AHA Directory of History Departments and Organizations

Institution Details


West Virginia University
West Virginia University Dept. of History
PO Box 6303
Morgantown, WV 26506-6303
Phone: 304.293.2421
Email: history@mail.wvu.edu
Website: https://history.wvu.edu/


The Department of History, part of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University, offers a variety of courses for the interested undergraduate and graduate student. Our faculty includes professors of West Virginia history, US history, African, Latin American, Asian, and European history.


Chair: Kate Staples
Director of Graduate Studies: Jason Phillips
Director of Undergraduate Studies: William (Hal) Gorby
Degrees Offered: BA,MA,PHD
Academic Year System: SEM
Areas of Specialization: US, Appalachia, modern Europe, modern Africa, public
Undergraduate Tuition (per academic year):
   In-state: $5880
   Out-of-state: $16020
Graduate Tuition (per academic year):
   In-state: $10026
   Out-of-state: $28152

Enrollment 2024-25:
Undergraduate Majors: 187
Students in Program: 0
New Graduate Students: 13
Full-time Graduate Students: 65
Part-time Graduate Students: 5
Degrees in History: 0 AA 64 BA 0 BS 15 MA 0 MS 5 PhD
Students in Undergrad. Courses: 35
Students in Undergrad. Intro Courses: 35
% of Online-Only Courses: 0
Undergraduate Addresses:
   Admissions: https://admissions.wvu.edu/
   Financial Aid: https://financialaid.wvu.edu/
Graduate Addresses:
   Admissions: https://graduateadmissions.wvu.edu/
   Financial Aid: https://financialaid.wvu.edu/

Areas of Specialization: US, Appalachia, modern Europe, modern Africa, public

Not applicable


Doctoral Program Information

A. Program Description. The doctoral program in History at West Virginia University emphasizes all fields of US history, Appalachian/Regional history, modern European history, and modern Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, the department encourages research that is comparative and transnational in approach.

B. Special Programs. Students in the Appalachian/regional history emphasis have access to the West Virginia/Regional History Collection. The department also offers a minor field concentration in Public History.

C. Financial Aid. Newly admitted doctoral students are automatically eligible to be considered for departmental teaching and research assistantships and university-wide doctoral scholarships. Almost all doctoral students in the program are supported. Funds are also available for travel to conferences and research sites.

D. Degree Requirements. 34 credit hours minimum for the PhD; written and oral qualifying examinations in four fields.

Directory of History Dissertations

Doctoral Program Statistics 2024-25:
PhD students currently enrolled: 33
PhD applications received: 20
New PhD students: 5
% of students receiving tuition waivers: 100
% of students receiving stipends: 100


Bingmann, Melissa R. (PHD, Arizona State, 2003; ; assoc. prof.) public, modern US; melissa.bingmann@mail.wvu.edu
DiSalvo Osborne, Betsy (PHD, West Virginia, 2023; ; service asst. prof. and coord., Social Studies Secondary Education) social studies education; elizabeth.osborne@mail.wvu.edu
Flomen, Max (PHD, UCLA, 2018; ; asst. prof.) North America to 1800, Native American, Atlantic world, slavery; max.flomen@mail.wvu.edu
Gorby, William Hal (PHD, West Virginia, 2014; ; teaching assoc. prof. and dir., undergrad. studies) West Virginia, Appalachia, 20th-century US working class; William.Gorby@mail.wvu.edu
Hodge, Joseph M. (PHD, Queen’s, Can., 1999; ; prof.) Britain and Empire, decolonization, development and modernization; Joseph.Hodge@mail.wvu.edu
Lawrence, Sean (PHD, California, Santa Cruz, 2022; ; asst. prof.) modern Europe, modern Middle East, German Empire, environmental, political economy, heritage studies, film; sean.lawrence@mail.wvu.edu
Luskey, Brian Patrick (PHD, Emory, 2004; ; prof.) early Republic US, urban, gender; brian.luskey@mail.wvu.edu
M'bayo, Tamba E. (PHD, Michigan State, 2009; ; assoc. prof.) Africa, West Africa; Tamba.Mbayo@mail.wvu.edu
McCoy, Austin C. (PHD, Michigan, 2016; ; asst. prof.) 20th-century US, African American, US Left and labor, US social movements;
Phillips, Jason K. (PHD, Rice, 2003; ; Eberly Prof. and dir., grad. studies) Civil War and Reconstruction, US South, 19th-century America; jason.phillips@mail.wvu.edu
Siekmeier, James F. (PHD, Cornell, 1993; ; prof.) US diplomatic, Latin America; James.Siekmeier@mail.wvu.edu
Smart, Devin (PHD, Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2017; ; asst. prof.) Africa, environmental, food and consumption; devin.smart@mail.wvu.edu
Staples, Kate Kelsey (PHD, Minnesota, 2006; ; assoc. prof. and chair) medieval, women, England; Kate.Staples@mail.wvu.edu
Vester, Matthew A. (PHD, UCLA, 1997; ; prof. and assoc. chair) early modern Europe, Italy, kinship; matt.vester@mail.wvu.edu
Arnett, William S. (PHD, Ohio State, 1973; ; assoc. prof. emeritus) ancient; William.Arnett@mail.wvu.edu
Blobaum, Robert E. (PHD, Nebraska, 1981; ; prof. emeritus) modern central and east Europe; Robert.Blobaum@mail.wvu.edu
Fones-Wolf, Elizabeth A. (PHD, Massachusetts Amherst, 1990; ; prof. emeritus) 20th-century US, social, economic; efwolf@wvu.edu
Fones-Wolf, Ken (PHD, Temple, 1985; ; prof. emeritus) 19th-century US, labor, Appalachia and West Virginia; kfoneswo@wvu.edu
Hammersmith, Jack L. (PHD, Virginia, 1970; ; prof. emeritus) East Asia, recent US, American diplomatic; Jack.Hammersmith@mail.wvu.edu
Howe, Barbara J. (PHD, Temple, 1976; ; assoc. prof. emeritus) social, women, women’s studies; bhowe@wvu.edu
Lewis, Ronald L. (PHD, Akron, 1974; ; prof. emeritus) US social and labor, Appalachia and West Virginia; Ronald.Lewis@mail.wvu.edu
Maxon, Robert M. (PHD, Syracuse, 1972; ; prof. emeritus) East Africa, colonial Kenya; Robert.Maxon@mail.wvu.edu
McCluskey, Stephen C. (PHD, Wisconsin, Madison, 1974; ; prof. emeritus) medieval, science; scmcc@wvu.edu
McMahon, Michal (PHD, Texas, Austin, 1970; ; assoc. prof. emeritus) 19th-century US, urban, environmental; Michal.McMahon@mail.wvu.edu
Super, John C. (PHD, UCLA, 1973; ; prof. emeritus) Latin America, Americas, comparative religious; John.Super@mail.wvu.edu
Tauger, Mark B. (PHD, UCLA, 1991; ; assoc. prof. emeritus) Russia and Soviet Union, world and comparative, historiography; mtauger@wvu.edu
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