The PhD in history prepares students to teach and conduct research in American history and to un- derstand it within an expanded global perspective. Students are required to integrate the major field with one of three minor fields: African American history, the history of the Atlantic World, or European history. This broader intercontinental perspective—including the Americas, Europe, and Africa—enables students to explore themes such as the interaction of political, economic and cultural systems, questions of race and ethnicity, and the transnational dimensions of national experience. This global perspective is encouraged by providing a selection of courses that are cross- national, comparative, and integrative in content and format.
Students are encouraged to enlarge their perspec- tive by understanding and analyzing national history in broader, international contexts. This goal is facilitat- ed in two ways: first, a close integration of the minor into the major area; second, a selection of courses that are cross-national and integrative in format.
In a setting of relatively small classes, individual- ized research projects, and frequent contact with faculty, students are trained in the arts of scholarly re- search and writing. No less is the emphasis placed on fostering teaching skills. Through a required teaching seminar, hands-on teaching experience, and careful mentoring, students are prepared for teaching in a col- lege or university environment.
A total of 45-51 semester hours of course work and dissertation credit, including a minimum of 33-39 hours of course work beyond the MA in history and a mini- mum of 12 hours of dissertation credit, are required to complete the PhD in history. Upon entering the pro- gram, all students will develop a Plan of Study with the approval of the Director of Graduate Study.
Application and Admission
In addition to the application materials required by The Graduate School, applicants must submit a writ- ing sample and a personal statement by January 15 to be considered for Fall admission.
The PhD program admits only a few highly quali- fied students each year. As a basic requirement, all ap- plicants must hold the BA degree and have completed the MA in history. Students without an MA in history must first complete an MA in history before applying to the PhD program.
Degree Requirements
Required Core Courses (15 hours) HIS 701, 702 Colloquia in American History (6) HIS 714 Varieties of Teaching (3)
HIS 750 PhD Readings Course (3) HIS 751 PhD Dissertation Seminar (3)
Students who choose U.S. history as their major concentration and European history as their minor concentration must complete at least one of the Euro- pean colloquia (either HIS 705 or 706) as part of their minor. Students who choose European history as their major concentration and American history as their minor must complete at least one of the U.S. colloquia (either HIS 701 or 702) as part of their minor.
Students interested in a comparative world history minor are encouraged to focus on a theme topic that is integrated with their work in the major field.
Course offerings from the comparative world his- tory minor include:
HIS 508 Latin America: Selected Topics (3)
HIS 511c Seminar in Historical Research and Writing (3) HIS 581 African History: Selected Topics (3)
HIS 587 Southern African Kingdoms, 1780-1897 (3) HIS 588 East Asian History: Selected Topics (3) HIS 692 Advanced Topics in History (3) HIS 697 Directed Reading (1-4)
Collateral Expertise
Many areas of historical research require profi- ciency in a foreign language. Students who intend to concentrate in such areas are encouraged to pass the written language examination, administered by the Department. In lieu of the language examination, stu- dents may substitute an extra 3-hour course in either the major or minor. Students who intend to pursue a PhD, especially in European history, are strongly encouraged to pass the language examination. Comprehensive Examination (Capstone Experience)
All students must pass a written comprehensive examination, usually administered twice a year, dur- ing fall and spring. Students may retake a failed exam once.
Thesis
Students may take 703/704 or 707/708 research seminars or they have the option of completing a 6 hour thesis, with the approval of the Director of Graduate Study.
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i s t o ryResearch Hours (0-6 hours)
If the Director of Graduate Study should conclude that an admitted PhD candidate did not perform at least 6 hours of substantive research during the MA degree program or earned an MA in an area of history other than U.S. history, then the student will be required to complete up to 6 hours of additional research. These additional research hours will ordinar- ily include HIS 703 and HIS 709.
Electives in U.S. Major (9 hours)
In addition to the core requirements, students must complete 9 hours of elective courses in their major. HIS 692 may not be counted for PhD credit. Consult with the Director of Graduate Study for course offerings. Minor Field (9 hours)
The minor field must be chosen in one of the fol- lowing concentrations: African American, Atlantic World, European. Required courses for each minor area are as follows:
African American
HIS 710 Colloquium in the Atlantic World (3) HIS 712 Slavery in the Americas (3)
HIS 713 African Americans after Slavery (3)
Atlantic World
HIS 710 Colloquium in the Atlantic World (3) HIS 712 Slavery in the Americas (3)
HIS 715 Atlantic World: Selected Topics (3)
European
HIS 710 Colloquium in the Atlantic World (3)
HIS 705 Colloquium in European History before 1789 (3) HIS 706 Colloquium in European History since 1789 (3)
Where appropriate, and with the permission of the Doctoral Advisory/Dissertation Committee, doctoral students may take a maximum of 3 hours outside the Department of History as part of their minor field. Language
All students are required to pass a written test dem- onstrating reading knowledge of one foreign language appropriate to their area of specialization prior to tak- ing the qualifying examination.
Mentor and Doctoral Advisory/Dissertation Committee A mentor must be named after 9 hours of course work. Normally, the mentor will be the graduate fac- ulty member in the Department whose research and teaching interests most closely correspond to those of the student. Prospective mentors must agree to serve and be approved by the Graduate Committee. Men- tors will be responsible for the pedagogical, scholarly, and professional development of their students dur- ing their program of study, will chair their Doctoral Advisory/Dissertation Advisory Committee, and will direct the student’s dissertation.
Permission to Proceed and Grade Point Average (GPA) All students in the PhD program must obtain “permission to proceed” at the end of their first year of courses (normally 18 hours). This permission is granted by a collective decision of the Doctoral Advi- sory/Dissertation Committee and the departmental Graduate Committee.
Students must maintain a 3.5 GPA to proceed to the writing of the dissertation.
Qualifying Examination
The qualifying examination, which will come at the end of the 33-39 hours of course work (including a 3 hour PhD readings course and a 3 hour PhD seminar), will include two parts:
1. A written examination composed of questions from the major and minor fields.
2. An oral examination given no later than one month after the completion of the written examination. If a student fails only one part of the written exami- nation, he/she may be required to retake only that part. If a student fails either the written or oral examination (or both), he/she must retake the entire examination. Dissertation (minimum of 12 hours)
Students will register for a minimum of 12 hours of dissertation credit (HIS 799) while researching and writing the dissertation.
Before any student may enroll in a 500-level course, the Department of History requires the completion of 6 hours of 300-level history courses or permission of the instructor.
502 African American History: Selected Topics (3:3)
Intensive examinations of selected topics in black history including African beginnings, slavery, racial attitudes, and civil rights. May be repeated once for credit.
505 Introduction to Archival Management (3:3)
Pr. permission of instructor
Principles of archival management, featuring both classroom instruction in archival theory and practical experience in manuscript repositories and public and private archives. (Same as LIS 505)
508 Latin America and Caribbean: Selected Topics (3:3)
Pr. one course in Latin American history or permission of instructor
Study of select political and economic developments from a historical perspective. Topics include an examination of His- panic democracy, the evolution of the military, and land tenure. Seminar format. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
510 Historiography (3:3)
Development of the historical profession and perspectives on historical writing. Selected readings by philosophers and prac- ticing historians such as Herodotus, Ibn Khaldun, Ranke, Marx, Braudel, Thompson, Foucault, Dilthey, and Steedman.
511a,b,c Seminar in Historical Research and Writing (3:3), (3:3), (3:3)
Pr. for social studies concentration candidates HIS 430: Historical Methods of Social Studies; for all other history majors HIS 391:His- torical Skills and Methods and permission of instructor
Locating and using historical source materials, written and oral, published and unpublished. 511a: American; 511b: European; 511c: Wider World. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies. Required of history majors.
512 Public History (3:3)
History of the preservation of America’s past through museums (indoor and outdoor); collections and their interpretation; exhibi- tions and park and wilderness areas.
515 American Diplomatic History: The Twentieth Century (3:3)
Emphasis on the most important crises and the making of basic policy decisions from the Spanish American War to the present.
517 American Economic History: Colonial Times to 1865 (3:3)
Pr. ECO 201 or permission of instructor
Evolution of the American economy through the Civil War. Em- phasis on sources of economic growth and economic welfare. (Same as ECO 517)
518 American Economic History: 1865 to Present (3:3)
Pr. ECO 201 or permission of instructor
Evolution of the American economy from the Civil War to the present. Emphasis on economic performance through time mea- sured against the goals of full employment, price stability, and rapid growth. (Same as ECO 518)
520 Southern History: Selected Topics (3:3)
Selected topics in the history of the American South from the colonial origins to our time. Examples include politics, educa- tion, economic development, reform, race, and gender. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
522 Early American History: Selected Topics (3:3)
Varying topics in early American history including settlement, economic development, Puritanism, the Great Awakening, slav- ery, ethnicity, and pre-Revolutionary politics. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
524 Twentieth Century U�S� History: Selected Topics (3:3)
Varying topics in twentieth century U.S. history including Pro- gressive Era, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression and New Deal, World War II, McCarthyism, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam War, the 1960s. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
526 The Civil War and Reconstruction: Selected Topics (3:3)
Causes of the Civil War. Military events and developments on the home front in wartime, North and South. Reconstruction policy in Washington and its implementation in the South. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
530 History of Sexuality: Selected Topics (3:3)
Intensive exploration of critical themes in the history of sexual- ity, including such issues as fertility control, sexual identity, and sexual politics. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
534 The American Revolution (3:3)
Pr. 211 recommended
Politics of Empire, colonial political culture, War for Indepen- dence, constitutionalism, race, partisanship from the 1750s to 1800.
536 History of Decorative Arts (3:3)
Study of changing stylistic and cultural developments in the decorative arts with special concentration on America. (Same as IAR 536)
541 Ancient World: Selected Topics (3:3)
Varying topics in ancient Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman history, including politics and public rituals, patterns of social organization, ancient slavery, cross-cultural interactions. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
542 Middle Ages: Selected Topics (3:3)
Varying topics in medieval culture and society chosen from the broad categories of political, social, economic, intellectual, or religious history. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
543 Historic Preservation: Principles and Practice (3:3)
Pr. IAR 221, IAR 222, or permission of instructor
Change in historic preservation theory and practice since the 1800’s with emphasis on preservation of built environment and development of philosophical approach for designers to contemporary preservation projects. (Same as IAR 543)
544 Early Modern Europe: Selected Topics (3:3)
Varying topics in early modern European history, including Re- naissance cities, Protestant Reformation, Catholic Reformation, court cultures, impact of printing, gender and identity, and the Age of Discovery. May be repeated once for credit when topic varies.
545 Southern History and Southern Material Culture in a Mu- seum Context (3)
Pr. permission of instructors after completion of required application form
Combined southern history and material culture with a mu- seum practicum. May be repeated for credit when topic varies with permission of instructor. (Same as IAR 545)