Minor Field and HIST 804
Note for doctoral students who started the program prior to Fall 2026:
The Ph.D. in History degree requirements were substantially revised for the 2026-27 University Catalog. Students who entered the program in Fall 2026 or later will pursue one minor field, not two. Students on prior catalogs will work individually with the Ph.D. Director and their faculty advisor to decide whether to pursue one minor field or two, depending on which will serve their studies and their time-to-degree most effectively.
What is a Minor Field?
A minor field is a specialization that encourages breadth of training and complements the student’s primary expertise. Students devise their minor field in consultation with their faculty mentors. Minor fields include topics such as cultural history, military history, museum studies, African American history, women’s history, religious history, political history, or new media and information technology. Limitations are imposed only by the availability of History graduate seminars on a given topic. Students are encouraged to think creatively and ambitiously about their training.
A minor field consists of 9 credits of graduate courses in History organized around a central area of inquiry:
- Two 3-credit graduate History seminars.
- An individualized section of HIST 804: Doctoral Readings for Minor Field (3 credits).
Students survey the literature of the field in the seminars, then augment that inquiry with an individualized readings course led by their minor field advisor. The minor field examination consists of a written exam produced over the course of a week at the end of the student’s HIST 804 semester. This exam documents the student’s ability to discuss the historiography of their minor field in a written format.
How to Choose a Minor Field
When devising a minor field, students should consider the expertise that they would like to cultivate to further their professional or intellectual goals.
Example 1: A Ph.D. student interested in a career in museum education could tailor their studies to cover pertinent aspects of that career path with a minor field in “Museum Studies.”
Example 2: A Ph.D. student interested in teaching History at the university level could use the minor field to broaden the classes they would be qualified to teach. For instance, a minor field in “The Atlantic World” could help an Americanist prepare to teach World History.
Example 3: A Ph.D. student interested in intensifying their digital history training beyond the required 6 credits of core courses could take additional courses to devise a minor field in “Digital History.”
Students should think carefully and creatively about their minor field. This is an important opportunity to build competency and badge oneself as an expert in a field.
Organizing and Completing a Minor Field
Take stock.
In the first year, students should make note of their interests, their prior graduate coursework, faculty expertise, and the likely availability of courses that could populate the minor field. They should discuss the possibilities with the Ph.D. Director and their faculty mentors.
Have some conversations.
One semester before taking HIST 804, students should talk with their prospective minor field advisor about their availability and willingness to teach the 804 and conduct the minor field exam. Students will also need to secure a second reader for the exam.
Teaching HIST 804 can be a heavy lift, because this course is in addition to the faculty member's usual teaching responsibilities. Faculty who are on research leave will be unavailable. Serving as second reader is not especially onerous for faculty, so it tends to be easier for a student to secure a second reader.
Craft a proposal.
If a faculty member agrees to teach the 804 in the ensuing semester, the student will need to develop a minor field proposal to be approved by the minor field advisor, the second reader, the Graduate Committee, and the Ph.D. Director. Visit “Proposing & Registering for HIST 804” for additional details. You can find the Minor Field Proposal Approval Form under “Forms for the Ph.D. in History.”
Register for HIST 804.
Once the Graduate Committee approves the minor field proposal, the student can register for an individualized section of HIST 804. Visit “How to Register for Courses” for a description of this process.
Take HIST 804.
Minor field readings can be 1-on-1, or they might involve 2-3 students if there is interest in the same or a significantly overlapping body of literature. Students usually meet every other week with their minor field advisor to discuss readings and the scope of the minor field. Whether HIST 804 involves written work is at the discretion of the instructor. Passing HIST 804 is separate from passing the minor field exam.
Complete the minor field exam.
At the end of the semester, students complete the minor field exam over the course of a week. The minor field advisor crafts essay questions in consultation with the second reader. These questions compel the student to think analytically and creatively about the minor field’s literature as a whole. The exam readers will circulate the Minor Field Exam Form. Visit “The Minor Field Exam” for additional guidance.