University of California, Irvine

Program Information

Degree Offered

Ph.D. - History

Format: Campus

Program Description:

UC Irvine's Department of History offers a course of study leading to the PhD in History. The PhD Program in History combines a distinctive approach to graduate study. The program is designed to provide students with both advanced historical skills and a rigorous grounding in historical theory. We believe that the best historical research involves the self-conscious use of theory to pose significant questions and to answer them in sophisticated ways. This combination of theoretical study with training in historical method reflects the Department's conviction that scholars should be encouraged to deal with significant questions about the past and to approach these questions in a methodologically sophisticated way. The Department is small enough to offer close attention to students' specific needs but large enough to function as an intellectual research community.
We are a disparate group united by our deep curiosity and the desire to try out new ways of thinking and new forms of evidence. We agree with William Faulkner who said: "The past isn't dead. It isn't even past." We are caught in a web of past experiences, ideas and lessons that direct our actions every day. Many things we take for granted have interesting histories; indeed, history provides us with cautionary tales of what to avoid and hope for future improvement. Studying history helps us to be critical and understanding.

Accreditation:

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

Eligibility Requirements:

Ph.D. students are advised to begin their graduate work at UCI, since those who have taken the M.A. elsewhere will be expected to enroll in the same courses that are required of all incoming students, with the exception of the First-Year Research Seminar. Subject to evaluation of their M.A. theses, these students will be exempted from this requirement. In the second and third years, the greater experience of those who enter with an M.A. may work to advantage in speeding them to the qualifying examination. To be admitted formally into the doctoral program, students must satisfactorily pass a departmental evaluation at the end of their first year of study; this includes students who entered with an M.A. from another institution.To be admitted formally into the doctoral program, students must satisfactorily pass a departmental evaluation at the end of their first year of study; this includes students who entered with an M.A. from another institution.

International Student Requirements:

There are additional University-wide admissions requirements International applicants must meet.An applicant who is not a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident and whose primary language is not English must submit an official TOEFL score with a minimum of 550 on the paper examination which is the equivalent to a score of 213 on the computer-based exam. Applicants should also be prepared to document at the time of application sufficient funds to cover all fees, non-resident tuition, living expenses, and transportation. Currently the required amount for single students for one year of academic study is $37,755 (this is subject to change).

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid Offered: No

Classification: Doctoral/Research Universities - Extensive

Institution Sector: Public

Locale: Midsize City

Size & Settings: 20,000 and above