The Program

The Department of History at the University of Alabama specializes in the training of professional historians, and offers both PhD and MA programs in History. Our faculty are nationally known and well regarded in their fields. They are committed to research and teaching, as well as to the training of the next generation of historians. They have published extensively, are strong participants in professional activities in national historical organizations, and are active in the life of the University. Beyond teaching and research, our faculty are involved in numerous other activities. As a department, we have created the Summersell Center for the Study of the South, have participated in the College of Arts and Sciences Cuba Initiative with the University of Havana, and engaged in outreach efforts with area public school teachers who teach history. The History department offers a vibrant intellectual community in which to engage in graduate work.

Our strengths as a department lie in the fields of southern history, American history, British and European history, and military history, and our graduates have been successful in their chosen fields. Their research has been published by well-regarded academic presses and won numerous awards (a 2005 graduate won the University’s award for the best dissertation at the University of Alabama). Our graduates have gone on to positions in teaching, research and administration in universities, colleges, junior colleges, and at the secondary level. The Department’s MA degree plans are compatible with the Strengthened Subject Matter Option Plan for Alabama Class A teacher certification. We have also placed graduates in positions in allied professions, including in archives, museums, historical societies, and research libraries. One quarter of our recent PhD graduates work in these fields. Graduates with advanced degrees in history have also worked in government, journalism, and business. Graduate training in history remains a demanding and superb means of intellectual development, suitable for a wide variety of career aspirations. The Department of History welcomes applications from career-oriented individuals, as well as from non-traditional students, members of minority groups, and women.

All graduate students enroll in graduate proseminar (reading) and seminar (research) courses designed to encourage intensive intellectual and professional development of students through close and sustained contact with faculty. Graduate students may also pursue study through a limited number of graduate-level lecture courses and reading courses of their own design. The Department works to be responsive to the specific educational goals of its students, within the framework of the required course of study.

Degrees and Fields of Study

The Department offers the Ph.D. in History and, in two formats, the M.A. in History. Students with a recent master’s degree in history may apply directly to the Ph.D. program. Students without master’s degrees or with degrees in other areas must apply to the master’s program. Upon completion of requirements for the master’s degree and the oral examination, the department will then determine whether or not the student will be granted permission to proceed on to the Ph.D. There is no additional application process.

The M.A. in History

Plan I requires 24 credit hours in History, a thesis, and reading proficiency in one foreign language. There is an oral examination after the candidate has completed his or her course work.

Plan II requires 30 credit hours in History, four of them in a seminar course, and reading proficiency in one foreign language. There is an oral examination on all course work and on the revised seminar paper.

Most of our master’s students complete Plan II. In lieu of a formal master’s thesis, we emphasize producing a strong seminar paper involving original research, with the goal of publishing the seminar paper as an article.

The Ph. D. in History

The Ph.D. in History requires 54 credit hours. Of the 54 credit hours, at least 48 credit hours must be in History. Six credit hours may be in a related field. Eight credit hours must be in seminar courses, and no more than four credit hours may be in individual directed readings. Also required is a dissertation, and reading proficiency in one or two foreign language (depending on specialty). A special skill may be substituted for one foreign language. Successful written and oral examinations in three fields of study qualify the student to proceed to the dissertation.

The Department offers graduate instruction in the following fields:
United States History to 1877
United States History since 1877
History of the American South
British and European History (1485-1815)
British and European History since 1815
Latin American History to 1810
Latin American History since 1810
Military and Naval History.

In some cases, concentrations within these fields or in other areas can be established by prior agreement of the student and the Department.

Admissions Requirements

General Requirements for all history degree programs: Admission decisions for all graduate history programs at The University of Alabama are made by the Graduate School based on a composite of subjective and quantitative information, including the applicant’s statement of purpose and letters of recommendations, the academic standing of the programs in which the applicant has studied, evidence of appropriate college or graduate-level work in history, test scores, previous grades, and the recommendation of the Graduate Committee of the History department. We look for students with strong academic records, who demonstrate interest in research and the critical analysis of scholarship. Each application is considered in the context of other applications to the program, with due consideration given to the availability of space in the program, the need to maintain a pool of students of superior potential, and the need to encourage minority applicants. Application to the program is competitive. Not every student whose credentials meet stated quantitative standards is admitted.

Quantitative requirements for unconditional admission to the M.A. program:
The applicant must have a grade point average, based on a 4.0 system, of 3.0 overall or 3.0 for the last 60 semester hours in a degree program. Applicants must take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and must score at least 1000 on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the exam and at least a 4 on the analytical writing section. Applicants who took the GRE prior to October 1, 2002 must have a score of at least 1500 on the combined verbal, quantitative, and analytical portions. The GRE score must not be more than five years old.

Quantitative requirements for conditional admission to the M.A. Program:
An applicant whose credentials do not meet the requirements for regular admission may be considered for conditional admission if he or she has a grade point average of at least 2.5 overall and a score of at least 930 on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE, and at least 4 on the analytical writing section. (For applicants who took the GRE prior to October 1, 2002, they must score a minimum of 1400.) Conditional admission is rare and requires a special recommendation by the Graduate Committee. Students admitted conditionally must maintain a 3.0 average for the first 12 semester hours attempted. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the program. While the department retains the right to consider conditional admission, as our applicant pool increases in quality and we are able to fill incoming classes with students meeting the requirements for unconditional admission, conditional admission has become increasingly unlikely.

Special requirements for admission directly to the Ph.D. Program: Students applying the Ph.D. program must already possess an M.A. in history and are expected to have GRE scores substantially above the minimum required for admission to the MA program. Doctoral applicants are also requested to submit a writing sample directly to the history department as part of the application process. Normally, a successful applicant must have a well-defined area of interest, and must be endorsed by a faculty member prepared to serve as advisor and chairperson of the student’s dissertation committee.

The Application Process:

The following materials are required to complete an application to pursue graduate study in history at the University of Alabama. All forms are available through the website of the University of Alabama’s Graduate School. Unless otherwise noted, all materials should be sent directly to the Graduate School.

Application Form: Available on-line from the Graduate School website. It can also be completed on-line.

Transcripts: UA requires copies of all institutions that granted the applicant a degree as well as transcripts of any completed graduate coursework. They should be sent to the Graduate School.

GRE Scores: Applicants must formally submit scores to the University, and they may not be more than five years old. There are no exceptions to this requirement. The History Department does not accept the Miller Analogies Test.

Statement of Purpose: This should be a short essay demonstrating writing skills, and the ability to conceive and express ideas. It should also describe your academic and intellectual development, interest in history, and reasons for pursuing an advanced degree in history.

Letters of Recommendation: The History department requires three letters of recommendation, which should be sent directly to the History Department. They should be from mentors or teachers familiar with the applicant’s academic work and intellectual potential. While we do not require that all recommendations come from undergraduate faculty, they are particularly useful in evaluating the applicant.

Writing Sample: A writing sample is required only for students who have already completed a master’s degree in history from another institution and are applying directly to the Ph.D. program. It should be sent directly to the History Department.

Fellowships, and Assistantships: There is no separate form required to be considered for fellowships, assistantships or other university-sponsored financial aid. Decisions are based on merit and determined based on information in the application.

When the application file is complete, it is forwarded from the Graduate School to the History Department. The History Department will begin reviewing applications after January 1. Notification of acceptance or rejection will be made by the Graduate School.

Application Deadlines:
For admission to the Fall semester, the final application deadline is July 1. For students who would like to be considered for fellowships or assistantships, the application deadline is January 1. In rare cases, we also accept applications to enter in the spring semester and the application deadline is November 1. The department, however, generally encourages fall admission.

For further information, write to:

Dr. Lisa Lindquist Dorr, Graduate Director
Department of History
University of Alabama
Box 870212
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0212
Telephone: (205) 348-7100
FAX: (205) 348-0670
E-mail address: ldorr@bama.ua.edu

One of the most important, comprehensive, and up-to-date sources of information for the University of Alabama is the University of Alabama Homepage. You may wish to go directly to the Graduate School Web Homepage which is an equally comprehensive guide to the Graduate School, including, for example, the entire Graduate Catalog online, information on grants, fellowships, and awards, an application form that can be easily downloaded, and a current listing of all classes being offered.

To apply, go directly to Applications to Graduate School, or write to:

Office of Graduate School
University of Alabama
Box 870118
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35487-0118
Telephone: (205) 348-5921
FAX: (205) 348-0400
email address: usgradapply@aalan.ua.edu

Financial Assistance And Costs

The Department of History awards twenty-four graduate teaching assistantships. In 2006-2007 these awards were worth $10,290 annually, more when one includes the standard tuition waivers that accompany these assistantships. These are renewable positions, based upon a satisfactory record of scholarship, teaching, and conduct, and are renewable for up to four years in the case of Ph.D. students, and two years for M.A. students. Health benefits are also available to graduate teaching assistants.

The Graduate School also awards non-teaching fellowships and research fellowships in varying amounts that include both tuition waiver and a monthly stipend. For the 2006-2007 year Graduate Council Fellowships were worth $15,000 annually. The University is committed to being competitive in subsidizing the education of excellent graduate students. History graduate students have traditionally been awarded a significant share of Graduate Council Fellowships in a very competitive environment across the University community.

In addition, the Department of History makes a number of financially significant awards to graduate students, including six fellowships of $10,000 each. Fellowships and assistantships also include tuition grants.

There is no separate application form to be considered for financial awards for in-coming graduate students. Decisions are based on merit and are made using information from the application itself. We do require that we receive the completed application by January 1 to be considered.

• The Southern Historian, a semi-annual journal produced by the Department's award-winning chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the honorary society for students of history.
• The Enhancement Fund, a major supplement to the Department for supporting both faculty and graduate student research.
• The Bankhead Endowment Lectures which annually bring a number of high profile historians to the University of Alabama for lectures and consortiums with faculty and graduate students.
• The Summersell Center for the Study of the South, sponsors lectures and other events open to department members and the general public.
• The Graduate History Student Association which promotes a social as well as professional set of activities throughout the year.