on utilizing results from the gravitational wave theory community to improve contemporary numerical relativity simulations of binary black hole coalescences. One such example of this was using these simulations to calculate and model an intriguing and not-yet observed prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity called the gravitational wave memory effect. This effect corresponds to the permanent net displacement that two observers will experience due to the passage of transient gravitational radiation and is of immense interest to those working on testing general relativity, probing the fundamental structure of spacetime, and understanding the enigmas of quantum gravity.

As an Einstein Fellow at Cornell University, Keefe will continue his work with the SXS Collaboration to build models of the gravitational waves that can be observed by current gravitational wave detectors. In particular, he will focus on constructing waveform models that contain the memory effect to help observe this perplexing phenomenon, as well as others, for the first time.

Sarah Moran

Host Institution: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Proposal Title: From Stars to Storms: Planetary Cloud Seeding with Sulfur-Based Hazes

Sarah Moran grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. She earned her bachelor’s degree with a major in Astrophysics and a minor in Science and Public Policy at Barnard College of Columbia University in New York in 2015. She earned her doctorate in planetary sciences from Johns Hopkins University in 2021, having worked under Sarah Hörst and Nikole Lewis. During her graduate studies, she also served as a Space Policy Fellow with the Space Studies Board at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Sarah is currently the Director’s Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory with Mark Marley.

Sarah’s research combines laboratory astrophysics and atmospheric modeling to understand the aerosols that form in substellar atmospheres, from solar system worlds to exoplanets to brown dwarfs. Aerosols act as tracers of the physics and chemistry of these atmospheres, giving insight into the processes that shape the observable spectra of these objects. As a Sagan Fellow, Sarah will experimentally investigate the effect of sulfur species in forming atmospheric hazes and examine whether such particles enhance or inhibit exotic exoplanet cloud formation. These studies will help interpret ongoing and future observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb Space Telescope, and next-generation observatories.

Andrew Saydjari

Proposal Title: Inferring Kinematic and Chemical Maps of Galactic Dust

Andrew Saydjari grew up in Wisconsin Rapids, WI. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and bachelor’s and master’s in chemistry at Yale University in 2018, with a thesis on organometallic catalysis. Andrew then moved to Harvard University as an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and will complete his doctorate in physics spring 2024, advised by Douglas Finkbeiner.

Andrew’s work focuses on combining astrophysics, statistics, and high-performance coding to study the chemical, spatial, and kinematic variations in the dust that permeates the Milky Way. Dust is an important building block in matter assembly, and a driver of the interstellar environment and galactic foreground. As a Hubble Fellow at Princeton, Andrew will use new, unbiased measurements of near infrared diffuse interstellar bands to precisely map the kinematics and chemistry of galactic dust. He strives to constrain feedback processes shaping the interstellar medium and improve compositional constraints on dust. He will develop the rigorous statistical machinery necessary to combine spectroscopic surveys with upcoming photometry from SPHEREx and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to answer his motivating questions: “What is dust made of, where is it, and how is it moving?”

Peter Senchyna

Proposal Title: Bridging the Gap: Bringing the First Galaxies into Focus with Local Laboratories

Peter Senchyna grew up in rural Venersborg / Battle Ground, Washington, and earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington. He earned his doctorate working with Dan Stark at the University of Arizona in 2020. Since then, Peter has held a Carnegie Fellowship at the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Pasadena.

Peter's research is focused on understanding the first generations of massive stars and the galaxies for which they laid the foundations. Our understanding of how the universe was reionized and the earliest phases of galaxy assembly are inextricably bound-up with uncertainties in the physics of metal-poor massive stars, including the potentially profound but uncertain role of binary mass transfer. As a Hubble Fellow, Peter will bring new James Webb Space Telescope observations into conversation with several unique datasets in the local universe. These include extraordinarily deep ultraviolet continuum spectroscopy of nearby extremely metal-poor blue compact dwarf galaxies with the Hubble Space Telescope, and a large Magellan narrowband imaging campaign dissecting dwarf irregulars at the edge of the Local Group. Peter aims to unite these observations spanning from our cosmic backyard to redshift ~10 to cast light on both the nature of galaxies at cosmic dawn and massive star evolution under (near-)primordial conditions.

Raphael Skalidis

Proposal Title: Magnetic Fields in the Multiphase Interstellar Medium

Raphael Skalidis grew up in Rethymno, Crete, Greece. He obtained his doctorate from the Department of physics at the University of Crete in 2022, and later moved to the California Institute of Technology as a postdoctoral fellow. His research focuses on the interstellar medium (ISM).

Observatories such as LOFAR and the Planck satellite have revealed that a coherent magnetic field permeates the different phases of the ISM, challenging some common conceptions. As a Hubble Fellow, Raphael aims to develop theories about the role of magnetic fields in shaping the multiphase ISM. He will follow a multifaceted approach that will include comparisons between synthetic data and observations, analytical calculations, and numerical simulations. Raphael’s research promises to advance our knowledge of the magnetized ISM which is critical for understanding galaxy evolution and star formation.

Adam Smercina

Host Institution: Space Telescope Science Institute

Proposal Title: A Portrait of the Triangulum: Advancing a New Frontier of Galaxy Evolution with Resolved Stars

Adam Smercina is a native of Northwest Ohio, growing up in the small town of Oak Harbor near the shore of Lake Erie. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics, with a concentration in astrophysics, from the University of Toledo in 2015. He then moved north to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he ultimately earned his doctorate in astronomy and astrophysics in August 2020, advised by Eric Bell. Adam was supported during his doctorate work by a Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. Since 2020, he has worked with Julianne Dalcanton and Ben Williams at the University of Washington as a postdoctoral scholar.

Adam's research focuses on reconstructing the evolutionary histories of galaxies by resolving them into their constituent stars. We are in an exciting new era where the Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope operate simultaneously, providing better access to the resolved stellar populations in individual nearby galaxies than ever before. These galaxies' constituent stars are tremendously information-rich, providing an archaeological record of their host galaxy's evolution. As a Hubble Fellow at STScI, Adam will use these stars to chart the evolution of structure, star formation, and interaction in galaxies throughout the Local Volume, including a targeted study of the Triangulum Galaxy, M33. The first large galaxy with panchromatic Hubble+Webb observations across its disk, M33 is among the most important members of the Local Group, and exists at a mass where the physics driving the evolution of spiral galaxies is poorly understood. This work will establish a foundational blueprint for a new era of studying resolved stellar populations in large galaxies from space, setting the benchmark for future facilities studying more distant, cosmologically-representative populations of galaxies.

Shangjia Zhang

Proposal Title: Probing Young Planet Populations with 3D Self-Consistent Disk Thermodynamics

Shangjia Zhang was born and raised in Beijing, China. He earned bachelor’s degrees in astronomy and physics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2018. He is currently completing his doctorate at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, under the guidance of Professor Zhaohuan Zhu.

Shangjia's research interests focus on several aspects of protoplanetary disks, including constraining dust properties and disk thermal structure, and inferring potential young planet populations from disk substructures. As a Sagan Fellow, he will use state-of-the-art radiation hydrodynamic simulations to self-consistently study disk thermodynamics. By deepening our understanding of disk physics, his goal is to provide better explanations for disk images and kinematics obtained from radio interferometers and giant telescopes. By bridging theory with observations, he aims to distinguish substructures’ planetary and non-planetary origins and uncover more young planets.

Host Institution: University of Chicago

Proposal Title: Enabling Radial Velocity Detection of Earth-Twins Through Data-Driven Algorithms and Community Collaboration

Lily Zhao grew up in west Philadelphia. She earned bachelors’ degrees in biology, mathematics, and physics from the University of Chicago in 2016. Lily was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow at Yale University, where she earned her doctorate in astronomy in 2021 under the supervision of Professor Debra Fischer. Since 2021, Lily has been a Flatiron Research Fellow at the Center for Computational Astrophysics.

Lily's research advances precision spectroscopy with a focus on dynamical discovery and characterization of lower-mass exoplanets. She is the project scientist for EXPRES, an ultra-stabilized optical spectrograph. Lily also leads the Extreme Stellar Signals Project, a community-wide collaboration with over 40 members working together to mitigate stellar signals, which are now the largest source of scatter in precision radial velocity measurements. As a Sagan Fellow at the University of Chicago, Lily will develop empirical methods for mitigating stellar signals using the full spectral format and continue coordinating community efforts.

Sebastian Zieba

Proposal Title: Characterization of Rocky Exoplanet Surfaces and Atmospheres in the JWST Era

Sebastian Zieba grew up in Salzburg, Austria. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Innsbruck in 2017. He remained in Innsbruck to pursue his master’s degree, during which he discovered transiting comets orbiting the exoplanet host star Beta Pictoris. After completing his master’s in 2020, he moved to Heidelberg, Germany to pursue a doctorate in astronomy under the supervision of Professor Laura Kreidberg, which he will complete in the summer of 2024.

During Sebastian’s doctorate research at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, he has pushed the boundary of atmospheric characterization down to small, rocky exoplanets. He has used space-based telescopes like the Spitzer Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, and James Webb Space Telescope to cover an extensive temperature range, from lava worlds with outgassed rock vapor atmospheres caused by scorching temperatures exceeding 2000 Kelvin to terrestrial planets with temperatures around 400 K, more comparable to our own inner solar system.

As the Principal Investigator (PI) of two accepted Cycle 2 Webb proposals, Sebastian will characterize the surfaces of hot, airless planets, measure their surface roughness, and explore the transition region between rocky and gaseous planets. As a Sagan Fellow, he will analyze these upcoming observations to unravel the geological history of rocky exoplanets and determine the conditions under which these small worlds retain atmospheres.

Contact the NHFP

[email protected] NASA Hubble Fellowship Program

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