Best Graduate Programs in History - Updated 2021

The goal of the doctoral program is to train students to become both skilled scholars and conscientious teachers. Throughout the program students work with advisors and other faculty members as they engage in coursework, prepare for and take the general exam, work as teaching fellows, and research and write the dissertation. On average it takes seven years to receive the doctoral degree. Most graduates have pursued academic careers at universities and colleges in the United States and abroad, while others have gone on to successful careers in law and in government.

The official requirements for the graduate program in History are detailed in the Graduate School of Arts and Science Programs and Policy Handbook. Important elements of the history program are summarized here, but students should refer to the Programs and Policy guide to check any technical requirements.

The MA in History and Literature trains students in historical approaches to the study of literature and in the interpretation of texts for the study of history. As a Columbia degree taught in France, the MA in History and Literature offers an attractive and unusual combination of Ivy League and European academics. The curriculum is designed, administered, and primarily part taught by Columbia faculty. It therefore reflects the intellectual values and standards of Columbia University.

The JD PhD Program is designed to train the next generation of legal historians, who will teach American legal history in law schools, history departments, specialized graduate programs, and legal studies programs. Students in this program have the opportunity to earn a combined JD PhD in a condensed time frame while complementing their studies in each field with knowledge and research in the other. The History requires that the student complete the full PhD coursework, which may include several courses from the Law School curriculum.

Cornell was one of the first institutions of higher education in the United States to offer advanced degrees with graduate study included in the curriculum at its founding. By 1913, the diversity of Cornell’s fields of study had attracted than five thousand students, making the university the second-largest school in the nation.Cornell awarded the nation’s first doctoral degree in electrical engineering and the first doctoral degree in industrial engineering.As early as 1868-69, the Cornell Register described requirements for four advanced degrees: M.S., M.A., Ph.D., and an advanced degree in civil engineering. Cornell awarded an M.S. degree in botany in 1870 to David Starr Jordan, who went on to become the first president of Stanford University. Cornell’s first Ph.D. was awarded in 1872 to Henry Turner Eddy, just seven years after the founding of the university.

The doctoral program in History and Philosophy of Science is a unique program offering students instruction leading to a discipline-based PhD that prepares them for positions in history, philosophy, and theology or religion departments, and in specialized programs in the history and philosophy of science. Faculty members are drawn from several University departments, including English, History, Philosophy, and Theology.

The History Department at Brown trains MA and PhD students in a wide range of fields, methodologies, and regions of the globe. As a medium-sized program, we offer an intimate setting that fosters tightly-knit cohorts and that offers the opportunity to work closely with world-class scholars in research and teaching. We aim for a diverse intellectual atmosphere and a diverse student body, and prize comparative, connective, and collaborative thinking across chronological and geographical borders.

The Combined B.A./M.A. Program will allow outstanding students of the History of Art and Architecture to complete a BA and MA in five years. The MA is a valuable qualification for museum and gallery work, heritage management and preservation, or professional school. Furthermore, it is excellent preparation for students who wish to explore the possibility of pursuing a PhD in history of art, architecture, and visual culture.

Graduate students in Rice University’s History Department enjoy all the advantages of a comprehensive research university in an intimate, collaborative setting. Our program is primarily devoted to training Ph.D. candidates for careers as professional research scholars at academic institutions, museums and other public history institutions. We offer financial aid in the form of tuition waivers and annual stipends to virtually all accepted incoming students. The History welcomes applications from highly motivated as well as Masters degree-holders.

The Department of History offers programs of study leading to an M.A. degree in History for Global, International and Comparative History (MAGIC) and a Ph.D. in History. The MAGIC program offers students the opportunity to develop a historical perspective on our interconnected world and provides multiple avenues for students to engage with the issues and insights that arise from an international historical perspective. The program provides a foundation for professional participation in the world of global affairs as well as strong preparation for doctoral studies.