The Ph.D. degree in history is granted after the student has demonstrated a knowledge of and a capacity for research in a number of specialized and general fields of history or related disciplines.

Each candidate for the degree must:

• Fulfill the department’s course requirements
• Fulfill the Graduate School’s residency requirement
• Fulfill specific area requirements for U.S., modern European, pre-modern European and other fields
• Fulfill the language requirement(s) (see above)
• Form a faculty advisory committee
• Pass qualifying exams
• Defend a dissertation prospectus
• Write and defend a dissertation

Course Requirements:

• Take History 606 (unless the student has taken it for the M.A. degree)
• Take a minimum of eight 600- and 700-level seminars (including History 606).  Independent study courses (History 695) do not count toward this requirement. Students who completed their M.A. degrees in History at UK may count all 600- and 700-level seminars taken as an M.A. student toward this requirement.
• Students specializing in U.S. history must take at least three of the five readings courses in the 630-634 sequences (this may include courses taken to earn the MA degree); students specializing in modern European history must take History 628, the colloquium in modern Europe; students specializing in pre-modern European history must participate in History 705, the Pre-Modern European Colloquium
• Take two 700-level research seminars (students who have taken two 700-level research seminars in their M.A. program at UK need only take one research seminar.)

Residency Requirements: 

The Graduate School requires doctoral students to meet the residency requirement.  This may be done in one of two ways:

1.  a) master’s degree or 18 graduate hours at the University of Kentucky, or transfer of residence credit from an awarded master’s at another accredited school; plus, b) two consecutive semesters enrolled full-time, i.e., nine or more credits per semester; plus, c) completion with a grade of “S” of two consecutive full-time semesters (9 credits each) or three consecutive part-time semesters (6 credits each) of course 769 after successfully passing the qualifying examinations. 

 2.  a) master’s degree or 18 graduate hours at the University of Kentucky, or transfer of residence credit from an awarded master’s at another accredited school; plus, b) enrollment part-time (at least six graduate credits per semester) during three consecutive semesters; plus, c) completion with a grade of “S” of two consecutive full-time semesters (9 credits each) or three consecutive part-time semesters (6 credits each) of course 769 after successfully passing the qualifying examination.

Advisory Committee: Doctoral students should work with their advisors to form an Advisory Committee during the first year of doctoral study. The Advisory Committee consists of five faculty members. Four of the members, including the advisor, will supervise qualifying exam fields. A fifth member from outside the department, but in a discipline related to the student’s special field of history, must also be appointed.