LoR questions

[thedig13]

I'll be applying for PhD programs in a year, and a few questions about my LoRs have come up. I'm reasonably certain about where 2 out of my 3 recs are going to come from, but I'm struggling to choose between two options for the third. I know this is early, but having some answers will really help me decide which relationships I should really focus on cultivating.

The first professor I'm considering is a Visiting Professor in History. He's fairly young, and I'm not sure how established he is as a historian. I'm taking a bunch of classes with him, but haven't done any research with him, although we have chatted on several occasions. Obviously, asking for a LoR from him might be problematic: I don't know him all that well, we haven't done all that much research together, and I'm not sure how much weight his name will carry. However, I have another year to remedy these problems.

The other professor I'm considering is a Full Professor in Ethnic Studies. I've done quite a bit of research with him; he specializes in interactions and conflicts between racial minorities after 1945, and he's pretty well-respected. I've only taken one course with him, but he knows me by name and we've completed quite a few projects together. My main concern is that I've heard (I think maybe on this forum) that interdisciplinary studies (i.e.: Ethnic Studies) can be frowned-upon by some historians. Certainly, if this isn't actually a problem, then this professor would be able to write me a glowing recommendation; my only concern is whether or not the people on the admissions committee will listen to the word of an Ethnic Studies professor.

This also ties in to questions about who can write my LoRs. On PhD applications, they request three LoRs from professors of history or "relevant fields". Is Ethnic Studies "relevant" enough in this case?

Edited October 22, 2012 by thedig13

[Simple Twist of Fate]

The main question is whether this Ethnic Studies prof can speak to your abilities as an historian. He might be able to write a glowing recommendation about you as a student, researcher and person, which are certainly not bad things to have in the LoR, but adcoms are ideally interested in hearing from someone who can evaluate you as a potential historian. If your work with the Ethnic Studies professor was historical in nature, then that might be a good option for you (though the bias against non-historians does remain). If not, then I would focus on cultivating your relationship with the other prof.

[remenis]

I think SToF's advice is really excellent here, I just had one thing to add:

What is this Ethnic Studies Professor's PhD in? Most professors in an " ethnic studies" field actually got their PhD in a standard field like History, Political Science, Anthropology, etc - very few, especially if they are older and more established (ie, going through grad school before Ethnic studies was a thing) have a PhD in something like Ethnic Studies.

If this professor's PhD was in History, then I don't think it would be a problem for you to ask him because he would be able to speak to your skills as a historian and whether or not you have what is needed to succeed in a History PhD program.

[thedig13]

I think SToF's advice is really excellent here, I just had one thing to add:

What is this Ethnic Studies Professor's PhD in? Most professors in an " ethnic studies" field actually got their PhD in a standard field like History, Political Science, Anthropology, etc - very few, especially if they are older and more established (ie, going through grad school before Ethnic studies was a thing) have a PhD in something like Ethnic Studies.

If this professor's PhD was in History, then I don't think it would be a problem for you to ask him because he would be able to speak to your skills as a historian and whether or not you have what is needed to succeed in a History PhD program.

His PhD was in Ethnic Studies. Should I be worried now?

[TMP]

No. It depends on his work- is it historical in nature? Or literature? Or sociology?

Where did he get his PhD in Ethnic Studies from?

The young guy may not be the best. He can't quite evaluate your potential compared to other students.

[CageFree]

If your other two professors are historians, I think having his perspective will be fine. Many people who have degrees in ethnic studies have taken numerous History courses. Besides, many people are approaching history from interdisciplinary perspectives, so having someone from an interdisciplinary field should not be a problem.