One of the greatest strengths of our PhD program is its high success rate in terms of career outcomes for our students.
Our innovative doctoral program combines traditional historical research and teaching methods with the advanced and in-demand skills of the digital humanities. As a result, our Ph.D. program prepares students for careers not only in university teaching, but also in digital media, publishing, educational administration, library science, archival preservation, and public history.
Core curriculum in our doctoral program includes both conventional historical methods and advanced training in the latest web-based technologies. Major fields include U.S. history, European history, and world history; minor fields are chosen by the student and may include such areas as cultural history, military history, religious history, political history, and new media and information technology
We regularly offer courses about museums and historical memory. In addition, our location in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area gives students wonderful opportunities for internships and research at such institutions as the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Navy and Marine Corps museums, and George Washington's Mount Vernon as well as George Mason’s Gunston Hall.
This success rate is directly related to our program's design to support career diversity in the profession–for example, preparing students for digital history, public history and military history careers, rather than focusing only on tenure-track teaching careers.
*To Learn more about our Alumni career outcomes, please navigate to the "Meet an Alum" tab and also visit this link.
*To view the frequently asked questions and answers on admissions to the PHD in History program, please see our "Why Study Here" menu by clicking {here}.