Ph.D. Program FAQs
With whom do I advise?
Until you have selected a major professor, you will work with a temporary advisor appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS). If you are an incoming student you must consult with your temporary advisor before registering for fall classes.
With the guidance of your temporary advisor and the DGS, you will select a major professor under whose guidance you will complete your graduate study. You should meet and talk with the professor about your interests before requesting him or her to serve as your advisor. You must select a permanent advisor by November 1 of your first semester at UTK. You will consult with your permanent advisor concerning registration for the spring semester. In some cases, your temporary advisor may become your permanent advisor.
If you do not have a permanent advisor by November 1, please consult the DGS. When you have selected a permanent advisor, see the graduate program secretary to complete the appropriate form.
What are the 500 level reading seminars intended to do?
These courses, numbered 515 through 585, consist mainly of readings in secondary sources on a variety of topics. These seminars comprise the majority of our graduate offerings. The amount of reading and the amount and nature of writing assignments vary as does the scope of the seminar. However, the focus of each seminar is broad enough so that a student who has completed three or four of these courses within a field will be well on the way to being prepared for examination in that field.
What are the 600 level research seminars intended to do?
These seminars, numbered 631 through 658, involve work in primary historical sources culminating in a scholarly paper. Since the purpose of the course is to develop research skills, the topic of the seminar may be as broad or narrow as the professor believes desirable.
What is History 621 and when should I take it?
This is a directed readings course designed to fill gaps left after completing your other course work. While History 621 is NOT required, you may take two such courses. History 621 is graded satisfactory/no credit. Enrollment in 621 requires the consent of your major professor and the DGS. You must contact the graduate program secretary before registering for this course to complete a consent form.
What is History 593 and how is it used?
History 593 is an independent readings course that is more similar to the 500 level readings seminars than to History 621. It is graded A through F. It may meet as frequently as, and assign work equal to, the reading seminars. In rare cases, the teaching professor and the DGS may permit a graduate student to enroll in an upper division undergraduate course under the 593 rubric. See Graduate Catalog.
Before enrolling in 593, you must obtain written consent from the DGS and the Department Head. Permission for 593 is given under extreme circumstances only. You must contact the graduate program secretary before registering for this course to complete a consent form.
What grades are required to remain in good standing?
To remain in good standing, you must maintain at least a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA). If you hold an assistantship , you must maintain at least a 3.25 GPA. If you receive two grades lower than a "B" from two faculty members in any given year, you will be dropped from the graduate program in History.
How does the department define grades?
A = excellent, B+ = very good, B = good, C+ = between undistinguished and good, C = undistinguished (failure to maintain an acceptable level of graduate work; failure to complete course assignments on time), D = poor (may not be used to satisfy degree requirements), F = very poor (may not be used to satisfy degree requirements).
S/NC = satisfactory/no credit (used only in History 521 and 621; has no impact on the GPA; satisfactory is equivalent to "B" work).
P/NP = progress/no progress (used for History 500 and 600; denotes progress or no progress toward completion of thesis or dissertation; does not affect the GPA).
I = Incomplete. An incomplete is issued only when a student suffers an unusual circumstance late in the semester. Failure to complete assignments on time is not a valid reason to receive an incomplete. The student must have at least a B average in the class to receive an incomplete. Before the professor can assign a grade of I, he or she must compose a "contract" with the student in question. This document will clearly explain the reason for the incomplete and clearly explain the work to be done to remove the grade. The document will also include a timetable for the completion of the work. It must be signed by the professor and the student, and a copy must be forwarded to the History Department Head. If the work is not completed within one semester (with summer counting as a semester), the incomplete automatically converts to a grade of F.
How many hours are required to be a full-time student?
If you do not have an assistantship, a full load is 9 hours per semester. If you have an assistantship, a full load is 6 hours per semester.
How do I fulfill UTK's 24 minimum course hour requirement (post-M.A.)?
You will need to take at least 8 three-hour courses at UTK, only one of which may be graded satisfactory/no credit (such as History 621). Thus you must have at least 21 hours of graded work. You may not count a course taken at another institution, or one that was taken to earn the M.A. degree. However, if you completed some courses during your M.A. work at UTK that you did not count toward your M.A. requirements, you may apply those to the 24 hours required for the Ph.D.
What is the residency requirement?
All Ph.D. students are required to register as full-time students for at least two consecutive semesters. This requirement must be met before course work is completed.
What are the course distribution requirements?
They consist of History 510 (unless waived on the basis of having written an M.A. thesis or having taken a similar course in an M.A. program); 9 hours in a Group I field (your primary field); 9 hours in a Group III field (including the required course, History 511, 512, or 513); and two 600 level research seminars. There is no hour or course requirement for the Group II field. If you wish to take courses outside the Department you may do so, provided you have permission from your major professor and the DGS.
Please note: graduate hours earned in an M.A. History program may be used where appropriate to meet various distribution requirements in your doctoral program here.
What is the foreign language requirement and how do I fulfill it?
You must demonstrate reading competence in one foreign language. You satisfy the language requirement by taking a written examination arranged by the Graduate School. The materials to be translated are selected within the History Department and evaluated in the appropriate language department.
If your language is French or German, you may also fulfill the requirement by completing French 302 or German 332 with the grade of B or higher. For other languages, course work will not satisfy the certification requirement, though you may take courses to develop your expertise before taking the language examination.
The language requirement must be met before you take your Comprehensive Examinations. This means that you must have met the language requirement in or before the semester that you finish your course work. See the graduate school Web site at http://web.utk.edu/~gsinfo for deadlines for registering for the language exam.
If you have demonstrated a reading knowledge of an acceptable foreign language in a graduate program before coming to UTK, we will accept that certification and you will not be required to be reexamined here provided that you pass your doctoral Comprehensive Examinations within five years of the course work or examination that demonstrated your foreign language competence. If the above applies to you, please provide documentation of having met the foreign language requirement to the DGS at the beginning of your first semester at UTK.
How is my doctoral committee (Group II) established?
Under the direction of your major professor, you should establish your committee no later than the end of your second semester. Your doctoral committee consists of your major professor, two or three additional professors from the History Department, and one professor from a department other than History. Three members of the committee, including the major professor, must be approved by the Graduate School to direct doctoral dissertations. You and your major professor will select the members of the committee on the basis of the expertise they bring to the direction of the dissertation.
When you have selected a doctoral committee, please see Penny Hamilton to complete the appropriate form.
What are the responsibilities of my doctoral committee?
Your doctoral committee is critical to your development as a historian. It guides you through the selection of your course work and approves all course work applied toward the degree. It determines what languages or research methods you need. It oversees your study for the doctoral Comprehensive Examinations and conducts your Group II examination. It advises you on the selection of a dissertation topic, guides your research, critiques your writing, and evaluates your completed dissertation.
When must I take my Comprehensive Examinations?
You must take the Comprehensive Examinations the semester after you complete your course work (summer not included). You must have completed your foreign language and residency requirement, and have a minimum 3.0 GPA. You must also successfully complete the Group III exam before you take the Group I and Group II exams (see questions 24-26 below regarding Group III). If you completed all these requirements in the spring semester, you must take your examination in the next fall semester, and vice versa. Failure to do so will be counted as a failure on the examination.
Ph.D. written exams (Group I) are given in October for the fall semester and in March for the spring semester. Group II orals follow approximately one month after the Group I written exams.
The Graduate School specifies that you must take the Comprehensive Examinations within five years after entering the doctoral program.
Note: Any variation from this schedule requires a letter in your file, with consent from the major professor and DGS.
May I take the Comprehensive Examinations before I complete all requirements?
Yes, with written permission of your doctoral committee and the DGS, you may take the examinations during the same semester you are completing the course requirements.
May I finish my language certification the same semester I take my Comprehensive Examinations?
You may take the Comprehensive Examinations during the same semester you are taking the foreign language course. If you plan to fulfill the language requirement through examination, however, you must pass that examination before taking the Comprehensive Examinations in History.
How are the Group I fields defined?
There are three fields:
- United States – from colonial era to the present.
- Premodern Europe – from ancient Greece through the mid-18th century.
- Modern Europe – from the mid-18th century to the present.
Who drafts the Group I exam and what is its scope?
The Department Head appoints a three-member committee to draft and administer the Group I exam. The committee is appointed in the spring semester for the upcoming fall and spring exams.
The committee should be so arranged as to include at least one professor with whom the student has taken a course or courses. Students should notify the Head if there are problems with the composition of the Group I committee.
After the committee has been appointed, students who intend to take the exam the upcoming year should meet with each member of the committee to talk about the nature of the exam and the preparation for it. The exam covers a field, not just the courses you have taken or the books you have read. You should keep this in mind as you study for the exam.
Copies of old Group I exams are available from the graduate program secretary.
What are the Group II fields?
United States
Chronological
- Colonial and Early Republic
- 19th Century
- 20th Century
Topical
- Regional (e.g., Southern or Western)
- Military and Foreign Relations
- Social and Cultural
- Politica
European
Chronological
- Medieval
- Early Modern
- Modern
Topical
- Political and Diplomatic
- Intellectual and Cultural
- Social and Economic
- National Fields
The Group II committee will be the same as a student's doctoral committee.
What is the format of the Comprehensive Examinations?
The Group I exam is a written exam covering your general field (U.S., Premodern Europe, or Modern Europe). You have 8 hours (8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) to complete this exam. You may take the exam at any location (on or off campus). And you may use notes, books, outlines, etc., during the writing of the exam. You must pick up the exam at the departmental office and return it to the same. You must use a word processor to complete the exam.
After successfully completing the Group I exam, you may proceed to the Group II exam. This is a 2-hour oral exam on your specialized field (see the list of fields above). The exam will be conducted by your dissertation/Group II committee. The Group II exam should take place approximately one month after the Group I exam. You should arrange the time for the Group II oral exam in consultation with your committee members.
How are the Comprehensive Examinations graded?
There are only two possible grades for each exam, Pass and Fail. A Pass grade amounts to certification that you have a comprehensive knowledge of your historical field and possess the analytical and conceptual skills necessary to complete a doctoral dissertation.
What if I fail an exam?
If you fail an exam, you must repeat it the next semester (excluding summer). If you have two failures you will be dropped from the doctoral program in History.
Under special extenuating circumstances that seem to warrant a longer time than one semester to retake the exam, you may petition for an extension. Written approval from the chair of your committee, the Department Head, and the DGS is required for an extension.
What are the Group III (Teaching) fields?
There are three fields:
- World Civilization
- Western Civilization
- United States History
If your major focus in the doctoral program is U.S. History you must choose either World Civilization or Western Civilization as your Group III field. If your primary focus is European History, you must choose either World Civilization or U.S. History as your Group III field.
What are the course requirements for Group III?
You must have at least 9 hours of course work in your Group III field. These 9 hours must include two 500-level topics courses in the chosen area and the one required course (History 511 or 512 or 513).
- History 511 - Teaching World Civilization
- History 512 - Teaching Western Civilization
- History 513 - Teaching United States History
What is the Group III (Teaching Field) Exam?
This is a one-hour oral exam that must be passed before the Comprehensive Examinations are taken. The Group III oral exam will be conducted by a three-person committee, chaired by the professor who taught the required Group III course (History 511, 512, or 513) that you took.
The exam will focus primarily on content questions from the three courses taken, and on world history conceptual questions. It will also include a few questions on the two semester syllabus you prepared for the required course.
If you fail the Group III oral exam, you may retake it once. You must retake it the following semester (excluding summer).
Note: Group III requirements apply to all doctoral students who entered the doctoral program in the fall semester of 1998 or thereafter. Students in the doctoral program before fall 1998 may elect to follow the original program of Group I and Group II requirements or may choose to follow the new requirements (including Group III).
Please see the graduate program secretary when you have scheduled your Group III exam so that she may process the appropriate paperwork.
What is the dissertation prospectus and when should it be approved or submitted?
The exact nature of the prospectus should be worked out by you and your major professor. Generally it should be a document of some 10 to 25 pages in length that contains the following elements: a discussion of relevant primary sources and historiography; an overview of the proposed dissertation; the contents and working hypothesis and/or argument of the dissertation; and a bibliography of primary and secondary literature.
You should seek approval of your prospectus from your major professor by the end of the semester following the semester in which you passed the Comprehensive Examinations. You should also submit the prospectus to your other dissertation committee members during that same semester; but approval by the other committee members is not required at that time..
If you do not have your prospectus ready by the end of the semester following the semester you passed the Comprehensive Examinations, you will not be deemed to be making satisfactory progress toward the completion of the Ph.D. degree.
How and when am I admitted to candidacy?
After completing all your course work and your language requirement and passing your Comprehensive Examinations, you will need to apply for admission to candidacy. You should complete an "Admission to Candidacy" form in the same semester that you pass the Comprehensive Examinations. The form can be found at the graduate school Web site, http://web.utk.edu/~gsinfo/acforms.htm, which gives instructions on how to complete the form.
At the same time you complete that form, you will need to complete a "Recommended Doctoral Committee" form. You will find this form at the same website. Submit the two forms to the Graduate School at the same time. Please give the graduate program secretary a copy of both for your file.
How long do I have to finish my degree after passing my Comprehensive Examinations?
You have a total of eight years from the time you first enroll in the doctoral program to complete your degree. If you have not successfully defended the dissertation by then, you must pass your Comprehensive Examinations again, before being permitted to defend your dissertation. If you take a leave of absence during this time, the time still counts towards the eight years. You do not have to register for dissertation hours during a leave of absence.
What must I do while writing my dissertation?
You must register for at least 24 hours of dissertation credit (History 600) before finishing your dissertation. History 600 will be open only to students who have passed their Comprehensive Examinations. You must be engaged in some phase of active research to receive credit for History 600.
Once having registered for History 600, you must continuously register for at least 3 hours each semester (including summers) until the dissertation is completed and defended.
If you will not be using faculty services or university facilities for a period of time, you may request that the Graduate School grant you leaves of absence from dissertation research up to a maximum of 6 semesters (including summers). If you do not register and the Graduate School has not granted you such a leave, you will have to pay tuition and fees, plus late registration penalties, for every semester you did not register, before you will be allowed to defend your dissertation.
What is the dissertation defense?
Once you have completed your dissertation and it has been reviewed by your committee, you will have a final oral examination in which you defend your dissertation. You must provide all members of your committee with what you consider the final version of your dissertation at least six weeks before the defense, so they can carefully review the manuscript. Normally the defense amounts to a discussion of the dissertation's strength and weaknesses. Your committee may require further revisions before accepting the dissertation or even, in extreme cases, reject the dissertation.
Note: Dissertation defenses are not held during the summer semester.
What financial support does the Department offer for my research?
The Bernadotte Schmitt Graduate Research Fund helps pay for travel, lodging, and other expenses arising out of your dissertation research. Funds are awarded during the fall and spring semesters. You will receive information on this in your departmental mailbox each semester.
Is there Departmental financial support for my travel to professional conferences?
Under certain circumstances, the Department will help pay for graduate students' travel to professional conferences. Funding is limited to students who are presenting a paper at a conference; no funds will be granted for travel to job interviews.
Students applying for Departmental travel funds must also apply for University graduate student travel funds. The Department's application deadlines are the same as the University's, as listed in the Graduate Catalogue.
Factors considered by the Department in funding travel to conferences include the applicant's performance as a graduate student, the significance of the conference, the number of previously funded applications from the applicant and amounts awarded, and the availability of Departmental funds.
What determines whether my assistantship will be renewed?
If you have a Departmental assistantship, its renewal from semester to semester is not automatic; it is instead contingent on your performance as a graduate student. Assistantships are very competitive, and the Department awards them only to the best students.
In determining renewal, the Department will take into consideration not just your teaching (or your research, if you have a research assistantship), but also your progress in the graduate program, your scholarly potential, and other factors. Maintaining a good GPA in your course work is essential to renewal, as is satisfactory performance as a teacher or researcher. It is also important for you to maintain close contact with your graduate advisor—you should meet with him or her at least once every semester (preferably more often) to discuss your progress. It is also expected that you will work well with your colleagues, professors, and students and that you will attend the presentations of speakers invited by the Department.
First-year students should keep in mind that their renewal will be based entirely on their performance during their first semester in the graduate program. It is therefore very important that new students exert their maximum effort to succeed from their first day in the program. New students should be especially conscientious about staying in touch with their advisor.
Upon beginning graduate school you should immediately start compiling a professional dossier, and you should keep your dossier up to date as you progress through the graduate program. Having such a dossier is very helpful when you reapply for your assistantship and later when you are preparing a vita and applying for jobs.
One last reminder: when applying for a renewal of your assistantship, be sure to have your advisor submit a letter of recommendation. It is not sufficient to have a recommendation only from the faculty member(s) for whom you have worked as an assistant or from whom you have taken courses.
When do I apply for graduation?
You apply for graduation no later than the end of the semester before the semester in which you intend to graduate.