Requirements

The full requirements and recommendations for the Graduate Program in History are available in the Guidelines to the M.A. and Ph.D. Curricula. Current students and advisors should refer to the Guidelines and the Canvas "History Department PhD Students" page for detailed requirements, forms, and instructions. 

Program Overview 

Students are expected to complete all the requirements for the PhD degree in History in a timely fashion. Students are reviewed annually for continuation in the program and are expected to make good progress at all stages of the program. All requirements for the PhD degree, including the final defense, must be completed within seven years from the date of first matriculation. 

  • In the first two years of graduate study, all students, regardless of previous degree work, register for coursework. 
  • Students produce a first- and second-year research paper. In certain cases, with the support of their faculty advisors, students may petition to have the second research paper requirement waived (typically, those with a relevant MA). 
  • All students must demonstrate competence in foreign language through university examination and, when applicable, use of primary sources in their first-year and second-year research papers. 
  • Students are eligible to receive the MA degree upon completion of eight courses for quality grades, a high pass (or equivalent) on the foreign language exam and fulfillment of all administrative requirements. 
  • The PhD Field Examination must be taken by the Friday before Thanksgiving of the third year. Students with a waiver of the second-year research paper must take their examination by June 1 of the second year. 
  • Presentation and defense of the dissertation proposal occurs in a public setting before the end of the third year (June 1), and approval of the dissertation committee is required to begin research and writing of the 
    dissertation. 
  • Students are expected to enter PhD Candidacy (ABD) by June 1 of the third year. 
  • Completion of teaching requirements. 
  • Defense of the dissertation in the PhD Final Oral Examination. 

First- and Second-year Highlights 

  • Students take twelve graduate-level courses (for A or B grades): a two-quarter history research seminar, and ten other courses both in and outside of the Department. At least three of these courses are graduate colloquia, and up to three may be pass/fail reading courses for orals preparation. Current students should consult the Guidelines for details of course requirements. 
  • First-year students complete a substantial research paper due at the end of Winter Quarter as part of the two-quarter History Seminar. 
  • Second-year students are required to complete a research paper under the supervision of their faculty advisor during Autumn or Winter Quarter. 
  • Students must high pass (P+) at least one foreign-language examination. Details on the timing and requirements are below. 
  • Students with waivers of the second-year paper take the field examination by June 1 of their second year. 
Students at a seminar
Students at a seminar

Language Requirement

Academic Reading Comprehension Assessment 

The Department requires a high pass (P+) on one or more written language examinations that evaluate the students’ competency in reading modern secondary literature in their primary research language(s). The department utilizes the Academic Reading Comprehension Assessment (ARCA) administered through the Office of Language Assessment to evaluate reading competence in secondary literature. Students must fulfil their first or only language requirement by September 1 of the year following their matriculation into the program. Students who do not high pass the first time should devote special attention to improving their skill and are required to repeat the ARCA at least annually until a high pass is achieved. In fields where more than one language is required, the additional requirement(s) must be satisfied before the dissertation proposal hearing.  

Students cannot satisfy the foreign language requirement by taking the examination in their native language, unless they received a B.A. or an MA degree from an English-speaking institution and their native language is required for their field. International students who are not native speakers of English, whose primary research language is English, can satisfy the foreign language requirement by taking the ARCA exam in English or in another language that is offered. 

Alternatives to the ARCA Exam 

In some cases, students may petition to be granted permission to provide an alternative certification for language competency. These include languages that are typically not used for academic writing or languages for which no ARCA is available.  Alternative arrangements to satisfy the language translation requirement are usually only granted in the cases of languages beyond the first research language. 

Primary Source Reading Competency 

The ARCA assesses the ability to read modern academic prose. To evaluate student competency in reading sources for their research projects, faculty will pay special attention to the paraphrase and translation of sources in the first-year seminar paper and the second-year research paper.  In cases where there is concern about a student’s ability to fully comprehend their primary sources, students may be asked to complete a translation exercise that utilizes sources from these papers. This assignment will be developed and administered by the seminar paper field advisor.  

Field 

Languages Required 

African: At least one European and one African language to be determined in consultation with the advisor. 

Ancient Mediterranean World*: French and German (one high pass, one pass); Greek and Latin (by departmental certification or with a grade of pass on the University examinations) 

Britain: French, German, or Latin 

Caribbean & Atlantic: Dutch, French, Portuguese, or Spanish 

Early Modern Europe: A high pass in the primary language of research; a pass in one other modern European language 

East Asia: High pass in primary language of research: Chinese (Traditional Characters), Japanese, or Korean 

International: At least one foreign language determined by sub-area of interest 

Islamicate World: At least one foreign language determined in consultation with advisor 

Late Antiquity: Two relevant languages of the primary material (one high pass, one pass), French and German (pass). 

Latin America: Spanish and Portuguese (one high pass, one pass) It’s recommended that Spanish speakers take “Portuguese for Spanish Speakers” course to build their competence in Portuguese. 

Medieval Europe: 1. Latin, Arabic, Hebrew, or another primary research languages (high pass) 2. Two modern languages (pass) 

Middle East: One Middle Eastern language and a second language other than English approved by the student’s primary supervisor and directly relevant to the student’s research and course of study. 

Modern Europe: A grade of high pass in the primary modern European language of research; a grade of pass in one other approved language; normally, the second language will be in a different language group from the first, except as needed for research reasons 

Modern Jewish: Hebrew and one other relevant research language (one high pass, one pass) 

Russia & Eurasia^: Russian or any relevant language. For a PhD in Russian history, however, knowledge of Russian is mandatory. 

South Asia^: One of the following: Bengali, French, German, Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tamil, or Urdu 

United States pre-1865; United States post-1865: Any foreign language 

*For fields with extensive language training, students may petition for a one-year postponement of the language examination. 
^If the language requirement is met with French or German, it is assumed that the student will also acquire knowledge of area language(s) sufficient for research purposes. 

Oral Fields Highlights 

  • The oral fields readings and examination qualify students to teach and to conduct doctoral research. 
  • Examination committees are chosen by the student based on their fields of interest. The committees consist of a chair from the Department of History faculty, who serves as the student’s advisor, and two additional University of Chicago faculty, usually, but not always, from the Department. 
  • All students prepare three fields in consultation with their examination committee. 
  • Field lists have a maximum of fifty books; four articles or book chapters count as one book. For the purpose of reading and the examination, all fields are considered equal. 
  • The examination is oral, lasts two hours, and is graded pass or fail. 
  • Orals are taken by the Friday before Thanksgiving of the third year. (Students with a waiver of the second-year paper take orals by June 1 of the second year.) 

Proposal 

  • During the proposal stage, students form their dissertation committees. Committees generally have three members; a fourth is allowed in certain cases. The committee chair must be a member of the Department of History faculty. The second reader must be a member of the departmental faculty or its associate faculty. Additional committee members may be professors in the Department, in other university departments, or at another institution. Consult the Guidelines for the M.A. and Ph.D. Curricula for details on committee formation. 
  • Students must hold a proposal hearing by the end (June 1) of the third year in residence. 

Teaching 

Students Enrolling Autumn 2025 and Later 

Students Enrolling Autumn 2024 and Earlier 

Dissertation 

Final Defense of the Dissertation 

  • The final requirement of the doctoral program is an oral defense of the dissertation. 
  • Defenses are held with the student's committee in attendance. The defense is always open to the department faculty. It may be open to the public. 
  • The committee grades the defense (pass with distinction, pass, or fail) and decides what type of revisions (none, minor, or significant) are needed before the students can submit the dissertation to the Dissertation Office. 
  • The dissertation chair and the departmental chair give final approval for the deposit of the dissertation through the Dissertation Office after all requested revisions have been made. The Department’s submission deadline is Monday of the 5th week of the Quarter to allow for department review before the Dissertation Office submission deadline. 

Graduation 

  • The doctoral degree can be taken in any quarter. Instructions for applying to the degree are found on the student Canvas site. 
  • The University holds Convocation at the end of Spring Quarter.  

Joint Degree 

Joint degrees are rare, but students may apply for a joint degree on an ad hoc basis. The application process begins with the student's Dean of Students Office. The faculty members who work with the student should strongly support the need for a joint degree. Students from other departments should read the Joint Ph.D. Degree Guidelines. Students should apply in the late winter or early Spring Quarter so the Graduate Student Affairs Committee can review the file in its annual student review in late May or early June. 

History MA Degree for PhD Students from other University of Chicago PhD Programs 

In rare cases, the University allows students from another University of Chicago PhD program to receive an MA from an alternate program. Students should first consult with their home unit’s Dean of Students office. After receiving permission to pursue an alternate MA, students wishing to receive an MA from the Department of History should petition the Graduate Student Affairs Committee in Autumn Quarter. For more information contact the graduate affairs administrator. 

Students with questions about doctoral program degree requirements and milestones should contact Sonja Rusnak (srusnak@uchicago.edu) History Graduate Affairs Administrator. Students may also contact Brett Baker (bbaker@uchicago.edu), Associate Dean of Students in the Social Sciences, and Amanda Young (amanday@uchicago.edu), Director, Graduate Student Affairs in UChicagoGRAD.