Program Overview

Department of History

The Department of History offers a range of programs for students to explore the world's broad historical questions and delve deeply into regional and national histories.

Doctorate in History (PhD)

By pursuing a PhD degree in history, students will explore the world's broad historical questions and delve deeply into regional and national histories in an environment that prizes collaborative learning. Whether preparing for an academic position or a career in the public or private sector, a PhD in history will enable students to make sense of the past and connect that understanding to the most pressing challenges of the present.

Why Brandeis?

Under the close guidance of a Brandeis historian, students will learn to conduct primary-source research -- the foundation of their doctoral degree -- while pursuing a flexible course of study that reflects their interests and further develops their critical-thinking, research, and writing skills. The department has special strengths in American and European history, and doctoral candidates can take advantage of a diverse range of other graduate programs at Brandeis to complement their course of study.

Program Details

• Students will create and teach their own courses and receive tuition waivers and generous fellowship support.
• Mastery of at least one foreign language is required.
• The program benefits from the hallmarks of a Brandeis education: small classes, dedicated mentoring by internationally recognized faculty, intellectual diversity, career support, and the wealth of academic and cultural resources Boston offers.

Careers and Alumni

Our alumni have gone on to careers such as:

• Senior editor of The Atlantic, Politics section
• Director of history at the Federal Judicial Center
• Director of the Henry George Birthplace, Archive and Historical Research Center
• Professor positions at institutions such as William Woods University, George Mason University, and Wentworth Institute of Technology

Fellowships and Aid

All students admitted to the PhD program receive tuition waivers and fellowships renewable for a total of five years. The Irving and Rose Crown Fellowships are also available.

Application Deadline

The application deadline is January 15.

Program Structure

The PhD program in History includes:

• A flexible course of study that reflects the student's interests
• Primary-source research under the close guidance of a Brandeis historian
• Teaching opportunities and tuition waivers
• Generous fellowship support
• Mastery of at least one foreign language

Learning Goals

The PhD program in History aims to develop students' critical-thinking, research, and writing skills, and to prepare them for careers in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.