Students may enter the Ph.D. program with an M.A. from another university or from Lehigh. Applicants should have a minimum 3.60 grade point average for their M.A. work and submit a historiographical essay or research paper with their application. Students who earn the M.A. at Lehigh and wish to continue for the Ph.D. must also have a 3.60 GPA for their M.A. course work.
Students who earned an M.A. at Lehigh are required to complete an additional 42 credit hours for the Ph.D. Students entering with an M.A. from another institution need to complete 48 credit hours. Ph.D. candidates must pass the comprehensive written and oral examinations and successfully complete a dissertation. They must maintain a 3.5 grade point average.
During the second semester, doctoral students select one major and three minor fields in which to take comprehensive written and oral examinations. The major field should correspond to the broad field of the student’s planned dissertation research. The student will determine appropriate minor fields in concert with individual faculty advisers. Following the comprehensive examinations, students must have a dissertation proposal approved by a full dissertation committee. The dissertation must be successfully defended to the examining committee.
All Ph.D. students must meet the University Concentrated Learning Requirement. They must take Historical Research (401). Students who enter the Ph.D. program with an M.A. from another university must also take either Readings in the History of the Atlantic World (HIST 404) or Readings in the History of Industrial America (HIST 405). Students are encouraged to take both seminars if appropriate to their course of study. All Ph.D. students must take at least 18 hours of directed readings courses (400 series) beyond the M.A.
The University requires that all post-baccalaureate work be completed within ten years. Students entering from another university or beginning Ph.D. course work after an elapsed period of at least one semester after the M.A. are given seven years to complete the Ph.D.
Language Requirements
The student's dissertation committee will determine whether proficiency in a foreign language or proficiency in statistical methods will be required for the doctoral degree.
Fellowship Opportunities and Financial Support:
The History Department Dissertation Fellowship
The Department Dissertation Fellowship is offered annually and is awarded to a highly qualified, advanced graduate student, providing a stipend for researching and completing the final project.
The Joan and Michael Hoben ’61 Teaching Fellowship
The History Department at Lehigh University is pleased to announce the establishment of the Joan and Michael Hoben ’61 Teaching Fellowship. The History Department awards this endowed fellowship annually to a highly qualified, advanced graduate student, normally one who has nearly completed or recently completed the doctoral dissertation. The fellowship is to support the student for an academic year by providing a stipend in exchange for teaching one semester long course in our department. The History Department extends its heartfelt thanks to Joan and Michael Hoben for their generous endowment of this fellowship.
The Lawrence Henry Gipson Institute for 18th Century Studies Dissertation Fellowship
The Gipson Institute for 18th Century Studies offers a competitive dissertation fellowship annually for a highly qualified, advanced graduate student engaged in research on topics relating to the long 18th century. See the Gipson Institute webpage for more details, at https://gipson.cas2.lehigh.edu/.
Other Support
Graduate Students are also eligible to apply for short term or summer research funding or funding for travel to present work at academic conferences from the History Department, the Gipson Institute, the Provost’s Office of International Affairs, the Humanities Center, endowed funds such as the Strohl Foundation or NEH, and competitive prizes such as the CAS Thesis Award or the Stoudt Dissertation Award.
Graduate Courses Offered
HIST 401. Historical Research (3) Techniques of research in history: training in the critical handling of documentary materials, in measuring the value of evidence, and in formal presentation of the results of research. Students will write an original research paper using primary materials. Required of all graduate students in history.
HIST 404. Readings in the History of the Atlantic World, 1500-1900 (3) Core readings offering a comparative and integrative approach to studying the development of nations, economic systems and trade, colonization, and cultural encounters among the people of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
HIST 405. Readings in the History of Industrial America (3) Core readings in the history of technology and the larger framework of intellectual, social, economic, and political history. Includes comparative studies in the history of industrializing Europe and Japan.
HIST 412. Readings in the American Revolutionary Era 3 Credits
Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member on the historiography of the era of the American Revolution. Course may be repeated.
HIST 421. Readings in Topics in the Atlantic World 3 Credits
Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member on a particular topic in the history of the Atlantic World. Course may be repeated.
HIST 426. Readings in Topics in American History 3 Credits
Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member on a particular topic in U.S. history across several centuries. Course may be repeated.
HIST 438. Techniques in Public History (2 or 3) Designed to introduce students to a variety of public history techniques. Instructor will focus on one of the following topics each term: archives, documentary film, exhibit design, historical editing, material culture, oral history. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 credits.
HIST 440. Readings in Colonial American History (3) Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member of the literature of the 17th and 18th centuries. May be repeated for credit with the permission of the faculty advisor.
HIST 441. Readings in Nineteenth Century American History (3) Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member of the literature of the 19th century. May be repeated for credit with the permission of the faculty advisor.
HIST 442. Readings in Twentieth Century American History (3) Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member of the literature of the 20th century. May be repeated for credit with permission of the faculty advisor.
HIST 443. Readings in English History (3) Study in small groups, under the guidance of a faculty member, of the literature of a particular period, problem, or area of English history. May be repeated for credit with permission of the faculty advisor.
HIST 444. Readings in Latin American History (3) Study in small groups, under the guidance of a faculty member, of the literature of a particular period, problem, or area of Latin American history. May be repeated for credit with permission of the faculty advisor.
HIST 445. Readings in the History of Science (3) Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member on the history of science. May be repeated for credit with permission of the faculty advisor.
HIST 446. Readings in the History of Technology (3) Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member of the history of technology. May be repeated for credit with the permission of the faculty advisor.
HIST 447. Readings in European History (3) Study in small groups, under the guidance of a faculty member, of the literature of a particular period, problem or aspect of European history. May be repeated for credit with permission of the faculty advisor.
HIST 452. Research in American History (3) An intensive research seminar on a phase of American history. May be repeated for credit with permission of the department chair.
HIST 453. Research in English History (3) An intensive research seminar on a phase of English history. May be repeated for credit with permission of the department chair.
HIST 454. Research in Latin American History (3) An intensive research seminar on a phase of Latin American history. May be repeated for credit with permission of the department chair.
HIST 455. Research in History of Science and Technology (3) An intensive research seminar on a phase or aspect of the history of science and technology. May be repeated for credit with permission of the department chair.
HIST 457. Research in European History (3) An intensive research seminar on a phase of European history. May be repeated for credit with permission of the department chair.
HIST 458. Readings in Gender History 3 Credits
Study in small groups under the guidance of a faculty member on the literature of an issue, period, country or culture within gender history. Course may be repeated.
HIST 471. Special Topics in History (1-3) Individual study under the direction of a faculty member of a topic in history. May be repeated for credit.
HIST 472. Special Topics in History (1-3) Individual study under the direction of a faculty member of a topic in history. May be repeated for credit.
HIST 473. Special Topics in History (1-3) Individual study under the direction of a faculty member of a topic in history. May be repeated for credit.
HIST 482. Special Topics 3 Credits
HIST 490. Thesis 1-6 Credits
HIST 499. Dissertation 1-15 Credits