Graduate Program
With approximately 130 students, the graduate program constitutes a vital part of the Department of History at the University of Houston. In addition to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) programs in U.S., European, and Latin American history, the department also offers an M.A. in public history. The M.A. program track offers a range of degree plans, which allow students to pursue their interest in history, while acquiring specific skills useful for professional employment or further academic work. The department also offers a number of courses in African, Asian, and World History.
The Department of History offers a variety of graduate readings and research seminars, with exciting new courses appearing each semester to reflect the interests and ongoing work of faculty members and students (Current Class Listings and Graduate Catalogs.) These courses help students master skills in critical reading, rigorous writing, and innovative research. One professor acts as an individual mentor for each graduate student, advising the student on coursework and directing his or her research in a specialized field of study.
In addition to public history and these geographic concentrations, our faculty specializes in a wide variety of areas with focus on several major themes: Energy, Environment and Urban Development; Ethnicity and Race; Gender, Women, and Family; War, Revolution and Diplomacy; and Medicine and Technology.
Refer to faculty listings by specialization for information on particular areas of expertise.
The UH History Department justifiably takes great pride in the accomplishments of its current students and its graduates. In the recent past, our Ph.D. program has placed students at Indiana University; the universities of Missouri, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Arkansas; Texas A & M; Cal State Sacramento; San Diego State, and numerous state universities in Texas. It also has staffed many of the community colleges in Southeast Texas. We have one of the best records in the nation of training and placing African American students, and we recently expanded our Mexican American history program.
View a list of Ph.D. recipients and their accomplishments.
Degrees Offered
- M.A. Plan I: Thesis Track
Plan I has a teaching and research focus, and requires the completion of a thesis. Most students follow this track. Students who expect to continue their graduate work in history beyond the M.A. degree should consider this option. - M.A. Plan IIa: Public History Track
Plan II students also complete a thesis, but the degree is designed for students who intend to pursue careers in such fields of public history as institutional history, cultural resources management, historical policy and analysis, community history, historical editing, historical archives and records management, and the creation, interpretation, and management of historical exhibits. Many students in Plan II will work toward the M.A. as a terminal degree, but some may choose to pursue the Ph.D. Admission to Plan II requires the approval of the Director of the Public History Program. - M.A. Plan IIb: Non-thesis Public History Track
The University of Houston also has developed a non-thesis track MA (pending administrative approval by the College). The non-thesis track includes the above elements except for the thesis. In lieu of the thesis, the student must complete (a) an oral comprehensive examination and (b) two of the following three: an additional methodology course, an additional major field course, or a research paper.
- Minor in Public History Overview
The minor in public history for the MA history requires the reading course and one other public history courses approved by the director. PhD students may choose Public History as their minor field according to the current guidelines of the department’s PhD program.
- M.A. Plan III: Non-thesis Track
Plan III is designed for students who desire advanced preparation in History (especially teachers seeking to strengthen their mastery of their subject fields), but who do not expect to pursue work toward a Ph.D., and who do not wish to take advanced training in historical research. Admission to Plan III requires approval in writing from the Director of Graduate Studies in History. - Expedited M.A./Ph.D. Track ("fast-track")
We now offer an Expedited M.A./Ph.D. track for selected students who wish to move rapidly through the Master’s level directly into the Ph.D. program. Students accepted into this track complete 30 hours at the M.A. level, then enter the Ph.D. program without a further application. Students interested in this program should apply to the M.A. program; admission to the Expedited M.A./Ph.D. track occurs after the student is enrolled for the M.A. - The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
The Ph.D. program is designed to provide the training necessary for careers in college/university teaching and historical research. The department offers the Ph.D. degrees in the fields of United States, European, and Latin American history. The department provides a traditional Ph.D. for students who have already completed an M.A. as well as the expedited M.A./Ph.D. listed above. We have designed a program that offers both breadth of study and specificity of content that have placed graduates in teaching jobs in a variety of colleges and universities across the country.
Requirements and Policies
The History Department offers the Bachelor of Arts in History, the Bachelor of Arts in History with Teacher Certification, and a Minor in History. You may also use History as a Second Teaching Field for teacher certification. For detailed descriptions of the various M.A. and Ph.D. tracks please consult the following links:
- Master of Arts (M.A.) in History
- Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in History
- Expedited M.A./Ph.D. track ("fast-track")
- Transfer Credits, Outside Course Work, and Special Problems
- Policies and Procedures for Graduate and PB Students
Graduate Advising
Ms. Daphyne Pitre
Graduate advising assistant
713-743-3086