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 (15 credits)
You may choose your elective credits from a wide range of thematic and geographically-based offerings. You may also apply additional world history seminars as electives.
Concentration (12 credits)
With the approval of your advisor and the program director, you may complete an interdisciplinary area of concentration in the complementary fields of public history, library and information science, museum administration, or education. You may also use these credits to take additional history electives in a thematic or regional concentration.
Internship (two semesters, six credits)
In your first semester of internship, you’ll engage in six rotations in each 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
In the second semester, you’ll commit to one of these areas for another semester of supervised practical experience that may include teaching an undergraduate history course; working in a public history setting such as a museum, archive, or restoration project; a film-making, editing, or digital media project; or another approved activity that appropriately reflects your professional interests.
Foreign Language (non- credit requirement)
You must demonstrate reading proficiency in at least one foreign language appropriate to your dissertation research by translating a faculty-approved passage. You must complete the foreign language requirement before registering for dissertation research.
Annual Portfolio (non-credit requirement)
To help the faculty assess your progress toward degree candidacy and the 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, and the final summary essay and oral presentation of your portfolio will constitute your dissertation prospectus.
Dissertation (12 credits)
Once you’ve met the above requirements, you’ll register for a three-credit, semester-long dissertation proposal workshop to develop a research project best suited to your professional aspirations, in collaboration with peers and faculty mentors from across and outside the department.
Unique to our program is the ability to combine a research specialization with teaching, public history, or other appropriate professional applications in the dissertation. We encourage a variety of original, high-quality dissertation formats, including: a digital media project; a museum exhibit and catalog; an archival project and guide; a website; a curriculum guide; and an oral history project. While the format of the project is flexible, we expect the dissertation to provide original in-depth research and demonstrate mastery of the field.