Graduate

The Boston College History Department’s M.A. and Ph.D. programs attract talented students from across the United States and around the world. 

 

The M.A. program prepares students for a broad range of careers in public history, education, publishing, and the private and public sectors. It is a terminal degree, but it can also be used to strengthen your application to Ph.D. programs.

 

The Ph.D. program produces historians who are leading scholars and distinguished teachers. While most graduates become academic historians, others pursue positions in university administration, museums, archives, and research institutes.

 

In today's world, the question isn’t whether to use digital technology, but how. BC’s Graduate Certificate in Digital Humanities offers a coordinated curriculum that M.A. and Ph.D. students can complete alongside existing degree requirements.

Areas of Expertise

The History Department has long had strengths in European and U.S. history, but emerging areas of faculty expertise and graduate student interest include South and East Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. The department offers training in a range of comparative and global fields, with particular interest in the history of religion, global and international history, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic world. Students interested in digital methodologies can also pursue coursework toward a Graduate Certificate in Digital Humanities, which can be done as part of their existing M.A. and Ph.D. requirements.

Graduate Student Handbook

Mentorship, Flexibility, and Funding

The History Department matriculates a small group of masters’ and doctoral students each September, and the small size of the program ensures individualized attention and flexibility in the plan of study. All Ph.D. students are guaranteed funding through the fifth year of the program, assuming satisfactory progress towards the degree. Doctoral students first gain teaching experience as TA's in the university’s core history sequence and later teach their own core courses as well as classes in their area of expertise.

Graduate Studies in Boston

Historians at Boston College benefit from our location in one of the world’s great centers of academic life. Ongoing collaborations with neighboring unvirsities such as Brandeis, Tufts and Boston University allow our students to tap into a remarkable network of world-class scholars. Meanwhile, several students and faculty also participate in seminars and conferences at institutions including:

A Rich History

I was excited to pursue graduate studies at Boston College because the humanities, including history, have been the cornerstone of Jesuit education for 500 years. BC can be a modern university while celebrating and investing in the humanities.
Kelly Lyons, Ph.D. '22

Get in Touch

For questions about the History Department Graduate program, please contact:

Martin Summers

Martin Summers

Director of Graduate Studies
Professor


617-552-3814
Stokes Hall S343

X
Martin Summers

Martin Summers

Director of Graduate Studies

Professor

| 617-552-3814 | Stokes Hall S343

Kim DeMeo

Kim DeMeo

Graduate Programs Assistant


617-552-3802
Stokes Hall S301-A

X
Kim DeMeo

Kim DeMeo

Graduate Programs Assistant

| 617-552-3802 | Stokes Hall S301-A