Program Overview
The U.S. History Ph.D. program at UNT provides a comprehensive education in American history, emphasizing research approaches and diverse topical areas. Students benefit from small class sizes, renowned faculty, guest speakers, and an active student organization. The program prepares graduates for a range of careers and further study in graduate school, equipping them with analytical, research, and communication skills.
Program Outline
The program emphasizes the diverse research approaches and specialty areas within the field, positioning UNT as a leader in dynamic transformations within U.S. history. The program aims to provide students with a strong foundation in historical research, analysis, and communication. It covers a wide range of chronological and topical areas, including:
- Chronological: Colonial and Revolutionary, Early national, Civil War and Reconstruction, Late 19th- and early 20th-century, 20th century
- Topical: Old South, New South, American West, Spanish and French borderlands, Texas, Military, Women and gender, African American, Mexican American, Local The program also highlights UNT's strengths in the histories of Texas and the southwestern borderlands, military history, oral history, and American social and cultural history, including race and ethnic studies, gender and sexuality, food and the body, and environmental history.
Teaching:
- Faculty: The program is taught by faculty who have published numerous books and articles, been awarded many research grants, and earned national and international recognition in their fields.
- Class Size: Graduate classes typically include eight to 12 students, allowing for personalized attention from instructors.
- Teaching Methods: The program utilizes a variety of teaching methods, including extensive reading, writing assignments, specialized seminar classes, and presentations.
- Guest Speakers: Several nationally and internationally recognized speakers address faculty and students on different topics each year.
- Student Organizations: The UNT chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honor society, organizes scholarly and social events during the year.
Careers:
- Career Paths: The program prepares students for a wide range of careers, including historian, museum professional, historical interpreter, researcher, writer, filmmaker, and educator.
- Skills: Students develop skills in analyzing and evaluating evidence, communicating persuasively and clearly, and understanding diverse perspectives and experiences.
- Industry Applications: History graduates work in various fields, including financial services, healthcare, community and social services, business administration, management, sales, and the legal profession.
- Graduate School Preparation: The program also provides excellent preparation for graduate school in fields such as higher education, journalism, law, and public policy.
Other:
- Program Highlights:
- Small class sizes for personalized attention.
- Emphasis on developing analytical, writing, research, and presentation skills.
- Faculty with extensive publications, research grants, and national/international recognition.
- Doctoral students produce cutting-edge scholarship, winning awards and accolades.
- Program Courses:
- Environmental History
- U.S. Gender and Sexuality History
- Historiography of American Exceptionalism
- U.S. Food History
- Texas History
- Seminar in Modern U.S. Political History
