History, Sequential M.A./Ph.D. (MA/PHD in History)
The sequential M.A./Ph.D. program in History is designed for students who wish to pursue original, advanced research towards a doctorate in the field. The History Department’s Graduate Regulations contain details on how to fulfill the following requirements.
The total credit hour requirement for the M.A./Ph.D. in History is 76 credits.
Three years of coursework are required for the Ph.D. degree. In their first year, students must complete all course requirements for the William & Mary M.A. degree. Students who begin the M.A./Ph.D program with a William & Mary Master’s Degree in hand will go directly to the second year of the M.A./Ph.D program. In their second year, candidates for the Ph.D. degree must complete at least 18 hours of graduate coursework in History 715, 712, or the equivalent, and six hours of credit in HIST 800 - Dissertation). In the spring of their third year, students take History 705 (Teaching - 1 credit) and History 706 (Dissertation Prospectus - 3 credits). A total of 24 hours of credit in HIST 800 is required to satisfy the degree requirements for the award of a Ph.D. in Arts & Sciences.
M.A. Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | ||
| The total credit hour requirement for the M.A. in History is 30 credits, including the following: | ||
| HIST 695 | Dir Thesis Master's Research | 6 |
| HIST 701 | Historian's Craft | 3 |
| HIST 712 | Research Seminars | 6 |
| HIST 715 | Readings Seminars | 9 |
| *Students may take up to 6 credits in HIST 590 or graduate-level courses in other departments/programs. These courses will usually serve as a substitute for HIST 715, and if appropriate, HIST 712. | ||
| HIST 700 | Thesis | 6 |
| *No more than 6 credits of HIST 700 may be used to satisfy degree requirements. | ||
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Thesis Requirement
In order to fulfill the thesis requirement, students will prepare a research portfolio consisting of two major research papers approved by a committee.
Ph.D. Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate History Coursework 1 | 18 | |
| Research Seminars | ||
or the equivalent | ||
| Readings Seminars | ||
| HIST 800 | Dissertation | 24 |
| HIST 705 | Teaching History | 1 |
| HIST 706 | Diss Proposal Writing Class | 3 |
| Total Hours | 46 | |
- 1
Students may take up to 6 credits in HIST 590 or graduate-level courses in other departments/programs not cross-listed under History. These courses will usually serve as a substitute for HIST 715, and if appropriate, HIST 712.
Qualifying Exam Requirement
In the fall semester of their third year, Ph.D. students take a written and oral comprehensive qualifying examination in four fields. To qualify for the comprehensive examinations, students must complete any outstanding requirements by the end of the previous semester.
Foreign Language Requirement
Candidates must demonstrate by departmental examination a reading knowledge of a language other than English. Ph.D. students must complete the Foreign Language requirement by the end of their fourth semester in residence.
Satisfactory Progress
PH.D. students must complete all requirements for the M.A. degree by the end of their fourth semester in residence.
To be eligible to graduate, all students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in all courses taken for graduate credit at William & Mary after admission to a degree program. A student who receives a grade of C+ (2.3) or lower in a course may repeat that course one time for credit, upon approval of both the instructor of the course and the graduate director for the student’s program. When such a repeat attempt is approved, the grades for both attempts will count in the cumulative GPA, but only the most recent attempt will count toward the degree. No credit toward a degree will be allowed for a course in which a student receives a grade below C (grade point = 2.0).
All requirements for the Ph.D. must be completed within seven years from the first term of enrollment in the Ph.D. program, excluding periods of approved leave and military service. For a student enrolled in a master’s program in the College of Arts & Sciences who subsequently advances to candidacy in the doctoral program in the same field, the terms of enrollment in the master’s program will count towards the seven-year limit for the doctoral degree unless otherwise stated in the letter of admission.