Current Students

Ancient History

East Asian History

European History

History of Science

Latin American History

United States History

Dual Degree Program

Other Fields

 

Advising

M.A. Program in History

Financial Support

Course Offerings

Grad News

Student DIrectory

       

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 9th.

 

Top of page

 


ANCIENT HISTORY

A. MAJOR FIELDS

  • The ancient Near East, with emphasis on the civilization of the northwest Semitic peoples during the Bronze and early Iron Ages.
  • The history of Israel in the biblical period.
  • The history of the Jews in antiquity.
    Note: The department hopes to be able to add Greek and Roman history as a major in the near future.

B. 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 north eastern Africa from the sixth century b.c.e. to the seventh century c.e.).

C. SECOND MINOR

  • A field of history outside ancient history.
  • A related discipline, offered through another department.

D. 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 student's 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 student's research. Additional languages, such as Akkadian, Aramaic, Egyptian, Ugaritic, Phoenician, and middle and modern Hebrew, may be required as necessary for the student's research. The required level of competence will be set as appropriate to the student's needs and the requirement will be satisfied by departmental examination.

 

Top of page



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:

A. MAJOR FIELDS

  • Modern China.
  • Modern Japan.

B. MINOR FIELDS

For students majoring in Chinese history, students will be expected to pass three minor fields in order to broaden each student's perspective on East Asian history:

  • Premodern Chinese history.
  • Modern Japanese history.
  • A history field outside of East Asia, or a related discipline studied with particular attention to East Asia.

For students majoring in Japanese history:

  • A field in history.
  • A related discipline, offered through another department. Note: One of the minor fields must not focus exclusively on East Asia.

C. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

For students majoring in Chinese history: students must demonstrate a reading and speaking knowledge of Chinese and a reading knowledge of a second foreign language related to the student's 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.

 

Top of page

 


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 within a single area or epoch. The distribution of offerings is as follows:


A. 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 social and economic history of one region.
  • Medieval Europe, with a specialty in political theory, canon law, or thepolitical history of the eleventh through thirteenth centuries.
B. FIRST MINOR

Any of the following fields may be selected provided that study concentrates on a chronological period outside the major.

  • Classical Greece or Rome.
  • Medieval Europe.
  • Early modern Europe.
  • Modern Europe.
  • A national history.

 

C. SECOND MINOR
  • The history of a geographic area outside of Western Europe.
  • History of Science.
  • Women's history.
  • A related discipline, offered through another department.

 

D. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

The department requires Ph.D. candidates in European history to demonstrate reading competency in two languages in addition to English before advancement to candidacy.

Go back to Graduate Program Menu

Go back to History Home Page

Top of page

 


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).

A. 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.

B. 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 under (2) above.
  • A related discipline, offered through another department. Note: This field may be in the physical or life sciences.

C. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Competency in one or two languages in addition to English before advancement to candidacy is required. The requirement will vary depending on the chosen major field.

 

Top of page

 


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 student's special area of interest, will be a comprehensive examination covering the whole field of Latin American history.

A. MAJOR FIELDS

  • The national period of Latin America, with a specialty in the Andean Republics, Cuba, Mexico, or the Southern Cone countries.
  • Colonial Latin America, with an emphasis on one major region.

B. FIRST MINOR

The student should select either the national period or the colonial period as a chronological supplement to the major.

C. SECOND MINOR

  • The history of another geographic area, outside Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • A related discipline, offered through another department, related to the student's dissertation or preparation for university teaching.

D. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Competency in two languages in addition to English before advancement to candidacy is required.

 

Top of page

 


UNITED STATES HISTORY

A. MAJOR FIELDS

  • Colonial and National period to 1877.
  • Modern America, 1877 to the present.

B. FIRST MINOR

  • One of the above fields not chosen as the major field.
  • One of the following topical fields: African-American 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.

C. SECOND MINOR

  • A geographic area outside the United States in either the premodern or modern period.
  • A related discipline, offered through another department.

D. LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

Competency in one language in addition to English before advancement to candidacy is required.

 

Top of page

 


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 campusŐ standards and procedures. 

Students pursuing the dual degree program will normally alternate years at each institution, in a manner agreed on by the studentsŐ 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.

 

Top of page

 


OTHER FIELDS

Students may be admitted to graduate study leading to the Ph.D. in fields other than those listed upon the recommendation of a 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 department's Graduate Committee.

Note: The department also offers graduate work in African history. When appropriate, students may select minor fields in this area.

 

 Top of page

UCSD Home | History Home
Faculty | Staff | Undergraduate Program | Graduate Program | Alumni | Contact