Penn State

[Montholon]

So apparently, according to a professor I just corresponded with up at Penn State, they're only taking people duing USCW, Latin America, Early Modern Global, and China- Modern Europeanists are right out. Anyone have any insight into why this might be/if this is a trend at other schools?

[StrangeLight]

it won't be the same trend at other schools, but most programs that aren't huge (UCLA being huge, for example) will specialize in a few areas where they feel they have strength. for some, that will be latin america and atlantic history, for others modern europe and east asia, etc.

there are two reasons penn state will not be taking modern europeanists next cycle. either they want to increase their numbers in other regional fields and don't feel like they have the support or desire to train modern europeanists, OR they have had a number of modern europeanists enroll in recent years, filling out those ranks, and deciding they're happy with the current cohort and don't want or need to add more students.

the latter option may seem strange, but my own program rejected every latin americanist last year, even though that's one of our major strengths, because they were happy with the current cohort and have decided to be very, very picky with any future applicants.

if you really have your heart set on penn state, apply anyway. a prof on the admissions committee may love your application and fight to bring you along anyway. if you're simply worried that many programs won't be taking modern europeanists next year, don't worry. every program is different. there will be some that won't take europeanists and there will be some that won't take asianists, etc. you just need to contact each program and find out if they plan on accepting students in your subfield in the fall.

[BCHistory]

So apparently, according to a professor I just corresponded with up at Penn State, they're only taking people duing USCW, Latin America, Early Modern Global, and China- Modern Europeanists are right out. Anyone have any insight into why this might be/if this is a trend at other schools?

I think there will be more of this nationally as the job market continues to tighten and as university and departmental budgets continue to shrink.

[Notker the Stammerer]

I feel like a moron for asking this, but what exactly does "Early Modern Global (Europe & South Asia) mean? That's one of the four fields Penn State is accepting admission for, according to their website. Does that mean that they want students of early modern European OR early modern South Asian history, or the history of relations between early modern Europe and early modern South Asia?

If you're just studying early modern Europe or early modern South Asia, is that really global history?

Edited October 20, 2012 by Notker the Stammerer

[TMP]

First, you may want to contact the DGS to see if those rules still stand (likely so) for Fall 2013.

Second, it sounds like they want applicants who can work "exclusively" with most of the faculty in this area (http://php.scripts.psu.edu/dept/history/aboutUs/earlyModernHistory.php) across geographical lines. So, if you have a project idea concerning European colonial relations with Southeast Asia, you're good to go.

[New England Nat]

The other thing to know is that schools often wont take students in particular areas based on who will be lon leave during the course work period of a particular cohort. Last year Princeton only took one Africanist because the major Africanist professor was going to be on leave this year.

A lot of times you can't predict these things because competative leave is decided at the last minute and departments aren't always upfront about such yearly restrictions. The real thing you should take away from this is that a rejection is not a judgement on you as a scholar but could be due to factors beyond your control that have nothing to do with you.