Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
History
Overview
The graduate program in History rests on a foundation of advanced, rigorous coursework that introduces students to a variety of historical eras and methodological approaches. Students acquire research, teaching, and communication skills necessary for careers in academia and beyond. Both the MA and PhD programs allow students to produce original historical research in the form of a thesis or substantial dissertation, with mentoring from expert scholars on the graduate faculty. Students may choose a professional option for the MA in History. Notable areas of faculty expertise include the history of ideas, the history of philosophy, public history, the history of race and gender, the history of religion, and the history of the U.S. South. Geographic Concentrations include: North America, Europe, and East Asia.
Doctor of Philosophy in History
60 semester credit hours minimum beyond the master's degree
Faculty
Professors: David F. Channell, Pamela Gossin, David A. Patterson, Nils Roemer, Daniel B. Wickberg
Associate Professors: J. Michael Farmer, Kimberly Hill, Monica Rankin, Natalie J. Ring, Eric Schlereth, Whitney Stewart, Michael L. Wilson, Benjamin (Ben) Wright
Assistant Professors: Rosemary Admiral, Paula Cuellar Cuellar, Anne Gray Fischer, En Li
Professors Emeriti: Joan Chandler, R. David Edmunds, Stephen G. Rabe
Associate Professors Emeriti: Peter Park, Gerald L. Soliday
Clinical Associate Professor: Jeffrey Schulze
Clinical Assistant Professor: Pia Jakobsson
Research Assistant Professor: Debra Pfister
Coursework: 45 semester credit hours
Forty-five semester credit hours of which at least twenty-four are taken as organized graduate-level courses in History HIST.
Required Courses: 33 semester credit hours
HIST 6304 Writing for the Profession2
18 semester credit hours of organized graduate-level HIST courses
9 semester credit hours of Field Exam Preparation
Elective Courses: 12 semester credit hours
Twelve semester credit hours of electives in any graduate-level courses.
Foreign Language
Students for whom proficiency in a foreign language is necessary for future research must either pass a translation exam or gain the coursework equivalent of two years of relevant language instruction. Students for whom foreign language research capabilities are not relevant may, with their advisor's permission, petition the Program Head for an exemption. Students must demonstrate relevant language proficiency, or receive an exemption from the language requirement, before scheduling doctoral field examinations.
Doctoral Field Examinations
Initial formation of the field exam committee must take place during the semester in which students complete thirty-six semester credit hours. Students should normally complete their doctoral field examinations during the semester in which they complete forty-five semester credit hours, but no later than the semester in which they complete fifty-four semester credit hours.
Dissertation
After passing their field exams, students form a four-person supervising committee, normally from the examining committee plus another faculty member proposed by the student, to oversee dissertation work. One member of the supervising committee will serve as the student's dissertation advisor or two members may serve as co-advisors. The supervising committee must then approve a formal dissertation proposal before the student submits it to the Program Head for final approval. Ideally, students will have submitted their dissertation proposals for approval by the beginning of the semester they will complete sixty semester credit hours. Once the proposal is approved, students formally advance to PhD candidacy. Each candidate then writes a doctoral dissertation, which is supervised and defended according to UTDPP1052.
1. This course must be taken during the first Fall semester after enrollment in the program.
2. This course must be taken during the first Spring semester after enrollment in the program.
Master of Arts in History
36 semester credit hours minimum
Faculty
Professors: David F. Channell, Pamela Gossin, David A. Patterson, Nils Roemer, Daniel B. Wickberg
Associate Professors: J. Michael Farmer, Kimberly Hill, Monica Rankin, Natalie J. Ring, Eric Schlereth, Whitney Stewart, Michael L. Wilson, Benjamin (Ben) Wright
Assistant Professors: Rosemary Admiral, Paula Cuellar Cuellar, Anne Gray Fischer, En Li
Professors Emeriti: Joan Chandler, R. David Edmunds, Stephen G. Rabe
Associate Professors Emeriti: Peter Park, Gerald L. Soliday
Clinical Associate Professor: Jeffrey Schulze
Clinical Assistant Professor: Pia Jakobsson
Research Assistant Professor: Debra Pfister
Coursework: 36 semester credit hours
Major Core Course: 3 semester credit hours
Electives in History (HIST): 24 semester credit hours
Twenty-four semester credit hours chosen from graduate courses in HIST. Normally no more than six semester credit hours of independent study are applicable to the degree plan.
Elective Course: 3 semester credit hours
Three semester credit hours in any organized course outside of History (HIST) but normally in the Humanities Graduate Program.
Thesis: 6 semester credit hours
Having completed thirty semester credit hours of coursework, students must write and present a thesis in history for evaluation by a master's committee.
HIST 6399 Master's Thesis
Professional Option
Students in the professional option in History must complete thirty-six semester credit hours of coursework, including HIST 6301 and normally all in organized HIST courses. They are not required to complete a thesis or meet a foreign-language requirement, and they receive a terminal degree.
3. Students are expected to complete this course within their first two semesters of enrollment.