Doctoral Training in History

So you wanna pursue a doctoral degree in history? The following are answers to some of the most common questions I receive from prospective graduate students. They represent one guy’s opinions, many of which brilliant colleagues would disagree with, and do not in any way reflect official policies or stances held by the University of Pittsburgh.

Should I do it?: For most people, the answer is “probably not.” This is primarily because of the abysmal state of the academic job market. Even if you come in with your eyes wide open, imagining alternative career paths, you will spend at 5-7 years (at least) being habituated to an academic world that will quite likely be closed to you. For many, if not most, that reality is crushing – even for students with a realistic assessment of the job market.

What is the best argument in favor of pursuing a PhD in history?: Life is short, and there are worse ways to spend it than being paid (an extremely modest salary with which it is difficult to make ends meet) to study whatever you want. Even if you do not get to be a historian, you will achieve a level of understanding of your chosen topic that other people simply do not have, and (quite possibly) have a lot of fun along the way.

What about “alt-ac” career paths?: Even in the best of circumstances, a back-up plan is essential, and the career diversity initiatives offered by professional organizations are a step in the right direction. That said, bear in mind that few of your instructors in a history PhD will have had much experience in the “real world,” which makes us rather unqualified to advise on anything other than being a professional historian.

How do I write a strong dissertation proposal?: Here’s a dirty secret: no one believes that you will research the dissertation you propose. After all, if you come out of spending 2-3 years in intensive coursework with exactly the same research agenda, what was the point? Think of the proposal as a more research-focused personal statement. You are telling us something about your personality: how you think about history; what kinds of themes you are interested in; how open-minded you are; how prepared are you to begin work on day-one; do this student’s interest capitalize on a cross-section of the department’s strengths rather than just those of the advisor they proposed to work with. You should write a proposal for a topic you would genuinely love to study, of course. But as you formulate the proposal, do so with an idea of what you want to show the committee in terms of answers to the “hidden” questions above.

How important is the advisor?: Obviously, selecting the right advisor is extremely important. However, not necessarily in the ways that you think. Many prospective students highly prioritize the narrow expertise of their advisor. But keep in mind that already several months into your dissertation research you will already be the world expert in that narrow topic: your advisor will not know the exact material you are looking at anyway. Therefore, it is more important – in my view – to find an advisor that can teach you how to think about history in a way that resonates with you; that will be present and responsive throughout your trajectory; and will put in the time. It probably matters less than you think if they research the same century that you do or read in the same languages. Also, your main advisor is only one piece of the puzzle: the presence of other dedicated committee members in the department is almost as important, and a consideration many students neglect in their applications.