Admissions Overview
The Department of History offers graduate degree programs (MA/PhD) in History and in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, designed primarily for students completing the doctoral degree (the MA is conferred at the end of year 2). We offer funding packages to students accepted into one of these two PhD programs. The Graduate Program accepts History MA program applications from students who have external funding or are self-funded.
In the History degree program, graduate training is organized around fields of study. Although most of our students are trained in a single field, students whose research interests span more than one field have the option to craft an individual plan of study that enables them to work closely with faculty members who specialize in different geographical areas. Students may also concentrate their studies in their primary field through one of three intellectual communities: Gender and Women’s History, Jewish History, and War in Society and Culture. Other options include our Bridge Program with the Department of African American Studies and the Joint PhD, e.g., with Educational Policy Studies.
The History and History of Science, Medicine, and Technology (HSMT) graduate degree programs have one application cycle that opens in early September for admission the following fall.
History PhD applicants should note that the following geographic fields are admitting students for Fall 2027:
- Africa
- East Asia
- Europe – Ancient, Early Modern, Late Modern, and Medieval
- Middle East/North Africa
Students interested in Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and United States/North America should wait to apply in the next application cycle. Individual Plan of Study (IPS) remains an option for students working transnationally.