Forms
Click here for links to useful forms, the Graduate Handbook, and MA/PhD checklists for students.
Registration
Be sure to consult your advisor when registering for courses and use the appropriate requirements checklist for guidance. When considering "in lieu of" part-time status, PhD students who receive tuition credits from the university should be sure to use up their entire annual allotment of credits each year. For example, if you have an allocation of 18 credits in a year but do not need 18 credits worth of courses, speak to your adviser or the Director of Graduate Studies about enrolling in Dissertation Seminar credits rather than using "in lieu of" status while on fellowship. Unused tuition credits expire each year.
Tools of research
Tools of research/analysis are designed to help each graduate student with course work and with overall historical study. Students must completely fulfill their tool of research/analysis requirements before receiving their graduate degree.
Comprehensive exams
This exam is a four-hour test of the student's factual, interpretative, and bibliographical-historiographical knowledge in a standard or individually-designed field. Click here for more information.
Upcoming Comprehensive Exam Dates:
January 13, 2012 from 9am-2pm
March 30, 2012 from 9am-2pm
June 8, 2012 from 9am-2pm
PhD Requirements & Transfer Credits
Students admitted to the PhD program whose highest degree is a BA must first complete the MA requirements, then the PhD requirements.
Students admitted to the PhD program who hold a Masters in History from another institution will have that MA recognized as the equivalent of 30 credits, and must complete the requirements for the PhD.
Students admitted to the PhD program who hold a Masters in another field should contact the Director of Graduate Studies to ascertain how many graduate credits will be recognized. They must complete the remaining requirements for the MA and then the PhD.
All students admitted to the PhD program who must complete the MA requirements first--that is, who do not already hold a Masters in History--will receive the MA degree upon completion of those requirements.
Internships
Washington and the surrounding area offer numerous opportunities for gaining practical experience through internships. The Department of History urges students take advantage of this unparalleled opportunity. For details, visit the graduate internship page.
History Department Awards, Prizes and Scholarships
Click here for a list of the awards, prizes and scholarships offered to AU students through the History Department.
Grants and Fellowships for Graduate Research
To navigate the Grants and Fellowship Database, use the search function and type in a keyword. The listings are divided into categories to make searching easier. Click here to search the database.
Phi Alpha Theta
Phi Alpha Theta is the National Honor Society for history. It was founded in 1921, and today has more than 850 chapters all around the country. Its thousands of members include undergraduates, graduate students, professors and former history students in all walks of life.
Zotero citation software
Zotero is free, web-based software that allows you to organize and use your research sources. It works with the Firefox web browser and can be integrate with Microsoft Word. The newest version of Zotero (2.0) allows users to access their resource library from any computer with an internet connection. Firefox can be downloaded for free at the American University technology page at my.american.edu. To download Zotero and to access video tutorials and other useful information, first download Firefox and then see the Zotero homepage. You can also download the history department's Power Point presentation to learn the basics of using Zotero.
