Academic Program - HistoryIntroduction
The History Program at Claremont has followed a policy of limited enrollment so that students have maximum access to staff and facilities. A small number of students enter the program each year and are carefully selected on the basis of interest and proven ability. The Faculty in History offers three distinct programs, each leading to advanced degrees in history. At the master's degree level, the comparatively conventional History Program offers a wide variety of major fields (see below), and at the doctoral level offers majors in the United States, modern Europe, and intellectual history. In addition, the Graduate Faculty in History offers multidisciplinary programs in American Studies and in European Studies. Interdisciplinary and cultural studies are especially important as they reflect the multicultural elements in American and European history. This emphasis is encouraged in all history degree programs. The programs provide advanced professional education as preparation for a variety of careers. Traditionally, historians have worked in academic settings as scholars and teachers, or in closely related institutions such as libraries, archives, and museums. Increasingly, however, advanced education in history is being regarded as broad based humanistic training, equipping students with research capabilities, analytical methods, and communications skills, which are useful in many fields. The History Department welcomes students who wish to teach in the schools, the community colleges, and four-year and professional schools, and students who intend non-teaching careers. Instruction in history is carried on either in tutorials or in seminars. Classes are small and each student's program is designed individually. A favorable student-faculty ratio allows for an unusual amount of individual attention from faculty members. Students work with faculty advisers in planning their course of study; candidates for the Ph.D. work closely with a faculty committee composed of professors in the student's fields of study. The Honnold-Mudd Library of The Claremont Colleges provides excellent research facilities and resources. Also in Claremont is the library of the Claremont School of Theology. The Huntington Library, one of the world's finest research libraries for American history, is nearby in San Marino. Master of ArtsResidence For residence and other general requirements, see the "Degree Regulations" section in the CGU Bulletin. Course Requirements A candidate for the M.A. must complete a minimum of 36 units with grades of B or better. At least 24 of these must be in history; the remaining 12 may be either in history or in an allied discipline, subject to the approval of the student's adviser (at least 4 units must meet the CGU humanities requirement). A minimum of 16 units must be in one of the following fields of history, and will constitute the student's major field of emphasis: the United States, including the colonial period; Great Britain; medieval Europe; modern Europe; or intellectual history. In addition, each student must include at least five History seminar courses in the 300 range, including HIST 300. Thesis A candidate must demonstrate competence in research by presenting a thesis. The thesis should be a work based on original research in source materials. A student may register for 399 Master's Thesis Research and earn up to six units of credit for research. These units are in addition to the 12 units required for the field of major emphasis. Language Requirement The candidate must demonstrate reading proficiency in historical materials in one foreign language. This requirement may be met in any of the ways specified in the "Languages and Research Tools" section under "Doctor of Philosophy Degree" below. European Studies students must demonstrate proficiency in either French or German. The M.A. degree may also be awarded to students who have been advanced to candidacy for the doctorate, upon written request and submission of copies of two substantive research papers written for CGU history courses for which the student received grades of B+ or better. Students who have not passed the qualifying examinations at the doctoral level may also be awarded a M.A. degree upon meeting the standards for American Studies, U.S. History, European Studies, European History, Early Modern Studies, and Archival Studies students should consult the appropriate sections in "Fields of Study" below. Doctor of PhilosophyResidence For residence and other general requirements, see the "Degree Regulations" section in the CGU Bulletin. Supervisory Committee A student who is accepted in the doctoral program in history will be assigned an advisor. With faculty approval, the student's advisor may be changed. Course Requirements The student must complete with grades of B or better at least 48 units of work in history courses taught by the graduate faculty of The Claremont Colleges, including HIST 300 and Tutorial Reading courses but excluding research courses in the 400 range. At least eight of these units must meet the CGU humanities requirement. If a student has completed graduate work in history at another institution, transfer credit for up to 24 units may be recommended. Before a student can take the qualifying examinations, she/he must complete two substantive research papers that come out of research seminars, graduate reading courses, or tutorials. The student's advisor will determine whether credit is given for a particular paper. Ph.D. students are expected to complete one substantive research paper by the end of their third semester. Course and dissertation research unit registration must equal 72 units. No more than 12 units per semester may count toward the institutional requirement of 72 paid units. Transdisciplinary Requirement Doctoral students entering in Fall 2006 and after must satisfy the 4-unit transdisciplinary course (T-course) requirement during their second year of study at CGU. For For more information, please see the T-course page. Languages and Research Tools The student must demonstrate proficiency in two foreign languages or in one foreign language and an acceptable research tool. Foreign language proficiency is demonstrated when the student passes a language exam for reading comprehension. European Studies students must demonstrate proficiency in French and German; at the discretion of the supervisory committee, an alternative language may be substituted if particularly pertinent to a student's area of interest. With the approval of the supervisory committee, a student majoring in American History or American Studies may substitute a research tool for the second language, but no degree credit can be given for courses taken as substitute research tools. Proficiency in a research tool may be demonstrated by a grade of satisfactory or better in HIST 304 Seminar in Oral History, or HIST 305 Document Editing. Qualifying Examinations A demonstration of competence in three fields (a major field and two minor fields) is required of all History and American Studies students. The major field is selected from among the following: The United States, including the colonial period; Great Britain; intellectual history or modern European History. The student may choose minor fields from two of the following categories: a period or thematic aspect of the major field; one or more fields of history outside the major field; a related discipline in the social sciences or humanities; or a topic in comparative history. The student’s supervisory committee must approve the selection of fields, which is responsible for avoiding overlapping or duplication of fields. American Studies, U.S. History, European Studies, European History, Early Modern Studies, and Archival Studies students should consult the appropriate sections in "Fields of Study" below. The Ph.D. qualifying examinations are scheduled in consultation with the student's examination committee. One day consists of a four-hour, major field examination, and is followed by two days of three-hour, minor field examinations. A one-hour oral examination is taken after the completion of the written examinations (the date and time of the oral examination must be determined at the time written examinations are scheduled). The oral examination committee will be comprised of those who graded the written examinations. Students can request to take their examinations any time after the completion of their course-work and other qualifying requirements. In the event that a student fails a field examination, the examining committee, together with the faculty giving the written examination in the major field, decides whether the student may be permitted to take a reexamination. Failure on a reexamination, written or oral, disqualifies the student from further graduate study at the Claremont Graduate University, except in extraordinary cases as recommended by the examining committee and approved by the dean of faculty. Reexaminations are given by the same faculty members when feasible. Dissertation Requirements Every student must submit an acceptable dissertation prospectus for approval by his/her dissertation committee. This committee, recommended by the chair of the Graduate Faculty in History in consultation with the student, consists of no fewer than three members, one of whom serves as dissertation supervisor. Each candidate must prepare an acceptable dissertation under the guidance of the supervisory committee, to be defended in a final oral examination. A draft of the dissertation, which takes into account the criticisms by the major adviser and is acceptable to the major adviser, must be completed by October 1 by students completing the degree at the end of the first semester, and by March 1 by students completing the degree at the end of the second semester. This draft must be in a form suitable for submission to the other readers. Deadlines for completion in final form are listed in the "Degree Regulations" section of the CGU Bulletin and in the Academic Calendar. M.A. In History/Teaching CredentialResidence For residence and other general requirements, see the "Degree Regulations" section in the CGU Bulletin. The Claremont Graduate University offers a program that combines the rigorous standards of a Master of Arts degree in history with the theoretical and practical training of the Ryan Clear California Teaching Credential. The program is intended for prospective teachers who wish to teach history in the elementary grades or at the secondary level. During the program, students learn the research, analytical and communication skills of a historian while at the same time experiencing first-hand the demands and rewards of full-time teaching under the assistance and supervision of a CGU mentor/advisor. The program provides an expertise in a field of history, and also readies the student to assume immediately the duties of a full-time teaching career. Dual-Programs in Management and the HumanitiesStudents who wish to pursue an MBA simultaneously with a Master's or Ph.D. in history should consult the description of the dual-degree program in the "Degree Regulations" section of the CGU Bulletin.The Dual-Degree Program in Management and the Humanities is designed to meet the needs of those students who wish to pursue the MBA degree without sacrificing a strong interest in one of the traditional humanities disciplines. Rigorous training in the techniques and methods of management is combined concurrently with advanced study in the fields of English, History, American studies, European studies, Philosophy or Religion. Students may thus usually earn the MBA and the M.A. in two and a half years, and complete course-work for the MBA and the Ph.D. in four years. Full-time dual-degree MBA/Ph.D. students may take four courses a semester rather than the usual three, although only 12 units per semester may count toward the 72-unit Ph.D. requirement. Units from shared elective courses may be applied toward the requirements of both the management and the humanities degrees. The Claremont Graduate University's MBA program is distinctive. Management education is enriched by close contact with other disciplines, and MBA candidates are likely to study with historians, philosophers, and literary scholars as well as with management scholars. In both the Ph.D. and the M.A. programs it is possible, though not necessary, to integrate work in the humanities with management studies. The humanities programs offer the advantages of small numbers and close association with a distinguished faculty. Like the management faculty, the humanities faculty is committed to a broad, interdisciplinary approach to graduate education. Admission and Financial Aid Admissions decisions are made separately by each program involved in the dual degree. A student who gained admission to only one program would be able to pursue that degree alone, if he or she so chose. Candidates must submit test scores from the Graduate Management Achievement Test (GMAT). Under certain circumstances, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) may be substituted. The dual-degree program is designed to appeal to a broad range of students with widely varying undergraduate backgrounds. Detailed preparation in both fields is not required, though a year of economics, accounting, and statistics, as well as some basic mathematics, are recommended. Allowance is made for the need for some make-up work, although the make-up work will extend the number of courses required to complete the dual-degree program. As with applicants to the MBA alone, work experience is a critical factor in the assessment of an application. Fellowship aid is available to dual-degree program students, and may be applied for from each program at the time of application for admission. For further information regarding admissions and financial aid, or regarding any aspect of the dual-degree program, please contact our Admissions Coordinator. Humanities M.A. Course Requirements Twenty-six units and one MBA 4-unit shared elective. M.B.A. Course Requirements See "MBA Requirements" in the "MBA/Ph.D. Dual-Degree Program" section below. M.B.A./Ph.D. Dual-Degree Program The requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy are outlined under "General Requirements" in the "Degree Regulations" section of the CGU Bulletin.The dual-degree program is designed to enable the student to complete the MBA and the course requirements for the Ph.D. in three years or six semesters of study. In at least four of those six semesters the student will take four courses instead of the normal three. Thus, the student will take a minimum of four courses for four semesters (16 units per semester) for a total of 64 units, and three courses for two semesters (12 units per semester) for a total of 24 units, yielding a total of at least 22 courses in six semesters, or 88 units. Only 12 units per semester may count toward the 72 paid-unit Ph.D. requirement. Of the 22 required courses (excluding any make-up work), 12 are in management and ten are from the humanities curriculum. The actual arrangement and sequence of the courses taken is determined by the student, with the help of an adviser in each program, and allows a good deal of flexibility. With the shared elective system, the program requirements are met as follows: Humanities Ph.D. Course Requirements: Ten humanities courses (four units each) for a total of 40 units; and two MBA courses (shared electives) for eight units. M.B.A. Course Requirements: Twelve MBA courses (four units each) for a total of 48 units; and two humanities courses (shared electives) for eight units.The student thus earns 40 units of credit in the humanities and 48 units of credit in management, thereby fulfilling the course requirements of both programs. Oral HistoryFor general requirements, see the section on "Degree Regulations" in the CGU Bulletin.Since 1962, the Graduate School has offered training in Oral History in recognition of the value of oral history as a research technique for developing and preserving historic materials. The program was the third university program of its kind to be established in California and one of the earliest nationwide. The director of the program offers a graduate seminar in oral history, HIST 304. Students may take this course to fulfill a Ph.D. research tool, but will not receive unit credit for it. American Studies & US HistoryIntroduction Students in U.S. History develop concentrations in a major field and two minor fields. While students are given considerable flexibility in defining their fields, they will find special faculty strengths in nineteenth- and twentieth-century intellectual and social history, women's history and gender studies, gay and lesbian history, religion in U.S. history, U.S. constitutional history, and U.S. foreign relations. The History Program offers advanced degrees in history with a specialization in American Studies, designed for graduate students who prefer a multidisciplinary approach to the history and character of American culture and society. The core of the CGU American Studies program is American History. The assumption of the program is that multidisciplinary studies enhance the study of American History, and degree programs are intended to reflect that. Minor fields will be arranged individually between the student and his/her advisers to take advantage of the extensive resources of The Claremont Colleges and to reflect the student's interests and desired emphases in studying the history of civilization in America. The minor fields should support the major and can be drawn from existing faculties and disciplines represented in the Claremont group. Fields of Study Students must demonstrate competence in three fields (a major field and two minor fields). The major field encompasses a period or thematic aspect of U.S. history (e.g., the colonial period or western history). Students may choose their two minor fields from among the following categories:
Students are expected to work in disciplines other than history. At least one minor field must reflect the multidisciplinary vantage point of American Studies. The selection of fields must be approved by the student's supervisory committee in consultation with the chair of the program. At least one, but no more than two, U.S. historians can serve on a student's committee. Requirements for the M.A. See the "Degree Regulations" section in the CGU Bulletin for residence and other general requirements. For general requirements, supervisory committee, research tools, examinations, and thesis requirements, see the Master of Arts section above. A candidate for the M.A. in American Studies must complete a minimum of 36 units; at least 16 of these must be in American History. The remaining 20 units must be taken in at least two fields of American Studies, one of which must be in an allied subject or discipline, to be determined by the student in consultation with a faculty adviser; at least 12 units must be taken in one of these fields. For definition of fields of study, see above. Every master's program must include HIST 300. Two of the seminars must be in American History. Requirements for the Ph.D. See the "Degree Regulations" section in the CGU Bulletin for residence and other general requirements. For general requirements, supervisory committee, research tools, preliminary examinations, qualifying examinations, and dissertation requirements, see the Doctor of Philosophy Degree section above. The student must complete at least 48 units of work in American Studies courses taught by the graduate faculty of The Claremont Colleges, including Tutorial Reading courses but excluding research courses in the 400 range. At least 28 units must be in the major field of American History and the remaining 20 units in two allied minor fields agreed upon by the student in consultation with the student's supervisory committee. If a student has had graduate work in American History or American Studies at another institution, transfer credit for up to 24 units may be recommended, but in no instance will such credit be sufficient to meet any field requirements in the doctoral program of the Claremont Graduate University. Courses and dissertation research must equal 72 units. European Studies, History, & Early Modern StudiesIntroduction The CGU European Studies concentration offers advanced degrees in history with specialization in early modern and modern European and English history, intellectual and cultural history, history of science, and interdisciplinary European cultural studies. The student may bring to the European Studies program an undergraduate background in one or several disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. For both the doctorate and the master's degree, every effort is made to encourage the student to create an individual course of study in close consultation with an advisor. The program aims to equip the student with new and traditional methods of research and with the skills to teach general courses in European civilization, general humanities courses, interdisciplinary courses, and specialized courses in European cultural and intellectual history. Course offerings are tailored to the needs and concerns of students in the program, but the program's emphasis lies in modern and early modern European culture and intellectual history (European Union Center of California). Requirements for the M.A. See the "Degree Regulations" section in the CGU Bulletin for residence and other general requirements. For general requirements, supervisory committee, research tools, examinations, and thesis requirements, see the Master of Arts section above. Eight of the required 36 units of graduate study must be in history, and at least five seminar courses must be in the 300 range, including HIST 300. Two fields must be presented, with 16 units accumulated in the major field and 8 in the minor. See the Master of Arts Degree section for thesis and language requirements. Requirements for the Ph.D. See the "Degree Regulations" section in the CGU Bulletin for residence and other general requirements.For general requirements, supervisory committee, research tools, preliminary examinations, qualifying examinations, and dissertation requirements, see the Doctor of Philosophy Degree section above. The student will be required to take at least 72 units of graduate courses. Each student must complete at least six 300-level seminar courses, half of which must be in history, at or under the auspices of The Claremont Graduate School. A reading knowledge of a second European language must be demonstrated before the student can take the qualifying examinations. Two major fields and one minor field will be covered in both written and oral exams to be passed after the conclusion of formal course-work. For the minor field, a student may choose to design an area of study; for example, the history of philosophy from Kant to Heidegger or the development of the novel. See the Doctor of Philosophy Degree section for requirements for qualifying examinations and the dissertation. Early Modern StudiesStudents enrolled in humanities departments at CGU -- particularly those in History and in English -- may elect the interdisciplinary concentration of Early Modern Studies. In addition to the requirements of a student's official department, this concentration requires a seminar in interdisciplinary methodologies focusing on critical approaches to the cultural production of the period. Students will work closely with a faculty advisor to pursue an intellectually unified course of study that includes seminars selected from participating departments including literature, history, religion, philosophy, art, music, and cultural studies. Archival Studies Concentration
We are currently accepting applications for students into our Archival Studies concentration. More information may be found on the Archival Studies page. Interested students should discuss this possibility with the Admissions Coordinator Justin Evans or contact Professor Janet F. Brodie. Students will work closely with a History faculty advisor to pursue an intellectually unified course of study that will include seminars cross listed with participating CGU humanities departments and The Claremont Colleges. AdmissionsApplications for fall admission should be received by February 1. Applications received after this date will be evaluated on a space-available basis. (For complete information on applying to the History graduate program at Claremont Graduate University, please visit the "Prospective Students" section of this website.)To apply to the History Department at Claremont Graduate University, go to the:
Financial AidInstitutional financial assistance is available in the form of fellowships. Applications submitted by February 1 have priority for the awarding of aid, although aid may be awarded to late applicants on the basis of available funds. Federal aid, in the form of loans and work study, is awarded on the basis of financial need. In addition, students may actively seek opportunities for financial support which might be available to them from foundations and other institutions. Please contact the History Department for further information on Institutional/Department aid. You may, also, contact the Office of Student Financing, Claremont Graduate University, 160 East 10th Street, Claremont, CA 91711, by telephone 909.621.8337, by fax: 909.607.7285, or by email: finaid@cgu.edu. Contact InformationIf you have questions or are in need of assistance in applying, please contact the A&H Admissions Coordinator. History Department Prospective StudentsCampus SpotlightPrograms |
Coordinated by the core faculty of the University, the Graduate Faculty in History draws on the combined faculties of The Claremont Colleges with a resulting staff equivalent to that of a major university. Yet, because of the unique organization of the Graduate University, history courses are small and students can take individualized instruction in tutorials and independent studies.