Graduate School?

Question

I am currently in college, and I am interested in possibly going to graduate school to get a Ph. D. in history. I am very interested in history and have top grades in all of my classes.

I am having trouble finding information about grad school.

What do graduate classes consist of? I have heard they mainly consist of papers. But are their exams also? I do well at both, but I prefer to write over taking exams.

What is it about reading proficiency in foreign language? Some programs required proficiency in two languages. That sounded very tough. Foreign language is by all means my greatest weakness.

What else is there to know about graduate school?

Answer 1

In history, graduate classes are generally seminars. Less lecture, more discussion of the readings. Generally, every class requires a term paper of 20-30 pages in length. There are often presentations as well. (Meaning that each student is assigned responsibility for presenting on the reading for that day, and must lead discussion in the seminar.)

Graduate study in the humanities and social sciences almost always requires reading proficiency in French, German, and any other languages needed for the student's area of specialization. (If you're focusing on Spanish medieval history, for example, you should learn both Spanish and Arabic in addition to French and German.) You needn't have more than one language to gain admission to a PhD program, though. You must gain proficiency in order to begin working on your dissertation, however.

The only exams in grad school are language competency exams (about which more in a moment), and qualifying exams (also known as comprehensive exams). You design these exams in concert with your faculty. They are essays on various topics in your field of specialization. (For example, if you are an Americanist, one might be on American history from colonization to the revolution, one on the post-revolutionary era to the civil war, etc.)

Your main concern at this point should be gaining admission, and earning a fellowship or assistantship. Fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships provide full tuition remission as well as a small living stipend. To earn such an award, you should:

Ace your GREs. The higher the (verbal and writing) scores, the greater the likelihood of an award.

Get superb letters of recommendation from your professors. For the best directions I've ever seen on how to ensure great letters, see this website:
http://www.yale.edu/iefp/fellowships/other/asking_rec_letters.html

When writing your personal statements, be sure to compose literate, informed essays that highlight your preparation for graduate study, your facility with theory, your intended area of specialization, and your long-term goals. Tailor each letter to each program, and show each committee you are familiar with their program's strengths and have chosen their program because there are particular faculty members with whom you hope to work.

How do you choose the programs to which you will apply? Do some research early on. Which historians employ methods you find congenial? Which historians teach in the specific area you most enjoy? Do they teach in doctoral institutions? Most importantly, talk to your current professors. They'll help you a great deal.

Best wishes to you!

Answer 2

Graduate courses consist of both tests and papers. Also class participation is important in some classes. Some graduate programs don't require a language--I went through a Master's and a Ph.D. without any language requirements.

Getting a Master's degree takes about a year of course work. Getting a Ph.D. requires about two years of classes, plus researching and writing a dissertation on your chosen subject, (in your case, history.)

The dissertation can take anywhere from one to seven years to complete; I'd say that most Ph.D. candidates complete their dissertation in about two years.

If your chosen subject focuses on the history of any particular country or culture, it would probably be advisable to take a course or two in the language used by the natives of the country or culture: this would be extremely useful when you research your dissertation. If your history studies are general, American, or British, then forget the foreign language. Good luck!

Answer 3

Depends on the school.

They often like you to work on a group and solo project, with the intent of getting published with resuts from that project.

They like you to teach undergradaute classes.

Some schools have a class room only program (like 2 - 3 years for a Masters), some schools have a class room/thesis program (the Thesis counts as a year or more of classroom work).

You definately have to do a solo project for a PH D.

Most PH D programs take a total of 12 years to complete from first day of college, because of the time involved in the dissertation.

A friend of mind spent one year making hte proposal and getting it approved, then had to get grants, then moved to the East Coast for a year or more to research her disseration, then had to change the proposal because she couldn't find the data she needed, then she had to write it and get it approved.

The whole process took like 3 - 4 years after she finished her class room work, then there is a waiting period as the department reviews your dissertation.

People often get "in residence" programs to help finance this in which they do their research out of a university, teach part time and publish through the University.

This way you can also get undergraduates to help you with the work!

The disseratation has to break new ground. It has to tell the department staff something they never knew before.

Her original disseration had to do with the decline of artisan crafts.

Answer 4

Upon commencement from university, you've got optimistically performed good, taken the MCAT, and been authorized into med university. That's the best difficulty. If you did not do as good as you had was hoping undergrad, you'll be able to without doubt move directly to graduate university and get a Master's to upgrade your software, and deliver you time to get your MCAT up. So, you'll be able to move instantly from university...or... you'll be able to move to graduate university earlier than med university. Just depends upon the way it all pans out for you. I desire you get into med university first to get it over with. By the way in which, there is not any method that individual above is a med pupil. That does not even make experience.

Answer 5

Unfortunately, I'm not a history major, so I can't exactly help you out in that arena. However, I can give you some general tips that would apply to any undergrad looking at graduate school...

Talk to your professors. They are a wealth of knowledge, and odds are they probably went through the same process you're going through now.

Research some of the schools that you're interested in and look up their requirements for admission to a history program. And while you're at it, prepare a list of your questions and call up some of the advisors for that college.

I wish you luck!