Graduate Program Requirements
Master’s Degree
Students choose between a thesis track or a non-thesis track of study for the M.A. degree. Students who choose the thesis track must complete 24 hours of course work and 6 hours of thesis credit. There is no foreign language requirement. Students concentrate in one of the four M.A. fields: Premodern Europe; Modern Europe; United States; or Asia.
Students who choose the non-thesis track must complete 30 hours of course work. There is no foreign language requirement. A student must take courses in two of the four M.A. fields: Premodern Europe; Modern Europe; United States; or Asia.
Additional information about the Graduate Program in History and the University of Tennessee is available at the University's Graduate School web site. Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the M.A. program can be found on our M.A. FAQ page. Questions about the program can be directed to the departmental secretary for the graduate program at jward34@utk.edu or (865)974-5421.
Ph.D. Degree
Ph.D.s are awarded in Modern European History, Premodern European History, and U.S. History. To receive a doctoral degree from the Department of History, a student must earn at least 24 hours of course credit (post-M.A.) and an additional 24 hours (at minimum) of dissertation credit, all at University of Tennessee. Students must demonstrate competence in at least one foreign language.
The 24 hours of course work are divided into three "groups." A student must have at least 9 hours of course work in Group I, his or her general field of study (United States, Modern European, or Premodern European History). Group II involves the student’s more specialized field of study within United States or European history; the number of hours required in this group is not specified. Finally, a student must take 9 hours in a Group III teaching field in Western Civilization, World History, or U.S. History, depending upon his or her general field. (Hours earned for an M.A. degree may be used to meet the hours required for the different doctoral "groups" of courses.) In addition to course work, students must complete comprehensive examinations related to their work in each of these three groups.
Additional information about the Graduate Program in History and the University of Tennessee is available at the University's Graduate School web site. Answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Ph.D. program can be found on our Ph.D. FAQ page. Questions about the program requirements or the application process also may be directed to the departmental secretary for the program at jward34@utk.edu or (865)974-5421.
Degrees
Graduate Specialties
Student Resources
Contact Information
Catherine Higgs
Associate Professor & Director, Graduate Program
915 Volunteer Blvd.
6th Floor Dunford Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-4065
Office: (865) 974-7095
Fax: (865) 974-3915
E-mail: chiggs@utk.edu