World History, Doctor of Philosophy

Admission

To apply to the Ph.D. in World History, you must submit official transcripts showing conferral of your bachelor's degree and at least 24 credits in history. You must also possess at least a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the undergraduate level, with a 3.5 or higher in history courses. 

You must submit three letters of recommendation, at least one of which attests to your research ability. You must also submit a recent sample of written work, as well as a personal statement detailing your research agenda, professional goals, and experience. 

Applicants who already hold a master's degree in history may qualify for up to 18 credits of advanced standing with approval from the graduate director and the Dean's office.

The deadlines for admission to the Ph.D. World History program are as follows:

• Fall: April 1 for admission and January 15 for fellowship/assistantship consideration
• Spring: November 1

For additional information, please contact:
Office of Graduate Admission
718-990-1601
[email protected]

Tuition and Financial Aid

Fellowships and Assistantships

The University awards a limited number of graduate assistantships and doctoral fellowships to highly-qualified students each year. These positions provide tuition remission and a stipend and involve assisting faculty with their research and teaching. The University also awards a limited number of University Doctoral Fellowships that offer tuition remission for students who work full-time and attend the Ph.D. program part-time. For more information, please visit Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships and Tuition and Financial Aid.

The Nickolas Davatzes Scholarship

The Department of History offers the Nickolas Davatzes Scholarship to qualified graduate students. The scholarship fund was established in 2007 by Nickolas Davatzes ’62C, ’64G, ’95Hon, who established the A&E Network and the History Channel, and Dorothea Hayes Davatzes ’66Ed. Scholarships are granted by the department on a competitive basis and provide $5,000 for summer research or tuition assistance. 

Courses

The Ph.D. requirements include 60 credits of coursework, internship, and dissertation research. The breakdown of program requirements is as follows:

HIS 401 Modern Historical Research (3 credits)
This course, which you will complete in your first semester of coursework, provides a general background in theory, historiography, research skills, and methodology.

Seminars (choose four, 12 credits):

• HIS 701 World History Seminar in Gender and Sexuality
• HIS 702 World History Seminar in War, Peace, and Revolution
• HIS 703 World History Seminar in State and Society
• HIS 704 World History Seminar in Historical Identities
• HIS 705 World History Seminar in Technology and Science
• HIS 706 World History Seminar in Production, Consumption, and Trade
• HIS 707 World History Seminar in Cities and Countryside
• HIS 708 World History Seminar in Diasporas, Migrations, and Borders
• HIS 709 World History Seminar in Ideas and Culture

Electives (nine courses, 27 credits)
You will choose your elective credits from a wide range of thematic and geographically-based offerings. You may also apply additional world history seminars as electives.

Teaching Internships (two semesters, 6 credits)
Students will assist a professor teaching World History or pursue an internship in one of the following areas:

• Libraries and archives
• Parks and heritage tourism
• Publishing, editing, and production
• Teaching high school and college history
• Museums and galleries
• Non-profit, non-governmental organizations and governmental agencies

Alternatively, students may choose to take two additional elective courses.

Foreign Language (non- credit requirement)

You must demonstrate reading proficiency in at least one foreign language appropriate to your dissertation research.

Annual Portfolio (non-credit requirement)

To help the faculty assess your progress toward the degree and completion of your dissertation, you will maintain an annual portfolio of departmentally-approved examples of your work, as well as evidence of your progress in developing professional skills and experiences. You will present the portfolio, along with a summary essay discussing your evolving body of work and professional interests, for annual review while in the program.

Dissertation (12 credits)

Once you’ve met the above requirements, you’ll register for a Dissertation Workshop (HIS 975) to develop your prospectus and to workshop your dissertation chapters.  Students enroll in four semesters of this workshop for 3-credits each and then continue to enroll in a one-credit version of the class until they defend their dissertation.

Career Outcomes

The communication skills, analytical thinking, and historical knowledge you gain through the Ph.D. program in World History will enhance your career as a secondary school teacher, prepare you for a tenure-track faculty position at a community college, or provide you with valuable skills for careers in museums, libraries, cultural agencies and institutions, consulting firms, and media companies. The distinctive socially-aware, problem-solving, and service-oriented education you receive at St. John's will help you excel in the areas of teaching, public history, and public service.

Each semester you will join a graduate colloquium dedicated to professional training. By attending graduate school in New York City, you will gain access to a wide array of cultural institutions dedicated to advancing knowledge in the humanities. As a graduate student at St. John's, you will benefit from the individual attention of the faculty members in the Department of History who will work with you on articulating and developing your career goals.