A Doctorate with a Difference

The Ph.D. program in history welcomes accomplished students at all stages of professional development: recent undergraduates extending their education; mid-career professionals--teachers, museum professionals, active-duty military personnel, recent veterans, etc.--seeking career advancement or change; and retirees exploring second acts. We have also had many students complete the Ph.D. in History for personal enrichment. 

Program Highlights

All Mason Ph.D. history students gain expertise in both conventional historical methods and new media technologies. Students pursue a major field in U.S. history, European history, or comparative/world history, then specialize by selecting a minor field of the student's own design, such as the Atlantic World, cultural history, digital history, military history, political history, or religious history, among many others. 

For degree requirements, go here.

For details on how the program works, go here.

Career Paths

Students may organize their program of study to suit a variety of paths: 

• College/university teaching: For students seeking a career in teaching or research at the community college or university level.
• New media and information technology: For students seeking careers in new media—for example, in publishing, educational technology, or as a technology coordinator in a college or university setting.
• Public and applied history: For students interested in libraries, museums, archives, historic preservation, document editing, research, or other applied fields. Students may be at the beginning of their careers or already working in the field.
• Professional development: For students working in educational or professional areas (teachers, high school principals, community college instructors) where the attainment of an advanced degree will enhance their intellectual breadth and marketability.

In addition, we have had many students at all life stages pursue the Ph.D. in History for personal enrichment.

Digital History

Our department has been an international leader in digital history and humanities since 1994, when our late colleague Roy Rosenzweig founded the Center for History and New Media. All doctoral students in our program receive training in digital history, and students may elect to specialize in digital history for their minor field. With faculty support, dissertations may be fully digital, have a digital history component, or rely on digital tools and methods (in addition to traditionally researched, text-only manuscripts).

RRCHNM also provides financial support to some doctoral students.

Public History

For students interested in public history, we regularly offer courses about museums and historical memory. In addition, our location in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area gives students wonderful opportunities for internships, research, and personal enrichment at institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the National Archives, the Navy and Marine Corps museums, George Washington's Mount Vernon, and George Mason’s Gunston Hall. 

Local Opportunities

Our location in the D.C. metro area provides additional opportunities for students: 

• Coursework at area universities through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area.
• Vast library resources through the Washington Research Library Consortium.
• Proximity to the National Archives, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and many other area museums and historic sites for research, internships, and personal enrichment: Arlington National Cemetery, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the National Building Museum, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the National Museum of the United States Navy, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Military Women's Memorial, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and George Mason’s Gunston Hall, among many others.

Funding

Funding packages are available, on a competitive basis, for full-time students. Funding is not available for part-time students. Visit Funding for Ph.D. Students for more information.

Planning to Apply?

If you plan to submit an application, contact the Ph.D. Director, Dr. Suzanne Smith, for more information.