Overview

Our program admits students in five primary fields, which reflect faculty strength: 1) United States; 2) Latin America; 3) Early Modern Global; 4) East Asia; and 5) Middle East. By admitting only a few students in these five fields, the department can focus its resources on preparing students for a diverse range of careers.

In addition to seminars in our five primary fields, we offer graduate coursework in the thematic areas of: 1) Environment, Science, and Technology; 2) Gender; 3) Transnational; 4) Race and Ethnicity; 5) Modern Global; and 6) Colonialism and Nationalism.

Features

Upon admission to the department, graduate students join an intellectual community committed to excellence in scholarship and teaching. History students at Pennsylvania State University work closely with world-class faculty, graduate student colleagues, and undergraduates.

Our graduate students benefit from small academic seminars, reliable financial support, faculty mentoring, a top-tier library, professionalization seminars, and options for interdisciplinary work.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Theory, Method and the Practice of History
Church and State in Medieval Europe
Gender in the Early Modern World
Global History 1300-1800: Empires, Economy, and Civilizations
Early Modern Europe
History and Social Theory
The History of Colonialism and Mass Death
Deviance, Crime and Madness in Modern Europe
Imperial Borderlands in Modern Europe

Key information

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-24 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-01 00:00:00

Language

English

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Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

University Park, United States

Disciplines

History View 154 other PhDs in History in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

3.5

English requirements

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Other requirements

General requirements

Requirements:

substantial course work in history
a minimum GPA of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale)
at least three semesters of college-level work in a foreign language (additional language training appropriate to the fields in which the applicant proposes to work may also be required for admission)

The Department of History requires a statement of intent outlining proposed fields of study and career goals, as well as a sample of written work (undergraduate history thesis, master's thesis, seminar paper or equivalent research paper) as evidence of historical research and writing skills.

Three letters of recommendation are required; it is strongly preferred that at least two of them be from historians.

Tuition Fees

Living costs

University Park

United States

1000 - 1500 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for History.

Available Scholarships

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