Overview
Northeastern University World History Ph.D. Program
Northeastern University's doctoral program in world history is one of the few Ph.D. programs in the country that specifically emphasizes world history as a primary field of study. This world history doctorate program is noted for its particular strengths in gender, social, and cultural history. This program encourages students to think beyond national boundaries and explore the intersecting histories of geographically dispersed regions of the world, making it a unique world history Ph.D. program.
Courses for the Ph.D. in world history examine topics such as war, colonialism and post-colonialism, social movements, migration, and gender, as well as area studies in a global or regional context. Studies also include long-term historical processes, major global transformations, and interactions between states and colonial societies. Candidates for the Ph.D. in world history may examine African, American, Asian, or European topics in a global framework. Doctoral students develop mastery of different methodological approaches to world history, and history more generally, and have the opportunity to gain substantial teaching experience under the supervision of faculty mentors.
Located in Boston, within easy reach of some of the most prominent research libraries in the United States, Northeastern provides students with access to a wealth of cultural and intellectual resources. Students pursuing a Ph.D. in world history have the opportunity to take courses in the Graduate Consortium in Women¿s Studies at MIT, to attend seminars and lectures at area universities, and to participate regularly in the Department of History¿s Global History Seminar Series, which brings world historians to the Northeastern campus each spring. Doctoral students in the world history Ph.D. program are eligible to receive significant financial aid.
Northeastern Master's Program in History
The master's program in history at Northeastern enables students to pursue a rigorous program of courses that stress methodological approaches to historical analysis and the study of global and transnational history. Like students in the doctoral program, master's in history students benefit from the program¿s global focus and are encouraged to attend the Northeastern Global History Seminar each spring and the seminars and lectures given in the Boston area. Master's students may choose to complete a thesis to get their history master's.
Many graduates of Northeastern's master's program in history go on to doctoral work at Northeastern or at another institution. Other graduates enter secondary school teaching or take jobs demanding experience in research and writing.
Master's of Arts in History with Concentration in Public History
The Master of Arts in History with concentration in public history has received special recognition as one of the best of its kind nationally. The Northeastern public history master's program includes courses in historical methodology and global history, plus specialized courses in public history on topics such as material culture, museums and exhibits, historical editing, and archives administration, taught by highly qualified practitioners and Northeastern faculty members. Students in the public history master's program are required to take a fieldwork course that gives them the hands-on experience of working in a local archive or historical site. Students in the public history master's program may chose to complete a Public History Project as the capstone of their course of study.
Located in Boston, a city with numerous historical agencies, sites, and museums, Northeastern University provides students in the program with a wealth of opportunities to enhance their experience. Students are able to benefit from close partnerships between the Department of History and numerous public historical organizations in Boston and New England. Graduates of the master¿s program with a concentration in public history go on to jobs in museums, archives, historical sites, historic preservation, and documentary film and video production.
