Graduate Program Overview | Department of History

Graduate Program Overview

The Masters and Doctoral graduate programs in the Department of History prepare students for a diversity of careers in research, education, public service, and other fields both within and outside the academy. Our Doctoral curriculum features concentrations in European History; United States History; Military History; and Body, Place, and Identity. We offer a wide array of financial assistance to graduate students, including Teaching Assistantships, a Tuition Benefit Program, and departmental Graduate Scholarships. For more information on support, see Funding Your Graduate Education.

Graduate classes normally include about eight to twelve students, enabling each student to receive close personal attention from their professor. Most classes fall into two categories, "studies" courses and "seminars." Studies courses generally include extensive reading assignments on the course topic and substantial writing assignments. Seminars are designed to teach the student how to conduct research in original sources (e.g., letters, diaries, newspapers, census records, etc.) and how to organize and present the results of that research to a wider audience.

Our graduate students participate in national and international conferences. They publish their research in peer-reviewed journals, books, and other forums, and they win awards and other recognitions for their impressive and innovative scholarship.

The doctoral program offers the following concentrations:

United States History
This specialization is centered on both chronological and topical areas. Chronological areas include: Colonial & Revolutionary, Early National Period, Civil War & Reconstruction, 19th Century, and 20th Century. Topical areas include: Local, Texas, Spanish and French Borderlands, Slave South, Modern South, American West, African American, Native American, Mexican American, Women & Gender, Political, and Military.

European History
This specialization is centered on both chronological and topical areas. Chronological areas include: Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Reformation, and Revolutionary Eras; 17th- & 18th-century, 19th-century, and 20th-century history. Topical areas include: Classical Greece, Classical Rome, 17th & 18th century Britain, Modern Britain, Modern France, Modern Germany, Russian/Soviet Union, Military, and Women & Gender.

Military History
Students focusing on military history may want to apply to become Student Fellows of the Military History Center, an international leader in the field. Military students study, analyze, and discuss the history and future of warfare in every era and culture inthe following areas: Ancient World, French Revolution & Napoleon, Modern Germany, American Revolution, American Civil War, World War I, Korea & Vietnam, World War II, Cold War, Military Theory & Strategic Thought, Revolution & Insurgency, and American Military Culture.

Body, Place, and Identity
This unique specialization is organized around thematic fields of study, rather than fields defined primarily by region or period. It emphasizes the methodologies of cultural and social history as tools for understanding the complicated connections between historical actors and the communities and landscapes they inhabited. The concentration highlights how bodies, places, and identities are fluid historical categories that are mutually constituted. In addition to researching and writing about the past, students in this concentration will also learn how to critically interrogate the production of historical knowledge and will be encouraged to explore the significance of their scholarship across multiple fields of intellectual inquiry. Students interested in any geographical or chronological topic may pursue this concentration.

Program Contacts:

Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Michael Wise
Wooten Hall Room 259
E-mail: michael.wise@unt.edu

Associate Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Kerry Goldmann
Wooten Hall Room 241A
E-mail: kerry.goldmann@unt.edu

Associate Director of Graduate Studies
Dr. Courtney Welch
Wooten Hall Room 231A
E-mail: courtney.welch@unt.edu

Program Specialist and Coordinator
Mr. Cairan Bergstrom
Wooten Hall Room 227
Phone: (940) 565-2489
E-mail: historygradprogram@unt.edu

Mailing Address:
UNT, Dept. of History
1155 Union Circle #310650
Denton, TX, 76201

    Applicants should read the Toulouse Graduate School website before applying - http://tsgs.unt.edu/admissions/programs - Official transcripts and GRE scores must be sent directly to the Toulouse Graduate School. Applicants must also submit additional application materials (statement of purpose, recommendation letters, and writing samples) electronically to the Graduate Student & Program Specialist at HistoryGradProgram@unt.edu, or by mail to - Graduate Student & Program Specialist University of North Texas - History Dept. 1155 Union Circle #310650 Denton, TX 76203-5017.