PhD HIST
Requirements

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Requirements

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College of Humanities, Fine Arts and Communication
Doctor of Philosophy in History

Degree Requirements

The requirements for a doctoral degree stress qualitative, rather than quantitative, accomplishments and will usually entail between three years to four years of full-time study beyond the Master of Arts degree, depending on the student's area of specialization, level of training, and experience. The requirements are as follows:

1. At least one academic year of full-time residency.

2. Foreign language ability.
   1. In U.S. history, the ability to demonstrate a reading competency in a modern foreign language acceptable to the department during the first semester of residence in the doctoral program.

   2. In continental European history, the ability to demonstrate a reading competency in two foreign languages following the criteria for language competency in U.S. history.

   3. In English history, the ability to demonstrate a reading competency in a language or languages appropriate to the student's field of specialization following the criteria for language competency in U.S. history. Language competency may be demonstrated through one of the following: (1) satisfactory completion of the acceptable foreign language examination from the Educational Testing Service; (2) certification of compe- tency by the appropriate foreign language department at the University of Houston; or (3) certification of competency by an official document from an accredited institution stating that a Ph.D. language examination has been satisfactorily completed at that institution within five years of the applicant's date of admission to graduate studies at the University of Houston.

3. Such qualifying, comprehensive, and dissertation examinations as the department may specify.

4. Completion of a minimum of 66 semester hours of graduate credit, including work for the Master of Arts degree, and a maximum of six semester hours for the thesis and of 12 semester hours for the dissertation. All credit beyond the Master of Arts degree must be exclusively in graduate courses. Courses with grades less than a B will not be accepted as credit for degree work.

5. Completion of a dissertation demonstrating significant independent research.

Additional information concerning required courses in major and minor fields may be obtained from the Department of History's graduate director.