Graduate Programs

The Ph.D. program offers courses to help students advance their critical reading, research and writing skills as they increase familiarity with different approaches to the past, build comparative understanding of major historical developments and gain competence in the literature and sources of their fields of specialization.

Students are encouraged to adopt a thematic approach to research backed by theoretically sophisticated comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Teaching is an indispensable part of graduate training, and each of our graduate students works as a teaching assistant for a minimum of four semesters. Brown University's summer school offers advanced students an opportunity to develop and teach their own courses.

The department tries to admit students with diverse backgrounds and academic interests who can work harmoniously together. The department's low graduate student-faculty ratio combines with the relatively small size of each cohort to create a vibrant academic environment for students and faculty.

Additional Resources

Exchange program with the University of Florence (Italy), John Hay Library (rare books and manuscript collections), John Carter Brown Library (materials relating to pre–1800 Europe and Western Hemisphere), Rockefeller Library (microfilm collections, textbooks, monographs and periodicals).

Application Information

Application Requirements

GRE Subject:

Not required

GRE General:

Not required

Writing Sample:

Strongly Recommended

Dates/Deadlines

Application Deadline

Completion Requirements

Two years of course work; foreign language proficiency in specific fields; preliminary field examination; satisfactory performance as a teaching assistant; dissertation, and oral defense.

Alumni Careers

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Leadership

Department Chair
Ethan M Pollock
Director of Graduate Studies
Jennifer Lambe
Director of Graduate Admissions
Cynthia Brokaw
Director of Graduate Advising
Faiz Ahmed

Contact and Location

Department of History

Mailing Address

Brown University
Box N
Visit the Department of History

Resources