AHA Directory of History Departments and Organizations

Institution Details


University of Virginia
University of Virginia Corcoran Dept. of History
Nau Hall
PO Box 400180
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4180
Phone: 434.924.7146
Fax: 434.924.7891
Email: history@virginia.edu
Website: https://history.virginia.edu/


The University of Virginia’s Corcoran Department of History has long been one of the anchors for liberal and humane education in the College of Arts & Sciences. Members of the department are nationally and internationally recognized for their scholarship and teaching.


Chair: Cong (Ellen) Zhang
Director of Graduate Studies: Chris Gratien
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Jennifer Sessions
Degrees Offered: BA,MA,PHD
Academic Year System: SEM
Areas of Specialization: Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, South Asia, US
Undergraduate Tuition (per academic year):
   In-state: $40468
   Out-of-state: $81718
Graduate Tuition (per academic year):
   In-state: $20480
   Out-of-state: $34302
Other Tuition:
    Undergraduate 2nd year in-state $41584, out-of-state $82843; Undergraduate 3rd and 4th year in-state $44676, out-of-state $85946; Graduate PhD years 4+ in-state and out of-state $6200; Graduate MA in-state $22106, out of-state $37266

Enrollment 2025-2026:
Undergraduate Majors: 248
Students in Program: 0
New Graduate Students: 17
Full-time Graduate Students: 64
Part-time Graduate Students: 0
Degrees in History: 0 AA 138 BA 0 BS 10 MA 0 MS 6 PhD
Students in Undergrad. Courses: 2016
Students in Undergrad. Intro Courses: 215
% of Online-Only Courses: 5
Undergraduate Addresses:
   Admissions: https://admission.virginia.edu/
   Financial Aid: https://financialaid.virginia.edu/
Graduate Addresses:
   Admissions: https://graduate.as.virginia.edu/
   Financial Aid: https://graduate.as.virginia.edu/

Areas of Specialization: Africa, East Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, South Asia, US

Not applicable


Doctoral Program Information

A. Program Description. The normal duration of the PhD program is five years. Students entering the program with an MA degree do not receive advanced standing. Students must be in residence at the University for at least three years. During this time students complete the required coursework, take general examinations for the PhD, serve as graduate teaching assistants, and complete a prospectus for the PhD dissertation. During the remaining two years, students focus on researching and writing the doctoral dissertation. Students typically serve as teaching assistants during two or three of these five years.

B. Special Programs. The Department's intellectual breadth is enhanced by its close relationship with the Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American & African Studies, the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES), the Classics Department, the Miller Center for Study of the American Presidency, the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, and the program in Science, Technology & Society at the Engineering School. Members of the Department are also closely involved with several interdisciplinary programs in the College of Arts & Sciences such as American Studies, Latin American studies, Middle-Eastern Studies, Medieval Studies Program, and Studies in Women & Gender. The Department is part of active and ongoing digital humanities research, teaching, and graduate training projects with the Library's Scholars' Lab as well as the Sciences, Humanities, and Arts Network of Technology Initiatives (SHANTI).

C. Financial Aid. The graduate program in history is small, highly selective, and especially well supported by the University. If a student is admitted, the University will provide a competitive, five-year financial package that will include a stipend for living expenses, remission of tuition, and cover fees and health insurance. The University and the Department also provide other, limited, financial support for student research, including traveling to archives, presentations of research at scholarly conferences, and language study beyond the minimum language requirement.

D. Degree Requirements. For a detailed description, see http://history.as.virginia.edu/guide-graduate-study-history.

Directory of History Dissertations

Doctoral Program Statistics 2025-2026:
PhD students currently enrolled: 62
PhD applications received: 242
New PhD students: 6
% of students receiving tuition waivers: 83
% of students receiving stipends: 83.33


Bishara, Fahad Ahmad (PHD, Duke, 2012; ; Ramazani Assoc. Prof. in Arabian Peninsula and Gulf Studies) Indian Ocean world, legal and capitalism, maritime; fab7b@virginia.edu
Burrill, Emily Susan (PHD, Stanford, 2007; ; assoc. prof.) 20th-century West Africa, gender and sexuality, transnational feminism, French Empire, law and society, human rights and humanitarianism; kxs3cw@virginia.edu
Chatterjee, Indrani (PHD, London, 1996; ; John L. Nau III Dist. Prof. of the History and Principles of Democracy) South Asia, Indian Ocean, British Empire, Global South and international , gender, slavery and abolition, law, household and monastic governments; tta6uk@virginia.edu
Cronan, Sean (PHD, California, Berkeley, 2025; ; asst. prof.) late imperial China, Mongol Empire, East Asia, diplomatic, frontiers and borderlands; fyq5pz@virginia.edu
Dierksheide, Christa (PHD, Virginia, 2009; ; Brockman Foundation Jefferson Scholars Foundation Prof.) Age of Jefferson; cbd3g@virginia.edu
Dubois, Laurent M. (PHD, Michigan, 1998; ; John L. Nau III Bicentennial Dist. Prof. in the History and Principles of Democracy) history and culture of the Atlantic world, Caribbean and Haiti; lmd8s@virginia.edu
Dynner, Glenn D. (PHD, Brandeis, 2002; ; Jay Berkowitz Prof. of Jewish History and prof.) east European Jewish, Hasidism, Poland, gender and sexuality;
Edelson, S. Max (PHD, Johns Hopkins, 1999; ; prof.) colonial America; edelson@virginia.edu
Gratien, Chris (PHD, Georgetown, 2015; ; assoc. prof. and dir., grad. studies) Middle East/North Africa, environmental and global; crg8w@virginia.edu
Halliday, Paul D. (PHD, Chicago, 1993; ; C. Julian Bishko Prof.) legal, early modern Britain; ph4p@virginia.edu
Harold, Claudrena N. (PHD, Notre Dame, 2004; ; Edward R. Stettinius Prof. of History) African American, US labor; cnh6g@virginia.edu
Hill Edwards, Justene (PHD, Princeton, 2015; ; assoc. prof.) African American; jgh7d@virginia.edu
Hitchcock, William I. (PHD, Yale, 1994; ; William W. Corcoran Prof.) 20th-century Europe, international politics and diplomacy; hitch@virginia.edu
Janney, Caroline E. (PHD, Virginia, 2005; ; John L. Nau III Prof.) ladies memorial associations 1865-1900; cej4b@virginia.edu
Kang, S. Deborah (PHD, California, Berkeley, 2005; ; assoc. prof.) US West and borderlands, immigration, legal; sdkang@virginia.edu
Kershaw, Paul J. E. (PHD, King’s Coll., London, 1999; ; assoc. prof.) medieval; pjk3p@virginia.edu
Klubock, Thomas Miller (PHD, Yale, 1993; ; prof.) modern Latin America; tmk5k@virginia.edu
Kunakhovich, Kyrill (PHD, Princeton, 2013; ; asst. prof.) modern Europe; kmk5ss@virginia.edu
LaFleur, James (PHD, Virginia, 2003; ; asst. prof.) food, agricultural and cultural exchange; jdl2s@virginia.edu
Lambert, Erin (PHD, Wisconsin, Madison, 2012; ; assoc. prof. and assoc. chair) early modern Europe; eml7f@virginia.edu
Lendon, Jon E. (PHD, Yale, 1991; ; prof.) ancient; jel4c@virginia.edu
Linstrum, Erik (PHD, Harvard, 2012; ; assoc. prof.) modern Britain; erl2z@virginia.edu
Liu, Xiaoyuan (PHD, Iowa, 1990; ; David Dean Prof.; East Asian Studies) East Asia; xyliu@virginia.edu
McMillen, Christian W. (PHD, Yale, 2004; ; prof.) Native American, US West; cwm6w@virginia.edu
Meyer, Elizabeth A. (PHD, Yale, 1988; ; T. Cary Johnson Jr. Prof.) ancient; eam2n@virginia.edu
Milov, Sarah E. (PHD, Princeton, 2013; ; assoc. prof.) 20th-century America; sem9dw@virginia.edu
Nair, Neeti (PHD, Tufts, 2005; ; assoc. prof.) modern South Asia; nn2v@virginia.edu
Owensby, Brian P. (PHD, Princeton, 1994; ; prof.) modern Latin America, Brazil; bpo3a@virginia.edu
Preston, Andrew (PHD, Cambridge, 2001; ; prof.) ; ufb9nf@virginia.edu
Rossman, Jeffrey J. (PHD, California, Berkeley, 1997; ; assoc. prof.) 20th-century Russia; jrossman@virginia.edu
Seeley, Joseph Andrew (PHD, Stanford, 2019; ; asst. prof.) modern Korea; jas5fz@virginia.edu
Sessions, Jennifer (PHD, Pennsylvania, 2005; ; assoc. prof. and dir., undergrad. studies) French colonialism in North Africa; jes4fx@virginia.edu
Sterling, Erica (PHD, Harvard, ; ; asst. prof.) ; mth6uq@virginia.edu
Stolz, Robert P. (PHD, Chicago, 2006; ; assoc. prof.) modern Japan; rstolz@virginia.edu
Sweeney, Lean (PHD, New Mexico, 2019; ; asst. prof.) ; ls3kp@virginia.edu
Syed, Amir (PHD, Michigan, 2017; ; asst. prof.) Muslim communities in Africa, Sahel region of West Africa; pau5eg@virginia.edu
Thomas, Mark F. (DPHIL, Oxford, 1984; ; prof.) American and European economic; mt4w@virginia.edu
Varon, Elizabeth R. (PHD, Yale, 1993; ; Langbourne M. Williams Prof.) American South and Civil War era, women and gender, intellectual and cultural; erv5c@virginia.edu
Vise, Melissa E. (PHD, Northwestern, 2015; ; vis. assoc. prof.) ;
White, Joshua Michael (PHD, Michigan, 2012; ; assoc. prof.) Middle East and North Africa; jmwhite@virginia.edu
Zhang, Cong Ellen (PHD, Washington, 2003; ; assoc. prof. and chair) early imperial China; cz5h@virginia.edu
Achilles, Manuela (PHD, Michigan, 2005; ; assoc. prof., general faculty; Germanic Languages and Literatures) modern Germany; ma6cq@virginia.edu
Gaines, Kevin K. (PHD, Brown, 1991; ; Julian Bond Prof.; Carter G. Woodson Inst. for African-American and African Studies) African American history and global perspective, civil rights movement, black diaspora, music in cultural production; kkg2u@virginia.edu
Goluboff, Risa L. (PHD, Princeton, 2003; ; assoc. prof.; Law) American civil rights; rlg3t@virginia.edu
Hale, Grace Elizabeth (PHD, Rutgers, 1995; ; prof. and Commonwealth Chair) US South, cultural; hale@virginia.edu
Horne, Janet R. (PHD, NYU, 1992; ; assoc. prof.; French) modern France; jhorne@virginia.edu
Kahlenberg, Caroline (PHD, Harvard, 2021; ; asst. prof.; Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures) Middle East, Jewish, Palestine/Israel, gender and sexuality, material culture, Sephardic/Mizrahi, migration and diaspora; maf2jh@virginia.edu
Kahrl, Andrew W. (PHD, Indiana, 2008; ; prof.; Carter G. Woodson Inst. for African American Studies) African American; andrew.kahrl@virginia.edu
Olick, Jeffrey K. (PHD, Yale, 1993; ; prof.; Sociology) Germany, memory; jko3k@virginia.edu
Richardson, Kristina (PHD, Michigan, 2008; ; prof.; Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures) medieval Islamic, Romani people, global history of printing, race and slavery, disability; dmc7rm@virginia.edu
Singerman, David (PHD, MIT, 2014; ; asst. prof.; American Studies) US, science and technology; ds2ax@virginia.edu
Von Eschen, Penny M. (PHD, Columbia, 1994; ; William R. Kenan Jr. Prof.; American Studies) US in world and culture, politics of African diaspora; pmv3c@virginia.edu
White, G. Edward (PHD, Yale, 1967; ; David and Mary Harrison Dist. Prof.; Law) American legal; gew@virginia.edu
Aron, Cindy S. (PHD, Maryland, Coll. Park, 1981; ; prof. emeritus) US women; msa5w@virginia.edu
Balogh, Brian H. (PHD, Johns Hopkins, 1988; ; prof. emeritus) 20th-century America; balogh@virginia.edu
Barnett, Richard B. (PHD, California, Berkeley, 1975; ; assoc. prof. emeritus) medieval and early modern South Asia; rbb@virginia.edu
Braun, Herbert (PHD, Wisconsin, Madison, 1982; ; prof. emeritus) modern Latin America; hb3r@virginia.edu
Crosby, Everett U., II (PHD, Johns Hopkins, 1959; ; prof. emeritus) medieval France and England; euc@virginia.edu
Edsall, Nicholas C. (PHD, Harvard, 1966; ; prof. emeritus) modern England;
Gallagher, Gary W. (PHD, Texas, Austin, 1982; ; John Nau Prof. emeritus) Civil War and Reconstruction; gallagher@virginia.edu
Gilliam, George H. (PHD, Virginia, 2013; ; prof. emeritus) ; ghg4u@virginia.edu
Holt, Michael F. (PHD, Johns Hopkins, 1967; ; Langbourne M. Williams Prof. emeritus) 19th-century American political; mfh6p@virginia.edu
Israel, John W. (PHD, Harvard, 1963; ; prof. emeritus) East Asia, modern China; ji@virginia.edu
Leffler, Melvyn P. (PHD, Ohio State, 1972; ; Edward R. Stettinius Prof. emeritus) American diplomatic; mpl4j@virginia.edu
Leffler, Phyllis K. (PHD, Ohio State, 1971; ; prof. emeritus) public; pkl6h@virginia.edu
Loeffler, James (PHD, Columbia, 2006; ; Jay Berkowitz Prof. emeritus) Jewish; james.loeffler@virginia.edu
Mason, John Edwin, Jr. (PHD, Yale, 1992; ; assoc. prof. emeritus) southern Africa, African American cultural and intellectual; jem3a@virginia.edu
McCurdy, Charles W., Jr. (PHD, California, San Diego, 1976; ; prof. emeritus) American legal; cwm@virginia.edu
Megill, Allan (PHD, Columbia, 1975; ; prof. emeritus) modern Europe; megill@virginia.edu
Midelfort, H. C. Erik (PHD, Yale, 1970; ; C. Julian Bishko Prof. emeritus) Reformation, early modern Germany; hem7e@virginia.edu
O'Shaughnessy, Andrew J. (DPHIL, Oxford, 1988; ; prof. emeritus) 18th-century Atlantic world, British Empire; ao2k@virginia.edu
Onuf, Peter S. (PHD, Johns Hopkins, 1973; ; Thomas Jefferson Memorial Found. Prof. emeritus) 18th-century America; dude@virginia.edu
Parshall, Karen V. H. (PHD, Chicago, 1982; ; Commonwealth Prof. emeritus) science; khp3k@virginia.edu
Reed, Bradly W. (PHD, UCLA, 1994; ; assoc. prof. emeritus) late imperial and modern China; bwr4k@virginia.edu
Schuker, Stephen A. (PHD, Harvard, 1969; ; William W. Corcoran Prof. emeritus) modern Europe; sas4u@virginia.edu
Stagg, J.C.A. (PHD, Princeton, 1973; ; prof. emeritus) early national US; js5h@virginia.edu
Taylor, Alan S. (PHD, Brandeis, 1986; ; Thomas Jefferson Foundation Prof. emeritus) colonial America, early US Republic; ast8f@virginia.edu
Zelikow, Philip D. (PHD, Fletcher Sch. Diplomacy, Tufts, 1993; ; White Burkett Miller Prof. emeritus) Cold War; zelikow@virginia.edu
Zunz, Olivier (PHD, Paris, 1982; ; James Madison Prof. emeritus) American urban, social; oz@virginia.edu
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