Degree Requirements

Fields of Study and Graduate Courses

The History department is the proud home of dozens of scholars engaged in over thirty fields of research and study. The history department also offers students the possibility of creating one major or minor "constructed" field tailored to their individual interests.  Graduate coursework provides many opportunities to combine and refine these areas of intellectual discussion.

Degree Requirements

Degree requirements vary based on the last degree completed. Incoming students with Master's of Arts have a different set of requirements than those incoming with the Bachelor’s of Arts. Please make sure to note the requirements specific to your entry level.

Students entering with an M. A. normally complete the requirements for the Master's of Arts degree in their first four semesters of coursework. Students who enter with a BA require approximately six semesters. Upon completion of their Ph.D. program plan, students will advance into the Ph.D. program.

Advisors and Program Planning

All students should consult with an advisor regarding coursework. Incoming students are automatically assigned to a faculty departmental advisor for their first year. Incoming students need to meet with their departmental advisor before registering for classes.
By the end of their first year of coursework, students should choose a potential major advisor who will direct their thesis. The Graduate College Handbook for Graduate Students and Advisors and the departmental Guidelines for Advisor-Advisee Relations are useful tools for choosing an advisor and completing the program. Students should discuss their plans for coursework, prelims and the dissertation with this faculty member. Students entering with an MA should be ready to file a Ph.D. program plan by the end of the first four semesters. Students entering with a BA degree should file their program plans before the end of their sixth semester, and preferably before this.

Filing a Ph.D. program plan is a major milestone in a graduate student's career: all the faculty members with whom you have taken courses will be asked for their views on your likelihood of long-run success in the Ph.D. program. Since you are asked to identify the three fields in which you will be examined, the application may need to wait until you have taken courses with at least one potential examiner in each field.

Note: Students with incomplete courses from previous semesters (“ex” or “I” grades) will not be considered for the Ph.D. program until those incompletes are satisfied.

Language Competence

The department requires proven competence in two foreign languages for the Ph.D. degree, except for students of US History who must demonstrate competence in one foreign language. Language competence means the ability to read and comprehend a foreign language well enough to paraphrase a scholarly article in English. This standard is a minimum, and regular use of a language for research in one's field will usually involve a higher standard of speed and accuracy. Students admitted into the Ph.D. program are expected to demonstrate competence in the second language within four semesters, and always before they take their last prelim exam. A major advisor may require a student to acquire a reading knowledge of more than two languages, or more than one for US History students).

Language competence may be demonstrated in one of the following ways:

  • UIUC course work: passing the appropriate 501 course with a grade of B or better
  • Departmental exam: given each September and February
  • Being a native speaker of the language
  • Evidence of previous graduate level command of the language (with the approval of the DGS.) 

Problems Courses v. Seminar Courses

Most graduate history courses are classified as either problems courses or research seminars. Problems courses familiarize students with major readings and historiographical discussions within the field. Research seminars involve fewer common readings and usually result in the production of a long paper based on primary research.

History 597 (individual directed reading) may substitute for an unavailable problems course, and History 596 (individual directed research) may be taken in lieu of a seminar with approval from your advisor.

All students are required to complete the following:

  • A one-year sequence for all first-year graduate students, comprised of History 597S (Approaches to History) in the fall and History 596 (Introduction to Graduate Research) in the spring.  First year graduate advisors will provide instructions on registering for these courses.
  • History 598 (Problems in the Teaching of College History, for 2 hours unit per term) is required of degree candidates who hold teaching assistantships during each semester they hold an appointment

All students should take 500-level courses whenever possible. 400-level courses may be taken for graduate credit with instructor and advisor approval.

First and Second Year Reviews

In order to provide feedback and clarify departmental expectations, all first and second year students undergo annual reviews. These reviews consist of an individual meeting of the student with the Director of Graduate Studies and the student’s potential advisor. The meetings will usually take place at the end of the spring semester. The DGS will contact students to request the reviews; students are responsible for negotiating a meeting time with the DGS and an advisor of their choosing.

In addition to providing feedback, the annual review also allows students and their advisors to ask questions or convey any relevant information about the student’s progress. The meeting is also used to plan for the future, including the choice of courses, fields and the timing of prelims. Evaluation of students’ progress will be based primarily on transcripts and 1st-year evaluations completed by faculty who taught students in their courses as well any information conveyed during the meeting. The review will be followed by a letter, copies of which will go to the student, his/her advisor and the student’s file. The results of the review may be used in decisions about financial aid or other forms of departmental support.

Petitions

There are a variety of occasions when it is necessary to submit a petition to the Graduate College, sometimes to take advantage of various ordinary opportunities (such as transfer of credit), sometimes to reverse an administrative error or to ask for exemption from a Graduate College rule.

The Graduate College Handbook explains in detail when a petition is needed. Please consult with your advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies, and/or the Graduate Secretary regarding the specifics of petitioning.

Exemption from departmental rules for the program is given by the DGS or the Graduate Studies Committee; a "petition" for such an exemption is a less formal letter, and should be supported by the student's major advisor.

Master's of Arts Degree

The History Department does not accept students for the MA degree. It is common, however, for our Ph.D. students to qualify for and request the MA degree during the course of their graduate program. Students will qualify for the M. A. degree by completing 32 hours of coursework (or 8 courses of 4 hours credit each) with a GPA of at least 3.0 within five calendar years from their date of registration. This coursework must include:

  • One research seminar (or History 596) with a grade of B or better.
  • Two additional 500-level courses in history.
  • Two courses in each of two of the fields of specialization offered by the department.
  • Students must demonstrate competence in one foreign language appropriate to the main field of study.

Students may take up to two of the required eight courses in departments other than History, provided that the courses are relevant to their program and approved by the graduate advisor. Language courses may be approved for this purpose.

Students may elect to present a master's thesis as part of the requirement for the degree. A thesis does not replace the research seminar requirement. Eight hours of graduate credit may be granted for the thesis.

Upon completion of the requirements, you should apply to the Office of Admissions and Records for the application for the MA degree.

Preliminary Exams- Structure

Preliminary examinations consist of three fields, one major and two minor.   Four courses must be taken for the major field and two for each of the minor fields. Exam fields are broad fields of study, not specific topics or research interests.   Not all reading for preliminary examinations is usually satisfied in the courses taken for each field, which are often topical.  Some preparation must be undertaken independently or in discussion groups with others facing prelims.  More detailed information on Preliminary Exam rules and regulations may be found in the document Prelims Demystified.  The Guideline for Graduate Student Progress suggests appropriate timing for prelims and other important degree milestones.  Detailed information on prelim preparation may be found in the document Preliminary Exam Preparation Guidelines for Examiners and Examinees. 

Students normally take prelim exams during the third and/or fourth year of study after the BA; some students entering with an MA may begin prelims in April of the second year. Please make sure to submit the preliminary exam schedule by the last day of the semester prior to the semester you plan to begin taking preliminary examinations.

Prelims are the last stage before candidacy. Students must complete at least one language requirement and complete required coursework prior to beginning their prelims. Students are urged to plan their course schedule carefully, and to leave time for concentrated study for their prelim exams. Students may take the course labeled 597P during the semester preceding or during prelims as directed readings preparatory to prelims. This course is supervised by the DGS and is graded on a S/U basis.  Students may also take one of the readings courses required for one field as a "prelim prep" course with written requirements tailored to prelim preparation.

The major field exam requires a substantial background in the monographic and journal literature of the field. Minor fields are more limited in scope and generally require a survey knowledge of the field and familiarity with major historiographical and thematic issues within it. Students should consult with their examiners about the appropriate preparation for each of their field examinations.

Three kinds of fields are examined within the department:

  • geographical/chronological: Examples of this type of field include Modern Europe, Africa, China, Latin American, and United States History since 1830.
  • thematic/comparative: Thematic/comparative fields may not be wholly contained in any of the geographical/chronological fields, and must contain significant subject matter from at least two geographical/chronological fields (for example "Comparative Nationalism: Modern Europe and the Middle East"). Such fields should not be construed narrowly; for example "Race and Ethnic Identity Formation in the US and Latin America during the Inter-War Period" is too chronologically narrow. Half of the required course work for a thematic/comparative field (i.e. two courses for a major, one for a minor) may be conducted in courses of a primarily geographical/chronological framework, so long as the majority of the written work done pertains to the thematic/comparative field. The instructor briefly describes the written work, and certifies that this is the case. 
  • “constructed fields”: a field designed in consultation with the major advisor. This may be the major field; whether major or minor, it may overlap, either chronologically or topically, with one or more of the standard examination fields, but it may not be wholly contained within any of them. Students taking a constructed field must submit a one-page description of the field and a bibliography with their Ph.D. program plan.
  • one field outside the department: Students wishing to take a field outside the department need the approval of their major advisor, and should also consult at an early date with the DGS.

Of the three examined fields:

  • at least one must be geographical/chronological
  • at least one must be either thematic/comparative or a field outside the department 
  • at least one examined field must, in whole or part, cover a period prior to 1815
  • at least one examined field must involve a geographical area different from the other two (NOTE: students offering a major field in medieval history are exempted from the geographical distribution requirement.)

Students who take at least two courses in a particular field may identify it as a third minor field. This third will qualify as an unexamined or "silent" field.

Each written prelim is composed by a separate committee selected by the student and his/her major advisor. Each committee consists of two faculty members in the field who have agreed to write and assess the exam. Ordinarily, faculty who have taught the student will be suitable candidates for the examination committee. In the case of one-person fields, the faculty member involved usually has a standing arrangement with a colleague who has background in the field to assist in prelim grading.   A student may have no more than one faculty member who is serving on two of his/her examination committees.

Prelim schedules require the approval of the proposed examiners in each field. The DGS will approve the schedule to assure the membership of the committees is appropriate to the examined fields and does not overlap in more than one instance. 

Any substantive exceptions to the normal procedure and timing of written exams must be petitioned to the Graduate Studies Committee at least one month prior to the scheduled exam. 

In case of failure in an exam, the student may petition the Graduate Studies Committee, via the DGS, to retake the exam. A petition must include a written recommendation from the major advisor and the approval of the prelim exam committee. Failure to take a scheduled exam will be treated as a failure on the exam.

Preliminary Exams- Preparation and Scheduling

A file of previous exams in each field is available at the History Library. Field bibliographies are available from 300 Gregory Hall and/or from faculty members. Each prelim committee will have specific core bibliographies and directives regarding the exam. Please make sure to consult with your examiners regarding the content and format of the exam as well as its aim.  The document Preliminary Exam Preparation Guidelines for Examiners and Examinees provides useful guidelines for preparation and consultation with examiners.

Written exams may be taken during any of our four prelim exam periods: early September,  early November, early February, and early April. They may not be taken during summer session.

For students who entered the program Fall 2005 or after:  Examinations must be taken within two sequential exam periods.  For students who entered before Fall 2005:  Examinations must be taken and completed in two sequential semesters.  For all students:  the oral preliminary exam should be held before the end of the semester in which the last written preliminary was taken.

Preliminary Exams- Oral Exam and Dissertation Proposal Defense

Students must pass all written prelim exams before taking the preliminary oral exam. The student's major advisor and the student should schedule the preliminary oral exam as soon as possible after the satisfactory results of the written prelim exams are known.

Students should complete and submit the Dissertation Committee form to the Graduate Secretary at least three weeks before the oral exam. The exam should normally be taken before the end of the semester when the last written prelim is passed.

The oral exam will cover the student's fields and the student's dissertation proposal, which the committee must approve. The student must submit a copy of the dissertation proposal to each member of the committee at least a week before the oral exam.  

The prelim oral exam committee will ordinarily be composed of at least one member of each of the student's three written prelim exam committees. It should include the dissertation advisor.

Once the oral prelim is completed, students need to construct a dissertation committee. This will often contain the same members as the preliminary oral committee, but students are also free to alter the composition of the committee. There must be at least four faculty members on this committee; the committee form available from the Graduate Secretary details the Graduate College requirements for this committee.

Once students complete all three written preliminary exams and pass the oral preliminary defense they are officially “All But Dissertation” (A.B.D.).

Doctor of Philosophy- Students with an MA upon admission to the program

For students entering with an MA degree, the History department requires the completion of 10 total courses (40 course hours)  with a GPA of at least a 3.0 to become ABD. The Graduate College requires another 8 courses (32 hours) to acquire the Ph.D. Upon petition, the DGS may waive up to two of the 10 courses required by the department, based on prior study at the MA level. Students may be required to furnish syllabi of courses taken at the MA level that they wish to have waived.

Eight of the 10 required courses are taken up by coursework for the major and two minor fields of specialization:

  • The major field of specialization requires the completion of four courses (16 hours).
  • The two minor fields require the completion of at least two courses per field.

As part of the course work for the field requirements, each student should complete the following:

  • Two research seminars (or 596), under the direction of at least two faculty members. The number of seminars may be reduced by one upon consultation with the thesis advisor.  (The introductory research seminar taken in spring semester of the first year may count toward this requirement)
  • Three additional courses at the 500 level, (these could include additional History 596 and/or History 597 units).  For one course in one of their fields, students may enroll in a problems course as a "prelim-prep" course by arranging alternate writing assignments appropriate to prelim preparation.  Students may use courses in other departments to satisfy some field requirements with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

The two remaining units are methods courses:

  • All students will take History 597S (Approaches to History) in their first semester in the program. They must take an additional methods/theory course chosen from among the following:  History 591 (Social Theory), History 592 (Quantitative Techniques), or Oral History. (Students may be excused from the additional course if they have completed a comparable course at their previous institution upon petition to the Director of Graduate Studies).

For the remaining 8 courses (32 hours) required by the Graduate College, the following may be applied:

  • History 598 (Teaching of College History)
  • Degree candidates who hold research assistantships, may enroll in History 596 for 2 hours credit per semester during the assistantship.
  • Students may register for History 597P (Prelim Study) as one or more of their courses in the semester before or during their written prelims.
  • History 599 (Thesis Research)

Other Requirements for the Ph.D.

  • Demonstration of competence in foreign language(s). See Language Competence for specifics related to your areas of study.
  • Approval of the Ph.D. program plan and the Prelim Exam schedule
  • Passing written preliminary exams in one major and two minor fields
  • Passing an oral examination in one major and two minor fields
  • Approval of the student's dissertation proposal 
  • Successful oral pre-defense of the dissertation
  • Submission and successful oral defense of the dissertation 

Doctor of Philosophy- Students with a BA upon admission to the program

For students entering with a BA, the History department requires the completion of 16 courses (64 hours of course work) with a GPA of at least a 3.0 to become ABD, while the Graduate College requires another 8 courses (32 hours) to acquire the Ph.D.

Eight of the 16 required courses are taken up by coursework for the major and two minor fields of specialization:

  • The major field of specialization requires the completion of four courses.
  • The two minor fields require the completion of at least two courses per field.

As part of the course work for the field requirements, each student should complete the following:

  • Three research seminars (or 596), under the direction of at least two faculty members. The number of seminars may be reduced by one upon consultation with the thesis advisor.  (The introductory research seminar taken in spring semester of the first year may count toward this requirement)
  • Four additional courses at the 500 level, (these could include History 596 and/or History 597 units). For one course in one of their fields, students may enroll in a problems course as a "prelim-prep" course by arranging alternate writing assignments appropriate to prelim preparation.  Students may use courses in other departments to satisfy some field requirements with the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Of the 8 additional courses required by the History Department,

  • All students will take History 597S (Approaches to History) in their first semester in the program. They must take an additional methods/theory course chosen from among the following:  History 591 (Social Theory), History 592 (Quantitative Techniques), or Oral History. Students may be excused from the additional course if you have completed a comparable course at their previous institution that is approved by the Director of Graduate Studies
  • With the consent of the dissertation advisor, History 597D (Proposal Workshop) and 597P (Prelims Reading) may each be taken once for four hours of course credit (counting as one course each).
  • Four hours of History 598 (Teaching College History)
  • Degree candidates who hold research assistantships, and who do not apply four hours of History 598 to their required 64 hours of coursework, may enroll in History 596 for 2 hours credit per semester during the assistantship. With the prior approval of their advisor and their "instructor", they may apply up to four hours of such RA credit to the last 32 of the required 64 hours of coursework, as for History 598. 

NB: After satisfying the methods requirements and taking History 598, 597D and 597P for four hours each, students will have to take at least 3 remaining courses to satisfy the departmental requirement of 64 hours of coursework.

For the remaining 8 courses (32 hours) required by the Graduate College, the following may be applied:

  • History 598 (Teaching of College History)
  • Degree candidates who hold research assistantships, may enroll in History 596 for 2 hours credit per semester during the assistantship.
  • Students may register for History 597P (Prelim Study) for four or more hours in the semester before or during their written prelims.
  • History 599 (Thesis Research)

Other Requirements for the Ph.D.

  • Demonstration of competence in foreign language(s). See Language Competence for specifics related to your areas of study
  • Approval of the Ph.D. program plan and the Prelim Exam schedule
  • Passing written  preliminary examinations on the major field and two minor fields.
  • Passing an oral examination on the three fields and on the student's dissertation proposal. 
  • Successful oral pre-defense of the dissertation
  • Submission and successful oral defense of the dissertation. 

The Dissertation Committee and Final Defense

The Doctoral (final) Committee must be established within a year after the student has advanced to ABD candidacy (passed the oral prelim exam), although the student is advised to take initial steps as soon as he/she advances to candidacy.

The Dissertation Committee Form must be submitted to the Graduate Secretary; it gives the Grad College rules for committee members. Membership on this committee will be determined by the advisor in consultation with the student. The DGS certifies that the committee adequately represents the necessary expertise and breadth to guarantee optimal advice on the dissertation project.  

The committee has at least four members, of whom three must be members of the UI graduate faculty, and at least two must be "tenured" within the definition established by the Graduate College. One member may be from outside the History Department, either from another department at UIUC, or from another university (external examiner). The department encourages outside examiners but does not require them.

The student meets with the Doctoral Examination Committee for a dissertation pre-defense. This normally takes place about six months to a year prior to the expected date of the final oral exam. All members of this committee are responsible for seeing to it that the dissertation meets the highest possible standard. 

Instructions for Preparations of Thesis, and a history department thesis checklist, are distributed to each student who becomes ABD. Questions should be directed the Thesis office of the Graduate College and/or the Graduate Secretary.

All members of the Doctoral Examination Committee should receive a typed draft copy of the dissertation well in advance of the defense, and in any case not less than one month prior. The Chair of the Committee is responsible for the scheduling, but may delegate the task to the student. 

Time Limitations

  • A student who enters the graduate program with a BA must complete the Ph.D. within seven years after first registration in the Graduate College.
  • A student who has received an MA elsewhere must complete the Ph.D. within six years after first registering in the Graduate College.
  • A student who has an MA from Illinois, then terminates his/her enrollment only to return to the Ph.D. program a year or more later, must complete the Ph.D. no more than six years after the date of return.

Graduate students who have reached the time limits given above are not allowed to continue without the approval of the Graduate College. The department may recommend that the student be allowed to continue, but only upon presentation of substantial evidence of progress toward the degree (supported by the thesis advisor) and establishment of a firm date for completion. A petition must be submitted to the Grad College. +

Students who have completed 96 hours and all other requirements save the dissertation may cease to enroll at the University while they continue to work on the thesis. (Students should remember that unless registered they cease to have access to university facilities, including the library). Upon completion or near completion, a Ph.D. student may re-apply to register for the semester during which the final oral exam will be taken. Procedures for this vary according to how long the student has been unregistered; and students are advised to contact the Graduate Secretaryseveral months in advance of when they intend to register.

If more than five years elapse between completion of the prelim exams and the final oral exam on the thesis, students are required to demonstrate the currency of their knowledge by retaking the prelim exam, usually in the form of an oral exam by the final committee prior to defense of the thesis. Evidence such as scholarly publications and college-level teaching may be taken as partial evidence of currency, but a prelim exam committee must be appointed, the exam given, and the results reported to the Graduate College.

Further Questions

Further questions and special inquiries can be directed to the Director of Graduate Studies or to the departmental Graduate Studies Secretary.