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2024-2025 Academic Calendar | York University Faculty of Graduate Studies

History

Posted on 17 August 2022

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LocationEmail AddressProgram Website
2172 Vari Hallghisprog@yorku.cayorku.ca/gradstudies/history/

In keeping with York University’s commitment to interdisciplinarity and social justice, the Graduate Program in History encourages cross-disciplinary, transnational, and global perspectives. The faculty members of the program include professors and researchers with expertise in many kinds of history and in a variety of methods and approaches. The program emphasizes mastery of scholarship, intensive research, thoughtful analysis, and skilful written and oral communication.

The Graduate Program in History offers two degrees: the Master of Arts and the Doctor of Philosophy. Both may be pursued either fulltime or part-time. Timelines described here are for full-time study. Part-time studies may be arranged as needed.

Graduate students in history may choose from a range of fields defined by geography and theme. Geographic fields include Africa and the Americas, including the Caribbean; ancient history; Canada; Asia; Europe; global and transnational histories; United States. Thematic fields include cultural history; gender, women, and sexualities; migration and ethnicity; politics, law and the state; sciences, health, and environments; social and economic history; and indigenous history. Other areas of strength are imperialism and colonialism. These fields may be studied in different periods, notably ancient, late medieval/early modern, modern, and twentieth century.

Research Resources

York University offers a rich variety of resources that may assist students in their research on many different historical topics. Located on York’s Keele campus are the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at Scott Library, and the Archives of Ontario in the Kaneff Tower. Research centres include the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies; the Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa & Its Diasporas; the York Centre for Asian Research; the Centre for Research on Latin America & the Caribbean; the Centre for Feminist Research; the Israel & Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies. Academic expertise that may be helpful to some graduate students in history can also be found in faculties such as the Faculty of Urban & Environmental Change, the School of Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies, the Faculty of Health, the bilingual campus of Glendon College, and the Osgoode Hall Law School, as well as special programs such as Science & Technology Studies and Critical Disability Studies.

Application Procedures

Please visit the Graduate Admissions website. Give time for the several steps in the process and to secure the required letters and documents.

To ensure consideration of your application in the first round, applicants must meet the posted deadlines. However, the program does accept late applications. For inquiries, please contact the Graduate Program Assistant.

Admission Requirements

MA

PhD

An undergraduate honours degree in history or its equivalent from a recognized university with at least a “B+” average in the last two years equivalent of undergraduate study.

Students who have completed less than 6 full courses (or equivalent) in history at the undergraduate level should contact the Graduate
Program Director for a preliminary assessment of their qualifications. In some cases, students may be encouraged to take additional undergraduate courses, at York or another university, before applying for the master’s program. The program also welcomes applications from qualified candidates who may have been outside of academia for some years.

A master’s degree in History or equivalent with a minimum of a “B+” average from a recognized university. Successful applicants are expected to have completed a substantial research paper or project in some form of historical studies.

Degree Requirements

MA

PhD

MA

This is the standard program of study for the MA degree in history. Candidates for the MA degree by coursework and major research
paper must satisfactorily complete the following studies:

Courses

Students must complete 18 credits of graduate-level coursework (5000/6000 levels). Normally this is done by taking 9 credits in each of Fall and Winter Terms. With approval of the Graduate Program Director, up to 6 credits may be taken in another York graduate program. Course selection is done in consultation with the Graduate Program Director.

Major Research Paper

Students must undertake research under the supervision of a member of graduate history faculty and write a substantial essay (usually 50-70 pages) on that research. The selection of the supervisor and formulation and approval of the topic are confirmed during Winter Term. The paper may build on research that the student has done as part of undergraduate or graduate studies, but it must include significant new and additional work.

A formal paper proposal is due by April 30. The completed essay must be submitted by August 31. The essay is evaluated by the supervisor and a second reader secured by the supervisor and approved by the Graduate Program Director.

On occasion, for an interested and well-prepared student and with the permission of the Graduate Program Director, the program offers the option of an MA degree by thesis. Candidates for the MA degree by thesis must satisfactorily complete the following studies:

Courses

The student must complete 12 credits of graduate-level coursework (5000/6000 levels), including at least 6 credits in the Program in History.

Thesis

The thesis, developed under the supervision of a member of the graduate history faculty, involves original research reported in appropriate monograph format in an extended essay (100-120 pages). The written thesis is assessed by an examiner external to the program and then must be defended at an oral examination.

All MA students are expected to be able to read such languages as are necessary for their research topic.

The MA program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.

The master’s degree requires three terms of full-time study to complete, beginning in September and ending in August.

Fall and Winter Terms – coursework.
Summer Term – research and writing of the major research paper.

The expected degree completion time for full-time master’s students is 3 terms. For those students who complete degree requirements earlier than 3 terms, they must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 3 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.

PhD

The doctoral program has three principal components:
1) course requirements, usually completed in PhD 1;
2) demonstration of breadth of knowledge in two fields of historical scholarship through comprehensive examinations normally completed during PhD 2; and,
3) researching and writing a doctoral dissertation that demonstrates independence, originality, and an ability to contributes to historical knowledge at an advanced level of investigation, and an oral defence of the dissertation.

Students must complete 18 credits of graduate-level coursework (5000/6000 levels). Normally this is done by taking 9 credits in each of Fall and Winter Terms of PhD 1. With approval of the Graduate Program Director, up to 6 credits may be taken in another York graduate program. Course selection is done in consultation with the Graduate Program Director and the supervisor with attention to preparing fields for the comprehensive examination.

a) To assure both breadth and background in preparation for the dissertation, students must demonstrate knowledge of two distinct fields selected from each of the program’s lists (below), one geographic and one thematic. In consultation with their putative supervisor, students may choose two fields from the same list with the approval of the Graduate Program Director.

b) The two fields are covered by the comprehensive examination. The specific scope of the examined fields and the reading lists is set in consultation with the supervisor and the other examiners, and approved by the Graduate Program Director.

As components of the comprehensive examination, normally written in August of PhD. 2, the student may submit a course syllabus or other presentation (e.g., website, exhibition plan) in lieu of a written examination in one of the two fields. Shortly after the two written examination(s), there is an oral examination covering both fields and/or the special project.

a) A dissertation proposal (15-20 pages) on an approved topic should be completed and submitted to the program office in the next term after the passing of the comprehensive exam. The names of the dissertation committee members must be submitted at the same time.

b) Based on original research conducted while in program and incorporating critical understanding of the relevant literature, the doctoral dissertation (normally 250-350 pages) in monograph format and should make a significant contribution to historical knowledge.

c) The dissertation is assessed by an external examiner and then must be successfully defended at an oral examination.

PhD students are expected to be able to read such languages as are necessary for their research topic. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to determine what is needed. Students working primarily in Canadian history must demonstrate a reading knowledge of French.

Geographic:

  • Africa and the Americas, including the Caribbean
  • Ancient history
  • Canada
  • Comparative, Transnational and Global History
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • United States

Thematic:

  • Cultural history
  • Indigenous history
  • Migration and ethnicity
  • Politics, law and the state
  • Sciences, health and environments
  • Social and economic history
  • Women, gender and sexualities

The PhD program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.

The PhD in History may normally be completed in five years.

PhD 1:
Fall and Winter Terms – coursework.
Summer Term – preparation for comprehensive exam, comprehensive exam.

PhD 2:
Fall Term – submission of dissertation proposal.
Spring Term– research and writing of the dissertation.

PhD 3 – PhD. 4:
Research and writing of the dissertation.

PhD 5:
Submission of dissertation and defence.

Doctor of Philosophy students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of six terms of full-time registration. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be fulfilled within 18 terms (6 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time doctoral student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.