No one will be admitted to the graduate program until a faculty member has formally agreed beforehand to be his or her supervisor. This means there must be a faculty member available and willing to supervise the proposed topic. Please see the website for a listing of faculty members.
Admission Requirements
- Language Proficiency Requirements: Proof of English proficiency may be required for international applicants and for applicants whose first language is not English.
- Master’s degree, or equivalent, from a recognized university in a relevant academic discipline
- a completed on-line application, the application fee and all supporting application documents
- a cumulative weighted average of at least a 80% (U of S grade system equivalent) in the last two years of study (i.e. coursework required in Master’s program)
For more information on language proficiency requirements, see the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Academic Policies for more information.
For admission application information and deadline details, see the Department of History website.
Degree Requirements
Students must maintain continuous registration in the HIST 996.0
- GPS 960.0
- GPS 961.0, if research involves human subjects
- GPS 962.0, if research involves animal subjects
- HIST 990.0 (attendance; practice job interview)
- HIST 996.0
- a minimum of 12 credit units of comprehensive field courses, at least 9 credit units of which must be history
- complete dissertation and successful oral thesis defence
- comprehensive examinations: the comprehensive examinations are conducted in October/ November of the second year of doctoral study; they consis of written examinations in each field and an oral examination of all fields
- language requirement: A reading and writing competency in a second language
- qualifying examinations: the purpose of the qualifying examination is to satisfy the department that the student has the potential to obtain sufficient knowledge of the chosen general field of study to proceed toward candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Normally, the successful completion of an M.A. in History will constitute the qualifying examination. This examination would be an interview conducted by the graduate director and the student’s supervisor to be held in late August or early September the purpose of which will be to determine the student’s strengths and weaknesses and the shape of his or her program