PhD in History

A Ph.D. in history requires the following:

• 48 course credits (12 course credits may be outside the department). The coursework develops basic analytical and research skills and grounds students in their areas of specialization.
• 24 dissertation credits must be devoted to research and writing of the dissertation.
• All together, students must have a total of 72 credits to receive the Ph.D.

Candidates for the Ph.D. who entered with an undergraduate degree are required to take oral comprehensive examinations at the end of their third year of graduate study. Candidates who entered with approved and transferred credits from a master's degree program are required to take oral comprehensive examinations at the end of their second year of graduate study. Comprehensive examinations are approximately two hours in length and are taken in the major field and both minor fields.

The oral dissertation defense is conducted by a six-member examining committee, including an outside chair from another department/school. The chair must be a tenured faculty member of the University (ESF and Law faculty members cannot be chosen). The advisor and student jointly choose the remaining two members. The doctoral proposal must be approved by the student’s advisor and two other faculty members. The student is eligible to take the oral examination after the advisor and all dissertation committee members have approved the dissertation for defense. The examination, which is open to all faculty members, graduate students and the general public, consists of a defense of the dissertation and examination in the field of specialization in which it falls.

Each student fulfills requirements in one foreign language prior to taking the master’s examination or submitting of a thesis.