The
Department of History awarded its first Ph.D. in 1883 and became one of the
original departments in the Maxwell School in 1924. Throughout its existence,
the department has stressed its role as a bridging discipline between the
humanities and the social sciences.
As
such, the department invites not only highly qualified applicants in history,
but also those with backgrounds in other fields, such as literature,
biographical studies, cultural studies, or the humanities. Graduate students are
encouraged to develop a minor outside the department. Medieval historians might
choose medieval art or music, for example. Modern U.S. historians might complete
a field in social science statistical analysis. Many dissertations in history
combine social science research methods and humanities subjects.
Graduate
students in history may also participate in interdisciplinary programs within
Maxwell and throughout the University, including American studies, legal
history, women’s history, or medieval studies. In addition, there are formal
joint degree programs with SU’s College of Law and School of Information
Studies.
The
history department offers M.A. and Ph.D. degrees through study in several main
fields:
•
Colonial and United States to 1865,
• United States since 1865,
• Medieval Europe,
• Early Modern Europe,
• Modern Europe,
• China,
• South Asia, and
• Latin America.
Other
areas of specialization are also available.
The
master’s degree can be a terminal degree or a preparation in historical
research and readings for the Ph.D. The goals of the master’s program are to
develop basic analytic techniques, broaden knowledge in the student’s
specialty, and offer research experience in a chosen area. Those with master’s
degrees in history are in increasing demand as secondary school teachers.
Two
programs of study toward a master’s degree are offered. The first requires 30
credits, a comprehensive test in the field of specialization, and, for students
outside American history, a foreign language test. The second requires 24
credits of coursework and a thesis, defended in an oral examination.
The
primary focus of the Ph.D. program is on the development of skills to pursue
original research and to compose an extended dissertation as the foundation for
a career in teaching, government, or research institutions. Students usually
complete the Ph.D. in four to six years. The program consists of coursework,
mastery of research tools, qualifying examinations in three fields, and a
dissertation based on original scholarship that represents a substantial
contribution to historical knowledge.
Highlighting
the first year of the curriculum are the fall historiography and spring research
seminars that all incoming students take. At the department colloquium, outside
scholars present their current work to gatherings of graduate students and
faculty members.
Graduate
students in history will find a collegial department characterized by informal
relationships with the faculty. The size of the student population—
History’s
home in Eggers Hall promotes frequent contact not only with other historians,
but also with faculty members and students from all of the social sciences.
Graduate study carrels are located near the department offices; this further
enhances interaction between the faculty and students. Eggers Hall also provides
ample study space and computer access, as well as comfortable seminar and
meeting rooms.
History
students enjoy the benefits of many specialized holdings in the Syracuse
University libraries, including the private papers of prominent Americans such
as abolitionist Gerrit Smith and Dr. Benjamin Spock. The 15,000-volume Leopold
VonRanke Collection contains the distinguished German scholar’s private
collection of books and manuscripts.
A variety of financial aid awards, including teaching assistantships, scholarships, and fellowships, is available.
Selected student research topics include:
Rank and file membership in the Congress of Racial Equality
The American occupation and the Women's Affairs Section, Germany, 1945
Silent partners: Australia and the United States in Vietnam, 1954-1968
German artisans and modernization: Göppingen c. 1738-c. 1870
History
contact:
Stephen Webb, Graduate Director
Department of History
145 Eggers Hall
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY 13244-1090 USA
Telephone 315-443-2210
Fax 315-443-5876
Main
Prospective Students
A graphic version of this site is also available.