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Department of History
Degree Programs:
Full-Time: M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D. Part-Time: Free-Standing M.A.
Chair:
Adam
Kosto, Ph.D.
502 Fayerweather
Tel:
212-854-3005
Vice Chair (Fall 2007):
Alice
Kessler-Harris, Ph.D.
604 Fayerweather
Tel:
212-854-2420
Vice Chair (Spring 2008):
Marc
Van De Mieroop, Ph.D.
603 Kent
Tel:
212-854-4702
Director of Graduate Studies (Spring 2008):
Elizabeth
Blackmar,
Ph.D.
524 Fayerweather
Tel:
212-854-3016
Director of Graduate Studies (Fall 2007):
Pamela
Smith,
Ph.D.
605 Fayerweather
Tel:
212-854-7662
The Department of History offers a comprehensive Ph.D. program in almost every area and period of world history. Its range of intellectual opportunities enables a student to pursue studies in depth in a special field of interest and at the same time gain comparative knowledge in related areas. Those who complete the Ph.D. program teach in major universities throughout the world and work in related fields such as government service and publishing.
Fields of study include African, American, Ancient, East Asian, Eastern European, International and Global, Latin American, Medieval, Middle Eastern, Jewish, Southern Asian, Western European and Russian history.
Students who work in those fields involving the study of comparative politics or international relations may find it desirable to combine their work in the history department with an area studies program in one of the associated institutes in the School of International and Public Affairs.
The department also participates in the interdisciplinary M.A. Program in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences . This M.A. program trains students in how to apply quantitative methods to problems in the social sciences as they arise in business, government and nonprofit organizations. The program draws on the diverse strengths of the statistics and social sciences faculties at Columbia and other institutions in the New York metropolitan area. It is designed for students with a strong background in social sciences or quantitative methods who are interested in deepening their analytical skills and broadening their knowledge of the social sciences.
Fellowships are awarded in recognition of academic achievement and in expectation of scholarly success. Teaching and research experience are considered an important aspect of the training of graduate students. Thus, graduate fellowships include some teaching and research apprenticeship.
The curriculum varies considerably from one field to another. Normally, however, a Ph.D. candidate is expected to complete the following requirements:
- Completing eight to ten courses for credit in the first two years, including at least four graduate colloquia and a full year of work in a research seminar or seminars
- Fulfilling a foreign language requirement (expectations are different for each field and are listed in the GSAS Bulletin
- Passing an oral examination in a major and minor field
- Presenting and defending a dissertation prospectus
- Completing and defending a doctoral dissertation
Few students complete these requirements in less than five years; we strongly encourage all students to finish their degrees in no more than seven years. A fuller description of the Ph.D. curriculum in history is available in the Bulletin (which also lists all courses) and in the Department of History's Graduate Student Handbook, which prospective students may request from the department office.
Special Admission Requirements
In addition to the requirements listed below, all students must submit
1 official transcript showing courses and grades per school attended, a
Statement of Academic Purpose, a writing sample (a course paper, term
paper, etc.) and 3 letters of evaluation from academic sources. All
international students whose native language is not English or whose
undergraduate degree is from an institution in a country whose official
language is not English, must submit scores of the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IELTS. For more information, refer to our Admissions Information and Frequently Asked Questions pages.
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DEGREE:
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PHD
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Master's Only
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Deadline for Fall Admission
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December 15
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December 15
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Deadline for Spring Admission
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no spring admission
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no spring admission
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Resume/CV
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yes
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yes
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Writing Sample
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yes (15-20 pages)
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yes (15-20 pages)
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GRE General
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yes
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yes
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GRE Subject
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No
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No
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Miscellaneous
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JD/PhD available
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none
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The department accepts a certain number of part-time students interested in the M.A. degree only. Prospective applicants should contact the department's director of graduate studies.
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