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2023-24 edition, history, ph.d..

The Doctoral Program in History is designed to provide students with advanced historical research skills and a solid grounding in the theory and methodology of history. This combination reflects the Department’s conviction that scholars should approach significant questions about the past with rigor and sophistication. The Department requires that students develop critical abilities in dealing with primary sources, secondary syntheses, and the interrelationship of history and theory. Candidates for the Ph.D. in History are expected to gain teaching experience as an integral part of their graduate training. This is accomplished through work as a teaching assistant.

Doctoral students take a minimum of 15 formal courses to be completed during the first two years of the program. Ten courses must be taken within the History Department.

History and Theory

Required coursework for doctoral students includes two courses in History and Theory. These courses explore a variety of theoretical issues and methodological concerns that have sparked debate in the humanities and social sciences in the past decades and which remain pertinent to 21st century historical writing. Topics may include the relationship between materialist approaches and cultural analysis; subjectivity and governance; gender and sexuality; ethnicity and racial formation; the politics of religion; "the archive" and archival practice; nationalism and postcolonialism; world history and transnational studies.

History Methods

Required coursework for doctoral students includes one course in History Methods. This course introduces graduate students to some of the most foundational ideas and debates that have shaped historiographical practice over the past half century. This course explores fundamental questions about how historians imagine the past as they try to write about it, how they constitute it as a domain of study, and how (and why) they argue about it.

Field Emphases

Doctoral students are required to take a total of five courses satisfying requirements for specialization in two historical fields, in either area studies or thematic fields. Students take three courses in the first field and two courses in the second field. The Department offers area studies fields in Asian History, European History, Latin American History, Middle East and African History, U.S. History, and World History. Thematic fields vary depending on demand. Students may take courses satisfying field requirements in any order.

Research Seminars

Doctoral students are required to take a two-quarter course sequence in research and writing both their first and second year in the graduate program. In the first year, students take a proseminar on historical methodology ( HISTORY 202A ) followed by a second quarter ( HISTORY 202B ) in which they write a research paper that engages the methodologies and questions explored in the previous quarter. Students who enter the doctoral program with a master's may petition to be exempt from the first-year research sequence, pending acceptance of the M.A. thesis as an equivalent to the final research paper of the sequence.

In the second year of study, Ph.D. students take a two-course sequence ( HISTORY 204A and HISTORY 204B ) in which they research and write a paper on a topic of their choice. The second year research paper is required of all doctoral students.

Professional Development Colloquium

Doctoral students are required to take a three quarter long colloquium (HISTORY 210A-HISTORY 210B-HISTORY 210C) on professional development during their first year in the graduate program. The Professional Development Colloquium introduces graduate students in history to career diversity and life as a professional historian both within and outside academia. It addresses topics including finding support for successful and intellectually rewarding on time degree completion, preparing for different kinds of employment searches, and applying skills learned from academic training to a variety of professional settings.

Language Requirement

All students must demonstrate a proficiency in one language other than English prior to taking the Ph.D. candidacy qualifying exam. Competency in a language may be established either by passing a departmental examination (proctored in the department office) or through extensive language use in one of the research seminars. The language used to satisfy this requirement is subject to their advisors' approval.

Summary of Required Course of Study:

• History and Theory - one course
• History Methods – one course
• Research Seminars - four courses
• Professional Development Colloquium – three courses
• First Field - three courses
• Second Field - two courses
• Electives - three courses
• Foreign Language Proficiency  

First-Year Review and M.A. Conferral

To continue in the doctoral program, students must satisfactorily pass a departmental evaluation at the end of their first year of study; this includes students who entered with a M.A. from another institution.

Doctoral students can be awarded an M.A. from UCI after fulfilling requirements for residence, one language, and successfully completing 36 units, including 28 units in required courses and one of the following: submitting an approved M.A. thesis, passing a one-hour exam in the primary field, or completing an additional 24 units of approved coursework.

The Candidacy Qualifying Exam and Dissertation Prospectus

In the third year of the doctoral program, students prepare for their candidacy qualifying exam and write the dissertation prospectus. Most third year students enroll in the intensive readings course ( HISTORY 298 ) or directed readings ( HISTORY 291 ) to work closely with faculty in preparing for exams and writing their prospectus.

The candidacy qualifying exam is an oral, two-hour meeting during which a student is examined in their first and second field by a committee of four faculty members, plus an additional faculty referee. Upon successful completion of the exam, the student is officially advance to doctoral candidacy (all but dissertation) and presents the dissertation prospectus in a colloquium including all members of the dissertation committee for formal approval. Both the exam and prospectus colloquium should be completed by the end of the third year.

Dissertation Research and Writing

The dissertation is the most important part of the Department's doctoral program. The dissertation is an original piece of historical scholarship, involving extensive primary research and original analysis of secondary source material. Students spend a year or more engaged in intensive research, and another year or more writing the dissertation. Throughout this period, students work closely with the advisor and the dissertation committee members. The finished dissertation must be approved by all members of the dissertation committee.

Most graduate students begin work as a teaching assistant for the Department or School courses during their second year and continue throughout their tenure in the program, except when dissertation research or writing require their residency away from the university. Students have the opportunity to apply to teach their own courses during summer session once they have advanced to doctoral candidacy. Students beyond their second year are required to also apply for teaching positions outside the department, e.g. in Composition or Humanities Core.

Time to Degree for the Ph.D .

Normative time to degree for the doctoral program is seven years. Maximum time to degree permitted is nine years.

Requirements for Admission to the Ph.D. Program

It is desirable that an applicant have the equivalent of an undergraduate major in History; however, the Department also considers students who have previously specialized in other subject areas and who have strong analytical and writing skills. Many students entering the program hold a Masters degree in History, or an associated field. The Department's required grade-point minimums and English Language Proficiency requirements for international student admission are consistent with university policy. A GRE score is not required for admission. Students are accepted for fall admission only.

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2023-2024 Catalogue

A PDF of the entire 2023-2024 catalogue.

History Department

Welcome to the history graduate program.

The UC Davis Department of History is a community of scholars pursuing research into the past in a wide variety of geographical and thematic specialties. Students in the Ph.D. program receive training in historical research, theory, and teaching as they make significant contributions to this community.

The doctoral program curriculum, consisting of coursework, research seminars, language study, and practical training, is designed to develop students' skills in historical research, writing, and teaching.  Students spend three years building a foundation of historical knowledge and ability, after which they follow their research interests into the archives.  Their archival work results in an original dissertation.  Completion of the program takes 5-7 years, depending upon the particulars of language, field, and archives.

The scholarly community at UC Davis values a diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences, believing that such diversity strengthens research, scholarship and teaching. As a part of the commitment of the University of California and the Department of History to diversity, our graduate students can find numerous resources, events and professional dedicated staff members to help them achieve their professional, educational and career goals. The campus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office is committed to student diversity in Graduate Studies. 

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UCLA Graduate Programs

Graduate Program: History

UCLA's Graduate Program in History offers the following degree(s):

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Masters available on Doctoral track

With questions not answered here or on the program’s site (above), please contact the program directly.

History Graduate Program at UCLA 6265 Bunche Hall Box 951473 Los Angeles, CA 90095-1473

Visit the History’s faculty roster

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Visit the registrar's site for the History’s course descriptions

• Admission Requirements
• Program Statistics

(310) 825-3269

[email protected]

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The duration of the Ph.D. program is five to eight years. University and departmental regulations stipulate that the maximum tenure of graduate study at UCSD is eight years while seven years is the limit for receiving any type of university financial support. For the Department of History, the "normative" time to degree is 7 years.  Normally, during the first two years, students participate in courses, write two research papers, complete language requirements, define major and minor fields of study, and take at least one minor field examination. In the third year, the student normally completes all outstanding minor field and language requirements, defines a dissertation topic, and passes a qualifying examination in the major field, at which time the student officially advances to candidacy for the Ph.D. Advancement to candidacy must occur at least before the end of the fourth year, and in some programs, such as Ancient History and East Asian Studies, extra language requirements may make fourth-year advancement the norm. Department of History Ph.D. students will be expected to spend time between their first and sixth years doing archival and/or field research (involving travel outside of San Diego), as required by the demands of their research topic. They often spend their fifth to seventh years writing their dissertation, although exact travel requirements and time to degree varies depending on funding, preparation, and the requirements of the specific project.

Coursework Overview

Full-time enrollment.

In order to remain eligible for financial support, all graduate students must be enrolled in 12 units of upper-division (100-199) or graduate level (200 and above) courses during the regular academic year. 

Pre-Candidacy

First and foremost, all coursework should be chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor. During your first three (sometimes four) years in the program your aim will be to fulfill the following requirements:

• Ph.D. Course Requirements (mainly major field requirements)
• Minor Field Requirement

Language Requirement

• MA on the Way Course Requirements

The course requirements for the Ph.D. and MA on the Way largely overlap and only represent about four quarters worth of coursework. The additional five quarters of coursework should be chosen in consultation with your faculty advisor. In some cases, you may take courses to fulfill requirements for the minor field or language requirements. Many of you will enroll in a 500 class and all of you will enroll in one or more HIGR 298s. Regardless, all the coursework completed while pre-candidacy should be taken in preparation for your Qualifying Exam (which you can also think of as your major field exam). 

Newly admitted students should consult with their faculty advisor about all coursework they plan to take throughout their time in the Ph.D. program. During their first quarter in the program, most students are encouraged to enroll as follows: 

• Research Seminar or another course chosen in consultation w/ your faculty advisor
• Major Field Historiography or another course chosen in consultation w/ your faculty advisor

In-Candidacy

At this stage in the program, enrollment in courses is less about what courses a student is taking and more about accounting for how the student is spending their time researching or teaching and accounting for the time of the faculty who are supporting them in writing their dissertation. Most students enroll in 8-12 units of HIGR 299 and/or 4 units of a 500 depending on how they are spending their time.

About Courses

Research Seminars Each field group offers at least one two-quarter research seminar each year so that students have the opportunity to take one research seminar each year, preferably during the first two years of study. The goal of these seminars is the writing of a research paper based on primary sources, and the identification of a potential dissertation topic. The model and the standard for the seminar papers is a monographic article that makes a scholarly contribution to the field. In the first quarter of the course, students read and research intensively; by the end of the quarter, they are expected to develop a prospectus for a research paper. When materials are not in English, it is assumed that the student can use the appropriate language in research. The instructor provides guidance on research methods and the appropriate bibliographic tools. The selection of the paper topic requires special care to ensure that the paper can be completed within the two quarters. In the second quarter, students write their papers and present them to the seminar. In addition, the instructors may encourage students to submit their research seminar papers to be presented at various conferences and/or to be published. Please see the  Field-Specific Curriculum below for a listing of field-specific Research Seminar courses.

Historiographies Each field group has a sequence of seminars, taught over the course of 1-2 years, designed to introduce students to the major works and important controversies in the field. Please see the  Field-Specific Curriculum below for a listing of field-specific Historiography courses.

Crossfield Courses In addition to the graduate courses offered by the Field Groups, the Department will offer at least one and up to three cross-field seminars each year (HIGR 200 – HIGR 209, HIGR 280-282, etc.).  These courses are designed to cross geographical and chronological boundaries.  All Ph.D. students are required to complete HIGR 200, usually during their first quarter of the program.

HIGR 298-Directed Reading This is a variable unit (may be taken for 1-12 units) independent study course that may be taken with a senate faculty member in the history department. It can be used to fulfill all of the requirements listed above if there is no other course offered in a given quarter to meet your particular research needs. It is most often used to account for the time a student is working on their prospectus in the quarters leading up to the qualifying exam. 

HIGR 299-PhD Thesis Direction HIGR 299 is also a variable unit (may be taken for 1-12 units) independent study course that a student enrolls in with their faculty advisor/committee chair or any other faculty member who is supporting them in writing their dissertation. In short, if a student is asking a faculty person to read a dissertation chapter or otherwise meeting with the student to discuss their dissertation research the student should be enrolled in HIGR 299 units with them. If a student is on fellowship doing research (in-residence or in-absentia) the expectation is that they are enrolled in 12 units of HIGR 299 with their faculty advisor/committee chair.

500 Courses 500 courses are the instructional component to Teaching Assistantships. In general, this course is meant to account for the time you will spend learning to be an instructor and preparing to teach. The level of instruction and support you will receive is dependent upon by whom a student is employed and the requirements and expectations of this course vary (so read that syllabus very closely). Usually, beginning in a student's second year they'll enroll in a 4 unit 500 course and 8 units of other course work. In the event you accept a TAship where a 500 course is not available, speak to your advisor and/or the Graduate Coordinator about an appropriate alternative.

Course Requirements

A normal full-time program consists of twelve units (or three four-unit courses) per quarter. Ph.D. students are expected to complete at least one of the following minimum formal courses of study prior to their qualifying examination:

(1) two two-quarter research seminars, three one-quarter historiography courses in the major field, and four other courses (which may be a combination of colloquia, conjoined courses, or directed readings, but which must include one cross-field graduate colloquium like HIGR 200).

1. Research Seminar (A)

2. Research Seminar (B)

3. Research Seminar (A)

4. Research Seminar (B)

5. Major Field Historiography

6. Major Field Historiography

7. Major Field Historiography

8. HIGR 200 

9. Elective

10. Elective

11. Elective

12. Elective

(2) three two-quarter research seminars (not necessarily in the same field), three one-quarter historiography courses in their major field, and three other courses (which may be a combination of colloquia, conjoined courses, or directed readings, but which must include one cross-field graduate colloquium like HIGR 200).

5. Research Seminar (A)

6. Research Seminar (B)

8. Major Field Historiography

9. Major Field Historiography

10. HIGR 200

Students are encouraged to take their first research seminar in their major field during the initial year of graduate study.

After the first year, most students' full-time program includes two regular academic courses each quarter (8 units), and enrollment in a 500 course (four units), like HIGR 500, as a component of a student's employment as a 50% Teaching Assistant.

Major Field

The major field book list should be drawn up by the student in consultation with the faculty adviser. Each major field list will reflect the unique interests of the student, while also incorporating core themes of the field. Some field groups have formal core lists that may comprise a part of each student’s total list, while others do not. In all cases, students are expected to organize their major field lists according to the specific themes/nations/issues that have informed their graduate study, since no major field list can be all-inclusive. The number of titles on a major field list should be around 100, with 80–120 titles representing a reasonable range.

The  exam  for the major field is the oral qualifying exam/advancement to candidacy. Unlike the minor field and language requirements, no documentation of completing the major field is needed ahead of the qualifying exam. 

Minor Field

Documenting completion of a minor field.

To document your fulfillment of a minor field please click the button to the right to fill out and route for signature the Report of the Minor Field Exam via DocuSign. You will need to enter:

• your name and email
• the name and email of the faculty member approving your minor field (contact them via email prior to sending the form so they know to expect it)
• the name and email of your faculty advisor

For reference:  Report of the Minor Field Exam (PDF)

Minor Field Completion Timeline

Ph.D. candidates are strongly encouraged to take at least one minor field examination by the end of the first year and to complete the second minor exam by the end of the second year.  All minor fields must be completed before the major field/oral qualifying exam can be taken.  

Minor Field Types

Generally, the department recognizes two types of minor fields:

Minor Field Reading Lists

The Minor field is defined by a reading list agreed on by the student and the minor field adviser(s).  The list is intended to establish what will be expected of the student and to prevent confusion over the material to be covered. As a guideline, the reading list should:

• encompass about three quarters’ worth of coursework(which may be taken with up to three faculty members)
• include about 50 titles, with 40-70 titles representing a reasonable range, depending on the combination of books and articles.  
• be finalized at the beginning of the quarter during which the student plans to complete the minor field

Minor Field Evaluation

Completion or evaluation of a minor field takes several forms, depending on the policies of different field groups or individual professors.

• A one-hour oral examination
• A three-hour or twenty-four-hour take-home written exam
• An “un-timed” synthetic essay, 25-30 pages, that organizes the scholarship of the field
• Three shorter papers (8-10 pages) each encompassing a single quarter’s worth of reading. ( This option is especially appropriate in cases (like the Global History minor field) where the student is working with more than one faculty member on a minor field. )
• Developing a course syllabus in the field

Minor Exam Failure

Students who fail a minor field examination may petition the Graduate Committee for permission to sit for the examination again at any time during the following two quarters, as long as pre-candidacy time limits are not exceeded.  A second failure results automatically in dismissal from the program.

About the Global History Minor Field

The Global History Minor Field is usually completed by taking the three courses listed below:

HIGR 280 ( required ) HIGR 281 ( required ) HIGR 282

Students may use other courses in place of HIGR 282 to fulfill the requirements for the Global History minor field but should consult with Jeremy Presthodt or Uli Strasser prior to taking the class. Further, Jeremy or Uli should be listed as the minor field approver when you submit the Report of the Minor Field Exam. 

Language Requirements

Language requirements by field.

These are baseline requirements. Please consult your faculty advisor about what specific languages would be appropriate for your project.

• Ph.D. candidates in European and Latin American history must demonstrate competency in two foreign languages.
• Ph.D. candidates in East Asian history must demonstrate proficiency in the appropriate language(s), as decided in consultation with the advisor.
• Ph.D. candidates in History of Science and United States history, as well as M.A. candidates in European and Latin American history, must demonstrate competency in one foreign language.
• Ph.D. candidates in Ancient history require two modern foreign languages, as well as the relevant ancient languages.
• Ph.D. candidates in Middle Eastern history must possess a sound foundation in reading Arabic or Turkish (Ottoman Turkish or modern Turkish) as a requirement for admission to the program. Reading competence in two languages in addition to English is required before advancement to candidacy: the regional language Arabic or Turkish above, and a modern European language (other than English) related to the major field of specialization.

Additional languages appropriate to the special field of study as well as language requirements for a candidate in fields other than those already mentioned may be required by the Graduate Committee in consultation with the student's major field adviser.

Completing the Language Requirement

Students may satisfy the foreign language requirement in one of the following ways:

• By completing, with a grade of B- or better in each term, a two-year language sequence from the student's undergraduate institution. Such a sequence must have been completed within two years of the time the request is made to the Graduate Committee for certification of competency.
• By completing, while a graduate student, a two-year, lower-division sequence in the language approved by the Graduate Committee, with a satisfactory (S) grade in each term.
• By completing, while a graduate student, a one-year upper-division sequence in the language approved by the Graduate Committee, with a satisfactory (S) grade in each term.
• By passing a translation examination administered by the department. (This is the only option available for Chinese and Japanese.) A faculty examiner chooses a text that is approximately 3-4 paragraphs, and historical in nature. Students are given two hours (three hours for Latin) to take the exam and are permitted the use of a dictionary. The criteria for evaluation are somewhat subjective but will focus on the grasp of meaning and concepts, rather than word for word translation. Exams will also be offered twice a year, once in the fall quarter and once in the spring quarter. Students may also petition the graduate coordinator to take them at an alternate time. At the beginning of the fall and spring quarters, the graduate coordinator will poll students about their intentions to be tested and will schedule an exam time, usually in the sixth week of classes.

Language Completion Timeline

Students are urged to complete at least one foreign language examination by the end of the first year of study and must do so by the beginning of the third year of study. Failure to meet this requirement is grounds for denial of financial support. No student may take the oral qualifying examination before completing all language requirements.

The  Report of the Language Exam (PDF) is used to   document the completion of a language. Please use the Report of the Language Exam   DocuSign power form under the Departmental Forms section of the webpage to document the completion of the language requirement for all instances except the department administered translation exam.

Committee Constitution and Management

About the committee.

The Qualifying Exam and Dissertation Defense are conducted by a student's Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee is comprised of at least four members. A minimum of two members must be faculty members of the Department of History, and usually, they will be in the student’s major field. The third can be either a faculty member from inside the department but outside the major field or someone from another department. The fourth must be a tenured faculty member in another department. The student’s minor field advisor(s), whether inside the department or in another department, often serve in this “outside” capacity on the committee, although this is not required.

Committee Constitution

Students should consult with their faculty advisor about the composition of the examining committee well before their qualifying exam. In addition, the membership of the committee must be approved by the department chair and the dean of Graduate Studies before the exam. The student must submit the Committee Constitution Request  form below to the Graduate Coordinator at least one month (the earlier the better) prior to their Qualifying Exam. The Graduate Division website has additional information about committees and a Committee Membership Table which may be helpful in determining what role a faculty member may serve on your committee. Please also review the committee requirements in the Graduate Student Handbook. A few notes about that:

• Four of your members must be UC San Diego faculty.
• One member must be a UC San Diego tenured or emeritus faculty who is outside the History Department (e.g. Literature, Communications, Anthropology, Ethnic Studies, etc.).
• a copy of their CV, and;
• a letter of support from your advisor

Constituting Your Committee

The completed committee form must be electronically submitted to the Graduate Division by the Graduate Coordinator no later than two weeks prior to the date scheduled for the qualifying examination/dissertation defense. Please use the Committee Constitution Request form to request that the Graduate Coordinator submit a constitution of your committee to the Graduate Division. This request should be made at least one month prior to your Qualifying Exam:

Requesting to Constitute Your Committee

To constitute your committee please click the button to the right to fill out and route the request form to the Graduate Coordinator via DocuSign. You will need to enter:

Reconstituting Your Committee

The completed committee form must be electronically submitted to the Graduate Division by the Graduate Coordinator no later than two weeks prior to the date scheduled for the dissertation defense. Please use the Committee Reconstitution Request form to request that the Graduate Coordinator submit a reconstitution of your committee to the Graduate Division. Unless someone has asked to be removed from your committee, changes to your committee should be made no earlier than two quarters before you plan to defend and must be made at least one month prior to your Defense.  If someone has asked to be removed, depending on the role they are serving, you may not be able to reconstitute your committee until you find someone to replace them.

Requesting to Reconstitute Your Committee

To reconstitute your committee please click the button to the right to fill out and route the request form to the Graduate Coordinator via DocuSign. You will need to enter:

Committee Management

It is the responsibility of the student, in consultation with their advisor/committee chair, to ensure the policy-appropriate participation of all committee members at their Qualifying Exam and Dissertation Defense. This includes documenting each committee member's participation by obtaining the original signatures of all committee members on the necessary documents for both of those events.

Necessary Documents for the Qualifying Exam

• Report of the Qualifying Exam (routed for signature by the Graduate Coordinator)

Necessary Documents for the Dissertation Defense

• Final Report (routed for signature by the Graduate Coordinator)

Best Practices for Completing the Report of the Qualifying Exam and Final Report via DocuSign:

• Ahead of your exam/defense ask faculty to add [email protected] as a “safe sender” so those emails are less likely to go to junk/spam. Although campus IT has taken steps to identify DocuSign as a safe sender, it is still recommended that individual users do so as well.
• At the end of your Exam/Defense ask your committee members to check their email for the DocuSign email with the link to the form and sign while you're all online together. 
• ask the faculty to check their junk folder, spam quarantine, or other spam folders
• next, ask them to log into their DocuSign account using their @ucsd.edu email address and SSO credentials to access the form/s directly (https://docusign.ucsd.edu) *some people have personal DocuSign accounts so ask them to ensure they are logging into the UCSD DocuSign account
• Get verbal confirmation of who has signed and who has not, then follow up with the Graduate Coordinator to resolve any issues your committee members have with signing the form.
• Once the appropriate form is submitted to the Graduate Division, the appropriate fee will be charged directly to the student’s financial TritonLink account. 

Qualifying Exam/Advancement to Candidacy

Scheduling your qualifying exam .

Please submit the History Exam Card at least one month prior to exam to ensure the department is able to prepare all necessary paperwork and room reservations by your exam. 

Scheduling Your Qualifying Exam

Qualifying Exam Timeline

Students are normally expected to take their qualifying examination no later than the spring of their third year of study (except as otherwise specified by the individual fields) and are required to do so within four years. Students must fulfill all coursework, minor field, and language requirements before taking the qualifying examination. 

Qualifying Exam Administrative Checklist (.docx)

About the Qualifying Exam

The qualifying examination is an oral test in the student’s major field of study, conducted by the student's Dissertation Committee. The purpose of the major field oral examination is twofold: 1) to evaluate the student’s knowledge of the major research field and 2) to discuss the student’s dissertation project (with the exception of the US field, which holds a separate meeting for this purpose, no later than two months after the exam).

The exam lasts between two and three hours and is structured to give each of the five committee members an opportunity to ask questions of the student, based on the major field reading list. When the prospectus is also under discussion, usually the last half-hour is reserved for this purpose. When the exam is over, the student leaves the room and the committee decides whether the student has passed the exam and advanced to candidacy.

• The major field book list should be drawn up by the student in consultation with the faculty adviser and should be finalized at least thirty days before the date of the exam. Each major field list will reflect the unique interests of the student, while also incorporating core themes of the field. Some field groups have formal core lists that may comprise a part of each student’s total list, while others do not. In all cases, students are expected to organize their major field lists according to the specific themes/nations/issues that have informed their graduate study, since no major field list can be all-inclusive. The number of titles on a major field list should be around 100, with 80–120 titles representing a reasonable range. The date of the examination is determined by consultation between the candidate and the examining committee.
• The discussion of the dissertation project will be framed by a five- to ten-page prospectus written by the student and submitted to the committee with the book list at least three weeks before the exam. The purpose of the discussion is to determine the feasibility of the scope of the project and to offer suggestions about source materials and research strategies.

Qualifying Exam Failure

Should a student fail the examination, the examining committee will clarify the weaknesses in the exam, so that the student can prepare to take it a second time. If a second oral examination is warranted, the department requires that it should be taken no later than one quarter after the first examination. If the student fails the oral examination a second time, his or her graduate studies in the department will be terminated.

Previous Graduate Study

The various requirements noted above apply to students who have done no previous graduate work in history. If a candidate has completed some graduate work before entering UC San Diego, appropriate adjustments in coursework may be approved by a general petition to the graduate committee. Nevertheless, all candidates are required to meet language requirements, pass field examinations, and complete and defend a dissertation prospectus.

MA on the Way

An MA may also be awarded to continuing Ph.D. students (who do not already have an MA in History or closely related fields) upon successfully passing the oral qualifying examination. The MA is not automatically awarded; students must apply in advance to receive the degree, but no additional coursework is required.  

Note:   Students who wish to receive an MA as part of the Ph.D. program must apply for master’s degree candidacy by the end of the third week of the quarter in which they expect to receive the degree. Please follow the instructions on the MA Program page . 

• Report of the Qualifying Exam

Necessary Documents for the MA on the Way

• Application for MA (due week three) 
• Final Report for MA 

Dissertation Defense

The Dissertation Defense is the culmination of all of your work within the Ph.D. program. Please read all of the information on the Graduate Division's website about " Preparing to Graduate " and make an appointment to speak with the Graduate Coordinator preferably a year out from when you plan to defend.

Scheduling Your Dissertation Defense Exam 

Scheduling Your Dissertation Defense Exam

Departmental Roles and Responsibilities for the Defense

The Student will:

• Read the " Preparing to Graduate " page of the Graduate Divison's website.
• If you are conducting a hybrid defense, you will need to make an appointment with the department's Computer Resource Specialist to familiarize yourself with the equipment in the room. You will also need to ensure a member of the Student Affairs Team will be onsite to assist you (if need be) on the day of your defense.
• your name as you would like it to appear on your degree
• the title of your dissertation as you would like it to appear on all university records (including the announcement of your defense and the Placement  page of the website)
• Follow up with your committee, the Graduate Division, and the Graduate Advisor about any issues surrounding the completion of your degree.
• Schedule an appointment with the Graduate Division for a preliminary check of your dissertation. The first appointment should be scheduled once you have sent the completed (and formatted) draft of your dissertation to your committee and scheduled your defense.

The Faculty Advisor will:

• Ensure the policy ( here , here , and here ) appropriate participation of all members of the committee at the Dissertation Defense. It is also helpful to remind all committee members to sign the forms by checking their inboxes for the DocuSign request to sign the forms. These sometimes end up in a person's spam folder. UC San Diego faculty can also log into their DocuSign account and find the form under the "Action Required" tab.

The Graduate Coordinator will:

• Fill out the Final Report of the Final Examination and Filing of the Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree form via DocuSign and route the form on the morning of the defense for signature to all committee members, the department chair, the student, and the Graduate Division.
• Follow-up with committee members re: signatures on the final report form
• Send out the announcement of the defense to department faculty and graduate students.

Additional Information and Tasks

Preliminary Dissertation Appointments with the Graduate Division:  Students should schedule their preliminary and final appointments with Graduate Division Academic Affairs Advisers by utilizing the online calendaring system they have in place: https://gradforms.ucsd.edu/calendar/index.php

Committee Management : If you need to make any changes to your doctoral committee please follow the instructions above in the "Committee Management" drawer. 

Embargo Your Dissertation: Talk to your faculty advisor about embargo your dissertation. You may want to embargo your dissertation if you are planning to turn it into a book. The embargo will delay the university's publication of your dissertation and prevent other academics from using your research.

Embargo Form:  https://grad.ucsd.edu/_files/academics/DissertThesisReleaseTemplate.pdf

Documentation of Completion:  Once your committee and department chair sign off on the Final Report via DocuSign (approving your defense and dissertation) you will receive a copy of the form. This signature page is sometimes adequate documentation of the completion of your Ph.D. The rest of the final signatures from the Graduate Division and the Registrar’s Office are not completed until the end of the quarter.

Also, once the Graduate Divison has all the signatures, your dissertation is approved, and all co-author letters are submitted (if required), they also provide a letter from the Dean for temporary confirmation of completion. You should check to find out what is acceptable for proof of completion from the requesting entity. This timeline is also contingent on whether your committee requests any revisions at the defense and how long those revisions delay the submission of your final dissertation after the defense.

• Final Report of the Final Examination and Filing of the Dissertation for the Doctoral Degree (routed for signature by the Graduate Coordinator)

Best Practices for Completing the Final Report via DocuSign:

• At the end of your Defense ask your committee members to check their email for the DocuSign email with the link to the form and sign while you're all online together. 

Paying Associated Fees:  For students who will need to pay fees (advancement to candidacy, thesis submission fee, filing fee, re-admit fee), they will be charged the appropriate fees on their student financial TritonLink account once the form is received by the Graduate Division. There is no need for students to go to the cashier’s office. Unlike tuition and fees, there is no system set up that will allow the department to pay these fees on the student's behalf with department funds. 

Email and Mailing List: Please read over this information for managing your ucsd.edu email account. Also, please let the Graduate Coordinator if you would like to be added to the graduate Program Alumni Mailing which is used to contact you about departmental alumni events, and to forward announcements about job openings and funding opportunities.

Returning to Defend

Students In-Candidacy who do not defend within their Support Time Limit and withdraw or are administratively withdrawn from the program may return and register for one day to defend their dissertation. Below is a chart of what fees are required, based on when the student was  last enrolled. The three fees total around $300 (as of 1/2022).

Aside from the fees, all other administrative steps are the same. Students returning to defend should follow the steps noted above under the Departmental Roles and Responsibilities for the Defense,  section. Depending on how long ago the student left the program, it may be necessary to reconstitute their Dissertation Committee. The student should contact their Dissertation Committee Chair and the Graduate Coordinator to assist with this process.

Fees for Dissertation Defense

Graduate Exam Modality Policy

The preferred modality for conducting graduate examinations (doctoral qualifying examination and final dissertation/thesis defense) is to have the student and all committee members physically present. It is expected that there will be synchronous participation by all committee members in the scheduled exam and that at least half of the committee, including the Chair (or one co-chair), will participate in person. However, the department recognizes that a remote or hybrid graduate examination may be in the best interest of the student. There must be sufficient expertise among present members to examine the student. If a committee member must be absent for the scheduled exam, it is permissible for one absent committee member to examine the candidate on a separate date. Requests for exceptions to this policy may be submitted by the student and will be reviewed by the Director of Graduate Studies and Department Chair.

Request for Exception

To request an exception to the department's graduate exam modality policy please click the button to the right to fill out and route for signature the Request for Exam Modality Exception form via DocuSign. You will need to enter:

• the name and email of your faculty advisor/committee chair
• the names of all of your committee members and their preferred participation modality
• a justification/argument for how this configuration is in the best interest of the student

For reference:  Request for Exam Modality Exception (PDF)

Evaluation of Academic Work

The department expects all graduate students to do "A" level work. Grades below "B-" are considered evidence of unsatisfactory progress; a "C+" or any lower letter grade is recorded on the transcript, but is regarded as the equivalent of a failure. Required field courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students are strongly encouraged to take their entire first-year program for letter grades. These grades assist the department in evaluating the student's academic progress and in determining future financial support. Post-first-year students may take elective courses for satisfactory/unsatisfactory evaluation.

Incompletes Grades of "I" (Incomplete) must be changed to a letter grade by week 10 of the quarter following the quarter in which the course was taken. The grade will be recorded as a failure if the work has not been completed by then. Faculty do not have the authority to grant extensions of incompletes. A request for an extension of an incomplete must be made to the Graduate Division via the Graduate Program Coordinator in week 8 or 9 and these types of requests should only be made under exceptional circumstances.

Repeating Courses Once an "F" or "U" has been assigned and uncontested for a year, the grade is permanent. Students may repeat courses where they have received an "F" or "U" to prevent them from being academically disqualified from the program, however, the grade will remain on their transcript. To repeat a course, please register for the course you would like to repeat, and send that information to the Department's Graduate Advising Staff so that they can submit the request to repeat the course.

Academic Disqualification

A graduate student is subject to disqualification if the cumulative GPA in upper-division and graduate course work taken as a graduate student is less than 3.0, or if more than a total of eight units of F and/or U grades has been accumulated .

Spring Evaluation

Each spring in the years before the student has advanced to candidacy, faculty members from the field group will meet with each student individually to discuss the student's progress. In addition, the faculty adviser will submit a written evaluation for the student's file. Students are entitled to include a response in their permanent records. Once they are advanced to candidacy, graduate students continue to receive annual written evaluations of their progress from their respective faculty dissertation advisers. These evaluations are to be read and signed by the student, the adviser, at least three of the faculty members on the student's dissertation committee, and the department chair.

Time Limits

There are four time limits listed on your student record, but only three of the time limits affect students:

• Pre-Candidacy Time Limit (PCTL) -The amount of time you may be registered/enrolled in the Ph.D. program before advancing to candidacy.
• Support Time Limit (SUTL)- The amount of time you are eligible to receive funding support (work as a Teaching Assistant or Associate-In, grants, fellowships, etc.) from the university.
• Total Registered Time Limit (TRTL)- The amount of time you may be registered/enrolled in the graduate program.

The duration of the Ph.D. program is five to eight years. University and departmental regulations stipulate that the maximum tenure of graduate study at UCSD or Total Registered Time Limit (TRTL) is eight years; while seven years is the limit for receiving any type of university financial support or a student's Support Time Limit (SUTL). For the Department of History, the "normative" time to degree is 7 years. Students are expected to pass their qualifying exam and advance to candidacy in year three, but no later than year four which is the university's Pre-candidacy time limit (PCTL). Students are also limited to 18 quarters of appointments as either Teaching Assistants or Associate-ins (summer appointments don't count). Please read about how your Support Time Limit and 18-quarter employment limit affect your financial support and track your employment quarters:  https://history.ucsd.edu/graduate/funding.html#How-do-the-Support-Time-Limit-a

To learn more about time limits please visit the Graduate Division website.

Time Limits:  https://grad.ucsd.edu/academics/progress-to-degree/time-to-doctorate-policy.html

You can check your time limit by logging into the Graduate Student Portal.

Graduate Student Portal:  https://gradforms.ucsd.edu/portal/student/

Scholarly Articles

Opportunities for teaching, teaching assistantships.

In addition to providing funding opportunities, Teaching Assistantships are an integral part of the graduate program at UCSD, providing training and experience in undergraduate teaching. All students, regardless of their funding needs, are encouraged to spend at least one year as a Teaching Assistant.

The training of teaching assistants is the responsibility of the program in which the teaching is done. For teaching assistants employed within the History Department, an orientation seminar will be offered at the beginning of the fall quarter. The seminar will be organized by the faculty teaching coordinator, in collaboration with a senior TA, both of whom serve as advisers for first-time Teaching Assistants throughout the year. In addition, departmental teaching assistants attend one four-hour training session given by the Center for Teaching Development prior to the beginning of instruction in the Fall Quarter.

For teaching assistants employed by the college programs or in the Linguistics Department, training sessions are organized by these programs to orient students in specific course content and methodologies. These seminars are often scheduled during the week prior to the beginning of instruction in the Fall Quarter. Training continues throughout the academic year in weekly staff meetings.

Teaching assistants both inside and outside the department are evaluated by the course instructor. The instructor visits a teaching assistant's section at least once each quarter and reviews a representative sample of papers and exams for fairness and consistency of grading. The instructor prepares a written evaluation of the teaching assistant at the end of the quarter, and the teaching assistant acknowledges the instructor's comments by signing the evaluation. The TA also has the opportunity to include a written response in their file.

Associate-In

There are some opportunities for advanced graduate students in the final year of their program to serve as the primary instructor ("Assoc-In") for an upper-division course in the history department. First, a graduate student may be asked to teach an existing course to replace a faculty member on leave. Second, a graduate student may apply to teach a course of their own design during one of the summer school sessions.

Part-time Study

Students who enroll in fewer than twelve graduate or upper-division units per quarter are considered part-time students and are not eligible for support funding (eg. stipends, tuition and fee remission, tuition and fee scholarships, Academic Student Employment, etc.).

Approval for individual students to enroll on a part-time basis may be given for reasons of employment, family responsibilities, or health. Individuals who are interested in part-time study and meet the department's qualifications should speak with the Graduate Coordinator.

Part-time students must satisfy the same admission requirements as full-time students and are eligible, at the discretion of the department, for 25 percent time teaching or research assistantships (but not tuition and fee remission). Students who are approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies for enrollment in a program of half-time study or less (a maximum of six units) may be eligible for a reduction of fees. All other students pay the same fees as full-time students.

Job Placement

Qualifying exam and defense temporary policies [covid-19], temporary policy for qualifying exams and dissertation defenses.

Due to the current exceptional circumstances related to the spread of COVID-19 and at the request of the Graduate Division, the Graduate Council authorized a limited-term exception to the general rules approved by the Graduate Council on October 8, 2018, for how master’s and doctoral committee members conduct master’s thesis defenses and doctoral qualifying exams and defenses. Effective until September 18, 2022 , any and/or all members of a master’s or doctoral committee or the student being examined may be telepresent (meaning participation by live video teleconference) for a thesis defense, qualifying examination, and final oral examination (the dissertation defense). If these circumstances remain in effect beyond December 11th, the Graduate Council may authorize an extension upon request by the Dean of the Graduate Division or Chancellor.

As a temporary solution the Graduate Division has shared with Graduate Coordinators DocuSign forms for the following paperwork: 

• Final Reports of Graduate Degrees (MAs, PhDs)
• Report of the Qualifying Examination and Advancement to Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree
• Application for Candidacy for the Thesis or Comprehensive Examination (PLAN I OR II) for the Degree of Master of Arts or Master of Science
• General Petition

Original temporary policy email dated 3/10/2020

Field Specific Curriculum

Students in ancient history will be expected to demonstrate a broad mastery of the entire field, with special concentration as follows:

Major Fields

• The history of Israel in the biblical period
• The history of the Jewish people in antiquity
• The history of Classical Greece
• The history of the Roman Empire (including late antiquity)

First Minor

• One of the fields listed above not chosen as the major field
• Greek and Roman history
• The Middle East before Islam (western Asia and northeastern Africa from the sixth century B.C.E. to the seventh century C.E.)

Second Minor

• A field of history outside of ancient history
• A related discipline, offered through another department

All students will be expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge of two modern foreign languages, usually French and German. This requirement may be satisfied by any of the means recognized by the department.

All students will be expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge of at least one and usually two of the three following ancient languages: Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. The languages will be chosen as appropriate to the student’s particular interests and the requirement will be satisfied by departmental examination.

The second and sometimes third language not elected under (2) may be required if necessary for the student’s research. Additional languages, such as Akkadian, Aramaic, Egyptian, Ugaritic, Phoenician, Coptic, Syriac, and middle and modern Hebrew, may be required as necessary for the student’s research. The required level of competence will be set as appropriate to the student's needs and the requirement will be satisfied by departmental examination.

Research Seminars

HIGR 260A-B. Research Seminar in Ancient History

HIGR 223A-B. Research Seminar in Medieval History

Historiographic Scholarship

HIGR 254. Historical Scholarship in Ancient History

HIGR 258: Historical Scholarship in Medieval History

Students in East Asian history will be expected to demonstrate a broad competence in the entire field, with special concentration as follows:

• The history of modern China
• The history of modern Japan
• The history of modern Korea

First Minor Field

A coherent “teaching field,” such as

• The history of same country as the major field, but a different time period
• The history of different region within East Asia, including transnational studies

Second Minor Field

A “theoretical, comparative, or transnational field,” such as

• The history of a place outside of East Asia
• A discipline outside of history

Language Requirements:

The student must demonstrate:

1) native or near-native fluency in English speaking and writing;

2) proficient reading and speaking knowledge of the main language(s) appropriate to the major field, including classical language where needed; and

3) when appropriate for a proposed research project, working knowledge of another language, decided upon in consultation with the advisor.  

HIGR 215A-B: Research Seminar in Modern Chinese History

HIGR 216A-B: Research Seminar in Modern Japanese History

HIGR 218A-B: Research Seminar in Pre-Modern Chinese History

HIGR 219A-B: Research Seminar in Korean History

HIGR 210: Historical Scholarship on Modern Chinese History (3 qtrs.)

HIGR 211: Historical Scholarship on Modern Japanese History (2 qtrs.)

HIGR 212: Historical Scholarship on Modern East Asian History

HIGR 213: Sources on Modern Chinese History

HIGR 214: Historical Scholarship on Modern Korean History

HIGR 217A-B-C: Historical Scholarship in Pre-Modern Chinese History (3 qtrs.)

The graduate program in European history aims to achieve a dual objective: to develop a broad mastery of the major themes and scholarship in the field, as well as to encourage a special focus of research within a single nation or region in either the modern or early modern era.

Within the major field, national specialization is offered in modern Germany, Spain, Russia and Greece, and in early modern Italy and Germany. Regional specialization is offered in central/eastern Europe and in the Mediterranean.

• Modern Europe
• Early modern Europe

The first minor field should be selected from within the parameters of European history or in world/global history, but in a chronological period outside that of the major field.

• Medieval Europe
• A second national history
• World/global history

The second minor field is designed either to develop a non-European teaching expertise or to pursue broader theoretical reading related to the research interests of the student or in a chronological period outside that of the major field.

• A geographical area outside Europe
• History of science
• A transnational thematic or theoretical concentration, such as gender history, citizenship, nationalism, etc.
• A thematic or theoretical concentration rooted in another discipline, such as anthropology, sociology, art history, ethnic studies, or literature.
• Early modern Europe (only if the world/global history was taken as the first minor field)

All European PhD students must show reading proficiency in two European languages other than English.

HIGR 230A-B: Research Seminar in European History

HIGR 223A-B: Research Seminar in Medieval History

HIGR 220: Historical Scholarship on European History, 1500-1750

HIGR 221: Historical Scholarship on European History, 1715-1850

HIGR 222: Historical Scholarship on European History, since 1850

HIGR 225: Readings in Modern Russian History

Doctoral candidates in Latin American history are expected to gain a broad chronological and geographical mastery of the field as a whole. The oral examination in the major field, while concentrating on the student’s special area of interest, will be a comprehensive examination covering the whole field of Latin American history.

• The national period of Latin America, with a specialty in the Andean Republics, Brazil, the Caribbean, Mexico, or the Southern Cone countries
• Colonial Latin America, with an emphasis on one major region

The student should select either the national period or the colonial period as a chronological supplement to the major.

• The history of another geographic area outside Latin America and the Caribbean
• An area of discipline, offered through another department, related to the student’s dissertation or preparation for university teaching

Competency in two languages in addition to English before advancement to candidacy is required. Normally the first of these will be Spanish. The second may be Portuguese or another European or non-European language, including an indigenous language of the Americas.

HIGR 247A-B: Readings and Seminar on Colonial Latin America

HIGR 248A-B: Readings and Seminar on Latin America, National Period

HILA 267: Scholarship on Latin American History in the Colonial Period

HILA 268:  Scholarship on Latin American History in the Nineteenth Century

HILA 269:  Scholarship on Latin American History in the Twentieth Century

The objective of the doctoral program in Middle Eastern history is to achieve broad expertise in the modern history of the Middle East and to develop a special focus on the history of the late Ottoman Empire or its successor states.

• Late Ottoman history (approximately 1780 to 1920)
• Colonial and national period of the post-Ottoman Middle East with a specialty in the Arab East, Turkey, Egypt, etc.

Minor Fields

Any two of the following:

• The field of Middle Eastern history not chosen as a major field (see above)
• The modern history of a geographic area outside of the Middle East (ordinarily in European history)
• A related geographical or topical field (e.g., medieval Middle East, Iran, gender studies) offered through another department

Students must possess a sound foundation in reading Arabic or Turkish (Ottoman Turkish or modern Turkish) as a requirement for admission to the program. Reading competence in two languages in addition to English is required before advancement to candidacy: the regional language Arabic or Turkish (above), and a modern European language (other than English) related to the major field of specialization.

HIGR 275A-B: Research Seminar in Middle Eastern History

HIGR 274A: Historical Scholarship on the Early Modern Middle East

HIGR 274B: Historical Scholarship on Modern Middle East, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

HIGR 274C: Historical Scholarship on Modern Middle East, Colonial, National, and Post-colonial Eras

United States History

One of the following topical fields:

• African-American history
• Asian-American history
• Atlantic history
• history of the borderlands and Southwest
• Chicano history
• economic history
• legal and constitutional history
• political history
• social and cultural history
• history of the South
• history of the West
• history of women, gender, and sexuality,
• one designed in consultation with the adviser
• A geographic area outside the United States in either the premodern or modern period
• A related discipline offered through another department

Competency in one language in addition to English before advancement to candidacy is required.

HIGR 267A-B: Research Seminar in United States History

HIGR 265A-B-C: Historical Scholarship on American History

Specialization in History of Science

• Science in early modern Europe
• Science in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
• Science in the twentieth century
• Another field of comparable breadth, defined in consultation with the major field adviser

First and Second Minor Fields

• Any two of the following may be selected, in consultation with the major field adviser
• Science Studies (mandatory for students in the Science Studies program).
• Any of the other fields offered by the department, provided that it offers general historical understanding of the same period as the major field.
• A field of history of science not chosen as the major field.
• A second field of history, provided that it concentrates on a period or region other than that chosen for the first minor field.
• A related discipline, offered through another department.  ( This field may be in the physical or life sciences.)

Competency in one or two languages in addition to English before advancement to candidacy is required. The requirement will vary depending on chosen major field.

HIGR 239: Seminar in Science Studies

HIGR 238: Introduction to Science Studies

HIGR 241: Advanced Approaches to Science Studies

HIGR 240: Colloquium in Science Studies

HIGR 243: Historical Scholarship in Technology

Specialization in Critical Gender Studies (CGS)

UCSD's Critical Gender Studies program began as Women's Studies in the 1970s, alongside both an active non-academic women's rights movement and the nascent institutionalization of women's studies as an academic presence. The program was initiated with participation from students and faculty across the humanities and social sciences, including many of the same departments that continue to be involved. From the beginning, it understood itself as an interdisciplinary countercurrent, drawing from these disciplines and simultaneously offering a critique of accepted ideas and beliefs within them.

In the late 90s, the program's faculty introduced curricular revisions and the name change to Critical Gender Studies. With this, UCSD became one of the first institutions formally to acknowledge and to embrace the importance of sexuality and racial formation for the interdisciplinary study of gender. Always forward-thinking and rigorously interdisciplinary, the program has proven immensely useful and enriching for the undergraduate students who have partaken in it for the last several decades. Given the rich history and roots of this program, we are pleased to announce that such benefits now extend to graduate students through the CGS graduate specialization.

UCSD has long been a vibrant site for the study of gender and sexuality, with many graduate students and faculty already engaged in gender-related projects. These students and faculty have collaboratively organized toward recognition of this focus in their research. The specialization has been put in place to respond to such demands, providing a central program through which graduate students may develop their work among peers who take up similar questions. The program encourages applications from all graduate students (who have been admitted to the participating departments) whose work takes up questions of gender. Through the contributions of CGS faculty who specialize in women of color feminism(s) and queer of color critique, the program helps to develop and foster an understanding of gender as necessarily linked to race, sexuality and other social formations.

https://cgs.ucsd.edu/

Departmental forms, field curriculum status sheets, about the status sheet.

The  Status Sheet was originally developed for use by staff as an administrative tool. It tracks only the elements of the PhD requirements that staff need to check in order to ensure you are administratively prepared for the Qualifying Exam and to receive an MA on the Way (if you are eligible). This should be filled out to the best of your ability prior to meeting with the Graduate Coordinator about preparing the paperwork for your Qualifying exam or MA on the Way.

Status Sheets 

All status sheets are word docs. Please download the form, click on each line to fill out the form, and save the form using the following naming convention: [FamilyName]_[First Initial]-Status Sheet [YEAR-MO-DA], ex. Triton_K-Status Sheet 2020-09-23 . Further, please list the dates Minors or Language Exams were passed. Also, please indicate the quarter all courses listed on the status sheet were taken (this is especially important for 298s), ex.  HIGR 200 (FA20).   Finally, if you plan to use a 298 to fulfill the course requirement for either the Research Seminar or Historiography you need to fill out a general petition to have that substitution approved and documented.

• Ancient (.doc)
• East Asia (.doc)
• Europe (.doc)
• Latin America (.doc)
• Middle East (.doc)
• United States (.doc)
• Specialization in the History of Science (.doc)
• Specialization in Critical Gender Studies

Report of the Minor Field Exam

• the name and email of the faculty member approving your minor field

Report of the Language Exam

Documenting completion of a language.

Please use this form only to document the fulfillment of a language by means other than the departmental Language Exam (e.g. course work, petition, etc). Please click the button to the right to fill out and route for signature the Report of the Language Exam via DocuSign. You will need to enter:

• the name and email of your faculty advisor 
• the name and email of the Graduate Coordinator (or Graduate Program Assistant in Grad. Coords. absence)

You may also need to attach a PDF of either an approved departmental petition, your transcripts, or other documentation.

Department General Petition

Please use this form to petition alterations to curriculum as stated in the university catalog . Please click the button to the right to fill out and route for signature the Departmental General Petition via DocuSign. You will need to enter:

• the name and email of your faculty advisor

You may also need to attach a PDF your transcripts, or other documentation.

Wording for Common Petitions

East Asian History Third Minor Field Request: I would like to waive the third minor field requirement. Reason: East Asian faculty have agreed that a third minor field is not necessary for mastery—which is in line with the requirements of all other field groups in the department.

Department Letterhead Request

• Personal statement or cover letter for a job application
• Personal statement or cover letter for a fellowship application or other type of financial support application
• Personal statement of cover letter for a conference presentation application
• It may only be used during the time in which individuals are active PhD students in the department.
• Students must request and receive written permission (from the Graduate Coordinator) to use the letterhead for any purpose not listed above.
• All uses of the letterhead should make clear that the document is originating from the individual student (sender details begin with student’s name and student’s name is added as the signature at the end of the document).
• No student may use the letterhead to express the opinions of the History Department, other students, faculty, or any other entities beyond themselves.

If you have any questions about the proper uses of the History Department letterhead, ask the Graduate Coordinator before using it. Once you complete the application below and receive a copy of the letterhead, it is your responsibility to follow all policies and standards.

Department of History

Graduate Degrees

The University of California, Riverside offers MA and Ph.D. degrees in History and an MA in History through the Public History Program.

Ph.D. Degree in History

• At least two two-quarter graduate research seminars. One two-quarter research seminar may be waived by petition for students completing a MA in Public History at UCR.
• At least six reading seminars or equivalent courses, chosen from the student’s fields
• At least three courses approved by the graduate advisor for the teaching field requirement, of which two must be at the graduate level

All Ph.D. students must also complete HIST 301. This course does not count toward unit requirements.

Courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor and the graduate advisor; suitable courses are described in the departmental protocols. HIST 290 may be used towards the specific requirements above only with the permission of the graduate advisor.

Ph.D. Fields Students prepare three fields: a research field, a complementary field, and a teaching field. The research fields that the department offers are listed below; complementary and teaching fields may be chosen from among the research fields or from the list of additional fields. In special cases, students may petition to replace the complementary field with a custom field designed by the student in consultation with two faculty members who agree to administer the written examination in the field. Students may not offer three fields that all deal with a single country or region.

Research Fields :

• Early America
• Nineteenth-Century United States
• Twentieth-Century United States
• American West
• Native American History
• Ancient Mediterranean
• Early Modern Europe
• Modern Europe
• Early Modern England
• Modern England
• Modern Russia
• Colonial Latin America
• Modern Latin America
• Southeast Asia
• Public History

Additional Fields:

• Early Modern World History
• Modern World History
• Gender History

MA Degree in History

Plan I (Thesis) requires that at least 24 units be in graduate (200) level courses taken at a University of California campus (see residency requirements). Of these, only 12 may be in graduate research for the thesis, and in most cases, none may be in courses numbered 291 (exam preparation). Students are guided by a committee of three faculty who must be approved by the Graduate Dean. In addition to requiring an acceptable thesis, the department may require an examination that it feels necessary to confirm that the student has appropriate knowledge of the discipline. Once completed the thesis must adhere to University standards and be filed in the Graduate Division electronically.

Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) requires that at least 18 units be in graduate (200) level courses taken at a University of California campus (see residency requirements). None of these may be in graduate research for the thesis or, in most cases, in courses numbered 291 (exam preparation). Students must take a comprehensive examination, the content of which is determined by the department or program. No more than two attempts to pass the exam are allowed. Master’s students in residence and in good standing may earn course credit by examination. Consult the departmental graduate advisor for further details.

Public History Program

This program provides historical training in academic research and historiography as well as preparation for careers outside of the academy, in archives, historic preservation, museums, and other realms of public engagement with history and the humanities, including the digital.

Admission Applicants must have either a B.A. in History or a baccalaureate in another field and be able to demonstrate a satisfactory knowledge of history. Students prepare in two areas:

• A historical field outside of Public History
• Specialization in Public History

Course Work Candidates must complete a minimum of 40 units of courses as follows: 

• One two-quarter graduate history research seminar.
• Two history graduate reading seminars.
• At least one of the following: HIST 260, HIST 262, or HIST 263, or additional courses with approval of the Public History advisor. At least one accompanying practicum must also be taken.
• Four upper-division undergraduate or graduate courses related to Public History. Two should be outside the History department; additional courses outside the department require the approval of the Public History advisor.
• Four units of HIST 290 while writing the internship field report.

All students must also complete HIST 398-I, which does not count toward the 40-unit requirement.

Internship The candidate must complete a ten-week internship, coincident with an academic quarter or summer session, at a cooperating institution, for training under professional supervision in a field of the candidate’s choice. The internship is registered with a History Department faculty advisor as HIST 398-I. The internship requires a written field report.

Oral Examination Candidates must pass a two-part oral examination: one part on the field report-in-progress and a second part on the candidate’s field of history and Public History.

Normative Time to Degree 6 quarters. M.A. students who wish to transfer to the Ph.D. program must apply for a sixth-quarter review as described in the Ph.D. program. No student may enroll in these M.A. programs for more than 9 quarters.

For detailed requirements please consult the  UCR General Catalog .

Graduate Program Guide

Download a PDF of the most recent program guide below.

2023-2024 History Graduate Program Guide (PDF)

What's inside.

• Program Overview
• Field Structures
• Degree Requirements
• Field Specific Requirements
• Foreign Language Requirements
• Fees, Finance, and Funding
• Academic Student Employment (ASE)
• Professional and Career Development

History Graduate Programs in California

1-25 of 35 results

Stanford University Department of Humanities and Sciences

Stanford, CA •

Stanford University •

Graduate School

Stanford University ,

Graduate School ,

STANFORD, CA ,

Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Los Angeles, CA •

University of Southern California •

University of Southern California ,

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

UCLA College of Letters and Science

University of California - Los Angeles •

• • Rating 3 out of 5   1 review

University of California - Los Angeles ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 3 stars.

Read 1 reviews.

Salisbury University

Graduate School •

SALISBURY, MD

• • Rating 4.52 out of 5   33

Mississippi State University College of Arts and Sciences

Mississippi State University •

MISSISSIPPI STATE, MS

Miami University - College of Arts and Sciences

Miami University •

UC Berkeley College of Letters & Science

Berkeley, CA •

University of California - Berkeley •

Blue checkmark.

University of California - Berkeley ,

BERKELEY, CA ,

College of Letters and Science - UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA •

University of California - Santa Barbara •

University of California - Santa Barbara ,

SANTA BARBARA, CA ,

UC Irvine School of Humanities

Irvine, CA •

University of California - Irvine •

University of California - Irvine ,

IRVINE, CA ,

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UC Davis College of Letters and Science

Davis, CA •

University of California - Davis •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: Very informative and hard-working staff, graduate students and faculty. Anthropology department is robust, first-rate and diverse. Faculty are continuously researching and dedicating time to advancing the field. ... Read 2 reviews

University of California - Davis ,

DAVIS, CA ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Very informative and hard-working staff, graduate students and faculty. Anthropology department is robust, first-rate and diverse. Faculty are continuously researching and dedicating time to... .

Read 2 reviews.

UC San Diego Division of Arts and Humanities

La Jolla, CA •

University of California - San Diego •

University of California - San Diego ,

LA JOLLA, CA ,

College of Liberal Arts - Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA •

California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) - San Luis Obispo •

California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) - San Luis Obispo ,

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA ,

College of Arts and Sciences - University of San Diego

San Diego, CA •

University of San Diego •

Master's Student: I have taken a tour of the College of Arts when I was actually supposed to take a tour of the Law School Program building. USD College of Arts and Sciences maintains creativity and a diversity of professors with different perspectives, while still maintaining a professional environment and give student the option to practice their Catholic faith on campus. Having mass where I attend school is such an important thing for me and played on the many factors that assisted me in decided to accept the graduate program offer from the University of San Diego. ... Read 2 reviews

University of San Diego ,

SAN DIEGO, CA ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says I have taken a tour of the College of Arts when I was actually supposed to take a tour of the Law School Program building. USD College of Arts and Sciences maintains creativity and a diversity of... .

University of San Francisco College of Arts and Sciences

San Francisco, CA •

University of San Francisco •

University of San Francisco ,

SAN FRANCISCO, CA ,

College of Liberal Arts - California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA •

California State University - Long Beach •

California State University - Long Beach ,

LONG BEACH, CA ,

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College of Arts and Letters - San Diego State University

San Diego State University •

Master's Student: The SDSU program for Social Work is amazing!! You get to practice real scenarios and are prepared for when you have to apply tools when emplyed. Professors are amazing and help you throughout your journey! By far the best experience. ... Read 2 reviews

San Diego State University ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says The SDSU program for Social Work is amazing!! You get to practice real scenarios and are prepared for when you have to apply tools when emplyed. Professors are amazing and help you throughout your... .

Humanities Division - UC Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA •

University of California - Santa Cruz •

University of California - Santa Cruz ,

SANTA CRUZ, CA ,

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Riverside, CA •

University of California - Riverside •

• • Rating 4.25 out of 5   4 reviews

Master's Student: I hope to learn a lot from the Teacher Education Program at UCR! I love the opportunities that are offered to me and my peers. ... Read 4 reviews

University of California - Riverside ,

RIVERSIDE, CA ,

4 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I hope to learn a lot from the Teacher Education Program at UCR! I love the opportunities that are offered to me and my peers. .

Read 4 reviews.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences - California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA •

California State University - Fullerton •

• • Rating 3.5 out of 5   2 reviews

Alum: The ENST (Environmental Studies Masters Program) at CSUF is great for the flexibility of having mostly evening classes and the ability to chose a project, thesis, or a test-out option. A student can complete this program in two years if attending fulltime for at least 3 semesters. I would recommend that the student have an advisor and project or thesis idea already planned out before attending this program so that the student will be ready to begin their research as soon as they enter the program. This greatly improves the outcome of the experience and lessens the stress of having to find an advisor while taking classes. I do feel that the program is more worthwhile when a student is completing graduate research verse just taking an exit exam. The exit exam is not something I would recommend for those who want the full graduate school experience. ... Read 2 reviews

California State University - Fullerton ,

FULLERTON, CA ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 3.5 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says The ENST (Environmental Studies Masters Program) at CSUF is great for the flexibility of having mostly evening classes and the ability to chose a project, thesis, or a test-out option. A student can... .

College of Humanities and Fine Arts - California State University - Chico

Chico, CA •

California State University - Chico •

California State University - Chico ,

CHICO, CA ,

College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences - California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona, CA •

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona •

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ,

POMONA, CA ,

College of Letters and Sciences - National University

National University •

National University ,

College of Social Sciences - California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA •

California State University - Fresno •

California State University - Fresno ,

FRESNO, CA ,

College of Humanities - California State University - Northridge

Northridge, CA •

California State University - Northridge •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   1 review

Current Master's student: At this point, I could say I would like everyone to respond faster and to be a little clearer about their points and ideas. It can take up 72 hours before I hear back from anyone and then I still do not have my answer. not fully anyway. ... Read 1 review

California State University - Northridge ,

NORTHRIDGE, CA ,

1 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Current Master's student says At this point, I could say I would like everyone to respond faster and to be a little clearer about their points and ideas. It can take up 72 hours before I hear back from anyone and then I still do... .

School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts

Merced, CA •

University of California - Merced •

Current Master's student: The online experience at Merced college has been outstanding. Their Social Sciences programs have a wide range of classes available. The Psychology professors and sociology professors are amongst the best. I am truly content with my experiences. ... Read 2 reviews

University of California - Merced ,

MERCED, CA ,

Featured Review: Current Master's student says The online experience at Merced college has been outstanding. Their Social Sciences programs have a wide range of classes available. The Psychology professors and sociology professors are amongst the... .

College of Arts and Letters - California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento, CA •

California State University - Sacramento •

California State University - Sacramento ,

SACRAMENTO, CA ,

College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies - California State University - Sacramento

College of humanities, arts, behavioral and social sciences - california state university - san marcos.

San Marcos, CA •

California State University - San Marcos •

California State University - San Marcos ,

SAN MARCOS, CA ,

Mississippi State University

• • Rating 4.51 out of 5   49

Tarleton State University

STEPHENVILLE, TX

• • Rating 4.69 out of 5   54

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

INDIANA, PA

• • Rating 4.32 out of 5   56

Showing results 1 through 25 of 35

Application deadline: December 1

The history profession nationwide combines a traditional emphasis on geo-temporal fields (e.g., U.S. in the 19th century; medieval Europe) with a new emphasis on trans-nationalism, comparative history and interdisciplinary investigation. The USC program is at the forefront of these trends. Following the traditional emphasis, each graduate student must declare a major field in a geo-temporal area at the time of application to the program. Major fields of study include: China, Japan, Korea, Latin America, Middle East, American/United States, medieval Europe, early modern Europe and modern Europe. The purpose of the major field is to prepare students broadly for teaching and research.

By the beginning of his or her second year in the program, each graduate student must declare a minor field and an area of specialization. The minor field is intended to broaden skills beyond the geo-temporal boundaries of the major field; the area of specialization is intended to deepen the student’s scholarly training in the chosen area of the dissertation. The minor field may be chosen from the list of major fields (i.e., a student entering the program with American/U.S. as a major field might select “modern Europe” as a minor field), or it may be conceived comparatively, thematically or cross-disciplinarily. Possible minor fields include: Latin America; premodern Japan; the colonial Americas; gender and sexuality; visual culture; and anthropology. Possible fields for the area of specialization include: 19th or 20th century U.S. intellectual history; visual culture of the 20th century; modern European cities; and the American West. These lists are not exhaustive and are meant to suggest only possible courses of study.

For the major field, each student must take a minimum of four courses; for the minor field two courses; for the area of specialization three courses. Either the minor field or the area of specialization must be outside the major field of study, transnational or outside the discipline of history. Each student must consult with his or her adviser in putting together these fields of study.

Foreign Language/Research Tool Requirements

Students are required to demonstrate competence in two foreign languages to be selected in consultation with the faculty adviser. Students in United States history may substitute competence in quantitative methods for one foreign language. The requirements in this category must be met before a student is eligible to take the qualifying examination.

Course Requirements

All entering students (including those with MA degrees) are required to take HIST 500    in their first semester of study. All students are required to take two 600-level research seminars in the History Department. At least one of these seminars must be in the major area of study. Students must complete a minimum of 60 units of course work. No more than 8 units of the 60 may be in HIST 794a   , HIST 794b   , HIST 794c   , HIST 794d   , HIST 794z    (dissertation writing). Students must complete at least 30 units of graduate course work within the History Department.

Screening Procedures

The performance of every doctoral student is formally evaluated by the full faculty of the History Department, normally at the end of the spring semester and before a student has completed 24 units toward the degree. Unsatisfactory progress toward the degree requires either remedy of the deficiencies or termination of the student’s graduate program. After successfully passing the screening procedures, each student establishes a qualifying exam committee which then supervises preparation for the qualifying examination.

Qualifying Exam Committee and Qualifying Examinations

Each student must set up a qualifying exam committee by the end of the third semester in residence. It includes at least five members, at least three of them from the History Department, and at least one of them from outside the History Department (this person must be a tenure-track faculty member from a PhD granting program). The qualifying exam committee will oversee the student’s written and oral qualifying examination, which should be taken by the end of his or her fifth semester in residence and no later than the end of the sixth semester. The examination covers the major field, minor field and area of specialization. Students prepare for these exams by developing, in collaboration with their qualifying exam committee, reading lists for study in their major field, minor field and area of specialization.

The qualifying examination consists of two parts: (1) Three four-hour written responses, based, respectively, on the major field, the minor field and the area of specialization; (2) a two-hour oral session, which may include some discussion of the written exam. Students with one fail or more than two low-pass grades on the written responses will not be permitted to sit for the oral segment of the examination. The qualifying exam committee determines whether a student may retake any parts of the examination graded low-pass or fail.

A student must wait at least six, but not more than nine, months to retake any part, or all, of the qualifying examination. No part of the examination can be retaken more than once.

Dissertation

After students have successfully completed their qualifying examinations, they will select a dissertation committee consisting of at least three members, including at least two from the History Department. These individuals will be in charge of guiding the dissertation to completion. Within six months of passing the qualifying examination, students must submit a formal dissertation prospectus to all members of the dissertation committee and pass a one-hour prospectus defense convened by that committee. Some students (e.g., those whose major field is East Asia) can, with the approval of their dissertation committee, petition the Graduate Studies Committee for an extension of this six-month deadline. After passing the dissertation prospectus defense, a student is admitted to candidacy for the PhD degree. The student will thereafter concentrate on the dissertation. After a student becomes a doctoral candidate, he or she must register for HIST 794a   , HIST 794b   , HIST 794c   , HIST 794d   , HIST 794z    Doctoral Dissertation each semester thereafter until the dissertation is completed.

PhD in History

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The PhD program in History offers a broad-based, humanistic education that equips you with the research, analytical, and communication skills critical for meaningful careers in the field of History.

The PhD program in History enables you to conduct research at the highest level and begin your career as an academic historian or prepare for a wide range of academic and professional careers. You’ll work alongside CGU faculty-scholars who specialize in U.S. and European history and draw on expert faculty from the highly ranked Claremont Colleges as well. With abundant opportunities to traverse disciplines and bring diverse ideas together, you will engage in first-rate historical scholarship. The result: an in-depth education in history with a breadth of expertise and an instructional environment unmatched by most larger universities.

Program Highlights

• The Libraries of the Claremont Colleges are among the largest collections in California, and the Huntington Library, one of the world’s finest research libraries for English and American history, is nearby.
• You can pursue a PhD in History in conjunction with another degree program at CGU. You receive a diploma for each degree and “double count” some units from one program to the other to decrease your required total units.

Program at a Glance

UNITS 72 units

*Actual completion times will vary and may be higher, depending on full- or part-time course registration, units transferred, and time to complete other degree requirements.

COURSES BEGIN Fall | Spring

DEPARTMENT History

DEGREE AWARDED PhD in History

Featured Courses

Analyzes the intersections of environmental and indigenous histories of North America.

Explores various approaches to expansionism, imperialism, and colonialism across spaces & time.

Explores major debates within public history & provides theoretical frameworks and practical skills to conceptualize and execute public history projects.

Undertakes a close reading of such primary texts as sermons, diaries, and cartographic records, within the context of recent historiography of Colonial/British America.

Explores how the Spanish Civil War pre-figured the greater ideological confrontation that dominated Europe in the 1930s between fascism, communism, and democracy.

Focuses on the profound political, cultural, intellectual, social and economic changes that defined this period, its revolutions, democratization, World Wars, and more.

• History 300 (4 units)
• One Transdisciplinary course (4 units)
• Ten History elective courses (40 units)
• Six elective courses (24 units)

Up to 24 units transfer credit from previous graduate work in History may be substituted for the elective coursework requirements.

Research Tools Requirement

• Two foreign languages ( or one foreign language and one research tool)

Research Papers

• Two substantive research papers

PhD Completion

• PhD qualifying exams
• Dissertation proposal
• Written dissertation and oral defense

Inaugurated in 1962, the Claremont Graduate University Oral History Program has amassed an impressive collection of interviews with persons whose life experiences merited preservation and special projects, such as China Missionaries Oral History Project, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. It is a premier resource for research into the history of The Claremont Colleges and California state government and politics.

Faculty & Research

Matthew Bowman

Associate Professor of Religion and History Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies

Research Interests

Mormonism, new religious movements, evangelicalism, religion and American politics

Joshua Goode

Associate Professor of Cultural Studies and History Chair, Cultural Studies (Fall 2022)

Modern Spain, 19th- and 20th-century Europe, Genocide and racial thought, Museums and commemoration, Memory

Romeo Guzmán

Assistant Professor of History

Citizenship, Migration, Sport, Public history, Digital humanities

JoAnna Poblete

Professor of History John D. and Lillian Maguire Distinguished Professor in the Humanities Chair, History Department

Colonialism and empire, unincorporated territories, migration and labor, comparative ethnic studies, Asian-American and Pacific Islander studies, 20th-century United States, indigenous issues, environmental history, oral history, U.S. expansionism

Extended Faculty

Shane bjornlie.

Claremont McKenna College

Late Antique history, Roman history

Myriam Chancy

Scripps College

African diaspora with specialization in its literature

Alfred Flores

Harvey Mudd College

U.S. empire in Oceania with an emphasis on diaspora, labor, indigeneity, militarization, oral history and settler colonialism in Guåhan

Lily Geismer

20th century liberalism in the United States, Fair housing, Liberal religion and politics

George Gorse

Pomona College

Italian Renaissance art and architecture, Italian Baroque art and architecture, Medieval art history, History of cities, palaces, villas, and gardens, History of Genoa

Vivien Hamilton

Medical technologies, including x-rays, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Daniel Livesay

Early American and Atlantic history; Race, family, and slavery in North America and the Caribbean

Charles Lofgren

American Constitutionalism, American founding, Constitutional law, Military history, War and foreign relations

Char Miller

U.S. environmental policy, U.S. public-lands management, Western water politics, Immigration and border security, Urban politics and development, U.S. intellectual and cultural history

Harmony O’Rourke

Pitzer College

Cultural and social history of early modern and modern Africa, Global diasporas, Gender and sexuality, West Africa, Slavery, Colonialism, Oral history

Albert Park

Design & architecture, East Asian history & political economy, Korean history, Modern Japanese history

Ralph Rossum

American Constitutionalism, American Founding, Constitutional Law, Crime and Criminal Justice, Indian Gaming Issues, Redistricting, Supreme Court, Voting Rights

Victor Silverman

U.S. History, Alcohol and Drug Studies, History of Sexual/Gender Minorities, The Cold War, Labor Unions, International Labor Movements, U.S. and Britain, San Francisco Bay Area History, California History, Sustainable Development Policy

Current Student

Why did you choose the PhD in History at CGU?

After completing my Master of Arts in History at CGU, I felt at home in the program and appreciated that it offered me the chance for intellectual freedom to explore my personal research interests. I knew I would receive support from the faculty not only to investigate unique topics but also to pursue a non-traditional path in history and academia.

In what ways have you crossed disciplinary boundaries?

CGU encourages students to find their own personal niche in academia, regardless of traditional discipline trajectory. My passion for museums and public history and the use of alternative methodologies (including oral histories, material culture, and digital humanities) has prompted my scholarship to span disciplinary boundaries in order to find my own personal place in the scholarship.

Where will this degree take you?

I originally began my masters thinking, “I must be a professor!” Although I still hold that dream, my experience here and within the Museum and Archival Studies programs changed my professional trajectory. I realized learning, understanding, and contributing to historical scholarship does not need to be limited to academia. So far, I have completed two non-academic public history internships and feel confident in utilizing my academic training in a public history field.

Where You Can Find Our Alumni

Smith College

Fort Lewis College

CSU Channel Islands

Mount St. Mary's College

Claremont Colleges Libraries

U.S. Department of Commerce

Walla Walla University

The Drucker Institute

Azusa Pacific University

American Studies

The American Studies concentration takes a multidisciplinary approach to the study of United States culture, society, civilization, and identity through the curricular lenses of history, literature, critical theory, and more.

View Concentration

Early Modern Studies

The Early Modern Studies concentration undertakes interdisciplinary examination of history, culture, politics, and society within the transitional and transformative period that stretched between Medieval and modern societies, marked especially by the advent of print, Christian confessional war, and the rise of the modern state.

Hemispheric & Transnational Studies

A comparative analysis of culture in the Americas, the concentration in Hemispheric & Transnational Studies explores how scholarship on the Atlantic, borderlands, and diaspora have reshaped U.S. American Studies, Caribbean Studies, and Latin American Studies, emphasizing the topics of empire, race, religion, and revolution.

Media Studies

Situated at the bustling intersection of cultural studies, new media, critical theory, and popular culture, the burgeoning field of Media Studies examines the creative and critical practices of media consumers, producers, artists, and scholars, focusing on questions of representation, power, technology, politics, and economy.

Museum Studies

The Museum Studies concentration investigates the history and political role of museums in society, the interpretation and display of a wide variety of cultural productions, and topics of special concern to museums as cultural organizations, using a multidisciplinary, practice-based approach to understand the historical development of this evolving field.

These concentrations are available for students pursuing the following degree programs:

Master’s Degrees

• Applied Gender Studies
• Cultural Studies
• Islamic Studies

Doctoral Degrees

Request information about the History program

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Director of Recruitment for the School of Arts & Humanities T: 909-607-0441 E: [email protected]

About the Department

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Welcome to the UCI History Department!  We believe the study of history is crucial to understanding the contemporary world.  We offer exciting undergraduate and graduate courses from antiquity to the present and from across the globe: Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the United States, and more. We have particular strengths in transnational and world history, and we offer classes in range of thematic fields: histories of gender and sexuality; science and medicine; global migrations, race, and diasporas; religion and environment.  Whether you are looking for a general education class or to specialize in history as undergraduate major or graduate degree, we’ve got courses for you.  

The Department includes approximately 35 faculty members who are also involved in many interdisciplinary programs at UCI, such as Medical Humanities, Global Middle East Studies, Early Cultures, Latin American Studies, African American Studies, Chicano-Latino Studies, Asian American Studies, European Studies, East Asian Languages, the Long US-China Institute, the Center for Armenian Studies, the Center for Jewish Studies, the Jordan Center for Persian Studies, and more.  Our faculty stress that the study of history is excellent preparation for multiple career options: teaching, law, public policy, science, business, journalism, and more. We offer extracurricular opportunities to support students in translating academic training to non-academic settings.

Upcoming Events

Welcome to UCI History!

We are looking forward to meeting you. The History Department office is open Monday-Friday, from 8AM to 5PM. Feel free to visit our office located at 200 Murray Krieger Hall. 

Contact Department of History

200 Murray Krieger Hall Irvine, CA 92697-3275

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Monument to the Naval Accounting School. Photo Contributed by Alan Christy

Welcome to the Graduate Program, Department of History at the University of California, Santa Cruz. The Department of History at UC Santa Cruz is a community of scholars pursuing historical research in a wide variety of geographical and thematic areas. Students in the Ph.D. program receive training and mentorship in historical research, theory, and teaching, and make significant contributions to this community.

The graduate program in history at UCSC has a global and transnational orientation, and emphasizes an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to historical studies, encouraging innovative thinking about global historical processes. We search for highly motivated students qualified to pursue advanced studies in history whose interests match the strengths of our faculty. We train students to think, talk, and teach across time and geographical boundaries.

The Department of History, and the Santa Cruz Campus generally, is known for its strengths in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies; Critical Race Studies; Colonialism, Nationalism, Internationalism, and Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies; and Class and Transnational Labor Studies. All students in the history graduate program receive training in trans-regional approaches to researching and teaching the past. Many students are drawn to the program’s curriculum in World History, participate in the events and activities of the Center for World History, and produce original scholarship that is comparative or transnational in scope, centers cross-connections, or situates national or regional histories within a global framework.

The scholarly community of the History Department at UC Santa Cruz values a diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences. Such diversity strengthens research, scholarship, teaching, and the intellectual culture of the department and campus. As a part of the commitment of the University of California and the Department of History to diversity, graduate students can find numerous resources, events, and dedicated staff and faculty mentors to help them achieve their educational and professional goals.

We invite you to explore our web site for information about the doctoral programs. As you learn more of what the department and the campus can offer, we urge you to contact faculty members whose specialties match your interests and discover the possibilities of graduate work at UCSC.

Continuing Recruitment : National Science Foundation Graduate Recruitment

** We regret to inform you that we will not be admitting students into our MA program for the 2024-25 Academic Year **

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About the Field

The formal course of study for the Ph.D. degree is further enhanced by opportunities to:

• participate in the editing and production of The Public Historian , the quarterly history journal jointly published by our program and the National Council for Public History
• spend research or internship quarters in residence at the UCSB Washington D.C. Center, with research grant and teaching assistantship support available
• meet and discuss the field with prominent visiting public historians in the program’s speaker series; and
• undertake coursework, research, and internships in the state capital, Sacramento, with the Public History Program’s joint doctoral program at California State University, Sacramento.

Students will work with an unusually broad and dynamic faculty:

• Randy Bergstrom , History of Public Policy
• Sarah Case , Editor, The Public Historian
• Juan Cobo Betancourt , Digital History
• Lisa Jacobson , Oral History
• Harold Marcuse , Digital History, Commemoration
• Stephan Meischer , Oral History, Africa

Program Details

Joint ph.d. program with cal state sacramento.

The joint Ph.D. program combines faculty and resources with the Capital Campus Public History program of CSU Sacramento in a venture unique in the nation. Students in the joint Ph.D. may take courses and participate in public history research projects at both locations and from the joint faculty, no matter location, through distance learning technology.

Students with a M.A. in public history or equivalent graduate training and experience may apply directly to the Ph.D. program. Those with other training are encouraged to contact the program director to discuss M.A. or preparatory graduate work for entry to the Ph.D. program.

Core Courses and Requirements

All entering public history Ph.D. students will complete the core of courses and requirements: at least six quarters of research seminars, two of which may be fulfilled by research seminars completed in M.A. studies

• the History 292 A-B-C series (Foundations of U.S. History to 1846; 1846-1917; 1917-present) or parallel courses in Latin American, European, African, and Asian history
• History 206 (History and Theory: Public History), History 207 (Historical Methods)
• a public history internship involving research and a report, which may be fulfilled by an internship completed in M.A. studies
• a graduate course in each of the four examination fields
•  general field
•  specialized field within the general field
•  third field encompassing the dissertation topic
•  cognate field outside the department (e.g. art history, anthropology, political science)

The first three of these field examinations will be written and oral; the fourth will be covered by oral examination only. Additionally, Public History Ph.D.s must:

• pass one foreign language examination
• complete a dissertation
• serve as a research assistant or teaching assistant, or comparable employment in public or private sector.

Links and more

• The Public Historian (journal)
• National Council on Public History
• Public History Resource Center
• Australian Centre for Public History
• UCSB Public History Project Group (trial website–link to groups.ucanr.org/UC_PHS/ removed 10/25/12 by hm)
• UCSB Public History Project Group (website no longer active)
• History 192 Public History
• History 192R Research in Public History
• History 205A Public Historical Studies
• History 205B Public Historical Studies
• History 217C Research Seminar in Cultural Resources Management, pt. 2
• History 218A Colloquium in Public History

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PhD Program

The UCLA Department of Art History offers a two-stage graduate program toward the PhD. Students are not admitted for a terminal master’s (MA) degree. The MA is awarded in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD and is granted with the successful completion of the first stage of the program, typically at the end of the second year, 6th quarter, in residence. Normative time to degree for the PhD is seven years from the term of admission. For students entering with a MA in hand, the normative time to degree is five years from the term of admission.

All students are required to complete the M.A. requirements in the department. The Graduate Review Committee may waive the M.A. requirements, at the time of admission, for students matriculating with a M.A. degree in Art History or adjacent discipline from another institution. Following Academic Senate policy on duplication of degrees, a student who enters the program with a M.A. degree in Art History from another institution is not eligible to receive a second M.A. degree in Art History from UCLA.

Please see here for the official UCLA Art History Graduate Program Requirements published on the Graduate Division website.

• The student is assigned a faculty mentor upon admission to the program. The mentor is responsible for the student’s course of study and must be consulted at least once each quarter. A change of faculty supervision and/or change in field(s) must be approved by the Graduate Review Committee.
• The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) offers intellectual guidance, approves any exceptions to the program requirements, and adjudicates disputes between a student and his/her faculty mentor. The DGS further serves as Chair of the Graduate Review Committee, which governs the admissions process.
• The Student Affairs Officer (SAO) assists students with all the administrative aspects of moving through the program.
• Each spring quarter, the entire faculty reviews the status of each graduate student to ensure appropriate time-to-degree progress.

Toward the MA

Requirements for the MA

• Satisfaction of the first language requirement.
• Successful completion of AH 200 with a grade of “B+” or better.
• Nine graduate and upper division courses (36 units) completed while in the program. At least six of those courses (24 units) must be at the graduate level, including four graduate seminars. AH 200 may be counted towards the required six courses.
• Successful completion of a qualifying paper (approximately 30 pages) according to the standards and procedures outlined below.

* Typically the above requirements are completed within the first two years of study (6 quarters).

Distribution of Coursework

The nine required courses must include at least two courses from Group A and two courses from Group B noted below.

Qualifying Paper for the MA

• The qualifying paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper written for a class from the first year of coursework. It should be approximately 30 pages in length (excluding footnotes, images, and bibliography) and should demonstrate the student’s ability 1) to formulate a thesis, 2) to present an extended argument, and 3) to conduct original research. Quality of the writing will also be evaluated.
• By the end of the fall quarter of the second year, student selects a class paper from the first year in consultation with his or her advisor to revise and expand as the qualifying paper.
• In the following winter quarter, student enrolls for 4 units of 598 (RSRCH-MASTER THESIS) to work on the paper under the supervision of advisor.
• Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) will contact each student during the winter quarter (usually early February) to appoint a committee of three faculty readers for the qualifying paper, one of which is the student’s advisor. At least one of the faculty readers will have had no classroom contact with the student. All students may suggest potential readers; however, the DGS will balance the student’s request against equity of faculty workload.
• On the first day of instruction of the spring quarter, students submits three copies of the qualifying paper to the Student Affairs Officer (SAO) along with a list of the three readers assigned to review the paper.
• The qualifying papers will be distributed to the three assigned faculty readers and each reader will complete an evaluation form and submit it to the SAO within three weeks of receipt of the paper.
• By the fourth week of the spring quarter, the SAO will make available the papers with reader’s comments to the student and these papers will be added to the student’s permanent file.
• The Graduate Review Committee, taking into consideration the faculty reader evaluations, will determine whether the student will be awarded the MA and permitted to proceed into the PhDprogram. In some cases, the Committee may recommend that the student receive the MA degree but discontinue further graduate study. It is also possible (although very rare) that the student’s work may not be judged adequate to receive the MA.

Completion of the MA

• Prior to the third week of the spring quarter in the second year, the student should complete the “Petition for Advancement to Candidacy for the Master’s Degree” (provided by and returned to the SAO).
• Once the Department has accepted the qualifying paper, the student must file it with Graduate Division by the Monday of the tenth week of the spring quarter, formatted as a thesis.
• Graduate Division guidelines for formatting MA theses are available  here . Workshops on thesis formatting are offered at the beginning of each fall and winter quarters. See the Grad Division website for more information.
• Following the Department’s annual spring review of graduate students, the student must submit a completed form for transfer from the MA to the PhD program (provided by and returned to the SAO).

Toward the PhD

Upon the completion of the MA or starting with a MA from another institution, the student begins the PhD program having chosen a major field of study within art history, often known at the time of application. By the end of the second quarter of residence at the PhD stage, the student also selects a minor field, which may be outside the department (e.g. Architecture, History, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Archaeology, etc.). The major and minor advisors are responsible for the student’s course of study and completion of requirements within the selected field. Graduate Review Committee must approve any change of advisor(s) or the major and minor fields.

Requirements for the PhD

• Satisfaction of language requirements (minimum 2, including 1 from MA stage; more may be required depending on field of study)
• Completion of 8 graduate and upper division courses (32 units)
• Written comprehensive exams in major and minor fields
• Dissertation prospectus and oral qualifying exam
• Doctoral dissertation
• A total of 8 graduate and upper division courses are required, of which at least 4 must be art history courses at the graduate level.
• Of the nine courses (36 units) required for the MA, students may use a maximum of two of these (8 units) to count towards Ph.D. coursework. Students may also apply courses taken in excess of MA requirements towards fulfilling Ph.D. course requirements. (This does not apply to students who received their MA from other institutions/departments.)
• 5 courses in one field are required to claim it as the major field; 3 courses in one field are required to claim it as the minor field. The minor can also be from outside the department (e.g. Architecture, History, Anthropology, Comparative Literature, Archaeology, etc.).
• Students entering the PhD stage deficient in Art History 200 (Art Historical Theories and Methodologies) or its equivalent must add this to the total requirements. In some cases, Art History 201 (Topics in Historiography of Art History) may be required by faculty/advisor recommendation. Any additional coursework required by the Graduate Review Committee at time of admission must be completed during the first two quarters of residence and may not count toward the minimum course requirements for either the MA or PhD degree.

Written Comprehensive Examinations

• Upon completion of coursework and fulfillment of language requirements, the student takes the PhD written comprehensive examinations in the major and minor fields of study, designed and evaluated by the student’s major and minor advisors respectively.
• The purpose of the examinations is to test the student’s breadth and depth of knowledge in his/her fields of study. If a student fails to pass the examination or part thereof, the failed portion may be repeated once no later than the subsequent quarter of residence. No further repetition will be allowed. The written comprehensive examinations may be taken during any two-week period of the Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters. Typically, students take these exams during the winter quarter of the second year in residence, 5th quarter, in the PhD program.
• The Department offers two formats for the major and minor written exams, the details of which must be worked out in advance between the student and the examiner. Format A: Take-home. 2-3 essay questions to be completed in 1 week (for the minor exam, 1-2 questions to be completed in 3 days). Format B: Sit-down. 2-3 essay questions to be completed in 6 hours (for the minor exam, 1-2 questions to be completed in 3 hours). Many faculty incorporate designing of a syllabus as an exam question and the formats above do not preclude this possibility. Such an assignment would count as one question/essay.
• The specific format and dates for the major and minor exams must be submitted to the Student Affairs Officer at least three weeks in advance using the appropriate departmental form.

Doctoral Committee

• Upon passing the written comprehensive examinations in major and minor fields of study, the student selects a dissertation topic and nominates the members of his/her Doctoral Committee in consultation with his/her advisor.
• This committee minimally consists of the major advisor, now serving as committee chair, two additional members of the art history faculty (normally, but not necessarily, including the student’s minor advisor), and one member from another UCLA department. For details on the acceptable status of these members and for minimum university standards of the doctoral committee,  please see page 14-17 in the Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study manual .
• The student and committee chair must agree on all committee members. Any changes in committee constitution after formal nomination must be reported to and approved by the Graduate Division; replacing the committee chair can only occur by consent or if the faculty member leaves UCLA.
• Please note that the Graduate Division generally approves Committee nominations within 2-3 weeks, and the oral qualifying exam may not be taken before official approval has been received.

Dissertation Prospectus and Oral Qualifying Examination

• The dissertation topic should be identified in discussions with the advisor. These discussions usually evolve organically through the course of study and are highly individualized. Typically, the oral examination is scheduled during the quarter following the successful completion of the written examinations.
• Once the Doctoral Committee has been officially approved by Graduate Division, and after having conducted considerable exploratory research and preparation for his/her dissertation, the student submits to each member of the Doctoral Committee a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus should not be distributed to the full committee without the approval of the student’s committee chair.
• The dissertation prospectus should not exceed 20 pages and include a statement of purpose regarding the art historical topic/problem being addressed (what is at stake in the study), tentative chapter outlines, working bibliography, research plan, methodological strategies, and preliminary schedule for completion.
• Students should submit the prospectus to committee members 2-3 weeks before the oral examination date to allow sufficient time for the prospectus to be reviewed. If any member of the Doctoral Committee finds the prospectus inadequate, he or she must notify the committee chair at least one week prior to the oral examination date. In some cases, the prospectus must be revised and/or the examination date postponed.
• The student is responsible for scheduling the oral exam, consulting with committee members well in advance regarding the date and time of availability of each faculty member. The SAO helps the student reserve an appropriate space for the exam.
• The purpose of the oral examination is to assess the validity and feasibility of the proposed dissertation topic and its methodologies, as well as the soundness of the student’s projected approach to completing the project.
• At the end of the examination, each committee member reports the examination as “passed” or “not passed.” A student may not pass and may not be advanced to candidacy if more than one member votes “not passed” regardless of the size of the committee, or if the major advisor so votes. Upon majority vote of the committee, the oral qualifying examination may be repeated once. Students upon passing the oral examination are formally advanced to candidacy by the Graduate Division.
• At the time of the exam, the Doctoral Committee decides, by unanimous agreement, whether or not to waive the final oral examination (not normally required) and selects, again by unanimous agreement, a minimum of three members, two from the art history faculty and one from an outside department, who will read, approve, and certify the final draft of the dissertation. For details regarding the acceptable status of these certifying members, consult the publication, Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.
• Upon passing the oral examination, the student is officially Advanced to Candidacy (ATC).

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination (if required)

• After advancing to candidacy, the student works on the dissertation in consultation with his/her advisor, committee chair, as well as Doctoral Committee certifying members according to the rules laid out in the above named publication. Upon completion of the dissertation or individual chapters thereof, and with  approval  of the committee chair, the student circulates a copy of the dissertation  in Week 1 of the quarter  for comments and suggestions from the certifying members of the Doctoral Committee.  Each  reader is allowed  four  weeks in which to read it and make corrections and comments, and the student is allowed  three  weeks in which to respond and revise the dissertation. It is incumbent upon the student to communicate in a timely manner with all certifying members of the Doctoral Committee to ensure adequate time for review. Committee members must be consulted as each reader may require more time.  PLEASE REVIEW the timeline for dissertation completion  which clearly outlines the schedule for submission during the student’s final quarter.
• After incorporating into the final draft of the dissertation the recommended changes, the student will circulate the dissertation again among the certifying members of the Doctoral Committee. This draft should be circulated sufficiently in advance of the deadline for filing the dissertation so that each reader is allowed at least two weeks in which to reread it (see quarterly Schedule of Classes for filing deadlines).
• Each certifying member of the committee then decides whether or not to approve the dissertation. In cases where less than the entire committee acts as certifying members, approval of the dissertation must be unanimous. If the entire committee acts as certifying members, the dissertation is considered approved with one negative decision so long as that negative decision is not that of the committee chair. After final approval by the Dean of the Graduate Division, the student files the required number of copies of the dissertation with the Manuscript Advisor of the Office of University Archives. Deadlines for filing the dissertation fall approximately two weeks before the date the degree is to be awarded.
• Note: A final oral examination is not normally required for Art History, but in some cases it may be requested by the Doctoral Committee (determined at the oral qualifying exam), and is held prior to filing the dissertation. All members of the committee must attend and vote. A student may pass with one negative vote so long as that vote is not that of the committee chair. In case of failure, the Doctoral Committee decides, by unanimous agreement, whether or not the candidate may be re-examined.
• Upon filing the dissertation, the student receives the Ph.D.

Language Requirements

The completion of the PhD requires reading knowledge of a minimum of two foreign languages relevant to the student’s field of study (more than two may be required in some cases and must be determined in consultation with the faculty advisor). Applicants are expected to already possess reading proficiency in at least one of the two languages for which they will be responsible. New students shall sit for at least one language exam upon arrival at UCLA.

Students at the MA stage are expected to satisfy their first foreign language requirement by the end of the 3rd quarter in residence. It is highly recommended that they complete the second language requirement by the end of the 6th quarter in residence.

Students at the PhD stage are expected to satisfy their second foreign language requirement by the end of the 1st quarter and any additional languages by the end of the 3rd quarter in residence (or in consultation with the major advisor).

Fulfilling the Language Requirement

Option 1: Pass the Departmental Foreign Language Exam.

The language exam consists of translation of a text of 300-700 words chosen by the examiner to be translated into English in three hours (use of a non-electronic dictionary is allowed). Specific qualities of the language and expected level of proficiency in the field will impact the choice and length of the selected text. The Department expects accurate rendition in English rather than a strict translation, word for word, and values the quality of the translation over the completion of the exam.

Language exams are scheduled four times a year, approximately three weeks prior to finals week during the regular academic quarters. Entering students must sit for the first language exam in the first week of the fall quarter. Exam results will be sent out by email within three weeks of the exam date. If feedback on the exam is desired after the results have been announced, students are welcome to contact the examiner. If a student fails the exam and wants to appeal, he or she should contact the Chair of the Language Committee or Director of Graduate Studies.

Option 2: Complete UCLA courses  French 6, German 6, Italian 6, Spanish 25, or other relevant language classes with a minimum grade of “B”.

The following is a general guideline for language requirements in relation to specific fields of study. The final selection and number of languages is to be determined in consultation with the primary advisor.

African Indigenous African languages, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese Ancient/Mediterranean/Near East Akkadian, Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek, Latin Chinese/Korean/Japanese Two East Asian languages, for pre-modern studies additionally literary Chinese or Japanese Byzantine/Western Medieval French, German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Slavic Languages, Turkish, Spanish Indigenous Americas One European language, one indigenous language (e.g., Quechua, Nahuatl, Maya), one other language (depending on topic) Islamic Arabic, Turkish/Ottoman, Persian, French, German Latin America Spanish (mandatory), French, German, Portuguese Modern & Contemporary Europe & America French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian Renaissance/Baroque/Early Modern Italian, French, Spanish, German, Latin, Dutch, Slavic Languages, Latin and/or Greek (depending on topic) South Asia Sanskrit, Hindi/Urdu, Persian Southeast Asia Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian

What are you looking for?

Suggested search, department of history, excellent undergraduate education.

As one of the largest providers of undergraduate general education courses, in addition to our majors, the faculty of the history department takes teaching seriously. Our professors have received recognition and awards for their teaching, and we continuously work to improve the breadth, depth, and quality of our undergraduate courses. Our graduate student teaching assistants have also won accolades for their teaching, and the department’s TA training program has become the basis for teaching instruction across the wider campus community. We truly believe that history matters.

Outstanding Graduate Education

Our graduate program ranks among the best in the nation, supported by the diversity of our faculty and the resources available both at USC and in the greater Los Angeles area. We pride ourselves on consistently producing some of the top winners of coveted and prestigious awards and fellowships nationwide. Doctoral students develop long-lasting and in-depth relationships with our esteemed faculty, whose mentorship helps them to become both better historians and future problem-solvers. Our commitment to supporting and professionalizing our graduate students helps them to become top-tier researchers, instructors, and sought-after candidates across a wide variety of career paths. We make history here.

A Community of Scholars

At its core, the history department is a community of scholars. Our award-winning faculty work in collaboration within the department, across the university, and with regional and national research institutions. The faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate students of the history department are a gathering of minds inquiring into the human past in an environment of academic rigor. Whether a student is joining us for a general education requirement, an undergraduate degree, a public lecture, or graduate training, all who are interested in the method and pursuit of history are welcome. Let’s make history!

WELCOME TO THE VAN HUNNICK DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY!

As of this year, the USC  Van Hunnick History Department has truly entered a new era. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Elizabeth Van Hunnick, our department will be growing and our faculty and graduate students will have the resources to be still more productive as researchers and scholars. But even before our department received its new name, we were in the midst of something like a renaissance, welcoming into our community a new group of scholars from diverse backgrounds whose work spans the globe and who bring to their investigations a wide range of methodological approaches and life experiences. At a time when, due to external pressures, some institutions (legal, governmental, and otherwise) and even some scholars have chosen to ignore the realities of history and to set aside the goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the Van Hunnick History Department continues to embrace these ideals and to savor the benefits of having done so. We encourage you to visit our faculty and graduate student pages. Get to know our community. Explore our calendar of events. And feel welcomed and encouraged to take our classes, attend our lectures, participate in our conferences, and investigate the complex histories that have shaped our world and that give us glimpses of better worlds that might yet be.

Paul Lerner , Department Chair

• Please click  here  to find the contact information for all staff members and student advisors.
• Please click  here  to view contact information for faculty.

Inaugural Sustainability Fellow Explores Historical Impacts of L.A. Freeway Construction Through Archival Collections

Amber Santoro , a graduate student in the USC Van Hunnick History Department, recently completed her term as the USC Libraries’ inaugural sustainability fellow. Presented in partnership with the USC Van Hunnick History Department and the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability , the new Summer Primary Source Research Fellowships on Sustainability support USC students’ public-facing research at the intersection of history, gender studies, and sustainability studies.

Beginning this past June, Santoro worked closely with library faculty and staff, including Rebecca Corbett, director of special projects, and Suzanne Noruschat, Southern California studies specialist. They steered her toward archival collections relevant to her research interests in the history of environmental racism and its relevance for today’s sustainability efforts.

At the end of USC’s summer break in August, Santoro emerged from her fellowship with plans to curate a digital exhibit that highlights the effects of freeway construction on marginalized Los Angeles communities.

USC alumna’s transformative $15 million gift puts history department on a path to preeminence

Elizabeth Van Hunnick ’s endowment gift, one of the largest to a university history department, is intended to support the development of more informed leaders.

Experts on contemporary Russian cinema, South African history and music join USC Dornsife

Congratulations to the two newest members of our faculty, Christina Davidson and Admire Mseba .  Click to learn more about them!

Department Chair

Paul Lerner

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Lindsay O’Neill

Director of Graduate Studies

Brett Sheehan

History of Art PhD

The Department of History of Art offers a two-stage integrated master's and doctoral program (MA/PhD) in preparation for college teaching, writing, and specialized curatorial careers. Students are not admitted to work for a terminal MA degree, though students may apply for the MA after meeting Stage I requirements toward the PhD. Students work closely with faculty in courses, seminars, and on independent research projects to develop independent thought and a thorough knowledge of the field and its critical methods. Cross-disciplinary work in Berkeley's distinguished departments of languages and literature, philosophy, rhetoric, film studies, women's studies, history, and the social sciences is strongly encouraged. A student may opt for a more formal relationship with other departments through Designated Emphases programs, including film studies; folklore; women, gender, and sexuality; and critical theory.

Contact Info

[email protected]

416 Doe Library #6020

Berkeley, CA 94720

At a Glance

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 4, 2023

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements