duke university history phd program

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G-HIST-PHD - History - PhD

Download as pdf, degree designation.

Candidates for the degree of doctor of philosophy prepare themselves for examinations in three or four fields, at least three of which shall be in history. The choice of fields is determined in consultation with the student’s supervisor and the director of graduate studies. The department offers graduate instruction in the broad historical areas of North America; Latin America; Europe; Great Britain and the Commonwealth; Russia; Japan; China; South Asia; Middle East; and Africa; and in the thematic fields of women’s history; military history; history of science, technology, and medicine; environmental history; labor history; and slave societies.

For more information, visit history.duke.edu .

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2023-2024 Graduate School Bulletin. Download PDF here.

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Our program.

Our Ph.D. program is dedicated to training students in the broad and integrated field of Classical Studies, which includes Greek and Latin languages and literatures, and the history, art, and archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman world.

We seek to provide students with a broad understanding of Greco-Roman antiquity as a whole; a working knowledge of the specialized tools and techniques needed for research in the field; and familiarity with methodologies developed in other disciplines that are relevant to Classical Studies. Duke is particularly fortunate in faculty and resources that allow direct contact with the textual and material foundations of our knowledge of antiquity. A flexible program of courses can thus be arranged. After course work is completed, an integral part of the training is teaching experience, in courses in Classical Studies and in Greek and Latin.

Interdisciplinary Emphasis

The department cooperates with others at Duke that share our interests, such as Art, Art History and Visual Studies, History, Philosophy, Political Science, Religion, and Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies. We have close ties to the faculty, students, and resources of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with whom we collaborate in the Consortium for Classical and Mediterranean Archaeology (CCMA). Our faculty and students are integral both to Duke’s Center for Late Ancient Studies, and to Duke’s Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.  We are institutional members of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the American Academy in Rome, and the American Research Center in Turkey.

The department encourages all graduate students to take advantage of its extensive research materials, which include the collection of Duke papyri; the collection of Greek and Latin manuscripts in the Rubinstein Rare Book and Manuscripts Library; and the ancient collections in the Nasher Museum of Art.

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• Ph.D. Graduate Program in Religion

The  Graduate Program in Religion at Duke University is a collaboration between Duke's College of Arts and Sciences and  Duke Divinity School . The Ph.D. in the Graduate Program in Religion includes two Jewish studies focused fields of study: History of Judaism and Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

History of Judaism

This Ph.D. program prepares students for academic careers in teaching and research. The program offers three tracks:

• Late Biblical/Post-Biblical Judaism
• Rabbinic-Medieval Judaism
• Contemporary Judaism

Among the fields specifying these tracks are: Archaeology of Roman Palestine; Second Commonwealth Studies; Rabbinic/Talmudic literature; Hellenistic Judaism; and Medieval Jewish History, Philosophy, Mysticism, American Judaism and Zionism. 

Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

The Ph.D. program in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is intended to prepare you to do research in this field, to teach in an academic setting, and to engage in other professional work for which strong competence in biblical studies would be important. Areas of strength in the Duke program include Pentateuch, prophecy, wisdom literature, Hebrew narrative, biblical archaeology, gender in ancient Israel, text criticism and Septuagint, the apocalyptic literature, Qumran, and history of interpretation. Although diverse in its interests, the faculty has broad expertise in literary, social science, text-critical, and theological methodologies.

Prospective students must have

• a strong background in Hebrew, with at least 2 years of course work being desirable
• completed an introductory course in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament as well as several subsequent thematic, methodological, and/or exegetical courses in Hebrew scripture.

It is strongly recommended that incoming students will have done some work in Greek and in German.

Requirements

The Ph.D. program begins with 2 years of coursework (3 years for doctoral students entering directly from undergraduate studies). When they are ready, students will take 4 preliminary exams. Specific requirements vary by field of study and can be found at the Graduate Program in Religion. The Ph.D. program typically takes 5 years to complete, though some fields with significant language requirements may take longer.

You may apply to the program through the Graduate Schoo l to the Department of Religious Studies.

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Oral History Project Dedicated to Documenting Impacts on Reproductive Care Post-Roe Launches

Duke University School of Medicine students, led by faculty Beverly Gray, MD , and  Jonas Swartz, MD, MPH, created an oral history project documenting how abortion care bans are impacting reproductive care offered to patients; it launched in spring 2024. More than 40 reproductive health care providers practicing in 17 states, including both restricted/ban states, as well as those identified as "access states," were interviewed and told their powerful stories.   This work brings awareness to the unique challenges women’s health care providers face since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. 

Through funding from  Bass Connections  and partnering with  Wesley Hogan, PhD , research professor with the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute and director of documentary studies at Duke,  Abortion Care Today: Reproductive Health Care Post-Roe , was created. Personal stories provide detailed and emotional descriptions of the challenges providers and patients seeking abortion care have in the current health care environment. 

In addition to the interviews, data, FAQs and resources aimed at helping the everyday person understand the abortion ban landscape are included. The goal is to provide the site's visitors with information they need to advocated for a better environment for reproductive health care and reproductive justice for all, Drs. Gray and Swartz said.

This work was also featured on  Due South  on WUNC/North Carolina Public Radio;  listen to the interview here . 

Click here to learn more about the the project

School of Medicine Welcomes 2024 Incoming Classes

Duke University School of Medicine welcomes more than 630 students from across the country and around the world as they start their health professions careers at the School of Medicine this month. The MD program held its White Coat Ceremony on Friday, August 2, and the Occupational Therapy Doctorate program welcomed its incoming students with a convocation ceremony on Friday, August 9. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program held a White Coat Ceremony in June to mark the transition of its students from the classroom to their clinical experience.   

MD Program 119 Students 78 Women; 40 Men, and 1 Other 32 States/1 other Country

MD/PhD Program 8 Students 2 Women, 6 Men 8 States

Doctor of Physical Therapy Program 104 Students 83 Women, 21 Men 30 States and 1 other Country

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program 44 Students 39 Women, 5 Men 16 States

Physician Assistant Program 91 Students 74 Women, 17 Men 21 States, 1 Other Country

Master of Biomedical Sciences  37 Students 30 Women, 7 Men 14 States

Master of Biostatistics  48 Students 36 Women, 12 Men 8 States, 2 Countries

Master of Management in Clinical Informatics  29 Students 20 Women, 9 Men 8 States

Master of Medical Physics 17 Students 9 Women, 8 Men 13 States, 4 International

Master of Population Health Sciences 16 Students 13 Women, 3 Men 6 States and 6 Countries

Pathologists' Assistant Program  8 Students 7 Women, 1 Men 6 States

Biomedical PhD Programs

Biochemistry 4 Students 4 Women, 0 Men 1 US States and Territories, 3 International

Biostatistics 9 Students 5 Women, 4 Men 2 US States and Territories, 7 International

Cell and Molecular Biology 12 Students 4 Women, 8 Men 9 US States and Territories, 3 International

Cognitive Neuroscience 4 Students 3 Women, 1 Men 3 US States and Territories, 1 International

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics 9 Students 4 Women, 5 Men 4 US States and Territories, 5 International

Developmental and Stem Cell Biology 14 Students 8 Women, 6 Men 13 US States and Territories, 1 International

Genetics and Genomics 9 Students 6 Women, 3 Men 8 US States and Territories, 1 International

Immunology 5 Students 4 Women, 1 Men 5 US States and Territories, 0 International

Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health 4 Students 3 Women, 1 Men 4 US States and Territories, 0 International

Medical Physics 7 Students  4 Women,  3 Men 6 US States and Territories, 1  International

Molecular Cancer Biology 4 Students 4 Women, 0 Men 3 US States and Territories, 1 International

Molecular Genetics and Microbiology 19 Students 14 Women, 5 Men 14 US States and Territories, 5 International

Neurobiology 13 Students 7 Women, 6 Men 9 US States and Territories/ 3 International

Pathology 6 Students 4 Women, 2 Men 5 US States and Territories, 1 International

Pharmacology 8 Students 5 Women, 3 Men 5 US States and Territories, 3 International

Population Health Sciences 7 Students 5 Women, 2 Men 4 US States and Territories, 3 International

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• Department of History

Department of History / Department of History is located in Durham, NC, in a suburban setting.

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Graduate program.

The vibrancy of the Department’s philosophical culture, its strength in a broad range of areas of philosophy, and the outstanding reputation of our faculty combine to attract some of the nation’s most talented graduate students. Our philosophy doctoral program has an excellent placement record . Since 1996, over 70% of graduates have continued on to tenure-track academic positions.  

Department Strengths

Our faculty have a wide range of expertise covering ethics, the philosophy of science, logic, metaphysics and more, but Duke’s Department of Philosophy is especially strong in three key areas:

Value theory and moral psychology

Combining a long-standing record of excellence in ethics with innovative, interdisciplinary work in moral psychology and a growing number of faculty with leading contributions to decision theory , Duke is a rich place for graduate students to study normative and evaluative questions of good and goodness.

Graduate students have the chance to work with faculty researching applied questions in business ethics and clinical medical research, as well as others examining the role of emotions in virtuous action, morality in atheism, moral relativity and the relationship between morality and psychology.

By bringing Benjamin Eva to the department in 2020 and Reuben Stern in 2022, we extended those strengths with two philosophers interested in how to make good decisions through a study of counterfactuals, conditional beliefs and related issues.

Inclusive philosophy and social ontology

Duke is a department with a strong commitment to inclusivity. Recent hires include Ásta (in 2022) and Kevin Richardson (in 2021), two leaders in the growing field of social ontology investigating the meaning and nature of social categories including race, gender and sexual orientation.

The department is also highly ranked in Asian and comparative philosophy , thanks to the work of several faculty who have published extensively on classical Chinese philosophy and cross-cultural philosophy as part of their work in ethics. Wenjin Liu , hired in 2022, further strengthens this area, combining research on ancient Greek ethics with ancient Chinese philosophy.

Duke faculty have devoted themselves to recovering neglected figures in philosophy , such as Emilie Du Châtelet. Project Vox , co-led by Andrew Janiak , highlights the work of marginalized individuals.

Philosophy of science and causation

Because Duke is known for its interdisciplinary work, it’s no surprise that our department works closely with other fields. Our strength in philosophy of science is the result.

Our faculty combine philosophical research with science labs to dive deep into the philosophy of neuroscience and cognitive science . This work probes memory, artificial intelligence, the neurology of counterfactuals and more.

Working with colleagues in Duke’s highly regarded Department of Economics , our faculty are also deeply engaged with the philosophy of economics . Research topics include questions of causality and reductionism in the discipline, how to understand supply and demand curves, along with modeling problems in economics more generally. The Center for the History of Political Economy provides a home for further study of economics and economic thinkers.

Many of our faculty work on questions of causation more broadly, including free will, how to model causation, understanding causes from messy empirical data, causation in physics and in the history of philosophy, and more.

History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine 

(Affectionately known as  HiP-STeM ) uses the tools and methods of the humanities (especially history and philosophy) to study the sciences understood as human endeavors. This includes historical evolution and context; conceptual foundations and puzzles; theories, methods, and claims to knowledge; institutions, material practices, and social structures, past and present.

Duke HPSTM incorporates science, technology, engineering, medicine, and mathematics. We promote universal ownership of the sciences as shared cultural inheritance through encouragement and support of HPSTM in research and in teaching across the academy.

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Duke University PhD in History

How much does a doctorate in history from duke cost, duke graduate tuition and fees.

Does Duke Offer an Online PhD in History?

Duke doctorate student diversity for history, male-to-female ratio.

Of the students who received their doctor’s degree in history in 2019-2020, 25.0% of them were women. This is less than the nationwide number of 40.9%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Around 25.0% of history doctor’s degree recipients at Duke in 2019-2020 were awarded to racial-ethnic minorities*. This is higher than the nationwide number of 19%.

PhD in History Focus Areas at Duke

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The Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies at Duke University currently offers a Ph.D. Program in Art History and Visual Culture , and Master's Programs Digital Art History and Computational Media .

The department also participates in an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Computational Media, Arts & Cultures , co-sponsored by the Department of Art, Art History & Visual Studies, the Program in Literature , the Franklin Humanities Institute , and the Information Science + Studies certificate program, and many of the faculty are involved in the MFA in Experimental & Documentary Arts .

The department strives to provide students with the necessary tools to understand the global visual and material cultures of the past and present and with the skills to interpret them for the benefit of the broader community.

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Department of History

Ph.d. program overview.

The Ph.D. program in History trains students in the skills of conducting original historical research and crafting original historical arguments. In the course of their work as historians, Brown scholars draw on a wide range of methods and engage with a variety of audiences. While training emphasizes the core skills of academic research, writing, and teaching at the college and university level, the program’s goals do not end there. Many Brown Ph.D. students explore teaching and writing for different settings and prepare for a breadth of careers that value the skills that obtaining a Ph.D. in History entails.

Students are expected to complete Brown’s Ph.D. program in five to six years. As a mid-sized program, the department values and cultivates attentive and hands-on faculty who work closely with students throughout their progress towards a degree. Critically, students in an entering cohort proceed through the program together, so that discussions across fields, geographies, and chronologies are built into the Ph.D. program.

Students accepted into the History Ph.D. program who remain in good standing are guaranteed funding for six years. Ph.D. students not supported by external fellowships work typically as teaching assistants in the second, third, and fifth (and, if relevant, a portion of the sixth) years of their program. There are also opportunities to apply for conference, research, and study grants either through the History Department or the Graduate School.

The information presented here is a summary of the Ph.D. program. For a more detailed description, see the Department of History Graduate Handbook. Prospective students should also read carefully the information supplied on the website of Brown’s Graduate School.

The Program is divided into two stages:

Stage 1: Coursework and preparation for the Preliminary Exams (Years 1-3)

During the first and second years, students take seminars that introduce the major historiographical questions and methodologies of various subfields and develop their research skills. They identify the three fields for their Preliminary Exams and begin preparation for the exams, which are usually taken in December of the third year. Students are expected to teach as teaching assistants in their second and third years.

History offers five types of Ph.D. courses, typically to be completed within the first three years of a student’s program:

1)    Required seminars (4): "History Now" features cutting-edge historical research and writing, including that being written by History faculty members; "The Roots of History" traces the development of the historical profession, focusing on the major methodological and theoretical landmarks in that development; an advanced workshop, "Writing History," guides students through the writing of a publishable paper; a Dissertation Prospectus Seminar culminates in the student’s defense of the dissertation plan and proposal.

2)    Field Seminars offer a broad overview of the historiography of particular fields (e.g., Early Modern Europe, Modern East Asia).

3)    Thematic Seminars provide opportunities to explore a particular theme or methodological frame from a transnational and transtemporal perspective.

4)    Special Topics Seminars focus on the historiography of a particular nation or region, historical "event," or historiographical debate. They allow for focused, close training, including in specialized skills and readings in languages other than English.

5)    Independent Study courses, by arrangement with the instructor, offer students, individually or in small groups, opportunities to explore special interests in depth.

In addition, students will receive course credit for attending "The Practice of History," a series of professionalization workshops that provide guidance in grant-writing, applying for jobs, developing inclusive teaching practices, constructing effective syllabuses, etc.

Students typically take four courses per semester. Up to two graduate courses (exclusive of language courses) may be taken outside the department.

A typical schedule looks like this:

* Can be filled in a number of ways, including a language course, a 1000-level class, an independent study, a 2000-level class, or with a placeholder independent study with the DGS (HIST2910)

Preliminary Examinations 

By the end of the first semester, students should have identified three fields (one major and two minor); these are usually subfields of the primary and secondary fields listed under Fields of Study ). These will be the areas examined in the Preliminary Examinations—three written and one oral exam—usually completed by the end of the fifth semester.

Language Requirement

Language requirements are set by the fields of study. They must be completed before the preliminary examinations are taken at the end of the fifth semester.

Stage 2: Prospectus and advancement to candidacy (Years 3-5/6)

After the successful completion of all coursework, the language requirement, and the preliminary examinations, the student, usually during the course of the sixth semester, develops a dissertation prospectus. Once the prospectus is approved by the student’s dissertation committee, the student devotes full effort (outside of work as a Teaching Assistant) to researching and writing the dissertation.

In the sixth semester, students take the Dissertation Prospectus Seminar, which provides a collaborative structure for the process of identifying viable dissertation projects, selecting a Dissertation Committee, articulating the project in the form of a dissertation prospectus, and, when appropriate, developing grant proposals based on the prospectus. The prospectus, in roughly 15 to 20 pages, states the dissertation topic, sets it in the context of the relevant secondary historical literature, explains the significance of the study, outlines the methodology to be followed, describes the types of primary sources to be used, and provides a tentative chapter outline, a bibliography, and a research plan. During the Dissertation Prospectus Defense, usually held in May or June, the Dissertation Committee reviews the prospectus and provides suggestions and advice to the student. Once the prospectus is approved, the student proceeds to conduct research on the dissertation.

Dissertation

Dissertations can vary significantly between students and among subfields. Students should consult regularly with their advisors during the dissertation research and writing process, to report progress and to ensure agreement on expectations for the dissertation. The most basic standard for a dissertation is that it makes an original contribution to the body of relevant scholarship in its field. The doctoral dissertation should be completed within four years after the student passes the preliminary examinations.

The Dissertation Defense is conducted by the graduate advisor and other members of the Dissertation Committee. Its purpose is to provide a forum for a general discussion of the dissertation—its strengths and weaknesses as a contribution to knowledge and its future prospects.  If the dissertation is approved by the Dissertation Committee, the student has completed the final requirement of the Ph.D. program and can prepare to graduate.

Candidates for the Ph.D. must normally demonstrate satisfactory performance as a Teaching Assistant in undergraduate courses at Brown, or in teaching at another institution approved by the department. A Teaching Assistant usually works as a grader and section discussion leader under the guidance of the faculty member teaching the course. Ph.D. students not supported by external fellowships typically work as Teaching Assistants in the second, third, and fifth years of their program, and one semester in their sixth year. Explanation of the rights and responsibilities of teaching assistants may be found in the Department of History Graduate Handbook.

The written exam for each individual field may consist of (1) a timed, written, closed or open book exam, (2) a long essay or series of shorter essays, or (3) a draft syllabus and one or several course lectures. (Other potential outcomes must be approved ahead of time by the DGS.) The written exam may be completed (1) when the student finishes reading for a field, leaving only the oral portion for December, or (2) immediately before the oral exam in December. The oral exam, which normally takes place in December of the third year, is two hours long and consists of all three exam committee members querying the student regarding the written exams, the field at large, and/or any materials from the exam list. For more details on the preliminary exams, see the History Graduate Student Handbook.

Summary of Exam Process

• May 19 : Fields Declaration Form submitted to the student’s primary advisor (who will normally be the chair of the exam committee), the DGS, and the graduate program administrator
• Summer: Students should initiate conversations with examiners regarding lists and procedures. 
• January : Preparation for the preliminarily exam should begin in earnest, continuing through the summer and fall. Students should enroll for an Independent Study in semester 4 with their primary advisor or other examiner (see above).
• March 31 : Submission of Fields Planning Form , along with drafts of the three field lists and a progress report on language and all other requirements
• September : Graduate program administrator circulates information about the oral portion of the exam.
• November : Graduate program administrator circulates schedules for the oral exams, along with all submitted written exam responses.
• Early to mid-December : Oral exams are conducted. 

Sample Exam Preparation Schedule Note : This is intended only to provide a rough framework for exam preparation; individual exam processes may vary, depending on examiner and student availability and preference.

• January : Initiate reading for Field 1 (usually major field, as part of IS)
• April : Complete written exam for Field 1
• May : Initiate reading for Field 2
• July : Complete written exam for Field 2
• August : Initiate reading for Field 3
• October : Complete written exam for Field 3
• November : Review Fields 1, 2, and 3 in preparation for oral exam

December : Complete oral exams

The capstone project of the Ph.D. program is the Doctoral Dissertation. The Department’s required core course sequence concludes with the Dissertation Prospectus Seminar, which students take in the sixth semester, usually after passing their Preliminary Exams.

The Dissertation Prospectus Seminar (spring semester of the third year) provides a shared structure for the process of identifying viable dissertation projects, selecting a dissertation committee, articulating the project in the form of a dissertation prospectus, and, where appropriate, developing grant proposals based on the prospectus. The dissertation committee, the selection of which is a requirement of the course, consists of a chair and at least two additional Brown faculty members. 

The dissertation committee will be responsible for evaluating the student's dissertation prospectus, to be presented no later than the end of the sixth semester. This usually takes the form of a dissertation prospectus defense, which is an important moment to bring together the dissertation committee to provide input and advice on the prospectus as well as the next steps of research and writing.

After passing the preliminary exams and obtaining approval of their dissertation prospectus by the dissertation committee, Ph.D. candidates are encouraged to proceed with speed and efficiency into the research process. During the research and writing of the thesis, it is the student's responsibility to regularly provide the graduate advisor with evidence of satisfactory progress towards completion. The doctoral dissertation should be completed within four years after the student passes the preliminary exams.

The department expects each student to have a dissertation defense The defense will normally be conducted by the graduate advisor and dissertation committee members, whether in person or via video conference. If the candidate wishes, other graduate students may attend and participate in the discussion.

A Dissertation Defense form must be filled out by the student and submitted to the Department staff. This form should be filed at the same time as the submission of the penultimate version of the dissertation, on March 15 for a May graduation, or no later than one month prior to the dissertation defense date if an October or February graduation. 

If the dissertation is approved by the dissertation committee, the student has completed the final requirement of the Ph.D. and is permitted to proceed with preparations for graduation. Students are permitted by the Graduate School to graduate (having fulfilled all requirements) at three points during the year: October, February, and May. Students who wish to take part in Commencement ceremonies may elect to walk in May following their graduation (or at the time of their graduation, if in May). Brown University Commencement usually takes place the Sunday before Memorial Day. There is a separate Graduate School Ceremony as well as a Department Ceremony that graduate students are especially encouraged to attend.

Amy G. Remensnyder

Duke History, at Your Fingertips

New self-guided tour available through Duke Explore app

What was the first facility to open on West Campus? Who were Bassett and Giles residence halls named for? Why is there an empty space on the front of Duke Chapel?

Learn the answers to these questions and many more through the new Duke Campus History Tour, which launched this month on the Duke Explore app. The tour was developed as part of Duke’s Centennial Celebration to provide a deeper understanding of Duke’s history for the Duke community—students, faculty, staff and alumni—as well as visitors to campus.

Download the app on your phone for an engaging, informative introduction to key moments and people in the history of Duke University and Trinity College. The experience offers three separate tours—West Campus (with 10 stops), East Campus (8 stops) and Athletics (4 stops). Users can select the tours that match their time and interests.

Each stop or location provides a brief description, audio narration, photos and links to learn more.

For users walking around campus, the app uses geolocation technology to guide the tour and signal the approach to the next stop. Users can also enjoy the tour from anywhere.

To experience the tour on your phone, follow these steps:

• Go to the App Store and download the free “Duke Explore” app.
• Choose the Duke Campus History Tour option (at the top).
• Choose a tour: West Campus, East Campus or Athletics
• Click “Start Tour.”
• Click “Next” to advance through the locations or “stops” on the tour.
• Click the “unfolded map” icon at the bottom to see the locations on the map.

The tour app is supported by both Apple and Android platforms. The Duke Explore app also offers additional tours of Duke and Durham for the community to enjoy.