The Department of History at the University of Oklahoma has awarded graduate degrees for more than one hundred years. Our internationally recognized faculty publish groundbreaking scholarship and lead professional organizations in the United States and around the globe. Faculty members engage in one-on-one mentoring of graduate students in an inclusive, supportive, and intellectually dynamic environment.
Our department offers premier programs and a strong placement record in its core fields:
Other graduate students work with the department’s Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies or in other fields, particularly at the MA level. Our program has developed exciting new opportunities in public history as well.
OU offers graduate students unparalleled research resources, rich funding sources, and distinctive professional opportunities, such as:
Editorial fellowships with the Western Historical Quarterly, Journal of Women’s History, and University of Oklahoma Press.
Schusterman Center for Judaic & Israel Studies, the largest home for its field in the region
Dissertation Research and Completion Fellowships from the Dodge Family College of Arts & Sciences and the Provost’s Office
Jack Haley Fellowships, providing summer stipends while students use Western History Collections materials to advance their research and develop curatorial experience
Conference and research travel grants from the Graduate College, the College of Arts & Sciences, the Graduate Student Senate, and the History Department
History Research Workshop where students share and develop their scholarship with faculty and fellow students
OU’s membership in the Newberry Library’s Consortium in Native American and Indigenous Studies, which offers a Summer Institute, Graduate Student Conference, and Spring Seminar in Research Methods
Bizzell Memorial Library, featuring more than 2.5 million books, 1.6 million government publications, and 16,000 journals
Western History Collections, among the most important facilities in the world for Native American, Western American, and Environmental History, with 65,000 books, 10,000 cubic feet of manuscripts, and nearly 2 million photographs
History of Science Collections, a foremost collection of rare books from 1467 to the present.
Carl Albert Center, one of the largest and most comprehensive congressional studies centers in the country
Zarrow Family Faculty and Graduate Center, a library space exclusively dedicated to supporting the research and teaching needs of OU faculty and graduate students
Fred Jones, Jr. Museum of Art and Sam Noble Museum of Natural History, among the country’s best university museums with rich research resources related to our core fields
OU graduate students have garnered highly competitive research grants and fellowships, such as the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship, Higham Research Fellowship (OAH), and the Ridge and Rundell Fellowships (WHA), among others.
Recent graduates have received post-doctoral fellowships with the Mahindra Humanities Institute at Harvard, the USC Society of Fellows in the Humanities, and the Clement Center at SMU, among others.
Our program boasts an excellent placement record, with graduates building successful careers as tenure-track professors at research universities and liberal arts colleges; public historians; and editors at scholarly presses.
See more below about admission to the program.
Tentative Graduate Course Schedules:
The OU History Department is excited to prepare the next generation of professional historians—individuals with critical analytic and writing skills, a talent for historical research, and a commitment to scholarly rigor.
Your graduate education should involve the realization of an individual research agenda; diverse opportunities for professional career development; and active participation in an intellectual community. Our faculty, staff, and graduate students work together to foster these ends in an inclusive environment of mutual respect.
Our graduate program is built around the department’s “core” areas of study:
We also welcome applications to work with faculty in the Schusterman Center for Judaic and Israel Studies and other fields, particularly at the MA level. And we have developed courses and research opportunities in Public History, preparing students for diverse career options.
Incoming students are eligible for the Western Historical Quarterly fellowship; applicants should mention their interest in the statement of purpose.
In addition to GTA stipends, top Ph.D. applicants will be considered for fellowships from the OU History Department, the Graduate College, and the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences
To learn more about the OU graduate program, please contact the department’s Director of Graduate Studies, Professor Jennifer Davis, at jennifer.j.davis@ou.edu, or any faculty member with whom you are interested in working.
The deadline for applications is December 15.
Prospective students file their applications through the Graduate College. The History Department’s Graduate Committee and other Graduate Faculty then review the applications following the December 15 deadline.
The department seeks applicants whose academic profile, statement of purpose, writing sample, and letters of recommendation indicate a capacity for sustained, sophisticated, and original scholarship. We hope to foster a stimulating learning environment and a vigorous exchange of ideas by admitting a student body that is intellectually and socially diverse.
Formal application for admission is made online through the Graduate College Admissions Office. The Graduate College sets residence and other general requirements for the Master of Arts (M.A.) Please complete the Graduate College application form and forward the required transcripts to the Graduate College.
In addition, the Department of History requires:
Successful applicants will have a 3.5 or better grade-point average in a 4-point system in all courses in history taken as an undergraduate and a 3.5 or better grade-point average in all courses taken during the last two years of undergraduate study, although the History Department will consider a slightly lower GPA in exceptional circumstances.
Formal application for admission to the program is made online through the Graduate College Admissions Office. The Graduate College sets residence and other general requirements for the Ph.D. Please complete the Graduate College application form and forward the required transcripts to the Graduate College.
In addition, the Department of History requires
Successful applicants will have a 3.5 or better grade-point average in a 4-point system in all M.A. work, although the History Department will consider a slightly lower GPA in exceptional circumstances.
*A strong statement describes your research experience, identifies the historical issues and topics you find engaging, and outlines the specific program of study you envision at OU, including the names of faculty members with whom you would like to work. Please describe how your personal background informs your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Consider including any information about your efforts to overcome barriers to access in higher education, or how your life experiences, community service, or academic work would contribute to furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion at OU.
The MA program at the University of Oklahoma introduces students to the expectations and opportunities of the history discipline. Challenging them to excel, MA students participate in seminars with PhD students while honing their research, writing, and analytical skills in a vibrant intellectual community.
The department of history offers two programs leading to the M.A. degree. A student planning to pursue doctoral work will take the thesis program. The non-thesis program is primarily for the student--for example, a secondary school teacher--who is not planning to pursue history graduate work beyond the master's level. Completion of the thesis program does not automatically qualify a student for admission into OU’s PhD program.
Specific courses, course numbers, course descriptions, and special offerings will be emailed to the graduate students by the Graduate Program Administrator (Janie Adkins) each semester prior to enrollment for the following semester. For tuition waivers, qualifying students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credit hours to qualify unless it is their final semester, and they are defending. Students must enroll in their own courses but require special permission for individual courses through Ms. Adkins. Students must include their OU ID number and the correct course numbers/section numbers for the corresponding course desired. Once they are granted permission, students must enroll in courses as instructed by email.
If a student is a GA enrolling in less than 5 hours your final semester, they must complete A Graduate Assistant Final Semester Declaration online form. This allows qualifying graduate assistants to declare their final semester and enroll in fewer than 5 hours and still be considered full-time for the purpose of maintaining eligibility for a tuition waiver and FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax exemption. This helps students avoid paying fees for coursework beyond the hours needed for completion of their degree.
In a student’s first year, a member of the graduate committee will serve as their provisional advisor. The student will consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine who should serve in this role. The provisional advisor will advise the student about program requirements, coursework, and research plans and formally evaluate the student’s progress in the program at the end of the spring semester of their first year.
We strongly recommend that the student consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine who the student would like to ask to serve as their MA advisor before Spring Vacation in their second semester to insure that the student and the advisor can develop a reasonable research strategy. The advisor must agree to serve as the student’s advisor.
Once selected, the MA adviser will meet with the student every semester to monitor academic process and to help select courses. The adviser will formally evaluate the student’s progress in the program at the end of each spring semester, including an assessment of grades and other developments. The Graduate College requires that the graduate student receive a copy of this evaluation no later than two weeks after the end of the spring semester. The Graduate Administrator will prepare the template and distribute it to advisors by March 1. Other faculty members who teach the student also may prepare evaluations, with copies going to the student, the advisor, and the Graduate Studies Committee.
The MA advisor will guide the student through the thesis process if they have chosen this option, or through the written examination process if they have chosen the non-thesis program.
The department expects students to complete the master’s degree within two years. To meet Graduate College regulations, the student must complete all work for the M.A. degree within 5 calendar years after enrollment in the graduate program.
Students must complete 30 hours of graduate work, earning at least a 3.0 (B) average. M.A. students must take at least 5 graduate seminars (3 hours each) for a total of 15 hours. Americanist MA students should take at least one pre-1865 U.S. history seminar and one post-1865 seminar. Latin Americanist MA students should take both a colonial-era and republican-era seminar when these are offered. In addition, each student must take 9 hours of other coursework (upper-division courses for MA credit or directed readings). Of these 24 hours (15 + 9), 12 credits, or 4 courses, must be in a major field of study, 1 course should be in a research seminar when possible, and 9 credits, or 3 courses, in a comparative field can be in elective courses or seminars. All seminars and coursework are chosen in consultation with the student’s adviser.
During their first semester, every incoming MA student also must enroll in the one-hour HIST 5001: Navigating the Historical Profession. This course does not count as one of the required seminars or other graduate-level courses.
HIST5050, Directed Reading Courses
These are letter graded. The sections of 5050 can have a title besides Directed Readings, if needed. The student and the major professor will need to agree to one and let Ms. Adkins know. (The name of the course cannot be longer than 27 characters, including spaces, and punctuation. The course name must be approved by classroom management). Students MUST obtain permission by email from their professor and send the verification to Ms. Adkins prior to enrollment.
HIST5110, 5210, 5310, 5410, and 5510
These courses can correspond with an undergraduate class. Students must attend the classes on the days and times indicated on the corresponding undergraduate class and complete the extra assignments given to earn the graduate credit. They must forward a copy of the approval of the professor before Ms. Adkins can give them permission to enroll. These are not Directed Readings Courses. These courses are letter graded.
HIST5980, MA Thesis Hours
Students must take a minimum of 5 thesis hours. Once students enroll in thesis hours, they must be continuously enrolled until they defend. If students have previously enrolled in Thesis hours, they do not need permission to enroll again. Students should enroll in a minimum of 3 thesis hours during the semester in which the thesis is defended. The Graduate Committee recommends that students take at least 2 thesis hours in the semester before the semester that they plan to defend.
If a MA student has turned in her/his Program of Study, they must make sure that their enrollment matches what they submitted on their Program of Study. M.A. students enroll in 5000 series numbered courses, unless they are enrolling in a graduate seminar (course numbers vary by semester).
Thesis
The student must complete a satisfactory thesis, working closely with their MA adviser in selecting a topic, crafting a feasible research agenda, identifying pertinent historical literature, and completing the thesis. While it is not required, the student may share an informal, brief proposal outlining these plans with their MA adviser and/or thesis committee members before the end of the second semester.
The student and adviser select two other professors to serve on the thesis committee. The majority of the committee must be members of the Department of History. This selection should happen one year before the defense is expected to taking place. It is also anticipated that the graduate student will meet will all professors on their committee prior to the defense.
The student must complete a satisfactory thesis, working closely with their adviser. The culminating project of their degree program, the MA thesis examines an original topic, outlines at least one important research question, and demonstrates the student’s mastery of research methods, historiography, and analytical writing. The thesis should make an original argument grounded in primary sources and secondary sources and include both footnotes and a separate bibliography. The minimum length for a thesis is generally 60 pages (or approximately 15,000 words).
Oral Examination
The student schedules an oral examination with the members of their thesis committee. Administered by the thesis committee and usually lasting two hours, the examination addresses the thesis and graduate course work.
Open Access
Per Graduate College rules, theses produced at the University of Oklahoma will be made available at OU’s Open Access site. Students have the option of deferring (embargoing) publication for three years. If you plan to pursue publication and/or an academic job, you will probably want to exercise the embargo option. Make sure you discuss this option with your MA adviser and/or the Director of Graduate Studies before your oral examination. If you wish to embargo your thesis, please choose that option on the “Request for Authority to Defend” form.
Coursework
Completion of the non-thesis program requires 34 hours of coursework with at least a 3.0 (B) average. The student must take at least 5 graduate seminars (3 hours each), for a total of 15 hours.
The student must take a minimum of 18 credit hours (6 courses) in a major field and a minimum of 9 credit hours (3 courses) in a comparative field. When possible, one seminar should be a research seminar. Students must take 3 or 4 courses, or 9-12 credit hours, in a minor or comparative field. All remaining hours can be graduate-level elective courses. At least one elective course (for 3 credit hours) should be in a cognate field (outside the department). There could be more than one if the student elects to take the option of fewer courses in the major or comparative fields.
During their first semester, every incoming MA student also must enroll in the one-hour HIST 5001: Navigating the Historical Profession. This course does not count as one of the required seminars or other graduate-level courses.
The student's MA adviser may allow as many as 9 credit hours toward the degree for work in a cognate field, that is, any degree-granting program at the university that augments the program of study.
Written Examination
All non-thesis students must pass a 4-hour written examination over their major and comparative fields prepared by the 3 members of the student’s MA committee. The exam will test the candidate’s command of all coursework taken in the MA program. The Graduate Studies Committee, working with the Graduate Administrator in the department, will set the date to take the exams. The student should consult with each member of their committee to receive updated reading lists and other materials to prepare for the exams. The committee will grade the overall performance as "pass," "marginal pass," or "fail."
Students who decide that they would like to enter the Ph.D. program in history at the University of Oklahoma after completing the non-thesis M.A. program must complete the requirements for the thesis program before beginning study toward a Ph.D.
While there is no formal language requirement for the MA program, a student can be required to demonstrate a reading competency in a language other than English if the student’s MA adviser determines it is necessary. In those cases, competency will be evaluated in the same manner as it is for PhD students (see PhD requirements below).
When Ms. Adkins contacts you to complete these forms or for any reason, it is essential that you respond to her promptly.
Master’s degree Requirements and other important forms may be found at the Graduate College website:
Master’s Thesis Topic and Committee Membership
Request for Change in Committee
Request for Degree Check
Request for Authority to Defend
Please be certain that you are using the most up-to-date form as they change periodically.
The University of Oklahoma History Department prepares the next generation of professional historians—scholars with an understanding of and capacity for historical research, critical analytic and writing skills, and intellectual honesty and rigor. Drawing on the highest standards of our professional discipline, an OU graduate education involves the realization of an individual research agenda; diverse opportunities for professional career development; and active participation in an intellectual community.
Specific courses, course numbers, course descriptions, and special offerings will be emailed to the graduate students by the Graduate Program Administrator (Janie Adkins) each semester prior to enrollment for the following semester. For tuition waivers qualifying ts must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credit hours to qualify unless it is their final semester, and they are defending. Students must enroll in their own courses but require special permission for individual courses through Ms. Adkins. Students must include their OU ID number and the correct course numbers/section numbers for the corresponding course desired. Once they are granted permission, students must enroll in courses as instructed by email.
If a student is a GA enrolling in less than 5 hours your final semester, they must complete A Graduate Assistant Final Semester Declaration online form. This allows qualifying graduate assistants to declare their final semester and enroll in fewer than 5 hours and still be considered full-time for the purpose of maintaining eligibility for a tuition waiver and FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax exemption. This helps students avoid paying fees for coursework beyond the hours needed for completion of their degree.
In a student’s first year, a member of the graduate committee will serve as their provisional advisor. The student will consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine who should serve in this role. The provisional advisor will advise the student about program requirements, coursework, and research plans and formally evaluate the student’s progress in the program at the end of the spring semester of their first year.
Preferably by the student’s second, but no later than the student’s third semester, the student will consult with the Director of Graduate Studies to determine who the student would like to ask to serve as their PhD advisor. This time period will give the student an opportunity to interact with the department’s professors and consider who best fits their area of study. The advisor must agree to serve as the student’s advisor.
The PhD advisor will guide the student through each stage of the program—including coursework, preliminary dissertation research, qualifying exams, grant and fellowship applications, and dissertation research, writing, and defense. The adviser also helps the student with career planning and applications for jobs, fellowships and research grants. The advisor will meet with the student at least once every semester and will formally evaluate the student’s progress in the program at the end of each spring semester, including an assessment of grades and other developments. The Graduate College requires that the graduate student receive a copy of this evaluation no later than two weeks after the end of the spring semester. The Graduate Administrator will prepare the template and distribute it to advisors by March 1. Other faculty members who teach the student also may prepare evaluations, with copies going to the student, the advisor, and the Graduate Studies Committee.
The advisor will chair of the student’s qualifying exam committee and their dissertation committee and will help the student construct these committees.
The department of history believes all students with MAs should complete the PhD within five years or less. The Graduate College sets a maximum time limit for students with MAs to pass the qualifying examination within four years of entering the program and sets a maximum of five years for completing the dissertation after passing the general examination.
The university requires 90 credit hours of course work for the PhD degree. The 90 hours will include 26–36 credit hours from MA work, up to 31 credit hours of graduate course work (nine of these hours can be outside the department), and 23–33 hours of dissertation research and writing.
PhD students must take at least 27 credit hours (nine credit hours—three courses—in each of their three fields). A minimum of 18 of these credit hours (six courses) must be graduate seminars. Other credit hours can come from additional seminars or from directed readings if seminars offered do not meet a need in one of the fields. Of the six required seminars, a minimum of three (one from each of the three fields listed above) must be taken during the doctoral program. Others may be transferred from the MA degree. (This transfer applies to only the PhD seminar requirement and does not change the total number of credit hours required for the PhD.) Up to nine credit hours (three courses) can be taken outside of the History Department. All students will consult closely with their advisors on which graduate courses to take.
HIST 5001: Navigating the Historical Profession
Every incoming doctoral student must enroll in this course for one credit hour unless they took it as an OU MA student. This course does not count as one of the required seminars or other graduate-level courses.
Research Seminar
All PhD students should take at least one research seminar.
The United States to 1865
Students in this field must take two seminars in pre-1865 U.S. history and one in post-1865.
The United States from 1865
Students in this field must take two seminars in post-1865 U.S. history and one in pre-1865.
Latin America
Latin Americanists should take at least one seminar on the colonial era and two in the republican era (or in general Latin American history if specific time-period ones are not offered during the period the student is here).
Transnational Women’s and Gender History
Students in this field must take Contemporary Feminist Thought (WGS), offered each fall; Introduction to Transnational Women’s and Gender History (HIST), offered regularly during any student’s coursework; and at least one other graduate-level course in this core field offered in the History Department.
Directed Reading Courses
PhD students can enroll in directed readings courses listed as HIST 6050: Research Problems. HIST 6160, 6260, 6360, 6460, and 6560 are PhD Directed Reading Courses with specific titles such as “US Environmental History.” These directed readings courses are graded Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U). Students should only ask faculty to supervise a directed reading when seminars offered do not meet a need in one of their three fields.
Dissertation Hours
While researching and writing the dissertation, students should enroll in “HIST 6980: Dissertation Hours.” Once the candidate enrolls in dissertation hours, they must be continuously enrolled until they defend their dissertation. If they have previously enrolled in Dissertation Hours, they will not need permission to enroll again.
Each student will develop three fields of study: a general field, a specialized field, and a comparative field. Choice of fields and the composition of the advisory committee is subject to the approval of the student's advisor and the graduate studies committee.
General Fields
One of the following fields will normally be selected for the general area requirement in preparation for the general examination: the United States to 1865, the United States since 1865, or Latin America. It is possible to substitute another general area field for United States or Latin American history with the approval of the graduate committee.
Specialized Fields
Students will normally select a specialized field from one of the department’s five “core” areas: the American West, Native American History, Environmental History, either Colonial or Modern Latin American History, or Transnational Women and Gender History.
Comparative Fields
The comparative field must be outside of the primary area of study (general field) and should reflect geographical and/or thematic diversity. US Americanist graduate students, for example, must choose a field that includes regional history outside of the geographical boundaries of the United States (e.g., a European or Asian country), or that includes transnational, cross-boundary connections (i.e. borderlands, Pacific Rim, comparative environmental history, Indigenous peoples, Atlantic History and Culture, settler societies, imperialism, etc.) Creativity in this field is encouraged. Comparative fields must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Public History Field
Beginning in Fall 2022, students may develop a field in public history as an alternative to the comparative field. The field will consist of three courses. Students completing this field are required to take Readings and Research in Public History.” The field may be completed with other courses, including an approved internship or a course in another department in addition to offerings by the department. Creativity and initiative in this field are encouraged.
All students must demonstrate reading competency in one language other than English. Students should complete this requirement by the third semester of the Ph.D program; the requirement must be completed one semester prior to the dissertation defense. The student’s choice of language is subject to the approval of the student’s qualifying exams committee. Some advisory committees may require a student demonstrate reading competency in more than one language, depending on the research field. Students may satisfy the language requirement in one of the following ways:
If the student’s desired language is not taught at the University of Oklahoma, the student's advisory committee, with the approval of the graduate committee, will determine the best method for measuring language proficiency.
The language proficiency exam consists of an excerpt from a scholarly article or book section. The student will be given two hours to translate the excerpt into English with the use of a paper dictionary. The student must demonstrate a clear understanding of syntactical structures and a basic knowledge of cultural references in the translated text. If a student does not pass the language exam on the first sitting, a re-examination can be scheduled for the subsequent semester. Language exams may not be taken more than one time per semester.
To schedule a language exam administered by History Department faculty, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Jennifer Davis: jennifer.j.davis@ou.edu.
Qualifying Exam Committee
The student and the advisor will select a qualifying committee composed of OU History Department faculty members in each of their three fields of preparation and one member from outside the department, known as a graduate college representative or “outside member.” Usually, the advisor will be the faculty member from the general or specialized field. The student will meet with the members of the qualifying exam committee at the beginning of each academic year to review progress and plan coursework and exam lists. The student may petition to change the committee once it is established, but changes can be made only with the approval of the department’s Director of Graduate Studies. The qualifying exam committee will administer the student's exams under the general guidance of the advisor. An additional fifth external member from another university may be invited to serve on a student’s committee (this member will be known as a “special member”), but the department is not responsible for funding any expenses that may be incurred should the special member be invited to attend the oral exam portion of the student’s qualifying exam. The special member may participate in meetings, the oral exam, and the dissertation defense remotely. A majority of the committee must be members of the OU History Department, as per Graduate College rules.
Timing of Examinations
A full-time student will ordinarily take the qualifying examination in their third year of study, in either October or March, when these exams are given. The student must have successfully completed a seminar or directed readings course with each member of the qualifying exam committee, except the graduate college representative (“outside member”).
The general examination consists of two parts: three written examinations and a two-hour oral examination.
Once the student’s request to take their qualifying examinations has been approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, the Graduate Program Administrator (Ms. Adkins) will schedule the written and oral examinations and ask the qualifying exam committee members to submit questions for the examination.
Lists
In the third or fourth semester of the program, the student will craft reading lists with each of their three examiners. These will generally have 50–150 books (or their equivalent) each. We encourage each examiner to look at all three bibliographies to ensure that they complement one another. These lists should ideally be set two semesters before the exam will take place (e.g., for a Fall 2023 exam, the lists should be set by the end of the Fall 2022 semester). The student and the examiner will meet regularly over the course of the semester-and-a-half leading up to the exam to discuss the material and possible questions.
Professional Development Statement
The student will share with the faculty members of their qualifying exam committee a 750-word statement describing their development as a scholar and the development of their dissertation project. The student may share the statement in advance of the oral exam but no later than the final day of classes in the semester in which they take exams. If shared in advance of the oral exam, the committee should add 30 minutes to the oral exam for discussion of the statement. If shared at the end of the semester, the student should send it by email to committee members who should return it with written comments within two weeks. While the student prepares the statement during the semester they take exams, the statement is not part of the exams. Rather the statement should facilitate the student’s progression from coursework and exams to dissertation.
Written Examinations
Qualifying examinations will be given only once a semester, in October during the fall semester and in March during the spring semester, and the three fields must be taken within a three-week period. The Graduate Program Administrator (Ms. Adkins) will provide information on the details of administering the examination.
Students will take three qualifying examinations, one per field. For each exam, the student will have four days to respond to the examiner’s questions with full access to books, notes, and other scholarly resources. Each exam must be at least 4,000 words and no longer than 6,000 words, including footnotes. In consultation with the examiners and Ms. Adkins, students will decide which four days of the week they will take the exams. In all cases, they will receive the questions at 9:00 AM on day one and will turn their answers in by 5:00 PM on day four (e.g., from Monday at 9:00 AM to Thursday at 5:00 PM). The exam will take place over three successive weeks.
The members of the qualifying exam committee grade the student’s examinations. Students are graded Pass with Distinction, Pass, Marginal or Fail. To take the oral examination the student must have a grade of pass in all three fields or a grade of pass in two fields and a marginal in one field on the written portion of the examination. In the latter case, the student does not need to rewrite the field in which a marginal grade was received. If the student receives a marginal grade in two fields, or a grade of failure in any field on the written portion of the examination, the student may not go on to the oral examination. In this case the student will retake the written examination only in those fields graded fail or marginal no later than the following semester. However, if the student receives more than two grades of marginal, or a grade of failure in two or more fields, then the student must retake the written examination in all three fields no later than the following semester. The student has two semesters to complete both the written and oral portions of the general examination. A student may take the general examination only twice. Failing the written portion constitutes an attempt at the examination. If the student, after failing the written portion on the first attempt but passing on the second attempt, should then fail the oral examination, the student will not be permitted to take the oral portion a second time.
Oral Examination
A two-hour oral examination will take place within two weeks after the successful completion of the written examinations. During the oral exam, each examiner will have the opportunity to question the student about the portfolio and the written exams. At the end of the oral exam, the committee asks the student to leave the room and determines whether the student has passed their qualifying exams (written and oral). Decisions on whether the student passes the exam must be unanimous.
Next Steps
Upon passing the qualifying examination, the OU Graduate College admits the student to candidacy for the doctoral degree the student becomes a “doctoral candidate.”
Within two weeks of the completion of the qualifying examination, the student meets with their advisor to discuss their performance on both the written and oral portions of the exam.
The student’s dissertation prospectus meeting must take place in the semester after exams are completed.
The doctoral dissertation is the final and most important component in the academic experiences that culminate in the awarding of the doctoral degree. The dissertation must be a work of original research and scholarship that contributes to existing historical knowledge. It must demonstrate the candidate’s mastery of research methods and tools of their field.
A history dissertation involves an original and compelling topic, outlines one or more research questions that require and facilitate analysis and construction of a historical narrative, and makes an argument or arguments in response to those questions based on extensive research and analysis, drawing on and engaging with the work of historians and scholars in other disciplines. Research questions, arguments, historical and historiographical positioning, sources, methods, and chapters should be outlined in the introduction. The chapters are the building blocks of the story and argument. They narrate the story the introduction previews, drawing on rich and diverse primary and secondary source material. The conclusion should reiterate the dissertation’s primary arguments, framing them in the context of history and analysis presented in the chapters and reaching out to comparative and interdisciplinary discussions.
According to Graduate College regulations, the dissertation must be completed, approved by the adviser and the dissertation committee, and defended in a public examination within five years of the time the student has completed the general examination.
Prospectus
The student prepares a prospectus of the dissertation and presents it to the dissertation committee members for comments and approval no later than four months following the successful completion of qualifying exams. The doctoral candidate’s dissertation committee will meet with the student to review and approve the student's dissertation prospectus and research plan. While the details of a prospectus may differ depending upon the expectations of individual advisers, the graduate committee recommends that the student prepare the prospectus in the form of a grant proposal adaptable to different funding sources. A prospectus generally illustrates the importance of the topic; lays out a primary research question; situates the dissertation topic and approach in the context of relevant scholarship (including a bibliography); identifies potential archives, funding sources, and oral history subjects (as applicable); offers a preliminary chapter outline; and sets out a research plan timeline.
Dissertation Committee
The dissertation committee may, but does not need to, consist of the members of the student’s qualifying exam committee. The dissertation committee is formed as soon as the student passes the general examination. It consists of at least four members, three OU History Department faculty members and one member from outside the department, known as the graduate college representative or the “outside member.” An additional fifth external member from another university may be invited to serve on a student’s committee (this member will be known as a “special member”), but the department is not responsible for funding any expenses that may be incurred should the special member be invited to attend the student’s dissertation defense. The special member may participate in meetings, the oral exam, and the dissertation defense remotely. A majority of the committee must be members of the OU History Department, as per Graduate College rules. Students often ask the members of their Qualifying Exam Committee to serve on their Dissertation Committee, but the composition need not be the same.
Dissertation Defense
When the dissertation is accepted and a degree check indicates that the student has completed all course work with acceptable grades, the student may schedule the final oral examination. This examination is a defense of the dissertation and is open to the public. The candidate may apply for the oral examination after presenting a reading copy of the dissertation, showing preliminary approval of the dissertation director, and showing receipts indicating that all fees have been paid. The final examination must be taken during the semester it is authorized to be given. The student and at least four members of the doctoral committee, including the outside member and dissertation director, must be present to conduct the examination. Any changes in membership of the doctoral committee require the approval of the original committee, the new committee members, the graduate liaison (Director of Graduate Studies), and the graduate dean. Changes must be approved at least thirty days prior to the final examination.
The dissertation committee may accept or reject the dissertation based on these three criteria: i) it is a work of original research and scholarship that contributes to existing historical knowledge. ii) it demonstrates the candidate's mastery of research methods and tools of the special field; and iii) It demonstrates the student's ability to address a significant intellectual problem and arrive at a successful conclusion.
If the committee rejects the dissertation, the student will be given another opportunity to submit an acceptable dissertation to the committee. The dissertation committee may also accept it, pending required changes and corrections.
Open Access
Per Graduate College rules, dissertations produced at the University of Oklahoma will be made available at OU’s Open Access site. Students have the option of deferring (embargoing) publication for three years. If you plan to pursue publication and/or an academic job, you will probably want to exercise the embargo option. Make sure you discuss this option with your dissertation director and/or the Director of Graduate Studies before your dissertation defense. If you wish to embargo your dissertation, please choose that option on the “Request for Authority to Defend” form.
When Ms. Adkins contacts you to complete these forms or for any reason, it is essential that you respond to her promptly.
Master’s degree Requirements and other important forms may be found at the Graduate College website:
Please be certain that you are using the most up-to-date form as they change periodically.
