History
OFFICE: Room 5016, Humanities and Social Sciences Bldg., Muir College
(858) 534-1996
history@ucsd.edu
http://historyweb.ucsd.edu
Professors
Courses
The Undergraduate Program
Whereas other subjects may make us smarter for next time,
said the great historian of the Renaissance, Jakob Burckhardt, the
study of history makes us wiser forever. This major is, moreover,
an excellent preparation for a number of rewarding careers in university
and college teaching and research, law, government, diplomacy, international
business, education, and even medicine. At the crossroads of the
humanities, the arts, and the social sciences, history is the study
of human experience as it has unfolded over the ages. As an academic
discipline it presents a unique gateway both to the richness of
our cultural heritage and to the immense variety of world civilizations.
Students wishing to declare a major in history should first consult
with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. After determining the
students likely field of emphasis, the student should then
select an appropriate faculty adviser. All undergraduate majors
are strongly encouraged to consult with the faculty adviser at least
once each quarter. Any difficulties in the advising procedure or
in registration formalities should be reported to the director of
Undergraduate Studies.
Department fields of emphasis are as follows: Africa (HIAF), East
Asia (HIEA), Europe (HIEU), Near East (HINE), Latin America (HILA),
History of Science (HISC), United States (HIUS); as well as the
following three thematic fields: Gender and Sexuality; Race, Ethnicity,
and Migration; and War, Revolution, and Social Change. A list of
courses approved for the thematic fields is available in the department
office or on its Web site, http://historyweb.ucsd.edu.
The department also administers the following special research
and instructional units; Chinese Studies; Judaic Studies; and the
Committee on Area and Ethnic Studies and Research (CAESAR), which
includes African Studies, Classical Studies, German Studies, Italian
Studies, Japanese Studies, Middle East Studies, Russian and Soviet
Studies.
The department is fortunate in having the research and professional
activities of its faculty supported by the Laura and John Galbraith
Faculty Development Fund.
Basic requirements for the major are as follows:
- A three-quarter lower-division sequence.
- Twelve four-unit upper-division courses, which must include
the following distribution of courses:
- Seven courses in a field of emphasis. (In certain cases,
with approval of the academic adviser, two of these courses
may be in a neighboring discipline.)
- Five courses in other fields within the department.
- Three of the twelve courses must focus on the period before
1800. These courses are indicated by the symbol (+).
- At least one of the twelve courses must be a colloquium
in which students would be required to write a substantial
term paper. Colloquia are those courses with numbers between
160 and 190, or others approved by the undergraduate adviser.
Note: The colloquium does not have to be in the major field
of emphasis.
*Requirement 2d applies only to students entering UCSD after September
1, 1998.
Students majoring in history will normally take at least eight
of their twelve upper-division history courses at UCSD. Exceptions
to this rule may be made for transfer students and for students
participating in the EAP/OAP program.
In special cases, upon approval of the director of Undergraduate
Studies, students may devise a field of emphasis (e.g., economic,
legal, or social history) other than those designated above. Special
independent study courses, such as HITO 197, HITO 198, and HITO
199, are available for students. These courses are especially recommended
for those students interested in the Honors Program and in Graduate
study.
With the exception of 199 courses, all work in the major must be
taken for a letter grade. Of the twelve upper-division courses required
in the major, no more than two may be History 199 credits. (Exceptions
to these rules may be allowed upon petition to the director of Undergraduate
Studies.)
Lower-division sequences may be selected from the following:
HILD 2 A-B-C |
United States History |
HILD 7 ABC |
Race and Ethnicity in the U.S.A. |
HILD 10-11-12 |
East Asia |
Students may also satisfy the lower-division requirement for the
major by completing the Revelle College Humanities Sequence or the
Fifth College Sequence, Making of the Modern World.
Students entering with AP credit in history may waive part of the
lower-division requirement. Transfer students, after consulting
with the director of Undergraduate Studies, may petition to substitute
a two-semester or three-quarter survey from another school for the
department s lower-division requirement.
Established in 1983, the Armin Rappaport Memorial Fund endows an
annual prize for the outstanding graduating student in the major.
The recipient of the award is announced at every June Commencement.
The Honors Program
The department offers a special program for outstanding students.
The Honors Program is especially recommended for those students
interested in pursuing graduate study in history or allied fields.
It is also a particularly effective preparation for professional
careers. Candidates for history honors are chosen during the spring
quarter from among juniors in history who have taken at least four
upper-division courses in the department. Juniors with a 3.5 GPA
in history (3.0 overall) are eligible to apply. Admission to the
program is based on the students academic work. Interested
candidates should complete the application form (available in the
Department of History office) by the second Friday of May.
In addition to regular course work in the department, the honors
program consists of a colloquium in historiography offered in the
fall quarter of the senior year and a program of independent study
leading to the completion of an honors essay on a topic of the students
choice. During the fall quarter of the senior year, candidates select
a topic and begin preliminary work on the honors essay in consultation
with a major field adviser (HITO 194). During the winter quarter
the student pursues a course of independent study devoted to the
completion of the honors essay (HITO 195). The award of history
honors is based on satisfactory completion of the colloquium in
history and the honors essay. Students are expected to maintain
an average of 3.5 or better in all work taken within the department.
Honors candidates must include at least three colloquia in their
regular course work.
Candidates for history honors should organize their work as follows:
- Six quarter-courses in one of the major fields offered by the
department.
- Three quarter-courses in a field other than the primary one.
- Three of these nine quarter courses must be colloquia.
- HITO 196. Colloquium in History;
- HITO 194 and 195. History HonorsHonors Essay.
Minors in History
Effective winter quarter 1998, the minor consists of at least seven
courses, five of which must be upper-division. Although there is
no specific distribution requirement, the courses should be selected
to constitute a coherent curriculum. No more than two upper-division
courses applied to a minor may be taken for Pass/No Pass. Prospective
minors in history should consult with an undergraduate adviser for
approval of their program.
Education Abroad Program
Students are encouraged to participate in the UC Education Abroad
Program (EAP) of UCSDs Opportunities Abroad Program (OAP),
while still making progress toward completing their major. Students
considering this option should discuss their plans with the departmental
Educational Abroad faculty adviser before going abroad, and courses
taken abroad must be approved by the department. (For more information
on departmental procedures for study aboard see undergraduate program
http://historyweb.ucsd.edu.
EAP is detailed in the Educational Abroad Program of the UCSD
General Catalog, or visit http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/icenter.
Financial aid is applicable to study abroad, and study abroad scholarships
are available. Interested students should contact the Programs Abroad
Office in the International Center.
The Graduate Program
The Masters Program
The Department of History offers masters degrees in the fields
of Chinese studies, modern European history (1500 to the present),
history of science, Latin American history, and United States history.
The department also provides the opportunity for students to design
special M.A. programs in areas such as African history, medieval
European history, and Judaic studies. In consultation with an appropriate
faculty member, students may petition the department for approval
for a special MA
Admission is based on the applicants undergraduate preparation;
previous graduate work, if any, three letters of recommendation;
one or two papers (preferably written for history courses); and
scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The GRE subject
exam in history is not required. The Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL) is required for foreign applicants. A minimum score
of 550 for the paper-based test or a score of 213 for the computer-based
test is required on the TOEFL.
The minimum grade-point average for admission is 3.0 with a higher
average in history and related subjects. While proficiency in a
foreign language is not an absolute requirement for admission (except
in Latin American history, where a reading knowledge of Spanish
is required), prospective applicants are strongly urged to begin
study of a foreign language appropriate to the proposed area of
concentration as early as possible in their academic career. With
very few exceptions, students are expected to begin their programs
in the fall quarter. Refer to the online application for filing
deadline. Masters students ordinarily do not receive financial
aid from the department or the university except when funds are
not utilized for support of Ph.D. candidates.
For online application visit:
http://www.ogsr.ucsd.edu/
General Requirements
Candidates for the masters degree are expected to finish
the program in one academic year of full-time study or two years
of part-time work. The program requires completion of thirty-six
units, of which at least twenty units must be in colloquia, conjoined
courses, directed readings, and seminars. In addition to course
requirements, students must pass a comprehensive oral examination.
Students in European or Latin American history and in certain special
areas must demonstrate reading knowledge of at least one foreign
language relevant to their course work.
Area of Concentration: Chinese Studies
Chinese studies is an interdisciplinary program that allows the
graduate student interested in China to take advantage of the universitys
offerings in various departments to build a coordinated graduate
program leading to an M.A. degree in history. Although the program
is offered under the auspices of the Department of History, the
student selects courses in the Departments of Anthropology, Linguistics,
Literature, Political Science, and Sociology, as well as History.
Area of Concentration: Europe
Candidates for the M.A. degree in European history pursue a program
concentrating on the history of modern Europe. The program provides
background in earlier European history in order to place modern
Europe in perspective. Some training in a discipline other than
history is also recommended. The requirement of nine courses (thirty-six
units) is normally distributed as follows:
- A two-quarter research seminar, to be selected from HIGR 230,
231, or 232.
- Three one-quarter courses concerning the historical literature
about central problems in European history: HIGR 200, 220, 221,
and 222 are the preferred options. If any of them are not scheduled
for the year, other graduate-level colloquia may be substituted
with approval of the students graduate adviser.
- Two courses in preindustrial Europe, 14501750: HIGR 200,
220, and 221 may be counted for this requirement.
- Two courses in industrial Europe since 1750: HIGR 221 and 222
may be counted for this requirement, as well as appropriate graduate
level colloquia.
Note: HIGR 221 may NOT be used for both (3) and (4).
- One course in a discipline other than history, if relevant
to the students program.
Area of Concentration: History of Science
The masters program in history of science provides a broad
background in preparation for a variety of careers related to science
and technology, business, journalism, education, government, or
for more advanced degree work. The nine courses (thirty-six units)
required are normally distributed as follows:
- Two courses in science in early modern Europe.
- Two courses in science since 1750.
- A two-quarter research seminar.
- The remaining courses are chosen in consultation with the faculty
in history of science. For students whose previous training has
been mainly scientific, these will include courses in historical
fields other than the history of science. For students who already
have historical training, they may include one or more courses
related to the sciences.
Area of Concentration: Latin America
This program offers the student a general preparation in the history
of Latin America. Students will have the opportunity to specialize
in national or colonial periods and can emphasize work in one country.
Advanced work in another discipline related to Latin America may
also be included in the program. Thirty-six units normally should
be distributed as follows:
- HIGR 245A-B-C.
- Three graduate courses in Latin American history.
- Three other courses related to Latin America in history or
in other disciplines.
Area of Concentration: United States
This area of concentration offers the M.A. candidate a broad grounding
in the literature of American history from the colonial period to
the present. In addition to a shared core of courses, students specialize
in a topical field of their own choosing. Training in a related
discipline outside of history is encouraged. The requirement of
nine courses (thirty-six units) is ordinarily distributed as follows:
- HIGR 265A-B-C. The Literature of American History. These colloquia
are required of all entering graduate students in American history.
- A two-quarter research seminar.
- Two courses in a single topical field chosen from African-American
history, Atlantic history, history of the borderlands and Southwest,
Chicano history, economic history, legal and constitutional history,
political history, social and cultural history, history of the
South, history of the West, or history of women and gender.
- Two additional courses chosen in consultation with the students
adviser. These courses may be in a related field outside the department.
- At least six of the nine courses must be colloquia or graduate-level
courses. Students may take conjoined courses, directed readings,
research seminars, or the 265 series to meet this requirement.
Ph.D. Program
Admission
The Department of History offers the doctor of philosophy degree
in the fields of ancient history, East Asian history, European history,
history of science, Latin American history, and United States history.
Admission is based on the applicants undergraduate preparation;
previous graduate work, if any; three letters of recommendation;
one or two papers (preferably written for history courses); and
scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The GRE subject
exam in history is not required. The Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL) is required for foreign applicants. A minimum score
of 550 for the paper-based test or a score of 213 for the computer-based
test is required on the TOEFL.
The minimum grade-point average for admission is 3.0 with a higher
average in history and related subjects. In most areas of concentration,
knowledge of at least two foreign languages will be required during
a students academic career. In general, applicants are expected
to have a reading knowledge of the languages most appropriate to
their major field at the time of admission. Thus, students in ancient
history, East Asian history, European history, history of science,
and Latin American history should have a working knowledge of one
foreign language at the time of admission. With very few exceptions,
students are expected to begin their programs in the fall quarter.
Refer to the online application for filing deadline.
For online application visit:
http://www.ogsr.ucsd.edu/
Fields of Study
During the first year of residence each student, after consulting
with a graduate adviser in the area of concentration, selects one
major field of study and two minor fields. Within a major field
the student should indicate a special interest from which the dissertation
may develop. The first minor is ordinarily a supplementary field
within the students area of concentration, while the second
minor is a complementary field outside the area of concentration.
The basic programs of study are as follows:
I. ANCIENT HISTORY
Students in ancient history will be expected to demonstrate a broad
mastery of the entire field, with special concentration as follows:
- Major Fields
- The history of Israel in the biblical period.
- The history of the Jewish people in antiquity.
- First Minor
- One of the fields listed above not chosen as the major field.
- Greek and Roman history.
- The Middle East before Islam (western Asia and northeastern
Africa from the sixth century b.c.e. to the seventh century
c.e.)
- Second Minor
- A field of history outside of ancient history.
- A related discipline, offered through another department.
- Language Requirements
- All students will be expected to demonstrate a reading knowledge
of two modern foreign languages, usually French and German.
This requirement may be satisfied by any of the means recognized
by the department.
- All students will be expected to demonstrate a reading
knowledge of at least one and usually two of the three following
ancient languages: Greek, Hebrew, and Latin. The languages
will be chosen as appropriate to the students particular
interests and the requirement will be satisfied by departmental
examination.
- The second and sometimes third language not elected under
(2) may be required if necessary for the students research.
Additional languages, such as Akkadian, Aramaic, Egyptian,
Ugaritic, Phoenician, and middle and modern Hebrew, may be
required as necessary for the students research. The
required level of competence will be set as appropriate to
the students needs and the requirement will be satisfied
by departmental examination.
II. EAST ASIAN HISTORY
Students in East Asian history will be expected to demonstrate
a broad competence in the entire field, with special concentration
as follows:
- Major Fields
- Modern China
- Modern Japan
- Minor Fields
For students majoring in Chinese history, students will be expected
to pass three minor fields in order to broaden each students
perspective on East Asian history:
- Premodern Chinese history.
- Modern Japanese history.
- A history field outside of East Asia, or a discipline outside
of history.
For students majoring in Japanese history:
- A field in history.
- A related field offered through another department. Note:
One of the minor fields must not focus exclusively on East Asia.
- Language Requirements
For students majoring in Chinese history: students must demonstrate
a reading knowledge of Chinese and a reading knowledge of a second
foreign language related to the students research interests.
For students majoring in Japanese history: students must demonstrate
a reading and speaking knowledge of Japanese. Depending on specialization,
reading knowledge of a second foreign language might be necessary.
III. EUROPEAN HISTORY
The graduate program in European history is designed to achieve
a dual objective: to encourage a broad mastery of historical methods
and literature in various fields, as well as to develop a special
focus of research within a single area or epoch. The distribution
of offerings is as follows:
- Major Fields
- Modern Europe, with a specialty in Britain, France, Germany,
Italy, Spain, diplomatic history, economic history, intellectual
history, or social history.
- Early modern Europe, with a specialty in the cultural,
economic, or social history of one region.
- First Minor
Any of the following fields may be selected provided that the
study concentrates on a chronological period outside the major.
- Classical Greece and Rome
- Medieval Europe
- Early modern Europe
- Modern Europe
- A national history
- Second Minor
- The history of a geographic area outside of Western Europe
- History of science
- Womens history
- A related discipline, offered through another department.
- D. Language Requirements
The department requires Ph.D. Candidates in European history to
demonstrate competency in two languages in addition to English before
advancement to candidacy.
IV. HISTORY OF SCIENCE
Note: Students should indicate whether they are also applicants
for admission to the interdepartmental program in Science Studies
(history, philosophy, and sociology of science).
- Major Fields
- Science in early modern Europe.
- Science in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
- Science in the twentieth century.
- Another field of comparable breadth, defined in consultation
with the major field adviser.
- First and Second Minor Fields (Any two of the following may
be selected, in consultation with the major field adviser.)
- Science Studies (mandatory for students in the Science
Studies program).
- Any of the other fields offered by the department, provided
that it offers general historical understanding of the same
period as the major field.
- A field of history of science not chosen as the major field.
- A second field of history, provided that it concentrates
on a period or region other than that chosen for the first
minor field.
- A related discipline, offered through another department.
Note: this field may be in the physical or life sciences.
- Language Requirements
Competency in one or two languages in addition to English before
advancement to candidacy is required. The requirement will vary
depending on chosen major field.
V. LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY
Doctoral candidates in Latin American history are expected to gain
a broad chronological and geographical mastery of the field as a
whole. The oral examination in the major field, while concentrating
on the students special area of interest, will be a comprehensive
examination covering the whole field of Latin American history.
- Major Fields
- The national period of Latin America, with a specialty
in the Andean Republics, Brazil, the Caribbean, Mexico, or
the Southern Cone countries.
- Colonial Latin America, with an emphasis on one major region.
- First Minor
The student should select either the national period or the colonial
period as a chronological supplement to the major.
- Second Minor
- The history of another geographic area outside Latin America
and the Caribbean.
- An area of discipline, offered through another department,
related to the students dissertation or preparation
for university teaching.
- Language Requirement
Competency in two languages in addition to English before advancement
to candidacy is required. Normally the first of these will be
Spanish. The second may be Portuguese or another European or non-European
language, including an indigenous language of the Americas.
VI. UNITED STATES HISTORY
- Major Fields
- United States History.
- First Minor
- One of the following topical fields:
African-American history, Atlantic history, history of the
borderlands and Southwest, Chicano history, economic history,
legal and constitutional history, political history, social
and cultural history, history of the South, history of the
West, or history of women and gender.
- Second Minor
- A geographic area outside the United States in either the
premodern or modern period.
- A related discipline offered through another department.
- Language Requirement
Competency in one language in addition to English before advancement
to candidacy is required.
- Third Year Seminar
U.S. History students in their third year of study will be required
to complete HIGR 271, New Research Directions in U.S. History,
in both the winter and spring quarters.
VII. DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM
Students who wish to earn both the Ph.D. in history from UCSD and
the Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law must apply
to and be independently accepted into both programs under each of
the campus standards and procedures.
Students pursuing the dual degree program will normally alternate
years at each institution, in a manner agreed on by the students
advisers and appropriate committees. Thus, for example, a student
may spend his or her first year at Cal Western, his or her second
year at UCSD, and so on through the program. At least one year at
each institution must be completed by the end of three years.
Each institution will accept a small number of course credits from
the other institution to satisfy its degree requirements. Cal Western
remains on a semester system, while UCSD continues on a quarter
system. With the exception of the historiography and research seminars
and subject to approval by a faculty adviser and the graduate committee,
the Department of History will accept for credit up to two classes
from Cal Western.
VIII. OTHER FIELDS
Students may be admitted to graduate study leading to the Ph.D.
In fields other than those listed above upon the recommendation
of an appropriate faculty member. In such cases, a special program
of study appropriate to the field will be devised by the major field
adviser, subject to the approval of the departments graduate
committee.
Note: The department also offers graduate work in African
history. When appropriate, students may select a minor field in
this area.
Ph.D. Course Work
A normal full-time program consists of 12 units per quarter. Ph.D.
students are expected to complete at least one of the following
minimum formal courses of study prior to their qualifying examination:
(1) two two-quarter research seminars, three one-quarter historiography
courses in their major field and five other courses (which may be
a combination of colloquia, conjoined courses, or directed readings);
or (2) three two-quarter research seminars (not necessarily in the
same field), three one-quarter historiography courses in their major
field, and three other courses (which may be a combination of colloquia,
conjoined courses, or directed readings). Students are encouraged
to take their first research seminar in their major field during
the initial year of graduate study. A maximum of four units per
quarter may be taken in teaching assistantships.
Part-time Study
Students who enroll in fewer than twelve graduate or upper-division
units per quarter are considered part-time students. Part-time study
may be pursued in several masters programs and a few Ph.D.
programs at UCSD. Approval for individual students to enroll on
a part-time basis may be given for reasons of occupation, family
responsibilities, or health. Individuals who are interested in part-time
study and meet the above qualifications should see the departments
graduate coordinator.
Part-time students must satisfy the same admission requirements
as full-time students and are eligible, at the discretion of the
department, for 25 percent time teaching or research assistantships.
Students who are approved by the dean of Graduate Studies and Research
for enrollment in a program of half-time study or less (maximum
of six units) may be eligible for a reduction in fees. All other
students pay the same fees as full-time students.
Ph.D. and M.A. Language Requirements
Ph.D. Candidates in Chinese, European, and Latin American history
must demonstrate competency in two foreign languages. Ph.D. Candidates
in history of science, Japanese, and United States history, as well
as M.A. candidates in European and Latin American history, must
demonstrate competency in one foreign language. Ph.D. Candidates
in ancient history require two modern foreign languages as well
as the relevant ancient languages. Additional languages appropriate
to the special field of study as well as language requirements for
a candidate in a field other than those already mentioned may be
required by the Graduate Committee in consultation with the students
major field adviser. Students may satisfy the foreign language requirement
in one of the following ways:
- By completing, with a grade of B or better in each term,
a two-year language sequence from the students undergraduate
institution. Such a sequence must have been completed within two
years of the time the request is made to the Graduate Committee
for certification of competency.
- By completing, with a satisfactory (S) grade in each term,
a two-year, lower-division sequence in the language approved by
the Graduate Committee.
- By completing, with a satisfactory (S) grade in each term,
a one-year, upper-division sequence in the language approved by
the Graduate Committee.
- By passing a translation examination administered by a departmental
faculty member who is proficient in the language. (This is the
only option available for Chinese and Japanese.)
Students are urged to complete at least one foreign language examination
by the end of the first year of study and must do so by the beginning
of their third year. Failure to meet this requirement is grounds
for denial of financial support. No student may take the oral qualifying
examination before completing all language requirements.
Ph.D. Examinations
- Minor Fields
Ph.D. Candidates are strongly encouraged to take at least one
minor field examination by the end of fall quarter of their second
year and to complete all examinations by the end of their third
year. Generally, the department recognizes two types of minor
fields. The most common minor field is a teaching field. That
is, passing a minor field in an area certifies, on a students
record and resume, that the student has mastered the literature
and the major issues in a field sufficient to qualify the student
to teach in that area. (An example would be a minor field in modern
Japanese history for an East Asian history student specializing
in modern China; or medieval history for a Europeanist.) A second
type of minor field is designed to familiarize a student with
a range of theoretical and comparative issues which will be useful
in the formulation of a dissertation topic and future research
in the students major field. (An example might be Latin
American history for a student working in United States ethnic
history; or sociology for a student in any field.) For a minor
field taken outside the department, the minor field adviser (not
the student or major field adviser) determines the level of expertise
sufficient to warrant certification in that field.
Reading lists are negotiated between students and their minor
field adviser, but, as a guideline, they should include about
50 titles with 4070 titles representing a reasonable range.
The reading list is agreed upon, at least three months in advance,
by the student and faculty member administering the minor field
examination. The list is intended to establish what will be expected
of the student and to prevent confusion over the material to be
covered. Most minor fields include a written examination; these
may be in the form of a three-hour departmental exam or a twenty-four
hour take-home exam at the administering professors discretion.
(Minor field examinations in East Asian history will be oral;
those in history of science may be either written or oral.) The
professor composes and grades the written examination.
Students who fail a minor field examination may petition the Graduate
Committee for permission to sit for the examination again at any
time during the following two quarters, as long as pre-candidacy
time limits are not exceeded. A second failure results automatically
in dismissal from the program.
- Oral Qualifying Examination and Candidacy
Students are normally expected to take their qualifying examination
no later than the spring of their third year of study (except
as otherwise specified by the individual fields), and are required
to do so in four years. Students must fulfill all course work,
minor field, and language requirements before taking their qualifying
examination. The qualifying examination is an oral test in the
students major field of study, conducted by at least five
examiners: three of whom must be members of the Department of
History and two from a discipline outside the department (at least
one examiner must be a tenured faculty member). Or, four examiners
from the Department of History (with one member outside the students
field group), and with at least one tenured faculty member from
a discipline outside the department. Students should consult with
their adviser about the composition of the examining committee
well before their examination. The examination committee also
serves as the dissertation committee. The membership of the committee
must be approved by the Department Chair and ultimately the Dean
of graduate studies. The date of the examination is determined
by consultation between the candidate and the examining committee.
In addition to the major field book list, it is required that
students also submit a dissertation prospectus to the committee
before the oral examination. The examination, which will include
a discussion of the students prospectus, lasts approximately
two to three hours. Students in United States history only will
defend their dissertation prospectus before the examination committee
at a separate meeting no later than two months after passing the
major field exam.
Should a candidate fail the examination, the examining committee
will consult with the student to clarify weaknesses in preparation
for taking the examination a second time. If a second oral examination
is warranted, the department requires that it should be taken
no later than one quarter after the first examination. If the
candidate fails the oral examination a second time, his or her
candidacy will be terminated.
An M.A. degree may also be awarded to continuing Ph.D. Students
upon successfully passing the oral qualifying examination. The
M.A. is not automatically awarded; students must apply in advance
to receive the degree. Note: Students who wish to receive an M.A.
degree as part of the Ph.D. program must apply for masters
degree candidacy during the first two weeks of the quarter in
which they expect to receive the degree. Please see the graduate
coordinator regarding this application.
The various requirements noted above apply to students who have
done no previous graduate work in history. If a candidate has
completed some graduate work before entering UCSD, there may be
appropriate adjustments in course work, as approved by general
petition to the Graduate Committee. Nevertheless, all candidates
are required to meet language requirements, pass field examinations,
as well as complete and defend a dissertation.
Dissertation
After completing all relevant examinations and language requirements,
the student is expected to write a dissertation under the supervision
of his or her faculty adviser and the doctoral committee. The Department
of History has established the following guidelines for dissertation
work. The dissertation should:
- represent an original and significant contribution to knowledge.
- be based upon primary research.
- clearly demonstrate the capacity of the student to pursue independent
historical research.
- Be written in clear and coherent prose.
Decisions concerning the scope of the dissertation and its length
will depend upon the nature of the problem and the documentation.
The department assumes that most students will have completed their
research and writing by the end of their sixth year of study. The
scope and length of the dissertation should therefore be such that
a complete project can be executed in no more than three years.
Whatever the scope or length of the dissertation it should be capable
of further development for publication as a series of articles in
scholarly journals, or as a book.
Departmental Ph.D. Time Limit Policies
Students must be advanced to candidacy by the end of four years.
Total university support cannot exceed seven years. Total registered
time at UCSD cannot exceed eight years.
Opportunities for Teaching
Undergraduate teaching, for which graduate teaching assistants
earn regular academic credit, is an integral part of the graduate
program at UCSD. To prepare for an academic career, the Ph.D. candidate
is encouraged to assist in courses offered by the department ordinarily
as a course reader (grader) or teaching assistant. A maximum of
four units per quarter may be taken in undergraduate teaching. When
such an opportunity is not available, a student may teach in various
programs outside the department.
The department considers experience in teaching an important part
of a graduate students professional training. Based upon financial
aid forms that graduate students complete during the previous winter
quarter, the Graduate Committee assigns History Department teaching
assistantships and recommends teaching assistantships outside of
the department for the upcoming academic year.
Students must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 in
order to receive academic employment on campus.
Financial Support
Upon recommendation of the department, several types of financial
aid are available to graduate students: full or partial remission
of fees and tuition, fellowships, research assistantships, teaching
assistantships, readerships, and travel grants. Graduate students
are eligible for one or a combination of the six forms of financial
support.
Fellowships and research assistantships are granted by the Office
of Graduate Studies and Research (OGSR) upon the recommendation
of the department. Teaching assistants are appointed by the department
upon the recommendation of the graduate committee and by the college
writing programs. Readers are appointed by the department upon the
recommendation of the professor whose course requires such assistance.
At the discretion of the department, half-time graduate students
are eligible for 25 percent TAships or GSRships.
For a small number of outstanding incoming students, the department
will award a four year package of guaranteed funding which would
include two years of a fellowship and two years of employment as
a teaching assistant.
Departmental policy has been to seek seven years of support for
students in the program. In recent years all students needing support
have received either fellowships, or teaching assistant, research
assistant positions. To the extent that resources are insufficient
to meet the need, the department, on the advice of the graduate
committee, will rank students using a combined criterion of academic
performance and financial need.
Graduate students must maintain a minimum grade-point average
of 3.0 to be considered for any type of financial aid. Financial
support is not renewed automatically but is approved by the department
on a yearly basis.
The Office of Graduate Studies and Research grants partial remission
of fees for nine quarters after advancement to candidacy (normative
time) if the student is advanced to candidacy by the end of
the third year. (If the student delays advancement, the amount of
normative time is reduced accordingly.) Upon expiration of normative
time the student must complete the dissertation or resume full payment
of fees.
Job Placement
In recent years, 85 percent of the departments Ph.D. graduates
received positions as tenure-track assistant professors at colleges
and universities around the country. The remaining 15 percent are
currently administrators, visiting scholars, lecturers, or postdoctoral
fellows at various educational institutions. Experience indicates
that many from this latter group will eventually get professional
appointments.
History
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