History PhD
Cultivate deep knowledge across historical periods and current methodologies to become a professional historian with the Doctor of Philosophy in History in Temple University’s College of Liberal Arts. This doctoral degree program is intended to provide students with the foundation for professional careers in academia or public history. It requires either 24 credits beyond the Master of Arts in History or 39 credits beyond the Bachelor of Arts in History.
Faculty members in the History PhD specialize and offer substantial expertise in
- anti-colonial movements,
- cultural history,
- diplomatic history,
- gender,
- imperialism,
- international history,
- military history,
- political history,
- race and ethnicity,
- religious history,
- sexuality, and
- social history.
Although training is offered in many different historical eras, most doctoral students produce dissertations that focus on the 18th, 19th or 20th century. Many choose to focus on the history of North America.
The History PhD curriculum emphasizes the following two thematic areas.
- Environments, cities and cultures
- War, empire and society
As a graduate, you will be prepared for college- and university-level tenured and tenure-track teaching positions, and as historians for the federal and state governments, as well as in museums, university presses and as university administrators.
Public History Practicum
The Public History Practicum course allows students the opportunity to intern in historical organizations while learning in periodic classroom meetings. Internships balance student interests with the needs of partnering institutions. Each student must complete 140 hours of work under the supervision of an experienced public history professional, in addition to writing assignments devised and evaluated by a faculty internship supervisor.
Students must contact the director of the Center for Public History about their intent to enroll by no later than the midpoint of the semester preceding the practicum.
Seth C. Bruggeman is the director of the Center for Public History at Temple University.
Phone: 215-204-9744
Email: [click-for-email]
The Barnes Club Conference
The Barnes Club Conference is one of the largest and most prestigious graduate student conferences in the region, drawing participants from across the nation and around the world. The annual two-day conference takes place in March during the spring semester. It gives rising scholars the opportunity to present their projects, receive critical feedback, and network to establish and expand their academic communities. Select conference papers are awarded cash prizes in various geographical and scholarly categories.
History PhD students host the James A. Barnes Club Graduate Student Conference each year.
Program Format & Curriculum
Classes for the History PhD program are offered in-person on Temple’s Main Campus. The degree program must be completed on a full-time basis and culminates in preliminary examinations, general examinations, a dissertation prospectus and a dissertation.
Students may take up to seven years to complete the History PhD. Completion of the program requires either 24 credits beyond the Master of Arts in History or 39 credits beyond the Bachelor of Arts in History.
Courses you are likely to take as part of the curriculum include
- Atlantic Revolutions,
- Digital History,
- Gender in History,
- Nonprofit Management for Historians and
- Studies in the Cold War.