Prospective Student Information

All entering Ph.D. students receive five-year funding packages. Ph.D. students will pay no tuition and we guarantee a minimum stipend of at least $31,950. In addition, the department provides financial support for summer and dissertation research as well as conference travel. Graduate students are funded primarily through teaching assistantships.  However, incoming students are released from teaching obligations during their first year, and will be eligible for a year-long research assistantship following the successful completion of their comprehensive exams.

The History Department participates in the McKnight Foundation Fellowship Program, which offers additional funding support for elegible incoming students who qualify for the program. Those who are interested in applying for this program should discuss this opportunity with their potential advisors and the director of graduate studies. 

Currently, we only accept students interested in pursuing a Ph.D.  Students who enter with a B.A. are required to complete 45 credit hours of graduate coursework (about 5 semesters), and those with an M.A. are expected to complete 27 credit hours (about 3 semesters).  While there is a good deal of flexibility with coursework, certain classes form the core of our program.  During the fall semester of the first year, all incoming students take History 721 (Historiography), and in the spring of the first year through the fall of the second year, students take History 701 and 702—a two-semester research seminar, which helps students craft an article-length work based on original research.  We are usually able to offer students in this course funding to visit archives over the summer.

All doctoral students are expected to have reading knowledge of at least one foreign language.  More than one foreign language may be required if the major advisor deems it necessary.  Each student must pass his/her language exam before taking comprehensive exams.

Comprehensive exams must be taken no later than the spring of the third year.  Students are evaluated in three fields, and our exams have both a written and oral component.  Additionally, each student circulates his/her dissertation prospectus among faculty members before the comprehensive exam. 

After the successful completion of comprehensive exams, students will need to take sufficient dissertation research credits to reach a total of 60 credit hours beyond the B.A. in order to receive the doctorate. Graduate School rules require that students take a minimum of 12 dissertation credits (four semesters' worth).  Sometime after the fifth year, but no later than the end of the eighth year, each student defends his/her finished dissertation to a committee comprised of at least three internal reviews and one external reviewer.

For more information on our program, please see the most recent version of the Graduate Handbook.

The department’s deadline for fall admission and financial aid is January 17 and the on-line system is open to accept applications as of August 15.  Instructions and forms are available on-line through the Graduate School. There is no fee for applying for admission to the graduate program in History.

 A complete application for domestic students contains 6 items:

Through the new GRAD SLATE ONLINE APPLICATION PROCESS, https://applygrad.miami.edu/apply. students submit the following 4 items:

 1. An application form.

 2. A financial aid application, if seeking aid.

 3. Three confidential letters of recommendation, preferably from the applicant’s former professors. If recommenders experience difficulties with the on-line system, they should feel free to email their letters to the graduate secretary.

 4. A detailed statement from the student indicating: a) the student’s background and education; b) the student’s interests (field, topic, etc.); c) why the student wants to pursue a graduate degree in history at the University of Miami; and d) what the student plans to do with the degree upon completion. This statement constitutes a very important part of the application review process and should indicate the student’s understanding of the professional nature of the training that the student is about to begin.  It is recommended that before applying, prospective students contact faculty members with whom they are interested in working.

 Please also send the following 2 items to the department directly (see Contact Us for our mailing address):

 5. Transcripts. Request one official transcript from each post-secondary institution (college or university) that you have attended.  Transcripts are not considered official if provided by, or received via the applicant.

 6. A representative writing sample of at least 20 pages.

 All 6 components must be submitted on time in order for an application to be considered.

In addition to the 6 items above, international students are required to submit the following directly to the history department:

1. Official TOEFL scores (University of Miami Institution Code # 5815). Test scores are not considered official if provided by or received via the applicant.

2. A copy of diploma (with an English translation) for degrees earned outside of the United States.

3. Official original transcripts with English translation.

4. If you require an F-1 Visa, you will need to submit a Bank/Sponsorship letter and a copy of the first page of your passport. Download a sample bank letter.

Note: As of fall 2020, we no longer require GRE General or English Subject Test Scores.