GRADUATE
Degree Programs
Fields of Study
The Department of History is approved to offer supervision in several geographic, chronological, and thematic fields of study.
These fields represent breadth, depth, and richness of the Department – with almost 80 faculty and more than 150 graduate students – and our commitment to historical training and scholarly research that is both vigorously trans-national and rigorously rooted in time and place.
For more information, see Fields of Study: https://archive.history.utoronto.ca/graduate/fields-of-study/
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Introduction
The Master’s program may be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. The full-time M.A. program must be completed within three years and the part-time M.A. program must be completed within six years of the date of entry. The full-time M.A. program generally takes ten months to complete.
The Master’s degree in History involves either
a) five half courses and a major research paper (called “the 2000 paper” in the Department)
OR
b) four half courses and a thesis.
In recent years almost all M.A. candidates have chosen option a (5 courses plus 2000 paper). The thesis M.A. generally takes longer to complete. All M.A. students are expected to take HIS 1997H or HIS 1201H, depending on their field and on course offerings.
M.A. Requirements
Whether done by course/paper or thesis, the MA program entails three elements:
1. courses (including HIS 1997H or HIS 1201H, depending on the
student’s field and on departmental course offerings).
2. language requirement.
3. research project (2000-paper or thesis)
Option A: Course and 2000 Paper
Courses: The candidate is required to complete five half-year graduate courses in history or their equivalent, including HIS1997 or HIS1201 (depending on field and on departmental course offerings). HIS1997 is the core course for MA students, but medievalists should take HIS1201 instead when it is available.
The other four courses are normally chosen from those offered by the Department that year, though it is possible for a student to arrange a one term reading course in an area not included in that year’s list. One of the half-courses may be taken outside the Department with the permission of the Associate Chair, Graduate. The candidate must achieve a “B” average in their course work to fulfill the requirements.
Language Requirement: All M.A. candidates must demonstrate the ability to read a language other than English by passing a language exam while registered in the program. Language exams normally consist of translating passages into English and a passing mark is 70%. See Language Requirement section below.
2000 Paper: The essay, or 2000 paper, is written under the supervision of a member of the Graduate Faculty. The deadline for completion of the essay is 30 June. Research and writing the essay will acquaint students with the skills required for the preparation of scholarly research articles in the field of history. Most scholarly journals in history limit submissions to a range of about 7000 to 8000 words (approximately 35 pages). This paper should fall within those parameters. The student should strive to produce an original research paper in the format of an article, making extensive use of primary sources available in Toronto or accessible by inter-library loan (no student will be required to travel beyond the Toronto area to complete the research), set within the framework of the existing historiography. In addition to acquainting the student with the characteristics of the article genre, the intent of this paper is to develop skills in research, in the use of primary-source evidence and in defining and defending an argument with a substantial body of evidence within a limited space.
A short 2000 paper proposal, signed by the supervisor, is due to the History Graduate Office by the date announced each year; the proposal form is will be made available well in advance of the deadline.
Option B: Course and Thesis
Courses: The candidate is required to complete four half-courses or their equivalent, including HIS1997 or HIS1201 (depending on field and on department course offerings). HIS1997 is the core course for MA students, but medievalists should take HIS1201 instead when it is available.
Language Requirement: All M.A. candidates must demonstrate the ability to read a language other than English by passing a language exam while registered in the program. Language exams normally consist of translating passages into English and a passing mark is 70%. See Language Requirement section below.
Thesis: The thesis must be based on primary sources and must not exceed 125 pages. It will be written under the supervision of a member of the Graduate Faculty. The thesis will be examined by a committee composed of the supervisor and two other members of the Department. The examination takes place in the Department.
M.A. Language Requirement
All M.A. candidates must demonstrate the ability to read a language other than English by passing a language exam while registered in the program. Language exams normally consist of translating passages into English and a passing mark is 70%.
Many MA students take the French test offered two times a year in the History department. Some students may require additional or different language tests: the Russian Area strongly recommends Russian (depending on the candidate’s research interests); students doing research in the Eastern Europe area will normally fulfill the requirement with an Eastern European/Eurasian language; the Medieval Area suggests M.A. candidates pass the MA Latin exam in addition to the French or German exam. Information about the examinations in languages other than French may be obtained from the appropriate language department.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
There are five main requirements in the Ph.D. program in History:
1. fulfillment of the residence requirement
2. fulfillment of course requirements;
3. fulfillment of language requirements that vary according to the
student’s major area of study;
4. successful completion of the comprehensive examinations in three
fields of history;
5. and the writing and successful defense of a dissertation.
Most Ph.D. students begin the program with a completed M.A. Direct-entry Ph.D. students (those lacking an M.A.) will be required to complete more course work.
- Residence
- Course Requirements
- Ph.D. Language Requirement
- Comprehensive Examinations
- The Ph.D. Thesis
- Extensions, Lapsing and Reinstatement
Additional Information:
Residence
Ph.D. candidates are required to be in residence in order to hold a U of T fellowship, except for absences necessary for research. Ph.D. students with major external awards must be in residence until they have passed their field examinations. To fulfill this requirement a student must be in such geographical proximity as to be able to visit the campus regularly and participate fully in the University’s activities associated with the program.
Course Requirements
Ph.D. students entering with an M.A. will complete their four half-year courses during their first year of study. Direct-entry students must complete nine half-year courses— ideally they will take four half-courses in each of their first two years, in addition to HIS1997H in the first year. Courses should be chosen to assist in the preparation for the field comprehensive examinations. One of the half-courses may be taken outside the Department with the permission of the Associate Chair, Graduate. All candidates for the Ph.D. must maintain a minimum average of B+ throughout their course work. Direct-entry students are expected to maintain an A- average in their first four half courses in order to continue in the program. If they fail to do so, they may transfer to the M.A. program and complete the requirements for that degree.
Ph.D. Language Requirement
All students must fulfill the language requirement that is pertinent to their field of research. Language requirements should be completed before the student proceeds to the comprehensive examinations. Language requirements vary from area to area.
Students may carry forward language requirements fulfilled at the M.A. level at the University of Toronto.
All language requirements are subject to approval by the student’s supervisor and the Associate Chair, Graduate.
a. European Area
Two European languages, normally French and German, or other languages more relevant to the student’s research areas approved by the student’s supervisor.
b. International Relations Area
Two languages other than English most relevant to the student’s research area.
c. Russian/East European Area
Two languages other than English, one of which would normally be Russian or another Slavic or Fenno-Ugric language.
NOTE: Russian Ph.D. applicants should have two years of Russian before entering the program.
d. Medieval Area
Medieval Latin, French and German. A modern language more appropriate to the student’s research may be substituted for French or German.
NOTE: Ph.D. students must demonstrate advanced proficiency in Latin. They do so by passing the Latin exams set by the Centre for Medieval Studies. The CMS M.A. Latin exam must be passed before the comprehensive examination, and the Ph.D. level exam before the dissertation is defended.
e. Chinese Area
Chinese.
f. Other Areas
At least one language other than English, normally French, approved by the supervisor and Graduate Co-ordinator.
Comprehensive Examinations
All students are required to complete Comprehensive Exams (“Comps”), typically in April of their second year. The comps process has many purposes: to introduce students to the key questions in their chosen fields, to build a solid grounding in key texts and readings, to provide foundation for current and future teaching, and to form the basis of research in the area. Comps are rarely completely comprehensive, but they should build breadth and depth in the student’s key fields. The process culminates in the comprehensive field examinations, which consist of separate written examination in each field and a common oral examination covering all fields.
Structure of Comprehensive Fields
Two basic options are available:
- Two Major Fields, typically one based on geography/time and one based on theme.
- One Major and two Minor Fields.
Major Fields:
- A major field generally represents the geographical region or thematic area in which the student’s dissertation topic will be situated.
- Major fields are overseen by TWO faculty supervisors. A student’s thesis supervisor will normally serve as the supervisor for one major field while another faculty member serves as a second reader.
- Students generally read the equivalent of 100 books for a major field.
- Major fields must be chosen from the approved list of fields above.
- Thematic majors should normally be genuinely trans-national in coverage, including significant material from more than two geographic areas.
Minor Fields:
- Minor fields serve to broaden a student’s knowledge of history and historiography, and therefore should be in areas substantially different from the major.
- A minor field is overseen by ONE faculty supervisor.
- Students generally read the equivalent of 40-60 books for a minor field.
- Minor fields should normally be chosen from list of approved fields. Students are permitted to prepare one “self-named minor field” that does not appear on the approved list. Self-named minors require approval of the field supervisor and the Associate Chair (Graduate).
Reading lists:
The Department assumes that supervisors and students will shape the specific reading list to their own needs and interests. In constructing reading lists, supervisors and students should balance breadth and specificity with an eye to the key questions of the field, future teaching and research, the job market, and the student’s intellectual development. The major field in particular should help the student situate her or his dissertation project within the historiography, and in combination with the two minor fields, should lay the foundation for future teaching. In all cases, students are encouraged to tap into course materials to build their exam lists.
Pathway to Comps:
- At the beginning of first year: in consultation with the thesis supervisor and the Associate Chair (Graduate), students should begin considering fields (and the associated language requirements). Students are urged to take field seminars in their respective fields where available, since these explicitly prepare for historiographical coverage and breadth.
- In April of first year: students should have fields and comp committees set. Each student should meet with her comprehensive exam committee so that a plan of study can be agreed upon.
- During the second year: typically, students will have regular meetings with professors in advance of the exam, preparing and rehearsing different sub-categories within a field (this sometimes takes the form of reading groups). In cases where the dissertation supervisor is not the major field supervisor, the dissertation supervisor will oversee the student’s overall program and is expected to participate in supervisory committee meetings that take place before the student’s dissertation committee is formed.
- Scheduling the exams: students are required to take their field examinations by the spring of their second year in the program, but they are strongly advised to take them as soon as possible after the completion of their coursework. Examinations organized by the Grad Office are held in October, January, and April. Examinations cannot be postponed beyond the spring of the second year without permission of the Associate Chair (Graduate).
Comprehensive Examination Format
The comprehensive examinations are both written and oral. The oral examination, lasting about 2 hours, covers all three fields and follows soon after the written exams. Students may choose the following options with regard to the written exams:
- Examinations written under supervision at the department. The written portion of the exam consists of three parts. The first part, covering the major field, is designed to be written within 3 hours; students will have up to 4 hours to complete the exam. Each of the minor exams is designed to be written within 2 hours; students will have up to 3 hours to complete the exams. Students keep a copy of the questions and their answers.
- Take-Home Examination. Students may choose the take-home format for any or all of their fields. The maximum length of the major exam is 6,000 words; the maximum length of each of the minor exams is 4,000 words. Students writing all three exams as take-home exams have a total of 8 days to complete their work. Each minor field take-home exam should be done in 48 hours, and the major field in 96 hours. Students keep a copy of the questions and their answers.
For one of the minor fields only, there are two further options:
Option One: With the permission of the minor field supervisor, a series of papers may be substituted for the written examination. Students undertaking this option must write at least two essays of approximately 15-20 pages. The papers should cover broad themes in the field and include a substantial historiographical component. The written portion of the field must be completed well in advance of the written exams in the other field(s). At the common oral exam, the candidate will be examined on the papers submitted, as well as the general content of the reading list.
Option Two: With the permission of the minor field supervisor, a teaching dossier may be substituted for the written examination. While the student is responsible for mastering a reading list required for a minor field, the written part of this comprehensive involves the following components:
- A course syllabus, including outlines of lectures, themes for tutorial discussion with required readings, suggested essay topics and a sample final exam.
- 3 to 5 sample lectures, drawn from across the course syllabus, suitable for an undergraduate course in the field. The length should be equivalent to a one-hour lecture and illustrative material can be included.
The written portion of the field must be completed well in advance of the written exams in the other field(s). At the oral exam, which includes all fields, the candidate will be examined on the content of the field list, not the structure of the teaching dossier.
Rules Governing the Comprehensive Examinations
Examinations are marked on a pass/fail basis, but the committee of examiners in exceptional cases declares that the comprehensive examinations have been passed “with distinction.”
If candidates fail the written portion of the major field or of both the minor fields, the written examination in all three fields must be repeated before the oral examination may take place. Candidates who fail the written portion of one minor field are not required to take the written examination again in the two fields successfully passed, but the oral examination is not held until candidates have passed the minor field exam that they failed at the first attempt.
The oral examination covers the major and two minor fields. If a candidate fails to pass any field of the oral examination the examining board will recommend to the Associate Chair (Graduate) either
- that the candidate will begin again and take both written and oral portions of the comprehensive examinations in all three fields, or
- that the candidate will take only the oral phase of the examination in all three fields again.
Candidates are allowed two attempts to pass the comprehensive examinations. A failure to pass either the written or the oral examination at the second attempt results in the student being recommended for termination from the program. Students may withdraw from the program at any time before their termination of registration is approved by the School of Graduate Studies.
It is the responsibility of the Chair of the examining board (who is normally the student’s major supervisor) to inform the candidate of the results of the examination at its conclusion. It is also the responsibility of the board to make a recommendation to the Graduate Coordinator concerning the timing of the second examination if necessary. The board appointed to conduct the second examination should as far as possible include the same members who examined the candidate in the first place.
The Ph.D. Thesis
Students are assigned a supervisor when they are admitted to the Ph.D. program. During the second year, the student, in consultation with the supervisor, must form a dissertation committee consisting of 3 U of T graduate faculty members, including the supervisor. Faculty members from other units with appropriate expertise may be invited to join the committee. This committee collectively oversees the writing of the dissertation, although members’ roles will vary. The doctoral dissertation must be a piece of original scholarship, based on primary materials, and must be presented in the form outlined below.
The choice of a thesis is of fundamental importance in one’s professional career. To help students make wise decisions at this early stage in their work, the Department requires that all students submit a dissertation proposal. Students should submit a draft of the proposal to their dissertation committee within six weeks of completing the comprehensive examination. Normally, if a student writes comprehensive exams in April of the second year, the entire dissertation committee will meet in September of the student’s third year to approve the final version of the proposal (this target date should be adjusted for students writing comprehensive exams at a different date). The proposal must be 5-6 pages and it should include the major questions addressed in the thesis, outline the historiography, discuss archival collections and other potential sources, suggest methodological techniques, and indicate a tentative schedule for research and writing.
Students must prepare a report on their research in progress for their dissertation supervisor, preferably at the end of the third Ph.D. year and no later than the fourth Ph.D. year. The report should be approximately twenty-five pages and may take several forms including a chapter of the dissertation. Discussion of the report will normally be at the committee’s annual meeting. The dissertation title will be registered with the Canadian Historical Association each fall as a way of informing other historians that the student intends to undertake research on that subject in the near future.
Supervision and Dissertation Committee
Each student is guided primarily by his or her principal supervisor. The supervisor is responsible for receiving and commenting on draft chapters in a timely manner. The two other members of the dissertation committee also assist the candidate. They may be qualified to provide the student with expertise that supplements that of the supervisor. They should obtain annual reports from the candidate, offer counsel, and otherwise assist in the development of the thesis.
The dissertation committee must meet to approve the final version of the dissertation proposal (normally in September of the third year). Thereafter the committee must meet at least once a year, typically in September, and submit to the Graduate Office a formal report regarding the student’s progress. The Graduate Office provides a progress report form to the supervisor and the report will normally be due on 30 September. The progress report is essential to both the department and the School of Graduate Studies.
Moving Toward Defense
Before the thesis is approved to move forward to defense, the supervisor and the other committee members must read a full draft and indicate to the supervisor, the student, and the Graduate Office that thesis can move forward. The full committee is responsible for certifying, on behalf of the Department, that the thesis may proceed to the final Ph.D. oral examination.
Research Abroad
Those who need to go abroad to conduct research should keep the following in mind when making their arrangements:
• Start with the Graduate Administrator’s office to arrange for the appropriate documentation and approvals for your research trip, and ensure that your direct deposit is set up. Before doing research abroad, students must register with the Safety Abroad office. Consult the Graduate Office and the Centre for International Experience for more information.
• It is helpful to have letters of reference from the thesis supervisor and the Graduate Coordinator. Such letters are useful for securing entrance to libraries and archives, student accommodation, etc.
• Students must apply for external fellowships (OGS, SSHRC) even when abroad.
Finished Form of the Thesis
When the departmental procedures are completed, the student will produce a finished hard copy of the thesis, conforming to the following specifications: it must be double-spaced on quarto paper (8 ½” x 11″), with a sufficient margin on the left side to allow for binding (approximately l ½”) and the remaining three should be at least ¾” to the main text. Each and every page in the thesis must be numbered. Typing must be 10-point or larger and not less than 12 characters per inch. The spacing of the typed lines should be at least one and a half spaces, on one side of the paper only.
A thesis is not to be longer than 90,000 words (350 pages), exclusive of notes and bibliography. Exceeding the prescribed length limit is a sufficient reason for a thesis to be refused examination.
Copies of the thesis must bear on the title page the notation “A Thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Department of History, in the University of Toronto”, along with the thesis title, student’s name, and the international copyright notice – the letter “C” enclosed in a circle.
Notes and references should be numbered and placed either at the end of each chapter or at the foot of each page – preferably the latter. They should be single-spaced and clearly separated from the text. In general, lengthy notes should be avoided. References should be given in the same way throughout the thesis, save that, after the first reference to any work, an abbreviated form may be used. The Chicago Manual of Style, A Manual for Writers (K.L. Turabian) or Scholarly Reporting in the Humanities set the models to be followed. The thesis should contain a table of contents with page references to the various chapters. Whether or not a preface or introduction is desirable depends on the subject, but near the beginning of the thesis a clear and succinct statement of its aims and content should be supplied. Either at the beginning of the thesis or before the bibliography, a brief account should be given of the main sources on which the thesis is based, with an estimate of their value. A bibliography of primary and secondary authorities must be included at the end of the thesis.
Oral Examination of the Thesis and Microfilm Publication
You must submit a final, unbound copy of your thesis to each member of your committee, at least eight weeks before the desired examination date. Along with the hard copy of the thesis that will be sent to the External Appraiser, the student must provide an abstract of the thesis to the Graduate Office. The abstract will be printed in Dissertation Abstracts and, to conform to the requirements of that publication, it cannot exceed 350 words.
A committee nominated by the Associate Chair, Graduate and approved by the School of Graduate Studies conducts the examination of the thesis. The examination Committee shall consist of four to six voting members, along with a non-voting Chair appointed by SGS. The voting membership includes up to three members of the supervising committee, and at least two and preferably three examiners who have not been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis including an external appraiser from another university who prepares a written report.
After the thesis has been successfully defended in an oral examination, the student is required to submit a digital copy of the dissertation to SGS. One bound copy (navy blue cover) is to be submitted to the Department of History. The bound copy must have the author’s name and year of the oral exam on the spine. More information about finishing the thesis can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website here: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/currentstudents/Pages/Producing-Your-Thesis.aspx
The electronic copy of the thesis is sent to the Archives in Ottawa and to University Microfilms in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The thesis thus becomes available to interested scholars relatively quickly. Students may wish to postpone the publication of their work in this form while they explore the possibilities of its publication in print. In 1973 the University adopted the following policy that allows for a delay:
It is the intention of the University of Toronto that there be no restriction on the distribution and publication of theses. However, in exceptional cases, the author, in consultation with the thesis supervisor and with approval of the Chair of the graduate unit, shall have the right to postpone distribution and publication by microfilm (but not the abstract) for a period of up to two years from the date of acceptance of the thesis. In exceptional circumstances and on written petition to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, the period might be extended by in no case for more than five years from the date of acceptance of the thesis unless approved by the Council of the School of Graduate Studies.
Time Limits, Extensions, Lapsing, and Reinstatement
All degree requirements must be completed within six years of first enrolling in the regular PhD program and within seven years of the first enrolling in a direct-entry PhD program.
Note that the normal registration period for direct entry students – the term for which the university expects regular tuition payments – is seven years.
After six years (or seven years for a direct-entry program), a PhD student who has failed to complete the degree requirements may be granted a one-year extension if the Department approves. The Department is likely to approve such a request if the student can provide evidence that he or she has made substantial progress and is likely to finish within the one-year extension. PhD students who fail to complete the program in that period may apply for further extension of up to one year, but the Department scrutinizes such an application very carefully and consents only if it is persuaded that the thesis will be completed within the period of further extension. Third and fourth extensions are decided by the school of Graduate Studies and are rarely granted.
At the end of the guaranteed funding period, students first registered before 2010-11 may “lapse” their candidacy until they are ready to defend. Lapsing does not mean termination. The Graduate School thinks of the lapsed student as being “inactive.” Lapsing has the effect of withdrawing the privileges that membership in the University brings—the right to a carrel in the library, to supervision and so on. But students whose candidacy has lapsed are encouraged by the Department to finish their program and are helped in every possible way while doing so. There are two sets of rules for lapsing:
a ) Old Lapsing Rules (for students registered for the first time before 2010-11). These students may lapse any time after year five during the PhD. Theses must be complete before students may apply for reinstatement by the School of Graduate Studies. A request for reinstatement may be refused when, in the view of the Department Chair, the thesis is not sufficiently complete or of a sufficiently high quality for the Department to support it. Students who lapse after year five of the PhD will be expected to pay for year six upon reinstatement and for the semester in which they defend if that semester is beyond year six. Students who lapse after year six will be expected to pay for the semester in which they defend upon reinstatement. Alternately, students may opt into the new extension arrangements described below.
b) New Extension Arrangements (for students registered for the first time after 2010-11). These students no longer have the option to lapse their candidacy. Instead, these students can apply for extensions beyond year six of the PhD (year seven for direct entry students) for up to four years. During the extension period, fees will be calculated at the rate of 50% of the annual domestic fee.
Collaborative Programs
The Department of History participates in collaborative in Asia-Pacific Studies, Book History and Print Culture, Editing Medieval Texts, Ethnic and Pluralism Studies, International Relations, South Asian Studies, and Women’s Studies. To obtain an advanced degree in history with a specialization in one of these , a student must be registered in the Department of History and successfully complete its requirements and those of the collaborative program. Information about the collaborative is available from the collaborative administrators. Please note the addresses below:
Collaborative M.A. Program in Asia-Pacific Studies
Munk School of Global Affairs
University of Toronto
1 Devonshire Place, Room 228N
Toronto, ON M5S 3K7
phone: 416-946-8832
e-mail: ma.asiapacific@utoronto.ca
WWW: http://www.utoronto.ca/asiapacific-ma
Book History and Print Culture
Massey College, University of Toronto
4 Devonshire Place
Toronto, ON M5S 2E1
phone: 416-946-3560
e-mail: book.history@utoronto.ca
WWW: http://bookhistory.ischool.utoronto.ca
Collaborative Master’s and Doctoral Program in Diaspora
and Transnational Studies
Centre for Diaspora and Transnational Studies
Suite 230, Jackman Humanities Building
170 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5R 2M8
phone: 416-946-8464
fax: 416-978-7045
WWW: http://www.utoronto.ca/cdts/graduate.html
Editing Medieval Texts
Centre for Medieval Studies, University of Toronto
39 Queen’s Park Crescent East
Toronto, ON M5S 2C3
phone: 416-978-4884
e-mail: medieval@chass.utoronto.ca
WWW: http://medievaltexts.utoronto.ca
Program in Ethnic, Immigration, and Pluralism Studies
725 Spadina Avenue
Toronto, ON M5S 2J4
phone: 416-978-4783
e-mail: ethnic.studies@utoronto.ca
WWW: http://munkschool.utoronto.ca/ethnicstudies/graduate-program/
Centre for Jewish Studies
JHI 218
170 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5R 2M8
e-mail: jewish.studies@utoronto.ca
WWW: http://www.cjs.utoronto.ca
Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies
University College
15 King’s College Circle, Room 251
Toronto, ON M5S 3H7
email: sexual.diversity@utoronto.com
WWW: http://www.uc.utoronto.ca/sexualdiversity
Centre for South Asian Studies
Munk Centre for International Studies
1 Devonshire Place, Room 268S
Toronto, ON M5S 3K7
email: south.asian@utoronto.ca
WWW: http://sites.utoronto.ca/csas/
Women & Gender Studies Institute
Wilson Hall, New College
40 Wilcocks Street
Toronto, ON M5S 1C6
phone: 416-978-3668
fax: 416-946-5561
e-mail: grad.womenstudies@utoronto.ca
WWW: http://www.wgsi.utoronto.ca