HSTRY-PHD - History (PhD)
Download as PDF
Program Overview
Stanford History Department’s graduate program trains students for careers as scholars, teachers, and various rewarding careers in law, government, diplomacy, business, the arts, and administration. PhD students work closely with department faculty in 14 major fields to satisfy the PhD. We also offer a terminal MA program, a coterminal MA program, and two joint degree programs in Law and History (JD/PhD and JD/MA) with Stanford Law School.
This program is full time, doctoral students in the History PhD program are expected to maintain a significant physical presence on campus throughout their graduate studies. This ensures that students have access to advisors and mentors, libraries, and other resources that support timely progress towards completion of degree requirements. Additionally, being on campus ensures that students are part of the academic and campus community which supports continued professional development.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
- 1156511
- 1156571
- 2168931
- 2163501
- 2164161
- 2168941
- 2163491
- 2164171
Other Graduate Core Colloquia required for PhD students studying in fields other than the above are listed in the Department of History’s Graduate Handbook.
Upon enrolling and in consultation with the advisor, students select an area of study from the list below in which to concentrate their study and later take the university oral examination. The major concentrations are:
Europe, 300-1500
Europe, 1400-1800
Europe since 1700
Jewish History
Russia
Eastern Europe
Middle East and Central Asia
South Asia
East Asia before 1600
China since 1600
Japan since 1600
Korea since 1800
Africa
Britain and the British Empire since 1460
Latin America
The United States (including colonial America)
The History of Science and Medicine
Transnational, International, and Global
Upon enrolling each student, in consultation with the advisor, defines a secondary concentration. This concentration should represent four graduate courses or their equivalents, and it may be fulfilled by working in a historical or interdisciplinary concentration. The historical concentrations include:
One of the concentrations listed above (other than the student’s major concentration).
One of the concentrations listed below, which falls mainly outside the student’s major concentration:
The Ancient Greek World
The Roman World
Europe, 300-1000
Europe, 1000-1400
Europe, 1400-1600
Europe, 1600-1789
Europe, 1700-1871
Europe since 1848
England, 450-1460
Britain and the British Empire, 1460-1714
Britain and the British Empire since 1714
Russia to 1800
Russia since 1800
Eastern Europe to 1800
Eastern Europe since 1800
Jewish History
Middle East and Central Asia to 1800
Middle East and Central Asia since 1800
Africa
South Asia
China before 1600
China since 1600
Japan before 1600
Japan since 1600
Latin America to 1825
Latin America since 1810
The United States (including Colonial America) to 1865
The United States since 1850
The History of Science and Medicine
Transnational, International, and Global
Work in a national history of a sufficiently long time to span chronologically two or more major concentrations. For example, a student with Europe since 1700 as a major concentration may take France from 1000 to the present as a secondary concentration.
A comparative study of a substantial subject across countries or periods. The secondary concentration requirement may also be satisfied in an interdisciplinary concentration. Students plan these concentrations in consultation with their advisors. Interconcentrations require coursework outside the Department of History related to the student’s training as a historian. Interdisciplinary coursework can either add to a student’s technical competence or broaden their approach to the problems of the research concentration.
The department seeks to provide a core colloquium in every major concentration. Students typically enroll in this colloquium during the first year of graduate study.
Students must take two research seminars, at least one in the major concentration. Usually, research seminars are taken in the first and second years.
For more information, please see the Department of History Graduate Handbook at https://history.stanford.edu/academics/graduate-degree-programs/phd-handbook.
Teaching is core to the academic and professional training of doctoral students in our program. All students are required to complete four quarters of teaching by the end of their third year in the program regardless of their financial support. Typically, students complete more than the required number of teaching quarters as part of their professional training and financial support.
Admission to candidacy is a prospective judgement by the faculty of a student’s potential to successfully complete the requirements of the degree program. Students are expected to complete qualifying procedures and apply for candidacy by the end of their second year in the program. Qualifying procedures in the Department of History include required coursework and students demonstrating the ability to successfully complete the requirements for a doctorate in History at Stanford. Students must have an excellent record of course work, especially within their Major fields. Furthermore, students should have shown that they have the potential to do the original research necessary for a Ph.D. dissertation and completed both required graduate seminars with an A- or better. Additional details on qualifying procedures can be found in the Graduate Handbook.
The University Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree form must be completed and signed by the advisor and Department Chair. The form should be returned to the Graduate Program Coordinator.
In the department of History, the oral exam is a mastery-of-field exam in the student's field/major concentration. Students are expected to complete this milestone in Spring quarter of their third year in the program.
The student must complete and submit a dissertation that is the result of independent work and contributes to knowledge. It should evidence the command of approved research techniques, ability to organize findings, and competence in expression. For details and procedural information, inquire in the department.
A reading knowledge of one or more foreign languages is required in concentrations where appropriate. The faculty in the major concentration prescribes the necessary languages.
In no concentration is a student required to take examinations in more than two foreign languages.
Certification
Certification of competence in commonly taught languages (that is, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish) for candidates seeking to fulfill the language requirement in this fashion is done by the appropriate language department of the university.
Certification of competence in other languages is determined in a manner decided on by faculty in the major concentration.
In either case, language competence certification must be accomplished before a student takes the university oral examination.