A. Program Description. The Department of History offers a full range of courses in American history from colonial times to the present and European history (with concentrations in Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern), as well as programs in Asian history, Latin American history and Ottoman history. It has thematic concentrations in women, gender and sexuality, imperialism and colonialism, and science, technology, and medicine, as well as global history, environmental history, and the history of capitalism. While concentrating on the history of one nation or geographic area, students are encouraged to develop a comparative or global perspective in their work.

B. Special Programs. The Department cooperates closely with a host of interdisciplinary programs and departments to offer students additional instruction in comparative and global perspectives. These include the Departments of Asian and Asian American Studies, Africana Studies and Judaic Studies. In addition, students often engage in multidisciplinary programs, such as the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, the Center of the Historical Study of Women and Gender, the Middle East and North African Studies Program, and the Braudel Center for the Study of Economies, Historical Systems, and Civilizations.

C. Financial Aid. Financial aid is offered primarily in the form of teaching assistantships that combine an annual stipend and a summer fellowship. These range from $20,000 to $22,000 a year for up to five years. Teaching assistantships include full-time tuition waivers and excellent medical insurance. Underrepresented Minority Fellowships are also available. Most doctoral students receive a dissertation writing fellowship during their last two years of funding. Residents of New York who are admitted without an assistantship or fellowship may apply for the Tuition Assistance Program and often obtain on-campus employment. Graduate students in History are also eligible for a range of generous travel grants to enable them to learn languages in an immersion setting, to conduct dissertation research, or to present papers at conferences.

D. Degree Requirements. Master's students must complete 32 credit hours toward their degree in history, including one course in historiography and one research seminar, with a B average or higher. They must also pass either a written MA examination or a MA portfolio defense in their area. The writing of a MA thesis is optional and is undertaken in addition to the MA examination or portfolio defense. Those who successfully complete the MA become eligible for the PhD program. Students admitted to the doctoral program must complete an additional 24 credit hours (or 32 credit hours if the MA is from a different university) and demonstrate proficiency in a language other than their native language. Doctoral candidates then take a comprehensive examination. This examination covers major and minor fields as well as a dissertation prospectus. All PhD students must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than their native language. With completion of the dissertation, students must pass a formal defense prepared by a committee consisting of their principal advisor and two other faculty members, as well as an external observer.