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Eberly College of Arts & Sciences Department of History
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Degree Requirements

Graduate Handbook

Academic Catalog

All degree requirements are outlined in the WVU Academic Catalog:

Additional information and requirements are outlined below.

Transatlantic Master of Arts in International History and Security Studies

The Department of History has launched a new transatlantic Master of Arts in international history and security studies in partnership with Collegium Civitas, located in Warsaw, Poland, beginning fall 2018. The program is designed as a dual-degree, two-year program consisting of 60 U.S. credit hours, or 120 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System credits. Students completing the program earn half of these credits at WVU and the other half at Collegium Civitas. Following a successful completion of all requirements, including the thesis defense, two master’s degrees will be conferred—one in history from WVU, and the other in international relations from Collegium Civitas.

WVU students will normally spend their first year of studies at WVU and their second year at CC. Students from Collegium Civitas will spend their first year in Warsaw and their second year in Morgantown. Defense of the joint MA thesis will be held on the premises of both institutions, physically and virtually, with participation by both WVU and CC faculty.

All requirements of the dual-degree program must be met and credits transferred between the institutions before either the U.S. degree from WVU, or the European degree from Collegium Civitas can be issued. As a result, the two degrees, though coming from separate institutions, are awarded simultaneously.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in History

The History Department offers a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in history. The program requirements are described below. All students who are accepted in to the Ph.D. program are required to:

  1. Complete the Department’s three credit-hour historiography course (HIST 700), if not already done at the MA level.
  2. Complete at least two readings/seminar sequences (HIST 701 and higher) beyond those completed for the M.A. Students who completed two readings/seminar sequences while completing their M.A. in history at WVU may, with the approval of the Department’s Graduate Studies Committee, count one of the sequences towards the Ph.D. requirements.
  3. Prepare four fields of study, consisting of a major field and three minor fields. A minimum of two, and a maximum of three, of the four fields, including the major field, must be in the student’s main area of concentration for dissertation work. At least one of the four fields must be in a geographic area outside the student’s main area of concentration for dissertation research. However, students can only take one of their four fields outside of the history department. The four fields must be designed in consultation with the student’s main faculty adviser, and must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. See below under “Doctoral Fields of Study” for more information on the definition and specific requirements of doctoral fields and areas of concentration.
  4. All full-time, Ph.D. students who have not yet taken their comprehensive examinations are strongly encouraged to be enrolled in HIST 796 Graduate Seminar/Orientation to the Profession.
  5. Individual faculty may also require their students to master one or more languages, to demonstrate proficiency in particular research methods (quantitative analysis, paleography, GIS, etc.) or to develop other skills as necessary for their fields of study and dissertation projects.
  6. Passage of a first-year review at the end of their second semester of full-time study.
  7. Passage of the comprehensive written and oral examination in the four fields of study and admission to doctoral candidacy. See below under “Doctoral Comprehensive Examination” for more information.
  8. Submit a dissertation prospectus or proposal within one semester after passing the comprehensive examination, which must be approved by their dissertation committee (see below under “Prospectus Guidelines” for more information). There must be at least five faculty members, including the candidate’s main faculty adviser who will serve as the dissertation director, on the dissertation committee. One of the faculty members must be external to the History Department.
  9. Complete and submit a Ph.D. dissertation. The dissertation must be successfully defended in a final oral examination attended by the candidate’s dissertation committee. Doctoral candidates have a maximum of five years, from the passage of their comprehensive examination, to successfully defend the dissertation.

Special Requirements for Direct Admission Track to PhD Program: 

In addition to the above requirements, students accepted for direct admission to the Ph.D. program, must c omplete the Department’s three credit-hour historiography course (HIST 700). During the first year, they must maintain a G.P.A. of at least 3.5 in graduate history courses.

Areas for Ph.D. Dissertations:

Currently the History Department is supervising dissertations in the following four main areas of concentration: Africa, Europe, Latin America and U.S. History (including Appalachian/West Virginia Regional history). In addition to these areas, the History Department encourages doctoral research that is transnational and comparative in perspective. Students (in consultation with their main faculty adviser, and with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies) may choose a different main area of concentration than the four listed above.

Dissertation Requirements:

The Ph.D. dissertation must represent the results of the candidate’s individual investigation and must embody a definite contribution to knowledge. The dissertation is an original piece of research, set within a definable historiographical tradition, which demonstrates the candidate’s mastery over primary source materials and the ability to use these materials in the advancement of knowledge. The suggested length of a dissertation is 250-350 pages.

Students form a dissertation committee, composed of their main faculty adviser, who serves as the dissertation director, and four members, one of whom must be outside the department. After completion, candidates must defend the dissertation in a final oral examination. For a complete description of University requirements, consult the WVU Graduate Catalog. The actual mechanics of preparing texts are discussed in “Regulations Governing the Preparation of Dissertations and Theses”: http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/theses/index.htm

Prospectus Guidelines (Source: Carnegie Foundation)

A prospectus should clearly state the topic of the proposed research and what questions and problems the work proposes to address and answer. Since the dissertation must be an original contribution to learning, the prospectus should make clear how the proposed work develops, challenges, or departs from past research. It should demonstrate that the student has a sufficient and critical command of the historiography and the present state of the field. It should make clear what languages, methodologies, and theories the student will use when examining the sources. The prospectus should identify the sources to be used and their locations. A tentative outline of chapters should provide some sense of the work's overall plan and structure. A tentative schedule in the prospectus should estimate how much time the various aspects of research, travel to collections, writing, and revision will take. The text of the prospectus should not be longer than twenty pages. A bibliographical essay listing primary and secondary sources and unpublished doctoral and master's research may be included, but should appear as an appendix. Your prospectus should include all of the following six components.

  1. Statement of Problem, Research Question, or Thesis
    Research begins with the discovery of a problem needing solution, an answered question, a claim needing proof, or a topic that will advance knowledge and understanding. Specify the problem, question, claim or topic to be investigated.
  2. Summary Review of Scholarship Relevant to the Dissertation
    Briefly summarize what is already known about the problem, question, claim or topic to be investigated. If it has been previously researched, specify what is distinctive about the proposed study.
  3. Significance of the Research
    Indicate why the research should be considered important or worthwhile. Specify how it will contribute to knowledge.
  4. Methodology
    Indicate the manner in which the problem, question, claim or topic to be investigated will be researched and show why this is an appropriate method.
  5. Tentative Outline
    In a brief outline or list of chapter titles, indicate what each chapter will cover.
  6. Preliminary Bibliography
    Are sufficient resources for the research project readily available? Please include a listing of both primary and secondary sources to be consulted.

Important Note: Any graduate student who conducts research involving the use of human subjects must have the approval of the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects before starting the research. Information about procedures and approval forms may be obtained from http://orc.research.wvu.edu/

Doctoral Fields of Study

The WVU Department of History currently has four main areas of concentration at the doctoral level. The four main areas of concentration are:

  • Africa
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • U. S. History

Please note: In addition to these areas, the History Department encourages doctoral research that is transnational and comparative in perspective. Students (in consultation with their main faculty adviser, and with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies) may choose a different main area of concentration than the four listed above.

Definition of Fields:

Major Fields – The major field is designed to be both the student’s major research and primary teaching field. The major field of study is chosen by the student in conjunction with their main faculty adviser, who agrees to oversee the preparation and examination in that field. The field should be based on the student’s dissertation interest, but the student should also acquire a broad understanding of the historiography related to that research area. 

Minor Fields – Minor fields are designed primarily to provide students with sufficient preparation in that field for teaching at the college or university levels. Each field of study is chosen by the student in conjunction with a faculty adviser, who agrees to oversee the preparation and examination in that field. No faculty member may oversee more than one field.

Currently, students most often take major or minor fields of study in the following areas. Please note that students may (in consultation with their main faculty adviser, and with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies) choose to take major or minor fields of study in areas other than those listed below:

Africa:
  • British Imperial History
  • East African History
  • West African History
Europe:
  • Britain/British Imperial History
  • Central European History
  • Early Modern History
  • Eastern European History
  • Medieval History
  • Russia/Soviet History
  • Western European History
Latin America:
  • Latin American/Caribbean History
  • U.S. – Latin American Relations
United States:
  • Appalachian/West Virginia Regional History
  • Colonial American History to 1787
  • Social History of U. S.
  • U.S. Diplomatic History
  • U.S. History 1787-1850
  • U.S. History 1840-1898
  • U.S. History 1898 to Present

In addition, students may currently elect to take minor fields only in the following areas:

Public History – Ph.D. students are required to take HIST 750 and any other public history class of their choosing in consultation with their academic adviser and public history field examiner. Students with an MA in Public History may examine in this field without taking the courses a second time. Oral and written comprehensive examinations are required.

World History – Ph.D. students may choose to take three courses for the World History minor field, one of which must be HIST787 Readings in World History. Courses must be approved by the World History Coordinator. Oral comprehensive examination is required, but there is no written examination.

Main Areas of Concentration (by Faculty)

Africa:

  • Joseph Hodge
  • Tambo M’Bayo
  • Devin Smart

Europe:

Latin America:

United States:

  • Melissa Bingmann
  • Max Flomen
  • William Hal Gorby
  • Brian Luskey
  • Austin McCoy
  • Jason Phillips
  • James Siekmeier

Public History (minor field only):

World History (minor field only):

  • Kate Staples

Doctoral Comprehensive Examination

Students in the Ph.D. program prepare four fields, one major and three minor fields. More information on the specific requirements for and definition of doctoral fields can be found above under “Doctoral Fields of Study.” Students take written examinations in all four fields, followed by an oral examination (with the exception of World History, which substitutes coursework for the written portion of the examination). The oral examination is an extension of the written exams and should be considered an integral part of the examination process. Normally, students take their comprehensive examination at the end of the fourth semester and no later than at the end of the sixth semester. The specific expectations and requirements for the preparation of examinations, the examination process, and the grading of examinations are discussed below:

Preparation of Examinations:

Each student must form an examination committee, whose members should include the student’s main faculty adviser plus their three minor field advisers. The faculty adviser for each field determines what the student needs to do in preparation for the comprehensive examination in that field. Normally, this will involve a certain amount of course work, with seminar classes highly recommended, and the developing of a book list with the help of the faculty adviser. As a rough guide, the major field book list should consist of a minimum of 60 titles and a maximum of 100 titles, while a minor field book list should be comprised of a minimum of 30 titles and a maximum of 50 titles. The student is responsible for knowing the readings on the book list in preparation for the comprehensive examination (both written and oral). Students must take four written examinations, one in each of their four fields (with the exception of World History, which substitutes course work for the written portion of the examination). Students will also sit for an oral examination following the written examinations. Normally, students take their comprehensive examinations at the end of the fourth semester and no later than at the end of the sixth semester.

Examination Process:

The written examinations for the four fields are composed by the student’s field advisers. Normally, the student’s main faculty adviser will compose the questions for the major field. Each of the student’s minor field advisers will write the questions for the minor field they are supervising. Each field adviser may construct his/her examination as he/she sees fit (for example, an adviser may or may not offer a choice of questions, and/or structure his/her examination in sections, etc.). Normally, however, the examination in the major field consists of three or four questions and students may be given a time limit of six to eight hours. The examination in the minor field consists of two or three questions and students may be given a time limit of four to six hours. Students may take the written portion of the comprehensive examination remotely or in the History Department and may use either a personal computer or a department-provided laptop computer. At the end of each examination day, the department laptop must be returned to the History Department by 4:30pm.

It is the student’s responsibility to schedule their examinations (both written and oral) within a fixed period of time and agreed upon space. Students should discuss scheduling in advance with their examination committee, and if necessary should work with the Department’s Administrative Assistant to book a room and department laptop for the requisite amount of time for each examination. A student will complete all four written examinations within the space of ten days. Any alterations in this arrangement or changes to the examination schedule must be approved in advance by the Director of Graduate Studies.

The oral examination should follow swiftly upon the completion of the last written examination, normally within a period of no more than one week. All field advisers shall take part in the oral examination. The oral examination is an extension of the written exams and should be considered as part of an integral process. Thus, although each field adviser shall proceed as they see fit, it is recommended that they pursue points addressed, or not addressed, in the written examinations. Students, with the assistance of the Administrative Assistant, are responsible for scheduling a time (and location) for the oral examination, at which all members of the examination committee can meet. Oral examinations will last for two hours, during which all field advisers shall have an opportunity to pose questions to the student. The student’s main faculty adviser should impress upon the student that he/she needs to begin to plan this process significantly in advance of the intended date, as the schedules of faculty advisers may make it difficult to find a suitable date.

Again, these are rough guidelines, and changes in the examination schedule and arrangements may be made with the approval in advance of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Grading of Examinations:

The student will receive an overall grade of either “Pass” or “Fail” for each of the four fields under examination (which includes both the written and oral portions of the examination). The faculty adviser overseeing each field is responsible for assigning a grade for the corresponding examination. In order to pass the comprehensive exam, students must pass their major field and two of the three minor fields. To pass a minor field, students must demonstrate sufficient preparation in that field for teaching at the college or university levels. To pass the major field, students must demonstrate a broad historical knowledge of the field, an understanding of the historiography, and the ability to contextualize their potential contribution to this field. A student is considered to have failed a particular field if the adviser responsible for that field feels that the student has failed either the written examination in that field, or the portion of the oral examination devoted to that field, or both.

If a student fails one of his/her minor fields, they will have one opportunity to re-take only that portion of the exam, no later than one semester following the oral examination, if they want to present it as a teaching field. Since the examination process is considered an integral whole, the student who seeks to re-take the minor field must re-take both the written examination and the relevant portion of the oral examination. A student re-taking a portion of the oral examination will do so in the presence both of the field adviser whose exam he/she failed and his/her main faculty adviser.

If a student fails the major field, or two or more minor fields, he/she must re-take the entire comprehensive examination (that is, all written examinations and the entire oral examination). The student must petition to their examination committee in order to be permitted to repeat the comprehensive examination, and they must re-take their comprehensive examination by no later than the end of the following semester. If a student fails their comprehensive examination for a second time, they cannot petition to repeat it again.

Any alteration in this timeline must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.