History Ph.D.
General Graduate Program Requirements
Graduate School policies and standards can be found on the Graduate School Policies page.
The minimum GPA for any graduate program is 3.0. Individual programs may require more than a 3.0 to remain in good standing.
The minimum grade for a course to be accepted toward any requirement is C. Individual programs may require higher grades for specific courses.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY - HISTORY
- To fulfill the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in History, students must:
- Complete all required coursework with a GPA of 3.5 or higher in order to qualify to take comprehensive exams.
- Earn a B or higher in a graduate research seminar (HSTA 594/HSTR 594) in their first year in the program. Exceptions must be approved by the student’s advisor and the Graduate Committee.
- Earn a B or higher in a minimum of four 500-level history.
- Complete sixty (60) graduate-level credits beyond the baccalaureate degree.
- Of these, 45 credits must be from graduate courses taken while enrolled in the program and/or up to 30 transfer credits accepted by the Graduate School.
- Students may count a maximum of 15 credits internships, independent study, and dissertation toward the degree.
- Students entering without transfer graduate credits may count toward their degree up to nine (9) credits of graduate coursework taken outside the History Department while they are enrolled in the program. See below for allowed non-History credits for students transferring graduate credits.
- Language Requirement - Students must demonstrate competence in additional languages.
- Students in U.S. History will be required to demonstrate competence in one additional language.
- Students in other areas will be required to demonstrate competence in two additional languages.
- Passage of a language course at the 102-level at UM or the equivalent course elsewhere will demonstrate competence.
- Students may also satisfy the requirement by taking the ETS exam and scoring above the 45th percentile.
- These requirements are a minimum. At their discretion, advisors may require a higher degree of competence or additional languages.
- Applicants with a previously earned M.A. in History from another institution will be informed at the time of their admission how many transfer credits the department will recommend to the Dean of the Graduate School. If that number is less than 30, after their first semester in the program, the student may petition the Graduate Committee to recommend acceptance of additional transfer credits. Thesis credits are not transferable. See UM Graduate School Policy D2.100 for additional restrictions.
- With the approval of their advisors:
- Students with up to 15 accepted transfer credits may count up to six (6) credits of graduate coursework outside the History Department.
- Students with 15 or more accepted transfer credits may count up to three (3) credits of graduate coursework outside the History Department.
- Students who enter with an M.A. in History do not need to complete an additional thesis or non-thesis degree option.
- Students who enter with only a B.A. must complete a thesis or non-thesis option to receive their M.A. This requirement may be fulfilled by submission of a portfolio consisting of two research papers written while enrolled in UM's history graduate program.These papers must be approved by a committee of three faculty members. Additional information about the M.A. thesis can be found on the History M.A. page.
- Students must complete comprehensive exams consisting of written and oral exams in three fields.
- Students must complete and defend a dissertation.
Required Coursework
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Research Seminar | ||
| Complete one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Seminar | ||
| Seminar | ||
| Reading Courses | ||
| Complete 12 credits of the following courses. Two of readings courses must be in the student's major field: United States, Europe, or the World. At least one must be in one of other two areas.. | 12 | |
United States History | ||
| Readings in Early American History | ||
| Readings in Modern American History | ||
| Modern America | ||
| The American West | ||
| U.S. Women's History | ||
| Law, Capitalism, and Democracy in U.S. History | ||
| Special Topics | ||
European History | ||
| Readings in Early Modern History | ||
| Readings in Modern European History | ||
| Special Topics (must be approved as a European readings course) | ||
World History | ||
| Latin America | ||
| Special Topics (must be approved as a world readings course) | ||
| Electives, Research, and Dissertation | ||
| Complete 45 credits of the following courses: | 45 | |
| Any 400- or 500-level graduate history course. | ||
| A maximum of 15 of these credits may be from the following courses: | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Internship | ||
or HSTR 598 | Internship | |
| Thesis/Professional Paper | ||
or HSTR 599 | Thesis/Professional Paper | |
| Dissertation | ||
or HSTR 699 | Dissertation | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
Comprehensive Exams
Comprehensive exams consist of written and oral exams in three fields. Students will consult with their advisors to determine what three fields will best serve their research needs and teaching goals. The exams are intended to test students’ knowledge of each field and evaluate their abilities of historical interpretation and synthesis. Students are expected to master the literature in their fields and be aware of important historiographical trends.
- The examining professor will determine the specific requirements for each field, but the department recommends reading lists of approximately 100 books and articles.
- In order to qualify to take the comprehensive exams, students must complete all required coursework with a minimum 3.5-grade point average and meet the language requirement.
- Students entering the Ph.D. program with an M.A. degree typically take comprehensive exams in their second year of study. Students entering with only a B.A. degree typically take the exams in their third year of study.
- Students first take separate written exams in each of the three fields. The examining professor will determine the requirements for the written exam but recommended forms of assessment include a time-restricted essay exam, historiographical essay(s), and/or course syllabus. The oral exams are given the week following the written exams and are administered all together by the same professors who administered the written exams.
- In consultation with their advisors, students are encouraged, during their first and second years of study, to seek out faculty willing to serve as their examiners. No two fields may be taken with the same examiner. Normally, the student's advisor serves as the chair of the examining committee.
- Students receive a grade of pass or fail on the comprehensive exams. All professors on the committee must agree that the student has passed. Students are informed orally, at the end of the oral examination of the examining committee's evaluation of their performance. Students who fail to pass their exams may take them a second time. Failure on the second attempt will mean termination from the program. If the examining committee agrees that the student's performance on the oral and written exams is outstanding and meritorious, the committee may award a "distinguished pass."
Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation Committee
- Students are required to submit a proposal for a dissertation project, which must be approved by the student's dissertation committee. In consultation with their advisors, students choose members of their dissertation committee and gain the consent of each faculty member concerned. Normally, committees are composed of five faculty members, and the student's advisor serves as the chair of the committee. At least three members of the committee must be members of the History Department. One member of the committee must come from outside the History Department. Students should consult with all members of their dissertation committee while constructing the dissertation proposal.
- The student and the dissertation committee will convene a Dissertation Proposal Hearing where faculty members assess the strength of the dissertation proposal. Dissertation proposals will be assessed on a pass or fail basis. All members of the committee must agree that the student has passed. Students are informed orally, at the end of the proposal hearing, of the dissertation committee's evaluation of their dissertation proposal.
- Students are required to hold their Dissertation Proposal Hearing no later than 1 year prior to the intended date of the oral defense of the dissertation. To schedule your Dissertation Proposal Hearing, please fill out the PhD Dissertation Proposal Hearing Scheduling Form and submit a copy to the History Department Office and to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Doctoral Dissertation
- Students are required to write a doctoral dissertation that is an original contribution to scholarship. It must be presented in acceptable literary form. It must be of a quality that all or a substantial part of it would merit eventual publication.
- The final stage will be an oral defense of the dissertation. The student must provide the members of his or her dissertation committee with completed copies of the dissertation three weeks before the defense. Oral examinations are open to the public and guests may ask questions on recognition by the chair. Dissertations will be assessed on a pass or fail basis. All members of the committee must agree that the student has passed. Students are informed orally, at the end of the defense, of the dissertation committee's evaluation of their dissertation.
- To schedule the dissertation defense, students fill out the MA Thesis/PhD Dissertation Defense Scheduling Form and submit a copy to the History Department Office and to the Director of Graduate Studies.