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Department of History
6022 Academic Quadrangle, 778.782.4467 Tel, 778.782.5837 Fax,
Chair
M. Leier BA, MA (S Fraser), PhD (Nfld)
Graduate Program Chair
E. Chenier BA (York, Can), MA, PhD (Qu)
Faculty and Areas of Research
See “Department of History” on page 115 for a complete list of faculty.
F. Becker – East Africa, Muslim Africa
J. Brown – modern Chinese hostory
E. Chenier – Canada
L. Clossey – wider world
L. Cormack – history of science and technology; early modern England
J.S. Craig – early modern England
A.S. Dawson – Latin America
A. Ede – history of science and technology
K. Ferguson – 20th century United States
P. Garfinkel – modern Italy
A. Geiger – immigration, North American West
A. Gerolymatos – Greece and Balkans
M.E. Kelm – Canada/First Nations
N. Kenny – French Canada, urban space
W. Keough – Atlantic Canada
D. Krallis – Byzantine
T. Kuehn – Middle East
M. Leier – Canada, labor
J.I. Little – Canada, French Canada
D.N. MacLean – Middle East, Islam, India
J. Matsumura – East Asia
E. O’Brien – Renaissance
H. Pabel – early modern Europe
R. Panchasi – modern France
N. Roth – modern Germany
A. Seager – Canada, labor
P. Sedra – Middle East
J. Spear – 18th century US, race
J.O. Stubbs – modern Britain
J. Taylor – North American, environmental history
I. Vinkovetsky – Russia
The Department of History offers graduate research leading to an MA and PhD. The major study areas are Canada, Europe, colonialism and imperialism, the Middle East, the Americas, and Africa. Only those who wish to specialize in one of the specific fields covered by the list of MA courses in the case of MA applicants, or PhD areas of specialization in the case of PhD applicants, will be considered. The department reserves the right to accept candidates only when a qualified supervisor is available and the University resources (including library facilities) are deemed adequate for the stated research priority.
Admission will be in the fall term only, and should be completed by February 1. Applicants must submit a sample of their written work.
HIST 814 is a compulsory MA seminar offered each fall term. HIST 806 and 810 are also offered as seminars each year. At least two other seminars will normally be offered, the choice depending on the research interests of the majority of the students.
Conditions of Admission
MA candidates must satisfy the minimum University entrance requirements: at least a 3.0 average or its equivalent. In addition, the department requires a 3.33 (B+) average in history courses completed during the last two undergraduate years. A degree in a discipline related to history may be accepted in some cases.
Programs of Study
The prospectus workshop helps students prepare to research and write their theses. Students receive a satisfactory or unsatisfactory grade for this course. At the conclusion of the workshop, students defend their prospectuses to their committees in a formal setting.
During the third term, students research and write their theses.
Upon graduate program admission, students are assigned a provisional supervisor. See “1.6.4 Supervisory Committee” on page 222 for supervisory committee information. Students and supervisors should consult with each other in the first term about the composition of the supervisory committee, which consists of the supervisor and usually one other member of the history department. The supervisory committee should be formalized as soon as possible after the student's entry into the program.
Students with significant financial support from awards or teaching assistantships are expected to enrol in a full course load. Those with no such financial aid may enrol in a lesser course load.
Degree Requirements
Students complete 25 units including HIST 814 and 826 (five courses), defend their thesis prospectus, and write a thesis of between 15,000 and 21,000 words, including footnotes (excluding bibliography). Shorter or longer theses may be submitted only with the graduate chair’s prior approval. If a thesis will exceed the word limit, the graduate chair must give formal approval prior to scheduling the defence.
Students enrolled in HIST 898 (thesis) will participate in the monthly candidate seminars conducted by the graduate chair. Students are required to present portions of their own work at least once per term.
Language Requirements
Students must demonstrate a reading ability in a language other than English that is acceptable to the supervisory committee. Students proposing to study Canadian history must demonstrate an ability to read French. Ability is determined by a time limited examination consisting of the translation of a passage of history in the particular language. A dictionary is permitted. The Department of French offers courses to help students meet the language requirements.
General
Prospective PhD candidates are advised that the degree is granted in recognition of the student’s general grasp of the subject matter of a broad area of study; for the ability to think critically; and for the power to analyze and co-ordinate problems and data from allied fields of study.
All doctoral students are expected to complete at least one graduate seminar course for credit in their first year.
A student ordinarily is admitted to the PhD program after completion of an MA or its equivalent. BA applicants applying directly to the PhD program must have at least a 3.5 GPA or its equivalent. Candidates for the MA may, under exceptional circumstances, be admitted to the PhD program without completing the MA requirements if they have 20 units of course work. Admission from the MA program is contingent upon a distinguished level of performance, recommendation of directing faculty, scholarly potential, and available department resources.
Programs of Study
Upon program admission, each student is assigned a faculty supervisor. See “1.6 Supervision” on page 222 for information on supervisory committees. The supervisory committee and the student determine three fields of study, at least two of which are chosen from the list below. A third field may be chosen within or outside the Department of History with permission of the graduate studies committee.
The student and each field supervisor will agree as soon as possible on a general readings list of approximately 45 books (or equivalent) in each field. Reading list copies must be submitted to the graduate program committee chair by the beginning of the second term. The graduate program committee approves these lists and places them in the student’s files. Students are expected to cover the material on these lists, preferably by means of a structured reading and writing program with their supervisors.
The comprehensive examinations, based on reading lists, are offered twice a year in the first half of the fall and spring terms. Written exams are administered in weeks five and six. Oral exams are scheduled in weeks six through seven of the same term. Students who miss the first exams in their fourth term due to extenuating circumstances must complete them the following term. For details about the comprehensive exams, see the department’s graduate brochure. All written examinations must be passed before the oral comprehensive exam. A student who fails one of the written examinations, and one only, will have one additional chance for re-examination before sitting the oral exam. A ‘fail,’ ‘pass,’ or ‘pass with distinction’ will be assigned by the examining committee after oral exam completion. Students failing at this stage are not permitted to continue in the program.
PhD Fields
- Canadian social and cultural history
- Canadian political and economic history
- Early modern European history
- European social history
- European cultural history
- European intellectual history
- European international relations since the early 19th century
- gender and history
- rural history
- mediaeval Europe
- France since 1789
- Germany since the 18th century
- Russia since Peter the Great
- the British Isles since 1485
- Great Britain as a great power since 1763
- state and society in the nineteenth century Ottoman empire
- state and society in the twentieth century Middle East
- the Middle East in the international system
- the geopolitics of the Indian empire
- Islamic India
- sub-Saharan Africa since 1800
- European settlement in Africa
- United States to 1890
- United States since 1890
- United States cultural history 1830-1890
- colonial Latin America
- Latin America since Independence
Thesis
Within one term of successful completion of comprehensive exams and formal candidacy admission, students submit a thesis prospectus on a topic selected from the specialization areas listed above. The same procedure is followed for MA candidates but the thesis committee may seek the participation of another who has particular expertise in the proposed thesis topic area. Through the thesis, the student must demonstrate an original contribution to knowledge. When the thesis is complete and the student is ready to offer himself/herself for the degree, a thesis examining committee will be formed, composed of the departmental graduate program committee chair or designate; the student’s supervisory committee; a faculty member or a person otherwise suitably qualified who is not a supervisory committee member; and an external examiner who is not a University employee. This committee examines the student on the thesis and in the student’s major field of study. See “Graduate General Regulations” on page 219 for further information and regulations.
Language Requirements
Students must demonstrate a reading ability in one language other than English that is acceptable to the supervisory committee. Students proposing to study Canadian history must demonstrate a reading ability in French, determined by a time limited examination consisting of the translation of a history passage in the particular language. A dictionary will be permitted. The Department of French offers courses to help graduate students meet this requirements.
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