Colleges and Academic Units > Graduate Studies > Programs > History
History
Master of Arts (M.A.)
No one will be admitted to the graduate program until a faculty member has formally agreed beforehand to be his or her supervisor. This means there must be a faculty member competent, available, and willing to supervise the proposed topic. Please see the website for a listing of faculty members.
Admission Requirements
- B.A. Honours degree or its equivalent
- overall grade average of 70% in the last 60 credit units or two years of undergraduate study
- 75% History average
- strong letters of recommendation
- evidence of ability to pursue advanced study and research
- adequate preparation for the proposed field of study
- evidence of proficiency in the language of instruction (English), if English is not the first language of the applicant (TOEFL or equivalent)
- demonstration of excellent performance in previous university-level study
Degree Requirements
Students must maintain continuous registration in the 994 course. Graduate courses are conducted as seminars, emphasizing student reading, discussion, and research papers.
- GSR 960.0
- GSR 961.0 if research involves human subjects
- GSR 962.0 if research involves animals subjects
- a minimum of 9 credit units of 800-level seminars
- HIST 990.0 (Graduate Colloquium)
- HIST 994.0 (Research; credit received upon successful completion and defence of M.A. thesis)
- Language requirement: A reading knowledge of a non-English language that has been identified as part of the student’s program is required. The examination will be a one-hour written translation test for which a dictionary and grammar may be used. The standard for a pass in the examination is an ability to understand scholarly discourse of moderate complexity. The text chosen should be from the general field of the student’s thesis. M.A. students will be examined by the end of January. A student who fails the examination is permitted to retake it. Students cannot graduate without passing the examination. Students whose second language is English will not be required to learn a third language except when this is necessary for their thesis research.
- please contact the Department for residency requirements
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
No one will be admitted to the graduate program until a faculty member has formally agreed beforehand to be his or her supervisor. This means there must be a faculty member competent, available, and willing to supervise the proposed topic. Please see the website for a listing of faculty members.
Admission Requirements
- M.A. degree or its equivalent
- minimum of 80% average in M.A. work
- strong letters of recommendation
- sample of previously written work (M.A. thesis or major paper)
- evidence of ability to pursue advanced study and research
- adequate preparation for the proposed field of study
- applicants to the Ph.D. program must present a specific thesis proposal, demonstrating their ability and commitment. The thesis proposal may be subsequently revised or refined.
- evidence of proficiency in the language of instruction (English), if English is not the first language of the applicant (TOEFL or equivalent)
- demonstration of excellent performance in previous university-level study
Degree Requirements
Students must maintain continuous registration in the 996 course. Graduate course work will normally consist of reading courses linked to comprehensive fields.
- GSR 960.0
- GSR 961.0 if research involves human subjects
- GSR 962.0 if research involves animal subjects
- a minimum of 12 credit units of 800-level seminars and/or reading courses, at least 9 credit units of which must be history
- HIST 990.0 (Graduate Colloquium)
- HIST 996.0 (Research; credit received upon successful completion and defence of Ph.D. dissertation)
- comprehensive examinations: the comprehensive examinations will be taken in October of the second year of doctoral study; they require written and oral examinations in each field (one major field and two minor fields); one examination in the major field (based on 100 books) and two examinations in each of the minor fields (based on 50 books in each field). Only upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination at an appropriate time during the program is the student permitted to continue scholarly activity towards the Ph.D. degree
- qualifying examinations: the purpose of the qualifying examination is to satisfy the department that the student has the potential to obtain sufficient knowledge of the chosen general field of study to proceed toward candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Normally, the successful completion of an M.A. in History will constitute the qualifying examination. This examination would be an interview conducted by the graduate director and the student’s supervisor to be held in late August or early September the purpose of which will be to determine the student’s strengths and weaknesses and the shape of his or her program
- language examinations: A reading knowledge of a non-English language that has been identified as part of the student’s program is required. The examination will be a one-hour written translation test for which a dictionary and grammar may be used. The standard for a pass in the examination is an ability to understand scholarly discourse of moderate complexity. The text chosen for both examinations should be from the general field of the student’s thesis. Ph.D. students will be examined by the end of October
- please contact the Department for residency requirements
Transfer from Master's to Ph.D.
On rare occasions, exceptional Master's candidates who have completed all the course work requirements for the M.A. will be invited by the Graduate Committee of the Department of History to consider direct entry into the Ph.D. program.
Admission Requirements
- no one will be admitted to the graduate program until a faculty member has formally agreed beforehand to be his or her supervisor. This means there must be a faculty member competent, available, and willing to supervise the proposed topic. Please see the website for a listing of faculty members
- M.A. degree or its equivalent
- minimum of 80% average in M.A. work
- strong letters of recommendation
- sample of previously written work (M.A. thesis or major paper)
- evidence of ability to pursue advanced study and research
- adequate preparation for the proposed field of study
- applicants to the Ph.D. program must present a specific thesis proposal, demonstrating their ability and commitment. The thesis proposal may be subsequently revised or refined
- evidence of proficiency in the language of instruction (English), if English is not the first language of the applicant (TOEFL or equivalent)
- demonstration of excellent performance in previous university-level study
Degree Requirements
Students must maintain continuous registration in the 996 course. Graduate course work will normally consist of reading courses linked to comprehensive fields.
- GSR 960.0
- GSR 961.0 if research involves human subjects
- GSR 962.0 if research involves animal subjects
- a minimum of 12 credit units of 800-level seminars and/or reading courses, at least 9 credit units of which must be history
- HIST 990.0 (Graduate Colloquium)
- HIST 996.0 (Research; credit received upon successful completion and defence of Ph.D. dissertation)
- comprehensive examinations: the comprehensive examinations will be taken in October of the second year of doctoral study; they require written and oral examinations in each field (one major field and two minor fields); one examination in the major field (based on 100 books) and two examinations in each of the minor fields (based on 50 books in each field). Only upon successful completion of the comprehensive examination at an appropriate time during the program is the student permitted to continue scholarly activity towards the Ph.D. degree
- qualifying examinations: the purpose of the qualifying examination is to satisfy the department that the student has the potential to obtain sufficient knowledge of the chosen general field of study to proceed toward candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Normally, the successful completion of an M.A. in History will constitute the qualifying examination. This examination would be an interview conducted by the graduate director and the student’s supervisor to be held in late August or early September the purpose of which will be to determine the student’s strengths and weaknesses and the shape of his or her program
- language examinations: A reading knowledge of a non-English language that has been identified as part of the student’s program is required. The examination will be a one-hour written translation test for which a dictionary and grammar may be used. The standard for a pass in the examination is an ability to understand scholarly discourse of moderate complexity. The text chosen for both examinations should be from the general field of the student’s thesis. Ph.D. students will be examined by the end of October
- please contact the Department for residency requirements

