History, PhD

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History

The Department of History offers graduate courses leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree, complete details of which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the department's web site. Students are not admitted to a terminal master's degree program.

Admission
Applicants should have a minimum of 20 semester hours of undergraduate work in history and cognate disciplines with an overall GPA of 3.25 in the last two years. Applicants who have a master's degree should have a grade point average of 3.5 for previous graduate-level work. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (verbal, writing, and quantitative are mandatory; history is optional) are now optional. All applicants are required to submit a writing sample. Language preparation may be weighted heavily, depending upon the field of specialization. International applicants from non-English-speaking countries must submit proof of English proficiency to be eligible for admission. The department is not currently admitting to the Teaching of Social Studies program. For additional details see our website.

Graduate Teaching Experience
Although teaching is not a general Graduate College requirement, experience in teaching is considered an important part of the graduate experience in this program.

Facilities and Resources
The extraordinary University Library is the department's main research facility; within it, the History, Philosophy & Newspaper Library, the Rare Book Room, and the area studies libraries (Slavic, Africana, Latin American, Asian Libraries) all serve faculty and students with expert bibliographers and focused collections. Among other special collections much used by historians are Afro-Americana and Women's Studies; the library is also a major repository for government documents.

Financial Aid
Financial aid is almost always awarded on an academic-year basis. Applications by incoming students are considered with financial aid applications. All fellowships and assistantships include a stipend plus tuition and service fee waiver.

Both University and department endowment fellowships are available to entering students and to advanced doctoral students embarked on their research or the writing of their dissertations. Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships may support first- and second-year students who have special interests in foreign area studies. Entering students from underrepresented groups may be awarded a three-year Graduate College Fellowship. The Illinois Consortium for Educational Opportunity Program (ICEOP) offers renewable fellowships to underrepresented minority students who are Illinois residents and plan academic careers within the state. Half-time teaching assistantships are the department's primary form of financial aid for graduate students in the Ph.D. program. Students who progress satisfactorily toward their degrees and demonstrate effective teaching will have their teaching assistantships renewed for a second, and usually a third, year.

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History

In certain circumstances, a student in British history may substitute courses in quantitative skills for the second language. For the preliminary examination, the candidate customarily offers three fields in history - one major and two minor fields. At least one of these must be a "geographical/chronological field" and one must be a "comparative/thematic" field. One must involve a period of time before 1815. At least two geographical areas must also be represented by the fields offered for the examination. One of the three fields may be in a specialization outside the Department of History or may be a "constructed" field specially designed by the candidate in consultation with field examiners and the major advisor.

For additional details and requirements refer to the department's graduate degree requirements and the Graduate College Handbook.

Entering with approved M.S./M.A. degree

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
HIST 598 (2 hours per term) is required of candidates who hold teaching assistantships during each semester they hold an appointment; students with research assistantships may enroll for HIST 596 for 2 hours credit per semester during the assistantship.
HIST 593 & HIST 594	Approaches to History and Intro Historical Writing	8
Research seminars (or HIST 596), under the direction of at least two faculty members (may be reduced by one four-hour course at the discretion of the advisor)		8
Three additional courses at the 500 level		12
HIST 591	History and Social Theory	4
HIST 597	Reading Course (Oral History)	4
Another methods course in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies
To fulfill the minimum requirement of 64 or 96 graduate hours, 16 graduate hours in disciplines other than history may be applied.		0-16
Language Requirement: The department requires proven competence in two foreign languages for the Ph.D. degree, except for students of US History who must demonstrate competence in one foreign language. Language competence means the ability to read and comprehend a foreign language well enough to paraphrase a scholarly article in English. Students admitted into the Ph.D. program are expected to demonstrate competence in the second language within four semesters and always before they take their last prelim exam. A major advisor may require a student to acquire a reading knowledge of more than two languages, or more than one for US History students.
HIST 599	Thesis Research (32 max applied toward degree )	32
Total Hours		64

Other Requirements

Grad Other Degree Requirements
Requirement	Description
Other requirements may overlap
Qualifying Exam Required	No
Preliminary Exam Required	Yes
Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required	Yes
Dissertation Deposit Required	Yes
Minimum GPA:	3.0

Entering with approved B.S./B.A. degree

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
HIST 598 (2 hours per term) is required of candidates who hold teaching assistantships during each semester they hold an appointment; students with research assistantships may enroll for HIST 596 for 2 hours credit per semester during the assistantship.
HIST 593 & HIST 594	Approaches to History and Intro Historical Writing	8
Research seminars (or HIST 596), under the direction of at least two faculty members (may be reduced by one four-hour course at the discretion of the advisor)		12
Three additional courses at the 500 level		12
HIST 591	History and Social Theory	4
HIST 597	Reading Course (Oral History)	4
To fulfill the minimum requirement of 64 or 96 graduate hours, 16 graduate hours in disciplines other than history may be applied.		0-16
Language Requirement: The department requires proven competence in two foreign languages for the Ph.D. degree, except for students of US History who must demonstrate competence in one foreign language. Language competence means the ability to read and comprehend a foreign language well enough to paraphrase a scholarly article in English. Students admitted into the Ph.D. program are expected to demonstrate competence in the second language within four semesters and always before they take their last prelim exam. A major advisor may require a student to acquire a reading knowledge of more than two languages, or more than one for US History students.
HIST 599	Thesis Research (32 max applied toward degree)	32
Total Hours		96

Other Requirements

Grad Other Degree Requirements
Requirement	Description
Other requirements may overlap
Qualifying Exam Required	No
Preliminary Exam Required	Yes
Final Exam/Dissertation Defense Required	Yes
Dissertation Deposit Required	Yes
Minimum GPA:	3.0

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History

Field expertise: broad, deep, and critical knowledge of key areas of chosen study, in both selected chronological-geographic fields and comparative thematic fields.
Methodological knowledge: understanding and mastery of disciplinary and interdisciplinary methods and concepts.
Research, writing, and dissemination: Experience and accomplishment in scholarly research based on primary sources, analytical writing, and presenting this work in print and oral presentation.
Teaching: Pedagogical training and experience.
Professional development: preparation for the diverse career expectations and possibilities in academia and varied institutions in the public and private sectors.

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History

History Department
Chair of Department: Dana Rabin
Director of Graduate Studies: Robert Morrissey
History Department website
309 Gregory Hall, 810 South Wright Street, Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 244-2591
History email

College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences website

Admissions
Graduate College Admissions & Requirements

Course Catalog

History, PhD

Entering with approved M.S./M.A. degree

Other Requirements

Entering with approved B.S./B.A. degree

Other Requirements

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