The Ph.D. Program
Admission to the Ph.D. Program
Admission is based on the applicant's 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 is required on the TOEFL. The minimum grade-point average for admission is 3.0 with a higher average in history and related subjects. Proficiency in a foreign language is not a requirement for admission (except in Latin American history, where a reading knowledge of Spanish is required). In most areas of concentration, however, knowledge of at least one foreign language will be required during a student's academic career. With very few exceptions, students are expected to begin their programs in the fall quarter. The deadline for filing an application is January 2nd.
General Course Categories and Requirements
A normal full-time program consists of twelve units (or three four-unit courses) 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 the major field and four other courses (which may be a combination of colloquia, conjoined courses, or directed readings, but which must include one cross-field graduate colloquium like HIGR 200); 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, but which must include one cross-field graduate colloquium like HIGR 200). Students are encouraged to take their first research seminar in their major field during the initial year of graduate study.
T.A. Ships: After the first year, most students' full-time program includes two regular academic courses each quarter (8 units), and employment as a 50% Teaching Assistant, which counts as four units.
Course Listing and Information
Evaluation of Academic Work
The department expects all graduate students to do "A" level work. Grades below "B-" are considered evidence of unsatisfactory progress; a "C+" or any lower letter grade is recorded on the transcript, but is regarded as the equivalent of a failure. Required field courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students are strongly encouraged to take their entire first-year program for letter grades. These grades assist the department in evaluating the student's academic progress and in determining future financial support. Post first-year students may take elective courses for satisfactory/unsatisfactory evaluation. Grades of "I" (Incomplete) must be changed to a letter grade by the end of the quarter following the quarter in which the course was taken. The grade will be recorded as a failure if the work has not been completed by then.
Students whose grade point average falls below 3.0 during an academic year may continue in the program only in exceptional circumstances.
Each spring in the years before the student has advanced to candidacy, faculty members from the field group will meet with each student individually to discuss the student's progress. In addition, the faculty adviser will submit a written evaluation for the student's file. Students are entitled to include a response in their permanent record. Once they are advanced to candidacy, graduate students continue to receive annual written evaluations of their progress from their respective faculty dissertation advisers. These evaluations are to be read and signed by the student, the adviser, at least three of the faculty members on the student's dissertation committee, and the department chair.
Opportunity for Teaching
Teaching Assistantships
In addition to providing funding opportunities, Teaching Assistantships are an integral part of the graduate program at UCSD, providing training and experience in undergraduate teaching. All students, regardless of their funding needs, are encouraged to spend at least one year as a Teaching Assistant.
Training of teaching assistants is the responsibility of the program in which the teaching is done. For teaching assistants employed within the History Department, an orientation seminar will be offered at the beginning of the fall quarter. The seminar will be organized by the faculty teaching coordinator, in collaboration with a senior TA, both of whom serve as advisers for first time Teaching Assistants throughout the year. In addition, departmental teaching assistants attend one four-hour training session given by the Center for Teaching Development prior to the beginning of instruction in the Fall Quarter.
For teaching assistants employed by the college programs or in the Linguistics Department, training sessions are organized by these programs to orient students in specific course content and methodologies. These seminars are often scheduled during the week prior to the beginning of instruction in the Fall Quarter. Training continues throughout the academic year in weekly staff meetings.
Teaching assistants both inside and outside the department are evaluated by the course instructor. The instructor visits a teaching assistant's section at least once each quarter and reviews a representative sample of papers and exams for fairness and consistency of grading. The instructor prepares a written evaluation of the teaching assistant at the end of the quarter, and the teaching assistant acknowledges the instructor's comments by signing the evaluation. The TA also has the opportunity to include a written response in their file.
Adjunct Instructors
There are some opportunities for advanced graduate students in the final year of their program to serve as the primary instructor ("Assoc-In") for an upper-division course in the history department. First, a graduate student may be asked to teach an existing course to replace a faculty member on leave. Second, a graduate student may apply to teach a course of their own design during one of the summer school sessions. Third, students in the last year of the program may apply for the Faculty Fellowship, which provides a two-year adjunct teaching position in the History Department. Students should consult with the Graduate Coordinator for relevant deadlines and application procedures.
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 master's 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 employment, family responsibilities, or health. Individuals who are interested in part-time study and meet the department's qualifications should see the 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 for enrollment in a program of half-time study or less (a maximum of six units) may be eligible for a reduction of fees. All other students pay the same fees as full-time students
Scholarly Articles
Students who have written seminar or M.A. papers of high quality are assisted and encouraged to revise them for publication in scholarly journals.
Job Placement
A job announcement memo board adjacent to the Graudate Reading Room contains up-to-date fellowships and job announcements. Students expecting to complete the Ph.D. normally work with their major adviser on job placement. In addition, the Department Chair annually selects a member of the faculty to serve as the Graduate Placement Officer. Duties for this position include discussing employment procedures and initiatives for prospective job-hunters. At the beginning of each academic year, a general memo will be sent to graduate students identifying the faculty member chosen as Placement Officer. During the academic year in which they finish their dissertation, students should also prepare a placement file for deposit in the Career Services Center on campus.
