Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in the field of History
Program Learning Outcomes for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of History
Upon completing the MA and PhD degrees in the field of History, students will be able to:
- Develop analytic skills in critical thinking and writing that are of value both inside and outside the academy.
- Conduct original research that makes a contribution to the field.
- Be equipped to enter the historical profession as academics who can teach, present work to peers, and communicate effectively with the public.
- Acquire expertise in their major field of historical inquiry and learn the skills necessary to write historical monographs.
Requirements for the MA and PhD Degrees in the field of History
MA Degree Program
The MA degree is a non-thesis master's degree. For general university requirements, please see Non-Thesis Master's Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Students are not normally admitted into the Master of Arts (MA) degree program, but the department of History offers the MA degree to those PhD students who have achieved doctoral candidacy and are in the process of completing the doctorate, or to qualified PhD students who leave the program before completing the doctorate. Students pursuing the MA degree in the field of History must complete the degree in one of the following three ways:
- completion of one year of coursework (18 credit hours) and a thesis written and defended in an oral examination during the second year, or
- completion of two years of coursework (36 credit hours), normally including at least two seminar research papers, or
- for students continuing to the PhD, completion of all requirements for PhD candidacy, including written and oral examinations.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the MA Degree in the field of History | 36 | |
Requirements for the PhD Degree in the field of History
PhD Degree Program
For general university requirements, please see Doctoral Degrees. For additional requirements, regulations, and procedures for all graduate programs, please see All Graduate Students. Doctoral candidates must prepare themselves in three fields of history: two in their major area of specialization, and a third in an area not included in the first two fields. Students who wish to pursue a third field in an area outside the department should petition the graduate committee by the end of their second semester.
The requirements for completing the degree will be administered as flexibly as possible within the bounds of general university requirements. These requirements state that the PhD degree will be awarded after successful completion of at least 90 semester hours of advanced study and an original investigation reported in an approved thesis. The student may apply for formal admission to candidacy for the PhD degree after passing the qualifying exam.
All first year PhD students are required to take the introduction to Humanities doctoral study course HUMA 500, The Humanities Beyond the Disciplines, (2 credit hours). The course does not replace or displace any of the required coursework in the department.
Students pursuing the PhD degree in the field of History must:
- Prepare themselves thoroughly in three examination fields.
- Take 8 graduate seminars, including HIST 575.
- Pass an examination in the principal language of research and in one additional language. If the principal language of research is English, candidates must pass an examination in one other language.
- Perform satisfactorily on written and oral examinations.
- Complete a thesis presenting the results of original research.
- Defend the thesis in a public oral examination.
The requirements listed in the General Announcements (GA) satisfy the minimum requirements for this degree program. In certain instances, courses (or requirements) not officially listed here may be substituted upon approval of the program's academic advisor or, where applicable, the department or program's Director of Graduate Studies. Course substitutions or any exceptions to the stated official curricular requirements must be approved by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the PhD Degree in the field of History | 90 | |
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Coursework | ||
| HUMA 500 | THE HUMANITIES BEYOND THE DISCIPLINES 1 | 2 |
| Additional Requirements as Defined by Department | 88 | |
| Total Credit Hours | Minimum of 90 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | HUMA 500 is required for all first-year PhD students within the School of Humanities. |
Policies for the PhD Degree in the field of History
Department of History Graduate Program Handbook
The General Announcements (GA) is the official Rice curriculum. As an additional resource for students, the Department of History publishes a graduate program handbook, which can be found here: https://gradhandbooks.rice.edu/2024_25/History_Graduate_Handbook.pdf.
Admission
The Rice University graduate program in history is primarily a PhD program. Students who have a BA in history (or its equivalent) are eligible to apply to the PhD program. Although many successful candidates to the PhD program have an MA or other advanced degree, advanced study is not a requirement for admission. Graduate study is offered in U.S. history, including U.S. and the World topics; Atlantic World history; Latin American history; and the history of the Middle East. These areas are supplemented by an interconnected range of supporting courses and fields, including science and technology, early modern and modern colonial history, African history, Asian history, European history, world history, gender history, transnational history, economic history, and the history of empires. Further information is available at the department website. For general university requirements, see Degrees: Graduate-Level.
Financial Support
The department awards graduate tuition waivers and fellowship stipends, within the limits of available funds, to qualified PhD candidates with demonstrated ability. All graduate students in the history department are expected to participate in the professional activities of the department as part of their training. These include, but are not limited to, assisting with the Journal of Southern History or serving as research assistants or teaching assistants for department members. As far as possible, these assignments are kept consistent with the areas of interests of the students.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content) and by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS). Students are encouraged to meet with their academic program’s advisor when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the History website: https://history.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the PhD Degree in the field of History
Information regarding resources and opportunities for the Department of History graduate students, including conference and research travels support, as well as additional funding, can be found on the History website: https://history.rice.edu/.
Teaching Opportunities
Avenues for teaching experience at Rice for graduate students include:
The Program in Writing and Communication (PWC) hires a number of graduate students each semester for instructor and teaching assistant positions for the University's First-Year Writing Intensive Seminars (FWIS).
The Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC) hires student consultants enthusiastic about working with Rice students to improve communication skills. The annual job notice is posted in late March and training is provided to successful applicants.
A competitive, sixth-year fellowship serving as the Boles Editing Fellow for the Journal of Southern History is also available.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the History website: https://history.rice.edu/.