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The century that recently ended saw the transformation of the study of history from the casual avocation of individuals into an organized profession centered in universities. It also saw the establishment of Columbia University as one of the country’s—indeed the modern West’s—most important centers of historical scholarship and graduate education. The profession and the discipline have changed continually and dramatically over the last century and more, and we have changed as well. But we have sustained many of our most important traditions—among them a commitment to consistent innovation and to a broad definition of the historical enterprise. The history faculty at Columbia represents many different approaches to the study of the past, and we strive to attract students who are similarly diverse in their interests and commitments. No one should feel that studying at Columbia requires accepting any single approach to history.Our graduate program prepares students to receive the Ph.D. in history. We do so by helping students learn to read and understand historical scholarship, by helping them to undertake research and writing of their own, and by assisting those who choose a career in academia to prepare themselves for the rewards and challenges of a scholarly life. The great majority of our graduates move into careers in colleges and universities in the United States and in many other parts of the world. Some choose careers in other fields, among them government, business, museums, historical societies, foundations, journalism, filmmaking, and independent writing and research. We believe that whatever careers our students choose, graduate training in history will be valuable to them throughout their lives, both professionally (since history informs and shapes many areas of society) and personally (since the practice and love of history is not confined to the professoriate). As a large and complex university in a great and complicated city, Columbia is sometimes a difficult institution to understand and navigate. But it is not impenetrable. Students trying to traverse the many hurdles along the path to the Ph.D. profit from the support of the faculty, the department staff, the administration, and perhaps most of all their peers in the graduate school. We hope you will also find this handbook useful as a guide to our program and as a reference tool for navigating administrative and bureaucratic procedures. Additional information about the department and the Ph.D. program can be found on the department website. Students and prospective students are encouraged to contact the Chair, the Director of Graduate Studies, or other appropriate faculty with questions about the program.
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