first phd in history

The History of the Doctoral Degree

How to Reference a Person With a PhD

With its history rooted in the Middle Ages, the doctoral degree has developed over time to become the highest academic degree in the world. It acquired this distinction in the 1800s in continental Europe before spreading westward to the United States and Canada.

Early History

The doctoral degree originated in the ninth century schools of the Muslim world before spreading to European universities. Originally awarded in the professions of law, medicine and theology, the Doctor of Philosophy became the designation for doctoral degrees in disciplines outside of these fields. The first Ph.D. was awarded in Paris in 1150, but it was the early 1800s before the degree gained its contemporary status as the highest academic honor.

The First Dissertations

Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin, Germany, was the first university to award a Ph.D. for a course of study that today's doctoral students would recognize; that is, a sequence of coursework, followed by completion and successful defense of a dissertation of original research.

Arrival in U.S.

The Ph.D. spread to the United States in the 1800s. Prior to its development, Americans pursued doctoral study in European universities. According to the National Science Foundation, an estimated 10,000 Americans traveled to Europe for advanced university study. In 1900, the Ph.D. spread to Canada and in 1917 to Great Britain. In Great Britain, the Ph.D. displaced the existing D.Phil. and other doctorate degrees in some universities.

Important Firsts

In 1861, Yale University was the first American institution of higher education to award the degree, conferring it on three recipients: Arthur W. Wright, James M. Whiton and Eugene Schuyler. Wright received a Ph.D. in physics, while Whiton’s degree was in classics. According to a Journal of Higher Education article by Ralph P. Rosenberg, incomplete Yale records do not indicate the field Schuyler studied or the title of his dissertation. The first Ph.D. awarded to an African-American was at Yale University in 1876. A year later, the first woman received a Ph.D. in the United States.

The National Science Foundation reported that American universities awarded more than 1.3 million doctoral degrees from 1920 to 1999. Science and engineering fields accounted for 62 percent of these degrees, while other fields comprised the remaining 38 percent. Men accounted for 73 percent of the recipients, but the proportion of doctoral degrees earned by women rose from 15 percent in the 1920s to 41 percent by the late 1990s.

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• Eugene Schuyler's Doctor of Philosophy Degree; Ralph P. Rosenberg
• National Science Foundation. U.S. Doctorates in the 20th Century

Shane Hall is a writer and research analyst with more than 20 years of experience. His work has appeared in "Brookings Papers on Education Policy," "Population and Development" and various Texas newspapers. Hall has a Doctor of Philosophy in political economy and is a former college instructor of economics and political science.

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The Graduate Program

Columbia has been one of the most important centers of graduate education in history since modern Ph.D. programs began in America over a century ago. Recipients of our degrees hold distinguished positions in virtually every major university in the United States, and in many abroad. Our program offers a broad education in most areas of historical scholarship and attempts to train students for a discipline and a profession in the midst of considerable change. That includes not simply assisting students in acquiring the knowledge and skills essential to becoming contributing scholars, but also helping them to become effective teachers and to exist comfortably within a demanding and complicated professional world.

The members of our faculty represent many different approaches to the study of the past, and we strive to attract students of similarly diverse interests and commitments. No one should feel that being at Columbia requires accepting any one approach to the study of history.

This part of our website is designed to provide both prospective and current students with answers to some of the many questions they may have about the department.

Admissions answers commonly-asked questions about our admissions process.

Under Ph.D. Fields you will find information about the separate fields of study available in our program and the relationship among them.

Fellowships and Financial Aid explains the various ways we provide our students with fellowships and financial aid.

Dissertations-in-Progress summarizes the course of study towards the Ph.D and highlights the work of our students.

Research awards and recent honors are showcased in Award Announcements .

The section entitled Placement sketches how we prepare our students for the academic job market and reports on how our students have done in that market in recent years.

In the Graduate Handbook , we explain our curriculum and our academic requirements and provide more detailed information about aspects of the program such as the MA, Orals, M.Phil., Dissertations, etc.

Our FAQs are useful for students seeking admission as well as for current students seeking quick information.

The Annual Newsletter keeps us informed about our students.

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History, PhD

The Graduate Program in History at the University of Pennsylvania has a long tradition of distinction. Beginning as one of the first programs in the United States to offer doctoral study in history, (the first Ph.D. in History was conferred in 1891); the Department continues to pioneer new areas of scholarship. In the last twenty years, faculty members of the departments in American, European, and World History have assumed a leading role in their fields. Today, few departments in the country match Penn's Department of History in coverage and depth across the entire range of history from medieval times to the present.

For more information: http://www.history.upenn.edu/graduate/program-guidelines

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

Sample Plan of Study

The total course units required for graduation is 14.

Program Milestones

• Language and Technical Competency Requirement
• Field Requirements
• Teaching Requirement

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2023 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

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• Dissertation Areas and Joint PhD Programs
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Video Transcript

Baris Ata (00:00): When I came here, it felt like, "Now I'm in the major leagues." I realized how high the standards are.

Jane L. Risen (00:09): We're the oldest PhD program within a business school, which is pretty extraordinary to think of sort of how long ago the recognition was there that we wanted to be training not just business leaders in practice, but to be training the future leaders of academic discipline.

Ray Ball (00:26): So I arrived in 1966. Oh, it was marvelous. The place just crackled with ideas and open discussion, and I ended up throwing out all the ideas I came with.

Ann L. McGill (00:35): What I especially liked about learning things here is this is an interdisciplinary school, so you didn't have to dive in a silo. You can wrap your arms around huge areas.

Marianne Bertrand (00:46): What is special is that we are part of a business school, training PhD students across a range of disciplines, not just economics or finance, which we deploy in the Economics Department, but also students are doing psychology, operation research.

Ray Ball (00:59): At Chicago, the ideas were the authorities, not the people, and they were all up for grabs.

Amir Sufi (01:06): What we're trying to create here is people who produce knowledge, not just consume it. And that's the real challenge I think of PhD education.

Ana-Maria Tenekedjieva (01:15): I was never told at any point that, "Oh, this is not real finance. This question is too outside of the box." On the contrary, it was always, "You should do what you want to do, and we're going to think about placement once the paper is ready."

Jane L. Risen (01:32): You don't make any assumptions. You question everything.

Pradeep K. Chintagunta (01:35): It's not enough just to know what other people have done. It's also important to know what needs to be done next. To be able to do that, you need to be able to ask questions beyond the questions that have been asked in the previous literature or in the previous knowledge that's already out there.

Jeffrey R. Russell (01:53): When you're going to seminars here, or watching my colleagues talk in the hallways, you'll often see them in what look like very contentious battles. But really, they're just after, "What's the right answer?" When PhD students come here, they are able to sort of bring that into their own souls, and I think that really pushes them then to sort of be the best possible researcher that they can.

Ana-Maria Tenekedjieva (02:12): Chicago Booth is known for its quite aggressive questioning style. I think that we get a little bit of a bad rap. There is a point to the aggressive questioning, and it is to clarify the idea. In Chicago Booth the spirit is be tough on the idea, not on the person.

Amir Sufi (02:30): Throughout the world, we're appreciating more and more how influential research can be. I think our PhD students going forward will increasingly be placed in positions, both in scholarship and in government and in business, where they can have major influence.

Ray Ball (02:48): So the fact that this is the oldest doctoral program in business, that it has been going for 100 years, gives some indication of the commitment of this school to training people. We still have those same values, and so it's always going to generate people who change the world, who change the way we think. I can't tell you at this point how that will happen. That's exactly the idea. New people come in with new ideas, and they learn how to implement them in the school, and they change the way we think about the world. And that's going to keep going.

The nation’s first doctoral business program was born at the University of Chicago in 1920.

Since then, the faculty, alumni, and students of this preeminent PhD program have been driving the evolution of modern research in a wide range of disciplines, from accounting to behavioral science to finance. This research continues to make a lasting, real-world impact on the way scholars, government leaders, and industry professionals think about and conduct business.

Chicago Booth’s PhD Program Receives $100 Million Gift in Celebration of Its 100th Anniversary

On May 12, we celebrated the PhD program's centennial milestone and reflect on the tremendous impact PhD faculty, students, and alumni have made on research and business education throughout the decades. In this spirit, we were excited to announce that notable entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ross Stevens, PhD ’96, made a gift of $100 million to our program. Stevens spoke with conference attendees in a conversation moderated by Dean Madhav Rajan during the celebration’s Gala Dinner. Please find the event details below.

A Centennial Celebration

Our 100th anniversary celebration took place on Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13, 2023. The centennial celebration included an academic conference with plenary speakers and breakout sessions by discipline, as well as social events. It was a wonderful opportunity for alumni to reconnect with former classmates and Chicago Booth colleagues. Learn more about Chicago Booth's history and far-reaching contributions to business practice here .

See the 2023 Agenda  

Our History by the Numbers

PhDs Awarded Since 1920

PhD Alumni Living Across the Globe

PhD Alumni Working in Higher Education

PhD through the Years

1920 - Program Launches

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, known then as the College of Commerce and Administration, offers the nation’s first doctoral program in business.

The program is established by the school’s fourth dean, Leon Carroll Marshall, to support his vision of a community of scholars dedicated to the scientific study of business.

1922 - First PhD Graduates The doctoral program graduates its first PhD students: Albert Claire Hodge and Waldo Mitchell. Mitchell, the son of a Civil War veteran, was an Indiana native who grew up on his family’s farm. He taught classes in industrial society and business administration at Booth while pursuing his doctorate. During the program, Hodge wrote Principles of Accounting (1920), coauthored with James O. McKinsey, MA ’19,the future founder of consulting firm McKinsey & Company. Then-dean Leon C. Marshall provided the editor’s preface, describing his vision for the text to become part of a unified and coherent business curriculum, which was lacking at the collegiate level at the time.

1929 - First Woman PhD

The College of Commerce and Administration is the first American business school to grant a PhD in business to a woman, Ursula Batchelder Stone.

Stone devoted her life to teaching future generations of business leaders at George Williams College and improving her community. She served as president of the Hyde Park League of Women Voters and as executive director of the South East Chicago Commission, which sought to preserve Hyde Park.

1951 - PhD Alumnus Becomes Dean

John Jeuck, AB ’37, MBA ’38, PhD ’49, becomes dean of the business school. He streamlined the school’s curriculum, focused on faculty recruitment, opened a new downtown Chicago campus, and founded the Distinguished Fellows scholarship program for students.

Photo: University of Chicago Photographic Archive, [apf1-05432], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

1960 - Alumnus Establishes CRSP

Professor James H. Lorie, PhD ’47, leads the establishment of Chicago Booth’s Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP), a complete and accurate stock database to support financial and economic research. Lorie helped collect and research the accuracy on each piece of stock data, including prices, dividends, and rates of return on all stocks listed and trading on the New York Stock Exchange since 1929. The project allowed the average rate of return to be measured for the first time. Today, nearly 500 academic institutions in 35 countries rely on CRSP data to support academic research and classroom instruction.

1962 - Accounting Research Center Established

The PhD Program establishes the Institute of Professional Accounting, today called the Accounting Research Center, to advance accounting research and teaching among PhD students and faculty, who have played a central role in the evolution of modern accounting research. The Journal of Accounting Research was established the following year, and remains a leading academic business journal today.

1965 - Birth of Efficient Markets Theory

PhD alumnus and professor Eugene Fama, MBA ’63, PhD ’64, publishes the now-renowned efficient markets theory in an article, “The Behavior of Stock-Market Prices,” in the Journal of Business .

Fama defined a market to be efficient if prices incorporate all available information about future values. His theory led to efficient markets becoming the organizing principle for decades of empirical work in financial economics.

1966 - Building Community

Eight candidates in the incoming class of 24 are international students, an all-time high. To build community, the program increases the variety of student activities available, with plans to add a weekly coffee chat with faculty, seminars on teaching and communication, and a spring dinner honoring fellowship winners.

1971 - Homegrown Academics

By 1971, 11 of the school’s PhD alumni are senior faculty at the school.

1973 - Black-Scholes Model

A month after the Chicago Board Options Exchange introduced trade in options, finance professors Fischer Black and Myron Scholes, MBA ’64, PhD ’70, publish the Black-Scholes model, the first sound mathematical formula for valuing stock options, in the Journal of Political Economy . Traders on the exchange floor adopt the model almost immediately.

1977 - Yntema Wins Alumni Award Theodore O. Yntema, AM ’25, PhD ’29, wins the Distinguished Alumni Award. From the 1920s through the 1940s, Yntema was a pioneer contributor to the school of business and the field of quantitative analysis and finance. His career furnished a strong bond between the theoretical and analytical facets of finance and its application to modern corporate management. Photo: University of Chicago Photographic Archive, [apf1-05432], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

1983 - Second PhD Alumnus Named Dean

John P. “Jack” Gould, MBA ’63, PhD ’66, becomes dean of Chicago Booth. He launched Booth’s first capital campaign, led the school’s international expansion to Europe, and paved the way for Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago. Photo: University of Chicago Photographic Archive, [apf1-07749], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

1986 - Sprinkel Wins Alumni Award

Beryl W. Sprinkel, MBA ’48, PhD ’52, wins the Distinguished Alumni Award. Sprinkel served as executive vice president and economist for the Harris Trust and Savings Bank in Chicago for 28 years. He later brought his expertise in business and academia to government as undersecretary of the Treasury for monetary affairs and chairman of the US Council of Economic Advisers.

1994 - Pichler Wins Alumni Award

Alumnus Joseph A. Pichler, MBA ’63, PhD ’66, wins the school’s Distinguished Alumni Award. While president of the Kroger Company, Pichler was instrumental in saving Kroger from a hostile buyout in 1989. Because of his efforts, the company was able to retain its shareholders and keep all of its employees in place. Pichler was later named chairman and CEO of the company. Prior to joining Kroger, Pichler served as a faculty member and then dean of the University of Kansas School of Business.

1997 - Scholes Wins Nobel

Alumnus and professor Myron Scholes, MBA ’64, PhD ’70, wins the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for helping develop the formula used to value stock options, the Black-Scholes model.

2004 - Harper Center Opens

The Charles M. Harper Center opens. The new building houses Booth’s programs on the Hyde Park campus and provides dedicated space for PhD students.

2006 - Joint Program in Financial Economics Established

The program is run jointly by the finance dissertation area of the Chicago Booth PhD Program and the Department of Economics in UChicago’s Division of the Social Sciences. Students benefit from broad sets of instructors and classmates in both areas, and graduate with a doctor of philosophy degree in economics and finance.

2007 - Alumnus Wins Young Alumni Award

Clifford Asness, MBA ’91, PhD ’94, wins the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. At Goldman Sachs, Asness helped develop a computer model to identify the cheapest value stocks that started on an upward swing. The model also worked with currencies, commodities, and entire economies. Asness went on to form the prestigious investment management firm Applied Quantitative Research Capital Management LLC with former PhD classmates John Liew, AB ’89, PhD ’94, and Robert Krail.

2007 - Pichler Donation Furthers Professional Development

Joseph Pichler, MBA ’63, PhD ’66, and Susan Pichler make a generous gift to create the Pichler Initiative on Professional Development for PhD students. Led by Harry Davis, the Pichler Initiative supports ongoing activities that promote professional development and success for students in the PhD Program, focusing on writing, presentation, and job market skills. In recent years, the initiative has also developed cohort-based and cross-cohort programs to build community and foster peer support at all levels, and across all levels, of the PhD Program.

2007 - Katherine Dusak Miller, AB ’65, MBA ’68, PhD ’71, Leaves a Generous Gift from her Estate to the Booth School of Business

Katherine Dusak Miller, AB ’65, MBA ’68, PhD ’71, leaves a significant gift to the Booth School of Business through her estate. The majority of this gift is directed to the PhD Program and creates the Katherine Dusak Miller PhD Fellowship. Since its creation, this fellowship has provided many PhD students with invaluable stipend support.

2009 - Joint Program in Psychology and Business Established

Run jointly by the PhD Program’s behavioral science dissertation area and the Department of Psychology in the Division of Social Sciences, this program connects the large number of social, cognitive, and organizational psychologists at Chicago Booth and UChicago.

2013 - Fama and Hansen Win Nobel

Eugene Fama, MBA ’63, PhD ’64, and Lars Peter Hansen, David Rockefeller Distinguished Service Professor of Economics, Statistics, the College and the Booth School of Business, are awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their groundbreaking research on efficient markets and their model for calculating stock returns.

2018 - McGiffert House PhD Floor Opens

With more than 100 carrels, several study rooms, a seminar room, and a kitchen and lounge, the third floor space at McGiffert allows the PhD Program to provide space to all PhD students. Advanced students retain space in Harper Center.

2019 - Ray Ball Wins Wharton-Jacobs Levy Prize

Ray Ball, MBA ’68, PhD ’72, Sidney Davidson Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting, was awarded the 2019 Wharton-Jacobs Levy Prize for Quantitative Financial Innovation by the University of Pennsylvania’s Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center. Recognized for his article “An Empirical Evaluation of Accounting Income Numbers,” published in the Journal of Accounting Research in 1968, he conducts research that has revolutionized the understanding of the impact of corporate disclosure on share prices, and of earnings releases in particular; it laid the foundation for much of the modern accounting literature.

2019 - Homegrown Scholarship Continues Today, five PhD graduates serve as tenured or tenure-track faculty members at Chicago Booth: Ray Ball, Sidney Davidson Distinguished Service Professor of Accounting; Philip G. Berger, Wallman Family Professor of Accounting; Eugene Fama, Robert R. McCormick Distinguished Service Professor of Finance; João Granja, assistant professor of accounting; and Ann McGill, Sears Roebuck Professor of General Management, Marketing and Behavioral Science. Three additional PhD graduates also teach at Booth: Kevin Rock, clinical professor of finance; James Schrager, clinical professor of entrepreneurship and strategic management; and Ira Weiss, clinical professor of accounting and entrepreneurship.

2020 - Looking to the Future

Chicago Booth remains a proven training ground for scholars. Booth PhD graduates have secured professorships, fellowships, and professional jobs with some of the most elite institutions around the world. Their capacity for free thinking and their ability to conduct original, innovative research continue to advance the theory and practice of business.

An Early Trailblazer

Learn about the many accomplishments of Ursula Batchelder Stone, PhD ’29, the first woman to earn a PhD in business from an American university.

(Voiceover) Almost a century ago, in 1929, Booth alumna Ursula Batchelder Stone blazed trails when she became the first woman in the US to earn a PhD in business. At school, Stone specialized in consumer economics, arming her with the knowledge and skills to launch a consulting firm with close friend Rachel Marshall Goetz. Companies all across Chicago hired Stone's firm to analyze data to advance their business strategies. Stone went on to fight for women's suffrage and her community's safety. As president of the Hyde Park League of Women Voters, she galvanized women to improve their local government. As executive director of the Southeast Chicago Commission to Preserve Hyde Park, she helped revitalize the neighborhood with new housing and businesses. Stone later passed on her wisdom and experience to future generations as a professor at George Williams College in Hyde Park. She served as an inspiration to her students, who frequently wrote her letters of gratitude. A colleague once wrote, "Stone feels a successful dreaming towards a better world must be rooted in knowledge of the past, love for the scientific method, and a large sense of patience. She wants students to learn to trust themselves. To dream boldly ahead of where they are."

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You will work with a stellar faculty in the Department of History and neighboring departments as you acquire advanced skills in historical research, analysis, and writing, as well as teaching.

Nine research centers affiliated with the history program offer further programs in area studies, including The Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, and The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies. You also have access to the largest university library system in the world, consisting of 80 libraries and 17 million volumes.

Examples of dissertations students have worked on include “Cold War Capitalism: The Political Economy of American Military Spending from 1949 to 1989” and “Imperial Schemes: Empire and the Rise of the British Business-State, 1914–1939.”

Graduates of the program have gone on to teach at Yale University, Princeton University, NYU, and the University of Maryland. Others have gone on to positions outside academia as startup founders, lawyers, policy analysts, and museum curators.

Additional information on the graduate program is available from the Department of History and requirements for the degree are detailed in Policies .

Areas of Study

African History | Ancient History | Byzantine History | Early Modern European History | East Asian History | Environmental History | International and Global History | Latin American History | Medieval History | Middle Eastern History | Modern European History | Russian and Eastern European History | South Asian History | United States History

Admissions Requirements

Please review admissions requirements and other information before applying. You can find degree program-specific admissions requirements below and access additional guidance on applying from the Department of History .

Writing Sample

A writing sample is required. While there is not a specific length requirement, most writing samples are around 20 to 25 pages. If you are submitting a sample that is part of a larger work (a chapter from a thesis, for instance) you may include a brief abstract situating the piece in the larger work.

Statement of Purpose

Your statement of purpose should include why you want to study history in graduate school, why you want to study at Harvard, and indicate your research interests and potential advisors. The required writing sample should be of remarkable quality and ask historical questions. Reading ability in two languages other than English is helpful. Most statements of purpose are around 3 to 5 pages.

Standardized Tests

GRE General: Optional

In coordination with Harvard Law School, students may pursue both a PhD in history and a JD at Harvard Law School. To learn more about this course of study consult the Coordinated JD/PhD program overview.

Theses & Dissertations

Theses & Dissertations for History

See list of History faculty

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Questions about the program.

Department of History

Ph.d. program overview.

History PhD

First awarded by the University of Maryland in 1937, the Doctorate in History is conferred for superior achievement in historical research, writing, and interpretation.

Additional Information

• Forms and Resources
• Funding and Awards
• People (Department Directory)

PhD Program Overview

The Doctorate in History (PhD) is an essential component in the training of professional historians. The most significant requirement of the PhD degree program is the dissertation, an original and noteworthy contribution to historical knowledge. In anticipation of dissertation research, students spend several years mastering bibliographical tools, research and writing methods, and general, special, and minor fields of study.

Admission to the PhD program is offered to highly qualified applicants holding at least a Bachelor's (BA) degree, normally in History or a related discipline. Application and admissions procedures are described on the Department of History's  graduate admissions page .

The length of time required to complete the PhD varies by field of study and student. Students admitted with a Bachelor's (BA) degree might expect to complete the program in five to six years of full-time study. Students entering with a Master of Arts (MA) degree might expect to complete the program in four to five years of full-time study. The degree must be completed in no more than nine years.  Students typically take two years of course work, prepare for and take language exams (if required for their field) and comprehensive exams, and then research and write the dissertation.

Program Requirements and Policies

General program requirements.

• Course work in the major and minor fields
• Language examinations if required by field
• Comprehensive examinations
• Dissertation prospectus
• Advancement to candidacy
• The dDssertation

Each of these program requirements must be met before the PhD can be conferred.

Course Requirements

All PhD students entering with a Bachelor's (BA) degree (or equivalent) must take, at a minimum, the following courses (total 30 credits, not including 12 credits of “Dissertation Research”):

• Contemporary Theory (HIST 601; 3 credits)
• Major Field General Seminar (HIST 608; 3 credits)
• Readings courses in the major field (HIST 6XX and 7XX; 9 credits)
• Readings courses in the minor field (HIST 6XX and 7XX; 9 credits)
• Research seminars (HIST 8XX; 6 credits)
• Dissertation Research (HIST 898/899; 12 credits)

Special Notes:

• Courses completed during previous post-baccalaureate degree programs and/or at other institutions may be considered to satisfy course requirements. However, students entering the PhD program with a Master's (MA) degree or equivalent in History or a related discipline must take a minimum of two  600-800 level courses in the major field, one of which should be with the major advisor.
• Requests for course requirement waivers, equivalency, and credit transfers should be directed to the Director of Graduate Studies. A request must include the course syllabus and transcripts showing the final grade. The endorsement of the advisor is typically sought.
• Up to nine credit hours of major and minor field readings courses may be taken at the 400 level.  Students seeking to take a 400 level course for graduate credit should consult the instructor of record to discuss course expectations before registering.
• HIST 708/709: “Directed Independent Reading for Comprehensive Examinations” does not count toward the nine-credit readings seminar requirement.
• Students in the U.S. and Latin America fields are expected to take two major field seminars (HIST 608)–in this case, one of these 608s will be counted toward the “Readings courses in the major field” requirement.
• Students must complete the entire program for the doctoral (PhD) degree, including the dissertation and final examination, during a four-year period after admission to candidacy, but no later than nine years after admission to the doctoral (PhD) program. Students must be advanced to candidacy within five years of admission to the doctoral (PhD) program. 

Fields of Study

Doctoral students should choose one of the following as their “major field” of study:

Global Interaction and Exchange

• Jewish History (Classical Antiquity to the Present)

Latin America

Middle East

• Technology, Science, and Environment

United States

Learn more about fields of study and faculty work produced in each field by visiting the research fields page .

The Minor Field

All doctoral students are required to complete a minor field of study outside the major field of study. This requirement is typically met through nine credit hours of coursework. However, a student may opt to satisfy the requirement by written examination.

A minor field is usually a field of history outside the student's major field of concentration. For example, a student in the U.S. field may select a minor field in Latin American history; a student in the Women & Gender field may select a minor field in European history. The minor field may be a standard national-chronological field (e.g., 19th-century United States; Imperial Russia; Postcolonial India), or it may be a cross-cultural, cross-regional thematic field (e.g., the Atlantic in the era of the slave trade; gender and Islam). Or, it might be taken in a department or program outside of History (e.g., Women's Studies, English, Government & Politics, Classics and Comparative Literature).

For students opting to satisfy the minor field requirement via coursework, all courses must be approved by the student's advisor and must, to the satisfaction of the advisor and the Graduate Committee, form a coherent field of historical inquiry distinct from the general field. Courses taken at the master's level may count towards fulfillment of the minor field requirements, subject to the approval of the advisor and, in the case of courses taken at outside institutions, of the director of graduate studies.

Language Requirements

Language requirements must be fulfilled before a student is admitted to candidacy. While no MA degree requires language examinations, students will often have to learn one or more foreign languages in their field of study to successfully complete their research. They will also need to learn these languages if they wish to continue on towards a PhD. When applying for either program, preference will be given to students with prior experience with languages in their fields of study.

Language requirements differ across the varying fields within history.

No foreign language requirements for the PhD. If a student’s dissertation topic requires research in foreign language materials, the advisor will decide if the student needs to show proficiency by taking an examination in the language in question.

Spanish and Portuguese. For admission, applicants will be evaluated on their language abilities, and preference will be given to applicants with a strong command of Spanish and/or Portuguese. All PhD students must show proficiency by examination in both languages by the time they are admitted to candidacy. Exceptions to one of those languages (typically Portuguese) if the student’s dissertation requires the use of indigenous languages or documents produced by ethnic minorities. In such cases, students must be proficient in those languages.

One language (in addition to English). Depending on the field, the adviser may determine that the student needs to show proficiency in an additional language.

For admission, students must have proficiency at the advanced intermediate level in at least one major Middle Eastern language (Arabic, Persian or Turkish). All PhD students must acquire advanced proficiency in their chosen language either by course work or exam by the time they are admitted to candidacy. In addition, students must demonstrate proficiency in one European language by the time of their comprehensive exams.

Ancient Mediterranean

For admission, students should present knowledge of classical Greek and Latin at the intermediate level and reading knowledge of either French or German. Knowledge of classical Greek, Latin, French and German is required for the PhD. Other language skills, eg. Italian, Spanish, Modern Greek or Hebrew, may prove to be necessary for dissertation research but are not formal program requirements. Students satisfy the requirement in Latin and Greek in one of two ways: either by completing three upper level or graduate courses (400-600 level) in each language and obtaining at least a B in all courses and an A- or better in at least two of the courses; or by passing a departmental sight translation exam. This exam consists of translating (with the help of a dictionary) three passages of three sentences each (roughly one-fourth to one-third OCT page) selected from prose authors of average difficulty. Students show proficiency in French and German through the regular departmental language exams.

Medieval Europe

For admission, proficiency in either Latin, French or German and familiarity with a second of those languages. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in Latin, French and German. They can satisfy the Latin requirement in one of two ways: either by taking three upper level or graduate courses (400-600 level) and obtaining at least a B in all courses and an A- or better in at least two of the courses; or by passing a departmental sight translation exam. This exam consists of translating (with the help of a dictionary) three passages of three sentences each (roughly one-fourth to one-third OCT page) selected from medieval prose authors of average difficulty. Students show proficiency in French and German through the regular departmental language exams. Depending on the field, students may have to know an additional national/regional language like Spanish or Italian.

Early Modern Europe

For admission, proficiency in one foreign language related to the field. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages. Depending on the field, students may also have to know Latin.

Modern Europe

For admission, students must know the language of the country or region in which they are interested. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in the language of the country/region in which they are interested plus another European language.

Russia/Soviet Union

For admission, three years of Russian or the equivalent. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in Russian plus either French or German. Depending on the area of interest, the adviser may require an additional language.

For admission, advanced intermediate-level proficiency in modern Hebrew. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in modern Hebrew and one other language necessary for their fields. The advisor may require other languages as necessary.

Chinese History

For admission, students must have had at least two years of university-level Chinese language courses. All PhD students must acquire advanced proficiency in Chinese since they will be using Chinese documents for their dissertations.  Before admission to candidacy students must pass a Chinese language exam in which they will translate about 30 lines of modern, scholarly Chinese into English. As with all departmental language exams, students will be able to use a dictionary, and they will have four hours to complete the translation.

Language Examinations

Except as specified for Latin and ancient Greek, the typical language proficiency examination includes a summary and translation of a passage from a work of modern scholarship in the student’s field. The director of graduate studies appoints a faculty member, typically the student’s advisor, to coordinate the exam and select an excerpt from a published work of historical scholarship in the student’s field. Students write a 200-300 word summary of this five-to-seven page excerpt from the scholarly literature in their fields, and then they do a direct translation of an indicated 30-line passage within that excerpt. The direct translation must be accurate and rendered in idiomatic English. Students have four hours to complete the exam, and they may use a language dictionary that they themselves provide.

Language exams can be taken at any time before candidacy. The exams are read by two members of the faculty: typically, the student’s advisor, who chooses the passage and serves as chair of the exam committee, and one other member of the faculty chosen by the D\director of graduate studies in consultation with the advisor. Faculty from outside the department who have the necessary expertise are eligible to serve as evaluators. The two possible grades are pass and fail. If the two readers do not agree, the director of graduate studies will appoint a third faculty member to read the exam. Students who do not pass on the first attempt may retake the examination without prior approval. After a second failure, the student must petition for reexamination. The chair of the language exam committee will notify the director of graduate studies about the results of the exam within one week after the exam, and the graduate coordinator will notify the student in writing about the results, which will then be inserted into the student’s records. All students should normally pass their language examinations during their third year of the program, though given the complexity of the language requirements in different fields of study, the department recognizes the need to exercise some flexibility in the timing of this requirement.

• Comprehensive Examinations

Comprehensive examinations (comps) are a standard feature of historical training in the United States. The examinations require the examinee to demonstrate mastery of historical scholarship and historiography in a major field, including specialized mastery of the authors, themes, works and topics most relevant to the intended dissertation topic. All students register for HIST 708/709: “Directed Independent Reading for Comprehensive Examinations” for two semesters, once in the semester prior to the one in which they are scheduled to take the examinations (normally the fifth semester of the student’s program) and the second in the same semester as their examinations (normally the sixth semester of the student’s program). As noted above, these courses do not count towards the nine-credit readings seminar requirement.

Comprehensive examinations include the following:

• A special field examination in the form of an essay. Students prepare an essay of 4,000 to \5,000 words in length, 16-20 pages, double-spaced in a 12-point font. The special field is a subfield of the major field in which the dissertation is centered.
• A take-home major field examination administered in written format. Students have 48 hours to complete the exam, which should be 5,000 to 6,000 words, 20-24 pages, double-spaced in a 12-point font in length.
• A two-hour oral examination by the examination committee, including coverage of both the take-home major field exam and the essay that comprises the special field exam.

Timeline : The comprehensive examinations are administered during the first half of the student’s sixth semester in the program. The special field essay has to be submitted to the graduate coordinator before the student takes the major field examination. The oral examination follows within two weeks of passing the major field examination and the special field essay. Students entering the program with an MA in history might be expected to complete their comprehensive examinations during their fifth semester in the program. (Also see the “Combined Timeline for Comprehensive Examinations and the Prospectus” at the end of this document.)

Reading Lists : The format, content and length of the reading lists for the comprehensive examinations vary by field but the list should normally be in the range of 200 to 250 books. Of these, about two-thirds should be in the major field and one-third in the special field. In all fields, students develop their reading lists in consultation with their advisors and other members of the examination committee. The reading list must be compiled and approved by the examination committee by the end of their second-year summer (after the student’s fourth semester in the program). For students coming in with an MA in history who would like to take their examinations during their fifth semester in the program, the list must be ready by the end of the student’s third semester. After approval, limited changes may be made solely by mutual agreement of the student and his/her advisor.

The examination committee : The examination committee consists of three or four members of the Graduate Faculty, typically all members of the history faculty. The director of graduate studies designates the committee members and chair, in consultation with the major advisor and the student. The committee chair shall not be the student's advisor. All committee members contribute questions to the written and oral examinations. Most or all of these same committee members are normally also on the student’s dissertation committee but the composition of the examination and prospectus committees do not need to be the same.

Grading : Comprehensive examinations will be graded pass, pass with distinction or fail.

Combined Timeline for Comprehensive Exams and Prospectus

• Both the initial version of the prospectus and the special field essay are due before the major field take-home examination during the first half of the sixth semester of the student's program.
• The major field take-home examination should be completed also during the first half of the sixth semester of the student's program after the initial version of the prospectus and the special field essay are submitted.
• The two-hour oral examination on both the take-home major field exam and the essay that comprises the special field exam follows within two weeks of passing the major field examination and the special field exam. This oral exam can take place during the second half of the sixth semester of the student’s program.
• The one-hour oral examination based on the initial version of the prospectus also takes place during the second half of the sixth semester of the student’s program but only after successful completion of the two-hour oral examination (#3 above).
• The final version of the prospectus as approved by the advisor is due on the first day of the academic semester that immediately follows the comprehensive examinations, which is normally the seventh semester of the student’s program.

Prospectus & Candidacy

Dissertation Prospectus

The dissertation prospectus is a written précis of the proposed dissertation research, its significance, the sources and methods to be used, the relevant bibliography including primary source materials and the plan of completion. It is intended to form the substance of grant proposals students will write in order to apply for both internal and external grants and fellowships. Each field of study has its own expectations for the length of the prospectus, but normally these should be concise documents not to exceed 10-12 pages in length, followed by a bibliography. In all fields, the prospectus is developed by the student in close collaboration with the advisor and other members of the examination committee.

The preparation of the prospectus includes the following stages :

• An initial version of the prospectus.
• A one-hour oral examination based on that initial version.
• A final version incorporating any revisions suggested by members of the dissertation committee and approved by the advisor submitted to the graduate coordinator.

Timeline : The initial draft version of the prospectus should be submitted to the graduate coordinator during the first half of the student’s sixth semester before the student takes the major field examination, normally at the same time as the special field essay. The one-hour oral examination of the prospectus based on the initial version is scheduled during the second half of the student’s sixth semester in the program following satisfactory completion of the comprehensive examinations. The final version of the prospectus as approved by the advisor is due on the first day of the academic semester that immediately follows the comprehensive examination. (Also see the “Combined Timeline for Comprehensive Examinations and the Prospectus” at the end of this document.)

The relationship between the prospectus and the special field Essay: The special field essay normally covers the historiography of the entire subfield within the major field in which the dissertation is anchored, while the prospectus is more narrowly concerned with the specific research topic of the dissertation.

The examination committee: The prospectus oral examination committee consists of the advisor and at least two other members of the Graduate Faculty, who are normally also members of the student’s dissertation committee. The advisor chairs the examination. All committee members contribute questions to the oral examination and make suggestions for revisions. Upon passing the oral examination, the student will complete any revisions requested (as determined by the advisor and the committee) and submit the final prospectus approved by the advisor to the graduate program coordinator.

MA “Along the Way”

When a student receives a pass or pass with distinction and the endorsement to continue on in the PhD program, the student has the option to request that the Master of Arts degree be conferred "along the way," subject to fulfillment of the standard requirements of the MA degree.

In some instances, the examination committee may recommend that a PhD student taking comprehensive examinations be given a pass at the MA level, sufficient for the conferral of a terminal master's degree. Such a recommendation will be made with the expectation that the student not continue on towards doctoral candidacy.

Petition for Reexamination

In the case of failure of a language examination taken for the second time or one or more components of the comprehensive examinations and the prospectus preparation process (special field essay, take-home major field examination, two-hour oral examination and prospectus oral examination), the student may petition the director of graduate studies to take the whole examination or the relevant component(s) a second time. If the petition is approved, the student may retake the examination as soon as possible. A student may petition only once to retake all or part of the comprehensive examinations and the prospectus preparation process.

Successful completion of the prospectus is typically the last step before application for advancement to candidacy.

• Advancement to Candidacy

A doctoral student advances to candidacy when all degree requirements (i.e., course work, demonstrated competence in languages or special skills, comprehensive examinations and the dissertation prospectus) have been satisfied, with the exception of the dissertation.

Formal admission to candidacy (sometimes known as "All but Dissertation" or "ABD" status) is granted by the dean of the Graduate School. The application is routed through the director of graduate studies.

Advising & Committees

Each student admitted to the PhD program will choose an advisor who is a member of the Graduate Faculty and whose intellectual interests are compatible with the student's plan of study. All graduate students are required to choose an advisor by November 1 of their first semester. If they do not choose an advisor by that date, the director of graduate studies will appoint one for them. The faculty advisor will be responsible for advising the student on all aspects of their academic program, for approving the student's course of study each semester, for monitoring their progress through the program,and for notifying the student of the nature and timing of examinations and other evaluative procedures. The advisor, in consultation with the student and the director of graduate studies, will be responsible for constituting the Comprehensive Examination and Dissertation Examination committees. The advisor will also represent the student to the Graduate Committee, as appropriate.

At the conclusion of the first year of study, all students will make available to their advisor a transcript of coursework and major written work completed during the first year. Upon review of the appropriate materials, the advisor will then recommend to the director of graduate studies continuation, modification or, as appropriate, termination of the student's program. All recommendations for termination require discussion and approval of the Graduate Committee.

Students may change advisors. The director of graduate studies and the new faculty advisor shall approve changes in advisors before a student advances to candidacy. After advancement to candidacy, changes shall be approved only by petition to the Graduate Committee. A change of advisor must be recorded in the student's electronic file.

Registration and Degree Progress

Continuous Registration

All graduate students must register for courses and pay associated tuition and fees each semester, not including summer and winter sessions, until the degree is awarded.

Pre-candidacy doctoral students who will be away from the university for up to one year may request a waiver of continuous registration and its associated tuition and fees. Waivers shall be granted only if the student is making satisfactory progress toward the degree and can complete all the degree requirements within the required time limits. Interruptions in continuous registration cannot be used to justify an extension to time-to-degree requirements.

Once advanced to candidacy, a student is no longer eligible for Waivers of Continuous Registration. Doctoral candidates must maintain continuous registration in HIST 899: “Doctoral Dissertation Research” until the degree is awarded.

The Graduate School makes available an official leave absence for childbearing, adoption, illness and dependent care. The dean of the Graduate School must approve the leave. The time-to-degree clock is suspended during an approved leave of absence.

Additional information on continuous registration and leave absence policies is published online in the Graduate Catalog.

Time-to-Degree

All students admitted to the doctoral program are expected to

• advance to candidacy within three years from initial enrollment in the Ph.D. program, and
• complete all degree requirements within six years of entering the program.

Progress-to-Degree

All students in the doctoral program will be expected to demonstrate steady progress toward the completion of degree requirements. At a minimum, the Graduate School requires students to maintain a B average in all graduate courses. However, the Department of History expects a higher level of performance, with the great majority of a student’s grades at the level of an A- or above.

Students in major fields that require lengthy language or special skill acquisition might be granted a one-year extension to progress-to-degree expectations. Additional extensions will require the approval of the Graduate Committee.

In order to meet progress-to-degree expectations :

• 800-level research seminar work should normally be completed by the end of the fourth semester in the program.
• The major field reading list must be compiled and approved by the examination committee by the end of the summer after the student’s fourth semester in the program.
• Students should complete their comprehensive examinations by the end of their sixth semester in the program. Students coming in with an M.A. in history should normally complete their comprehensive examinations by the end of their fifth semester in the program.
• Each student will be expected to submit a copy of the final dissertation prospectus approved by the advisor to the graduate program coordinator at the beginning of their seventh academic semester in the program.
• All students should normally pass their language examinations during the third year of their program.
• The director of graduate studies will review fully each student's progress-to-degree as well as the overall progress-to-degree by degree cohort at least once a year.

Failure to make satisfactory progress-to-degree or to maintain the expected grade point average may result in the suspension or loss of departmental funding, the denial of a petition for extensions, and in extreme cases, a recommendation for dismissal.

NOTE : The above guidelines on continuous registration, time-to-degree and progress-to-degree guidelines are for students matriculating in fall 2018 or thereafter. Students entering the graduate program in prior semesters are subject to guidelines at time of matriculation.

Extensions and Waivers

The Graduate Committee will consider petitions for waivers to departmental guidelines. Petitions for waivers to Graduate School requirements must be submitted to the dean of the Graduate School, using the appropriate form. In most instances, the petitioning student will be required to provide a rationale for the waiver request, and, as appropriate, a convincing plan of study. The advice of the student's advisor may be sought. The advisor will be required to endorse any waiver request that involves extensions to overall time-to-degree as well as the major benchmarks of progress-to-degree.

All petitions should be directed to the director of graduate studies. The director of graduate studies, and in some cases the dean of the Graduate School, will notify the student of their disposition of petitions for extensions.

Sample Program of Study

Introduction.

The program of study often varies by field and many factors may extend or reorder the sequence and length of the program of study.

The following program of study assumes that the doctoral student will be assigned a teaching assistantship in the second, third and fourth years of study. Students coming in with an MA in history will be expected to complete the program in five or five and a half years.

Foreign language study is not incorporated into this program.

 First Year (Departmental Fellowship)

• Major Field General Seminar (608) or Contemporary Theory (HIST 601)
• Major Field Readings Seminar
• Minor Field Course
• Research Seminar OR Minor Field Course
• Exploratory Research

Second Year (Teaching Assistantship)

• 2 courses out of the following three categories:
• Research Seminar 
• Research Seminar
• Reading for Comprehensive Examinations
• Initial Prospectus Preparation

Third Year (Teaching Assistantship)

• HIST 708: Readings for Comprehensives”
• Prospectus Preparation 
• Grant Applications
• HIST 709: “Readings for Comprehensive Examinations”
• Prospectus Oral Examination 
• Final Version of Prospectus
• Dissertation Research

Fourth Year (Teaching Assistantship)

• Dissertation Research (HIST 899)

Fifth Year (Departmental or External Fellowship)

• Grant Applications  

Spring & Summer

• Dissertation Writing

Sixth Year  (Departmental or External Fellowship)

• Job applications  
• Job applications

Graduate Placement

Learn more about the career and life paths of our PhD alumni.

Graduate Coordinator, History

2131 Francis Scott Key Hall College Park MD, 20742

Graduate Students

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

CURRENT STUDENTS

Ph.D. Program

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

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

Fields of Study

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

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

Expectations and Degree Requirements

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

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

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

Browse the Ph.D. Handbook to learn more .

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

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

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

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

How to Apply

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

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

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

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

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

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

Questions? 

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

Department Bookshelf

Browse the most recent publications from our faculty members.

In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States

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

Embodied Knowledge: Women and Science before Silicon Valley

Compton in My Soul

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

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Ph.D. Degree

Doctor of philosophy in history.

The period of time between a student's admission, or promotion, to the doctoral program, and advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree in the General Examination is one devoted largely to study in the student's four fields. In addition to preparing the student for the General Examination, this work has two purposes: (1) to broaden the student's historical knowledge in preparation for a teaching career, and (2) to deepen the student's historical knowledge within an area of specialty in preparation for researching and writing the Ph.D. dissertation.

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DPhil in History

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The DPhil in History is an advanced research degree, awarded on the basis of successful completion of an individual research thesis and an oral examination. 

The DPhil in History offers the opportunity to carry out research on one of the following subject areas:

• British and European History 1700-1850
• British History, 1850 onwards
• Early Modern History 1500-1700
• European History, 1850 onwards
• Global and Imperial History
• History of Science, Medicine, and Technology
• Intellectual History
• Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
• Medieval History
• Military History
• South Asian History
• Women's, Gender, and Queer History

If you're thinking about applying for a DPhil researching economic and social history, you should consider whether it would be more appropriate to apply for the  DPhil in History (Economic and Social History) .

If studying full-time, you are expected to submit your thesis three, or at most four, years from the date of admission. If studying part-time, you are expected to submit your thesis six, or at most eight, years from the date of admission.

You will be expected to attend and to contribute to the wide range of research seminars, conferences and workshops organised by the division and faculty. You will also have access to specialist training courses offered by the Bodleian Libraries and IT Services. Your supervisor will advise you on what seminars will be more beneficial for your chosen research area. You can attend any lectures, across the University, that you wish to (subject to any specific restrictions), and we encourage students to take advantage of this and explore areas outside of their specific research topic.

Further information about studying part time

The faculty is able to offer the DPhil in History in full-time as well as part-time mode of attendance. Please note that any published statistics as regards acceptance rates are not an indication of applicants having a better chance of acceptance in part-time mode. All DPhil applications are assessed together and compared with each other, irrespective of the mode of study. 

The faculty's research degrees are not available by distance learning. Although there will be no requirement to reside in Oxford, part-time research students must attend the University on a regular basis (particularly in term-time: October and November, mid-January to mid-March, and late April to mid-June) for supervision, study, research seminars and skills training, to ensure a comprehensive integration into the faculty's and University's research culture and with their full-time peer groups. The dates of attendance will be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor. 

We cannot sponsor student visas for part-time study as the study patterns are not compatible with Home Office regulations on attendance monitoring. However, other options may be available and you should contact the  admissions  office to discuss.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision is the responsibility of the Faculty of History and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available.

It is usual practice that DPhil students have one supervisor, but a co-supervisor will be appointed if additional specialist knowledge is required. One supervisor must be a permanent member of the Faculty of History, but a co-supervisor can be appointed from a different department. In exceptional circumstances, a co-supervisor from outside the university may be appointed. 

Please note that if you have contacted a potential supervisor prior to submitting your application, any indication made by an academic that they may be willing to supervise a potential project, is not a guarantee that you will be offered a place, or that the supervisor in question has capacity to supervise you in that particular year.

Your supervisor(s) is there to provide advice, guidance, and support throughout your DPhil. You should meet your supervisor(s) early in your first term to establish a clear framework for your research and writing, and identify any skills training needed to undertake your research. It is up to you and your supervisor to decide on the frequency of future meetings. In the first year, you should meet your supervisor at least twice a term, and keep in frequent contact. As you become more engaged with your research, you may meet your supervisor less frequently, but you should maintain regular contact with them.

You will also benefit from the advice and support of other members of the faculty who will be involved in your progression through the transfer and confirmation stages of the degree, and you will be able to draw on the expertise of scholars and colleagues throughout the wider university.

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a full-time PRS student, or eight terms as a part-time PRS student, you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. This application is normally made by the second term for full-time students and by the fifth term for part-time students.

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require the submission of a thesis outline and a piece of written work. Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status to show that your work continues to be on track. This will need to done within nine terms of admission for full-time students and eighteen terms of admission for part-time students.

Both milestones normally involve an interview with one or two assessors (other than your supervisor) and therefore provide and important experience for the final oral examination.

Full-time students will be expected to submit a substantial thesis of not more than 100,000 words after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. If you are studying part-time, you will be required to submit your thesis after six or, at most, eight years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in History you will need to defend your thesis orally ( viva voce ) in front of two appointed examiners.

Graduate destinations

Approximately half of students who complete their doctoral thesis go on to further academic posts worldwide. Some work in museums, or as freelance historians; others are in professional administrative positions in areas such as the civil service, university administration, banking, and publishing.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a master's degree with distinction or a high pass  (a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation);  and
• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours  (a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation); in history or cognate disciplines.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent. 

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.75 out of 4.0. However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a cumulative GPA of 3.8.

Applicants for the History DPhil are expected to have a masters in a historical subject. If you decide to apply without a prior master's degree in history, please ensure that you link your proposed thesis topic with your previous expertise when you present it in your application. You should also show that you have already done a considerable amount of background research into the topic. Your submitted written work should show your writing and research skills in their best light as it will be important to show that you have the necessary skills for historical research and writing. 

Many applicants will be enrolled on a master’s course at the point of application, in which case any offer made will be conditional on completing that master’s course to the level specified in the condition.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

• In the case of mature students/intended career changes professional experience in cognate areas may compensate for shortcomings in the formal academic record. 
• Publications are not required.

Further guidance

When assessors judge that a formally qualified and otherwise promising applicant requires strictly limited further training to embark on a doctoral programme, a doctoral place may be offered but only on the stipulation that the student successfully complete relevant elements of one of the faculty's master's courses before attempting 'transfer' to full doctoral status, meaning that the student may be asked to attend seminars or classes intended for master’s students.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

Assessors may get in touch with an applicant by email in case of any queries, but this is very rare.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements described under that heading.

References  and  supporting documents  submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide  more information about how applications are assessed . 

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

• socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of  the University’s pilot selection procedure  and for  scholarships aimed at under-represented groups ;
• country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
• protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Initiatives to improve access to graduate study

This course is taking part in  the 'Close the Gap' project  which aims to improve access to doctoral study.

For this course, socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.  Further information about how we use your socio-economic data  can be found in our page about initiatives to improve access to graduate study.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about  processing special category data for the purposes of positive action  and  using your data to assess your eligibility for funding , can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the  About  section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Intellectual life and community

Working as an Oxford graduate student is an exhilarating experience. History in Oxford stretches from c. 300 to the present, and embraces an exceptionally broad geographical range. It comprises an active research community of up to 800 academics and graduate students. The faculty's research is organised around  historical periods, research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects , and graduates are key participants in the wide range of seminars, workshops and conferences run by the Faculty of History .

Further opportunities for exchange are provided by the interdisciplinary communities fostered within individual colleges, which also offer dedicated support for graduates by means of personal advisors. The Oxford Centre for Research in the Humanities (TORCH) offers a stimulating range of interdisciplinary activities. History graduates are also encouraged to join the Oxford History Graduate Network (OHGN) , which fosters friendships, conversations and collaboration.

In the field of history of science, medicine, and technology, the study environment is particularly enhanced by the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, the Museum of the History of Science, and the Centre for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology. There is a large number of academic experts with interest in these fields across the collegiate University and you will benefit from a variety of interdisciplinary resources, including weekly seminars. 

The Oxford environment provides a unique opportunity to develop intellectual curiosity whilst remaining focused on your own work without becoming blinkered - an integral part of a successful graduate career.

Libraries and archives

Graduates in Oxford are fortunate in having access to over a hundred libraries. The University's core research resource in the humanities are the Bodleian Libraries, whose combined collections contain more than 11 million printed items, in addition to more than 50,000 e-journals and a vast quantity of manuscripts, maps, music and other materials

The Bodleian has been a library of legal deposit for 400 years. The Bodleian Libraries’ Special Collections Department attracts scholars from all over the world. Further strengths include the countless databases and digital resources currently offered by the Bodleian and being developed through Oxford’s Digital Humanities programme.

You are also able to draw on the specialist resources offered by the Bodleian History Faculty Library which provides dedicated support and training courses for all graduates. You also have access to the many college libraries and to college archives which can house significant collections of personal papers as well as institutional records dating back to the middle ages.

History in Oxford stretches from c 300 to the present, and embraces in addition to its British and European heritage an exceptionally broad range of World history. It comprises an active research community of up to 800 senior academics and graduate students, all contributing to a range of research seminars, lectures, academic societies, and personal contacts.

Research in the faculty is organised around historical periods and research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects, and you will always be welcome at seminars, workshops and conferences across all periods and themes.

You will be encouraged to make use of these opportunities as widely as possible without endangering your own degree work. Striking the right balance between intellectual curiosity and temptation and intellectual discipline, and remaining focused without becoming blinkered, should be an integral part of a successful graduate career. The Oxford environment provides all the ingredients for this.

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The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships , if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. 

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities  for this course can be found on the faculty's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2024-25

Full-time study.

Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.

Part-time study

Information about course fees.

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . For some courses, the department may have provided some additional advice below to help you decide.

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:

• Balliol College
• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Corpus Christi College
• Exeter College
• Harris Manchester College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Mansfield College
• Merton College
• New College
• Nuffield College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• The Queen's College
• Regent's Park College
• Reuben College
• St Anne's College
• St Antony's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St Hugh's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• Somerville College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines and when to apply  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to contact anyone in the faculty before you apply. You are not responsible for finding your own supervisor. However, you are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with the  research expertise within the faculty  when preparing your research proposal, to make sure that there is a supervisor available in the same area as your proposed project. Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available. The faculty determines supervision arrangements, taking due account of the workload and commitments of its academics. If you are made an offer, a supervisor will be assigned to you, and identified in the offer letter.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.

You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).

Proposed supervisor

It is not necessary for you to identify a potential supervisor in your application.

However, please check that a supervisor with expertise in your proposed area of research is available before applying. Details can be found on the faculty website. You are free to consult a specialist in your field for advice on your project, if you think that would be helpful.

Referees: Three overall, academic preferred

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

References should generally be academic, though if you are returning to study after extended periods of non-academic employment then you are welcome to nominate professional referees where it would be impractical to call on your previous university tutors.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in both a group environment and sustained individual and self-motivated investigation.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Research proposal: A minimum of 500 words to a maximum of 1,000 words

Your research proposal must be written in English. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count, though any footnotes should be included.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This should be a developed proposal of your individual research project. It will provide crucial evidence of your readiness for doctoral research. Your proposal should cover all of the following:

• a research question: the central issue or problem with which you intend to grapple, and a working title;
• historiography: some account of the current state of scholarship in this area. You may want to explain why you are dissatisfied with existing scholarship: is it limited, dated or unconvincing? What kind of contribution will your work make?
• sources: an indication of the sources you expect to use, where these can be found, how they will contribute to your research, what if any technical skills you will need to work with them (eg language, quantitative, use of specialist software), and whether you already have, or will need to acquire, those skills; and
• method: some discussion of your approach to dealing with sources and constructing your thesis. Some of the following considerations may apply. At what level is your inquiry: micro or local, regional or national, comparative or transnational? Will you be using qualitative or quantitative techniques? Samples or case studies? Will your research draw on a body of theory? Does your approach draw on the agenda or methods of related disciplines such as anthropology, or literary studies?

This will be assessed for:

• your reasons for applying
• the coherence of the proposal
• the originality of the project
• evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
• the ability to present a reasoned case in English
• the feasibility of successfully completing the project within three years
• preliminary knowledge of research techniques
• capacity for sustained and intense work
• the ability to contextualise, and analyse the evidence.

It will be normal for your ideas subsequently to change in some ways as you investigate the evidence and develop your project. You should nevertheless make the best effort you can to demonstrate the extent of your research question, sources and method at this moment.

Written work: An academic writing sample of no more than 4,000 words in total length

Written work should be from your most recent completed qualification, but does not need to relate closely to your proposed area of study. Extracts from a longer piece of work are welcome, but please include a preface which puts the work in context.

The work will be assessed for your:

• understanding of problems in the area
• ability to construct and defend an argument
• powers of analysis
• powers of expression.

It must be submitted in English (if this work has been translated, you must indicate if the translations are your own, or what assistance you had in producing the English text).

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document. Any footnotes should be included in the word count. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice . You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide   Apply - Full time Apply - Part time

Admissions status

Studentship applications.

Accepting studentship applications

Our studentships page provides further details , including the closing date and how to apply

ADMISSION STATUS

Closed to applications for entry in 2024-25

Register to be notified via email when the next application cycle opens (for entry in 2025-26)

12:00 midday UK time on:

Friday 5 January 2024 Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2024-25

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2021-22 to 2023-24)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Faculty of History

• Course page on the faculty's website
• Funding information from the faculty
• Academic and research staff
• Faculty research
• Humanities Division
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0) 1865 615000

Application-process enquiries

See the application guide

Visa eligibility for part-time study

We are unable to sponsor student visas for part-time study on this course. Part-time students may be able to attend on a visitor visa for short blocks of time only (and leave after each visit) and will need to remain based outside the UK.

PhD in History

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Study History Where It Is Made

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

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

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

Rigorous Study with a Degree of Flexibility

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

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

See all admissions and course requirements .

Cutting-Edge Faculty Dedicated to Your Success

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

Endless Opportunities in a Historic City

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

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

Explore the Possibilities

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

Recent and Current PhD Dissertation topics

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

Alumni Job Placements

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

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

News & Notes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inaugural Postdoctoral Fellow

Nguyet Nguyen brings new perspective to the Vietnam War.

Discover CAS: The Humanities

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Please send me information about PhD in History

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PhD Program

The Department of History offers doctoral degrees in African, American, Asian, and European history. The PhD program is distinguished by the strength of its faculty and by its commitment to training students broadly and as a community. Through guided steps of coursework, preparation for the comprehensive oral examination, archival research, and dissertation writing, students learn to develop and execute original research designs leading to scholarly publications that make original and important contributions to the historical discipline. At the same time, the department also prepares students to become the next generation of effective history teachers, able to instruct on a wide range of topics. To that end, all incoming doctoral students together take a core of classes in African, American, and European historiographies to learn about histories and methodologies outside their chosen field. PhD students also serve as Teaching Fellows in a wide range of lecture courses, acquiring professional and pedagogical skills under the guidance of faculty mentors. The department’s graduates have become professors at research universities, colleges, and community colleges, and staff members at research libraries, museums, and archives.

There are six components to the PhD program. In the first two years, students are asked to complete their coursework : specific courses, major research papers, and language examinations. By the end of their third year, students must pass a qualifying oral examination and submit a dissertation prospectus . After they have completed their dissertation, they engage in a dissertation defense .

See the below for a general timeline of these requirements. For more information about each, see the following pages:

PhD Coursework

Phd qualifying exam, abd (“all but dissertation”), academic progress timeline, end of first year.

Students begin their coursework towards the PhD. Coursework refers to the work undertaken by doctoral students before taking their oral exams. It includes the required courses, original research papers, and certification of language proficiency as described below. See PhD Coursework for more information.

1) Take and pass 8 approved courses, four of which must include the following:

• GRS HI 800: European Historiography
• GRS HI 850: American Historiography
• GRS HI 870: African Historiography
• GRS HI 801: The Historian’s Craft

2) Take and pass a research seminar that results in the production of a major research paper of 25-40 pages. The paper should examine a topic approved by the course instructor as well as the student’s main advisor. HI801 can serve as this research seminar.

3) Pass at least one foreign language exam. This can be accomplished in one of three ways:

• Complete an exam given by faculty members in the history department who specialize in your language of choice. Language exams are normally administered during the semester.
• Complete a language reading course numbered 621 through the Graduate School. Please note that these courses may not be taken for credit toward the doctorate.
• Students who have passed a reading examination at another accredited graduate school can petition the Director of Graduate Studies to waive the departmental requirement.

End of Second Year

1) Take and pass 8 more courses. These courses may take any of the following three forms:

• Courses offered at Boston University numbered 500 and above.
• Approved courses offered within the Boston Consortium
• Directed Reading Seminar
• Directed Research Seminar

2) These 8 courses must include another research seminar that results in the production of a second major research paper of 25-40 pages.

3) Pass a second foreign language exam through one of the three methods described above.

4) Begin preparing for the oral qualifying exams.

• Select a major and a minor field.
• Create an orals committee consisting of four examining faculty in the chosen fields.
• Create reading lists for the minor field and each area of the major field in consultation with the individual examiners.

By the End of Third Year

1) Take and pass qualifying oral exams. See the PhD Qualifying Exam Page for more information.

• Before taking the exam, students must have completed their coursework as well as both research papers and language requirements.
• Before taking the exam, students must submit the PhD Qualifying Oral Examination Approval Form to the department.

2) Students who have completed all coursework and qualifying exams are considered ABD (“All But Dissertation”). See the ABD page for more information.

3) Submit the dissertation prospectus for approval by the first and second reader. Once approved, the student must submit the Dissertation Prospectus Approval Form .

4) Research and apply for grants to fund archival research.

Fourth Year and Beyond

1) Apply for grants and fellowships.

2) Conduct archival research.

3) Write up the dissertation.

4) Complete four semesters of HI 900: Dissertation Workshop, and present annually on research.

5) Complete the dissertation.

• BU GRS Dissertation and Graduation Procedures
• Manuscript Preparation Guide

6) File a GRS Intent to Graduate Form for the Doctoral Degree.

Please note that PhD candidacy (and thus financial support) expires on its fifth anniversary – that is, five years after taking orals. When students are entering their seventh year, and anticipate needing more time to complete degree requirements, they can submit a petition to the Graduate School for an extension.

Further Program Requirements

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Department of History offer all PhD students who maintain satisfactory academic progress five years of guaranteed full funding. Funding is restricted to students in the PhD program. This support will primarily be in the form of teaching fellowships; non-service fellowships are offered the first full year and the fifth year with an approved Dissertation Prospectus. There are also internal grants available aimed at supporting research during the summer or academic year. Graduate students are also strongly encouraged to apply for external funding for their research priorities. For more details regarding funding, see the Financial Assistance page and the Graduate Student Resources page .

Academic Advisors

All entering students are referred to an appropriate member of the faculty for advising. They can and should also consult the Director of Graduate Studies in matters concerning their intellectual and professional development. Students may change advisors at any time should the student’s intellectual interests change. Normally, the faculty advisor sits on the qualifying examination committee and serves as first reader for the dissertation.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

The Graduate School of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of History guarantee five full years (12 months each) of financial support for Ph.D. students who maintain satisfactory academic progress. This support will be primarily be in the form of teaching fellowships; non-service fellowships are offered the first full year. Only those students who are making satisfactory and sustained progress toward the completion of their degree within the specified time periods will be awarded financial support.

The Department of History is committed to ensuring that all PhD students fulfill their requirements in a timely and successful manner. Note that financial aid is linked to continued academic progress. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Department Chair and the student’s advisor, will normally award financial aid only to those students who are making satisfactory and sustained progress toward the completion of their degree within specified time periods.

In the Department of History, making Satisfactory Academic Progress toward the doctorate is defined as:

• Earning no more than two failing grades in their coursework. History defines a grade of B- or lower as a failing grade. The Department regards any incomplete grade (I) older than 12 months and any withdrawal (W) as a failing grade.
• Maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher .
• PhD students who do not meet these standards over two semesters – who fail two courses or whose GPA falls below 3.0 – will be placed on academic probation . This status automatically triggers a conversation with the student, their advisor, and the DGS about past performance and how best to improve that performance going forward. PhD students who remain on academic probation risk withdrawal of their funding.
• Taking and passing qualifying exams by the end of their third year.
• Submitting and receiving approval for a dissertation prospectus within 12 months of their qualifying exams.

PhD Student Self Assessment

Department of History

Ph.d. program.

Hallmarks of the Brown History doctoral program include an intimate setting, close collaboration with faculty, Brown's unique undergraduate population and open curriculum, world-class scholars working in every region of the globe, and the department's commitment to professionalization and teaching.

The program centers on both cutting-edge training and preparation for jobs in a variety of institutions, including research universities, teaching colleges, and sites of research, teaching, writing, and public engagement outside academia.

Fields of Study

The History department trains Ph.D. students in a wide range of fields, methodologies, and areas of the globe. The program fosters an intellectual community in which collaboration, intellectual breadth, and conversations across fields are prized. Additionally, Ph.D. students take a sequence of professionalization courses that prepare them for the rigors of teaching, research, conference presentations, and professional writing.

Explore Fields of Study

Program Outline

Each year, Brown enrolls 10-12 Ph.D. students, who function as a cohort during the first three years of the program. In the fourth year, students work in archival collections and in the field, wherever their research takes them. In the fifth year and beyond, based on that research, each student produces an original dissertation. Completion of the program typically takes 5-7 years, depending on the field, language requirements, and location of materials.

Learn More About the Ph.D Program

Department of History Graduate Handbook

For a detailed outline of the Ph.D. program, including a year-by-year description, courses offered, and funding, please consult the graduate handbook.

Teaching Requirement

Candidates for the Ph.D. must normally demonstrate satisfactory performance as a Teaching Assistant in undergraduate courses at Brown, or in teaching at another institution approved by the Department. Currently, doctoral students most commonly teach in years 2, 3, and 5. Students who receive standard funding for year 6 typically TA for one semester and are on fellowship in the second.

Students preparing for the examinations will normally be given preference in the assignments for teaching assistants and proctors. Work loads for such positions will conform to standards set by the Graduate School: "limited enough in scope [requiring no more than 20 hours per week] so that normal progress can be made in the student's educational program."

Graduate Student Spotlight: Laura Perille '15

Laura Perille is an advanced doctoral candidate in Early Modern British history and one of four Brown Doctoral Candidates selected as Brown/Wheaton Faculty fellows.

Opportunities

Brown executive scholars training program, deans’ faculty fellows program, teaching fellowships for advanced students, doctoral certificates, open graduate education.

Ph.D. in World History

World history concentration.

The Doctoral Program in history, with a core focus on world history, trains research historians who plan to teach at the college and university levels. Emphasizing global approaches to historical study, the program encourages students to think beyond national boundaries, comparatively, and in terms of themes that span geographically dispersed areas of the world-trade, migration, disease, religion, state formation, colonialism, and post-colonialism. Studies also include long-term historical processes, major global transformations, and interactions between states and colonial societies. Candidates for the Ph.D. in history may examine African, Asian, European, Latin American, or U.S. history in a world historical context. The program emphasizes mentoring of students in their courses, supervised teaching, and in the doctoral dissertation.

Systematic training in theory and methodology and preparation for college teaching are distinctive features of the Northeastern program. All doctoral students undertake intensive reading in the theoretical literature that informs historical analysis, as well as in global historiography. Each student develops a deliberate methodological focus in an area such as cultural history, social history, environmental and biological history, or public history. Students are mentored in the practice of teaching and are encouraged to lecture and lead discussion sections under the supervision of faculty.

A mix of reading courses and research seminars in area studies and comparative or transnational history provide students with the bedrock of training in the literature and research methods of history. Students may also take a limited number of courses outside the department.

The Department of History maintains close ties with interdisciplinary programs such as Asian Studies; Latino, Latin American, and Caribbean Studies; Law and Public Policy; Women Gender and Sexuality Studies, and with the Departments of African American Studies; Art and Architecture; English; Sociology and Anthropology; and Political Science. Graduate students may obtain a  certificate in Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies .

All doctoral candidates must develop and demonstrate a strong reading knowledge of the languages in which they will undertake research. In cases where students require training in languages not offered at Northeastern, the department helps them arrange to take courses at nearby institutions.

The doctoral dissertation presents an original interpretation of a topic of historical significance based on detailed research into primary sources, a survey of the relevant literature, and skilled application of the theoretical and methodological apparatus germane to the topic.

In recent years, the Department of History has been able to provide funding to Ph.D. students for five years.

The GRE will not be required as part of graduate admissions to any certificate, master’s, or doctoral program in CSSH or across the university for matriculation in 2022-2023

Applicants and admitted students are invited and encouraged to join one of our Welcome Days. Please click  here  for more information and to RSVP.

Type of Program

• PhD Program

Get more information about this graduate program.

More programs, bachelor of arts (b.a.) in environmental studies & history, bachelor of arts (b.a.) in history & philosophy, bachelor of arts (b.a.) in history, bachelor of arts (b.a.) in history & asian studies, bachelor of arts (b.a.) in history & cultural anthropology.

• Requirements
• History Grad Student Association

The full requirements and recommendations for the Graduate Program in History are available in the  Guidelines to the M.A. and Ph.D. Curricula.  Current students and advisors should refer to the Guidelines and the  Canvas  "History Department PhD Students" page for detailed requirements, forms, and instructions.

Program Overview

Students are expected to complete all the requirements for the PhD degree in History in a timely fashion. Students are reviewed annually for continuation in the program and are expected to make good progress at all stages of the program. All requirements for the PhD degree, including the final defense, must be completed within seven years from the date of first matriculation.

• In the first two years of graduate study, all students, regardless of previous degree work, register for coursework.
• Students produce a first- and second-year research paper. In certain cases, with the support of their faculty advisors, students may petition to have the second research paper requirement waived (typically, those with a relevant MA).
• All students must demonstrate competence in foreign language through departmental examination.
• Students are eligible to receive the MA degree upon completion of eight courses for quality grades, a high pass (or equivalent) on the foreign language exam and fulfillment of all administrative requirements. 
• The PhD Field Examination must be taken by June 1st of the second year.
• Presentation and defense of the dissertation proposal occurs in a public setting before the end of the third year (June 1), and approval of the dissertation committee is required to begin research and writing of the dissertation.
• Three mentored teaching experiences are arranged in consultation with faculty advisors.
• Defense of the dissertation in the PhD Final Oral Examination.

First- and Second-year Highlights

• Students take twelve graduate-level courses (for A or B grades): a two-quarter history research seminar, and ten other courses both in and outside of the Department. At least three of these courses are graduate colloquia, and up to three may be pass/fail reading courses for orals preparation. Current students should consult the Guidelines for details of course requirements.
• First-year students complete a substantial research paper due at the end of Winter Quarter as part of the two-quarter History Seminar.
• Second-year students are required to complete a research paper under the supervision of their faculty advisor during Autumn or Winter Quarter.
• Students must high pass (P+) at least one foreign-language translation examination. Details on the timing and requirements are below. Students who have taken the TOEFL exam and whose native language is their language of research may waive the language exam.
• Students take their oral field examinations by June 15th of their second year.

Language Requirement

The Department requires a high pass (P+) on one or more language translation examinations. Students must take an examination administered through the Department during the first quarter of residence. Students who do not high pass on the first attempt should devote special attention to improving their skill and are required to repeat the exam at least annually until a high pass is achieved. It is mandatory to high pass in at least one language examination before the beginning of the second academic year. In fields where more than one language is required, the additional requirement(s) must be satisfied before the proposal hearing. See the Guidelines for more details on language examinations.

*For fields with extensive language training, students may petition for a one-year postponement of the language examination. ^If the language requirement is met with French or German, it is assumed that the student will also acquire knowledge of area language(s) sufficient for research purposes.

Oral Fields Highlights

• The oral fields readings and examination qualify students to teach and to conduct doctoral research.
• Examination committees are chosen by the student based on their fields of interest. The committees consists of a chair from the  Department of History faculty , who serves as the student’s advisor, and two additional University of Chicago faculty, usually, but not always, from the Department. 
• All students prepare three fields in consultation with their examination committee.
• Field lists have a maximum of fifty books; four articles or book chapters count as one book. For the purpose of reading and the examination, all fields are considered equal.
• The examination is oral, lasts two hours, and is graded pass or fail.
• Orals are taken by June 1st of the second year in residence.
• During the proposal stage, students form their dissertation committees. Committees generally have three members; a fourth is allowed in certain cases. The committee chair must be a member of the  Department of History faculty . The second reader must be a member of the departmental faculty or its  associate faculty . Additional committee members may be professors in the Department, in other university departments, or at another institution. Consult the Guidelines for the M.A. and Ph.D. Curricula for details on committee formation.
• Students must hold a proposal hearing by the end (June 1) of the third year in residence.
• All students are required to have three mentored teaching experiences.
• Mentored teaching experiences may include the following: Teaching Assistantships, Lectureships, and Co-teaching with faculty.
• Consult the  Guidelines for the M.A. and Ph.D. Curricula for the full policy on required teaching.

Dissertation

• Following the approval of the proposal, the  Divisional Dean of Students  advances the student to candidacy for the doctoral degree. (This stage is informally known as ABD, "all but dissertation.")
• The student and the dissertation chair are responsible for assuring that the dissertation follows an acceptable academic style, such as  The Chicago Manual of Style , Turabian's  A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations , or another accepted style in the field. Additional resources are provided by The University of Chicago's  Dissertation Office ,  and The American Historical Association's  Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct .

Final Defense of the Dissertation

• The final requirement of the doctoral program is an oral defense of the dissertation.
• Defenses are held with the student's committee in attendance. The defense is always open to the department faculty. It may be open to the public. 
• The committee grades the defense (pass with distinction, pass, or fail) and decides what type of revisions (none, minor, or significant) are needed before the students can submit the dissertation to the  Dissertation Office.
• The dissertation chair and the departmental chair give final approval for the deposit of the dissertation through the Dissertation Office after all requested revisions have been made. Deadlines for submission are available on the Department’s Canvas page.
• The doctoral degree can be taken in any quarter. Instructions for applying to the degree are found on the student  Canvas  site. 
• The University holds  Convocation  at the end of Spring Quarter. 

Joint Degree

Joint degrees are rare, but students may apply for a joint degree on an ad hoc basis. The application process begins with the student's Dean of Students Office. The faculty members who work with the student should strongly support the need for a joint degree. Students from other departments should read the  Joint Ph.D. Degree Guidelines (PDF) . Students should apply in the late winter or early Spring Quarter so the Graduate Student Affairs Committee can review the file in its annual student review in late May or early June.

History MA Degree for PhD Students from other University of Chicago PhD Programs

In rare cases, the University allows students from another University of Chicago PhD program to receive an MA from an alternate program. Students should first consult with their home unit’s Dean of Students office. After receiving permission to pursue an alternate MA, students wishing to receive an MA from the Department of History should petition the Graduate Student Affairs Committee in Autumn Quarter. For more information contact the  graduate affairs administrator .

Students with questions about doctoral program degree requirements and milestones should contact Sonja Rusnak ( [email protected] ) History Graduate Affairs Administrator. Students may also contact Brett Baker ( [email protected] ), Associate Dean of Students in the Social Sciences, and Amanda Young ( [email protected] ), Director, Graduate Student Affairs in UChicagoGRAD.  

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History Online

Transfer credits, next start date, become a professional historian with an online phd in history.

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

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

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

Annual median salary for professionals with a doctorate*

All PhD in History courses are available online

Is a PhD in History worth it?

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

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

Can you get a PhD in History online?

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

How many years does it take to get a PhD in History?

Most students pursuing our PhD in History can complete the program in just 4 years. This includes a combination of full- and part-time attendance as well as dissertation work.

What can you do with a PhD in History?

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

• Academic publisher
• Archaeologist
• Higher education administrator
• International development specialist
• Museum curator

Is a PhD from Liberty University respected?

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

Why Choose Liberty University’s History PhD Program Online?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Featured Courses

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

*Course guide coming soon

Highlights of Our Online History PhD Program

• We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility . Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America . Earning your PhD online from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
• Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
• This program is offered in an 8-week course format, with 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times!
• You will benefit from networking opportunities with other professionals in the program from around the country.
• The PhD in History is the first program of its kind offered from a conservative Christian, accredited university.
• Your degree requires experience both inside and outside the classroom to help you become fully prepared for any professional setting you choose.

Liberty’s PhD in History Online Degree Information

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

Apply Now      Request Info

Career Opportunities for History PhD Online Graduates

• Federal government employee
• Professional researcher

Admission Requirements for the PhD in History at Liberty University

A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree in history, or a related field,* with a 3.0 or above GPA is required for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.

All applicants must submit the following:

• Admission application
• Application fee**
• Official college transcripts indicating successful completion of a doctorate or master’s in history or a related field*
• Proof of English proficiency (for applicants whose native language is other than English)

*Examples include but are not limited to: public or applied history, social sciences, political science, philosophy, government, international relations, geography, English, theology, church history, economics, a Master of Business Administration (MBA), museum studies, and library sciences.

** There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.

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

*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, Non-Degree Seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and Certificates.

Apply FREE This Week*

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15-Year-Old Khaya Njumbe To Become The Youngest Reported College Graduate In Indiana

A teenager is on his way to making history in Indiana.

ABC-7 in Chicago, IL, reports that at age 15, Khaya Njumbe is set to become the youngest college graduate in Indiana. As the first generation of his family born in the U.S., the teen lives in Gary, IN, and attends Indiana University Northwest. He will cross the graduation stage in May 2024 — making him the first to do so in his family.

The outlet details that to get a head start on the achievement, Njume took dual-credit courses at 21st Century Charter High School. Theresa Canady, a social worker at the charter school, shared that he initially started taking college courses at age 11.

“When I was younger, I had a lot of ambition,” Njumbe told the outlet. “I always just wanted to do more, impress my parents mainly. I was always an overachiever in school.”

Jack Bloom, one of Njumbe’s professors at Indiana University Northwest, shared, “It’s pretty amazing. Obviously the stuff he can do is beyond what most people can do.”

He added, “He’s a serious student. He asks really good questions. He makes good comments. He helps the class.”

During Njumbe’s interview with the outlet, he emphasized that his academic success is a result of true dedication and work ethic.

“I just want to show other kids that they can do it too,” he shared. “And I’m not an anomaly, no type of genius or prodigy. I just worked hard and just focused really.”

Ultimately, Njume wants to be an example for the next generation, showing them that they can achieve whatever they have their eyes set on.

“It is something special,” Canady said. “It’s something special he’s doing, and hopefully he’s an inspiration to other students.”

According to the outlet, following Njume’s historic college graduation, he aims to go to medical school in the hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. However, he is unable to enroll until age 18, so his next course of action is to work toward a master’s degree.

Outside of academia, Njume says he has always had a knack for trying new things and tapping into self-improvement. Along with learning the entire periodic table, he taught himself how to play the piano and speak Chinese at just 7 years old.

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Young Woman Makes History As First Astrophysics PhD Graduate at University of Pretoria

• One young lady became the first to obtain a doctorate in Astrophysics from the University of Pretoria
• The woman shared why she pursued her studies in radio astronomy and spoke of it's unique perspective
• She will be joining the Department of Physics as a SARAO postdoctoral research fellow and spoke of her future plans

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A graduate from the University of Pretoria made history as she was named the first person to obtain a PhD in Astrophysics.

Young lady becomes first to obtain PhD in astrophysics from UP

Dr Charissa Button was capped during her graduation ceremony when she received her doctorate degree in astrophysics from the University of Pretoria .

In a media release seen by Briefly News , the young lady said the following:

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“I am honoured that my PhD constitutes a milestone in developing UP’s astronomy programme. I look forward to continuing to contribute to its development as an early-career researcher.”

The unique perspective that radio astronomy offers on several fundamental physics topics, including the nature and implications of dark matter and the expansion of the universe, initially piqued Dr Button's interest in pursuing postgraduate study in this field.

“During my studies in radio astronomy, I became interested in the vast array of physical processes that contribute to galaxy formation and evolution,” she explains.

Professor Roger Deane, who holds the National Research Foundation SARChI SKA Chair in Radio Astronomy and the Department of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation Extraordinary Professorship in Physics at UP, guided Dr Button through her degree completion.

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Richton High School twins become first in school history to graduate together as valedictorian and salutatorian

RICHTON, Miss. (WDAM) - A set of twins at Richton High School are making history as they prepare to walk across the stage at graduation in May.

However, it’s the obstacles the pair faced to become top of class that are no less amazing.

For the last 18 years, twins Lauren and Landon Smith have navigated life together.

From school, to sports, they’ve helped each other get to this moment.

Just a few short weeks from graduation, the twins will represent Richton High School together, as the valedictorian and salutatorian.

“I think that’s what makes me enjoy it the most,” Richton High School Valedictorian Lauren Smith said. “We’ve been together for so long that to be able to do something so special with him is great.”

The Smiths’ sibling rivalry and competitive nature helped keep them focused as they worked towards earning their respective titles.

“If it wasn’t for her, I probably wouldn’t be up here,” Richton High School Salutatorian Landon Smith said. “It sucks to lose to her, but I’m proud of her. It’s an accomplishment.”

It’s also a huge milestone for mom.

Amber Smith’s parenting journey, one that started with numerous medical setbacks.

“When they were first born, it was a lot of work, a lot of struggles,” Amber Smith said. “Landon was born with a collapsed lung, so he had to have help breathing for several weeks. Lauren appeared fine, but upon a routine eye exam, they figured out that she had a stroke.

“They told me she would never walk, that she may have severe learning disabilities. So, Lauren has to work extra hard, a little harder to learn things.”

Amber said she didn’t tell her daughter about the complications at birth so she would always try her hardest.

“I didn’t want her to use it as a crutch,” Amber Smith said. “I wanted her to think she could do anything she set her mind to doing. And it just pushed her to work extra hard because she had a twin that was exceeding at things, and she wanted to do just as well.

“She pushed herself and overcame so many obstacles and that’s how she got to where she is today.”

Richton High Principal Ben Bryan also has watched the twins thrive, having worked with them since seventh grade.

“They’re model students and they’re model citizens,” Bryan said. “They’re driven, they’re dedicated, on and off the field, and in school. it’s a pleasure to have students like this.”.

While the Smith twins consider going their separate ways for college, one thing will remain the same: their unique bond as twins.

“He’s like a built-in best friend.” Lauren Smith said. “He’s always there for me when I need him. It’s awesome.”

In the fall, the Smiths may be attending separate schools for the first time ever.

Lauren Smith will attend William Carey to become a nurse.

Landon said he plans to study electrical engineering this fall, but is undecided about where he’ll go.

Still, Landon Smith said no matter where he and his sister wind up, they always will share a bond.

“You’ve always got somebody,” Landon Smith said. “You don’t have to worry about being the odd man out. We’ve always been together.”

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What We Know About the Protests and Arrests at Columbia University

After nearly two weeks of protests, demonstrators seized Hamilton Hall. By the end of the night, the police moved into to arrest them.

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By Alan Blinder

Columbia University is grappling with the fallout from its president’s promise to Congress that she would crack down on unsanctioned protests, and her decision to ask the police to clear an encampment on campus, resulting in the arrests of more than 100 students earlier this month.

On Tuesday, after protesters seized Hamilton Hall overnight, Columbia called in the police again and asked officers to remain on campus until May 17, after commencement.

“The events on campus last night have left us no choice,” Nemat Shafik, Columbia’s president, said in a letter to a New York Police Department official on Tuesday.

Police officers in riot gear made dozens of arrests and removed banners from Hamilton Hall’s facade overnight. An encampment near the building was cleared, leaving behind square indents on the grass on Wednesday morning. The campus was still closed on Wednesday to everyone but students who lived there and employees who provided essential services.

Dr. Shafik’s plea for the police presence came after almost two weeks of protests rocked the university, with demonstrators building (and rebuilding) an encampment, recriminations over the initial summoning of the police to campus on April 18, and accusations that Columbia has effectively allowed protesters, in some instances, to celebrate Hamas and target Jewish students for intimidation.

Last week, the university started offering hybrid classes, an acknowledgment that the disputes at the center of campus tension were unlikely to be resolved before the end of the school year. Commencement is scheduled for May 15.

On Friday, university leaders signaled that they were not eager to call in the police again.

“We called on N.Y.P.D. to clear an encampment once, but we all share the view, based on discussions within our community and with outside experts, that to bring back the N.Y.P.D. at this time would be counterproductive, further inflaming what is happening on campus, and drawing thousands to our doorstep who would threaten our community,” Columbia leaders, including Dr. Shafik, wrote. “Having said that, we also need to continue to enforce our own rules and ensure that those who violate the norms of our community face consequences.”

Columbia said Monday evening that it had started to suspend students who remained in the encampment, after they effectively declined an offer from the university to limit discipline. The Hamilton Hall occupation began hours later.

At around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, the police returned to Columbia and began arresting protesters.

How Columbia got here

Since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, American college campuses have been hubs of increased protest and debate. The scene at Columbia has been particularly contentious, with protests drawing hundreds of demonstrators, and some faculty members drawing attention for statements that critics considered to be antisemitic.

Columbia administrators, like their counterparts on campuses across the country, have struggled to fine-tune a response that balances discipline, free speech, academic freedom and institutional and national politics. For example, Columbia suspended two pro-Palestinian student groups after a walkout, and it has rewritten its protest policies, suspended some students and moved to cut or reduce ties to some faculty members.

The university’s approach was the focus of a congressional committee hearing on April 17. Over more than three hours in Washington, Dr. Shafik and other Columbia leaders tried to placate Republican lawmakers by acknowledging that they had been unprepared for the tensions of recent months and promising new crackdowns.

Although their answers appeared to please some lawmakers on Capitol Hill, they stirred unrest on campus, where protesters had built an encampment in the hours before Dr. Shafik’s testimony.

Columbia called in the police twice in April.

Less than 24 hours after the hearing adjourned, New York City police officers in riot gear entered the private campus at the request of Dr. Shafik and Columbia leaders. The police swept into the encampment to arrest defiant protesters and dismantle the demonstration, which was calling for the university to eliminate its financial ties to Israel. The authorities reported more than 100 arrests .

Many people welcomed the decision to call in the police to remove the tent protest in mid-April, and said that Dr. Shafik was well within her power to shut down unauthorized protests on private property. But the decision also provoked fresh outcry from students, faculty members, free-speech groups and critics of Israel, who argued that it was counterproductive to shut down a peaceful protest, particularly on a campus that is supposed to be a marketplace of ideas.

By the time many of the critiques rolled in, protesters had already started gathering again, chanting some of the same slogans — “We don’t want no Zionists here” and “Israel is a racist state” — that Dr. Shafik had suggested were creating “a harassing and intimidating environment for many of our students.”

Protesters pitched tents again, but this time the administration sought to negotiate with them.

Within two weeks, however, the negotiations broke down and protesters took over Hamilton Hall, an administrative building that has a long history of student takeovers. Columbia lost patience and brought the police back to campus. Dr. Shafik, in her letter to the Police Department on Tuesday evening, said the university had made its decision “with the utmost regret.”

Some protests unnerved Jewish students

Columbia cannot control what happens off its property, and the neighborhood around its campus has drawn significant attention in the aftermath of the arrests, with some reports of antisemitic harassment. School officials have said much of the incendiary language has come from outside protesters.

“Go back to Poland!” one masked protester who clutched a Palestinian flag shouted outside the Columbia campus gates, according to a video posted on X . Elsewhere online, a Columbia student said protesters had stolen, and then tried to burn, an Israeli flag, and that Jewish students had been splashed with water.

The Columbia chapter of Chabad, an international Orthodox Jewish movement, said that protesters targeted Jewish students with expletives as they left campus.

The White House condemned the episodes of antisemitic protest. A spokesman, Andrew Bates, said that “calls for violence and physical intimidation targeting Jewish students and the Jewish community are blatantly antisemitic, unconscionable and dangerous.”

Elie Buechler, an Orthodox rabbi who works at Columbia, said that campus and city police officers had failed to guarantee the safety of Jewish students “in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy" and suggested that the students return home “until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved.”

That view was not universally shared. Hillel, the Jewish student organization on campus, called for increased security and said it was not urging Jewish students to leave.

Some on-campus activists distanced themselves from the agitators.

“There’s so many young Jewish people who are, like, a vital part” of the protests, said Grant Miner, a Jewish graduate student at Columbia who belongs to a student coalition calling on Columbia to divest from companies connected to Israel.

That group said in a statement, “We are frustrated by media distractions focusing on inflammatory individuals who do not represent us,” and added that the group’s members “firmly reject any form of hate or bigotry.”

Reporting was contributed by Liset Cruz , Colbi Edmonds , Luis Ferré-Sadurní , Erin Nolan , Sharon Otterman and Lola Fadulu .

Alan Blinder is a national correspondent for The Times, covering education. More about Alan Blinder

Our Coverage of the U.S. Campus Protests

News and Analysis

The most recent  pro-Israel counter demonstration was at the University of California, Los Angeles, home to large Israeli and Jewish populations. More are planned in the coming days , stirring fears of clashes.

An officer whose gun went off inside a Columbia University building fired it accidentally  as the police were removing pro-Palestinian protesters from the campus, the New York Police Department said.

A union representing academic workers said it would file unfair labor charges  against the U.C.L.A. and potentially walk out over the handling of protests this week.

Exploiting U.S. Divide:  America’s adversaries have mounted online campaigns to amplify  the social and political conflicts over Gaza flaring at universities, researchers say.

A Year Full of Conflicts:  The tumult in Bloomington, Ind., at Indiana University where large protests have led to dozens of arrests and calls for university leaders to resign, shows the reach of the protest movement .

Seizing Hamilton Hall:  Some of those arrested during the pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia were outsiders  who appeared to be unaffiliated with the school, according to an analysis of Police Department data.

A Collision Course:  Desperate to stem protests that have convulsed campuses across the country , a small number of universities have agreed to reconsider their investments in companies that do business with Israel. But how?