PHD in Early American History

[red4tribe]

Hello all,

 

I'm a 20 year old student who will be graduating in May of 2014. I'm a history major, with a minor in political science. I would like to become a history professor, which would of course require me getting my PHD.

 

I'm aware that the current market for history professors is pretty bad, and I know I have to get into a top school in order to have a decent chance at finding a job. The problem is, I currently go to a rather small and obscure liberal arts school(my parents work here so I don't have to pay get my degree). My grades are good, but not exceptional(3.5 overall 3.8 major). On the advice of a few of my professors and others, I've decided that going to get my masters at a school above the one I'm at now would be the best thing to do, so when I finish my Masters I can take another step up to a top school.

 

I'm the Treasurer of the History Honors Society at my school and I've worked in a number of museums, all involving Early American History(started working in museums 5 years ago). 

 

Basically, I want to know what anyone thinks my chances are of getting into a good Masters program(preferably in the North East), and what my chances are after that of getting into a top PHD program following that. I've thought about some schools for my masters, maybe trying to get in NYU, Albany, Temple or Binghamton, but I'm not really too sure. 

 

Also, I realize many of these schools have a language requirement. How skilled do I have to be in a language in order to pass the proficiency exam? This could be a bit of a problem, I am looking to start applying in the fall.

 

Any other advice about anything I want to do would also be appreciated.

[Simple Twist of Fate]

Good to see another early Americanist. 

 

Take a look at this recent thread: 

A lot of the same points apply to your situation. It's pretty much impossible for us to say what your chances are. Too many variables. It's impossible to gauge the quality of your research from this position. But there's no reason you couldn't get into a strong MA and then Ph.D. program, if you work at putting together a solid application package. Like I said in the other thread, focusing on research over something like extracurriculars will help you in the long run.

 

Nothing wrong with going to a small, obscure liberal arts school. I doubt that would hurt your chances much, if at all. Many students in top programs once went to pretty anonymous undergraduate institutions. I would also say that the prestige of your potential MA institution is less important than several other factors - namely, the potential for funding, and having a strong advisor. 

 

Also, for early American history, languages are often not hugely important (unless your research really demands it). Since you have some time, it might be worth considering whether you could enroll in a language class to show you have at least some proficiency in a foreign language. 

[red4tribe]

Good to see another early Americanist. 

 

Take a look at this recent thread: 

A lot of the same points apply to your situation. It's pretty much impossible for us to say what your chances are. Too many variables. It's impossible to gauge the quality of your research from this position. But there's no reason you couldn't get into a strong MA and then Ph.D. program, if you work at putting together a solid application package. Like I said in the other thread, focusing on research over something like extracurriculars will help you in the long run.

 

Nothing wrong with going to a small, obscure liberal arts school. I doubt that would hurt your chances much, if at all. Many students in top programs once went to pretty anonymous undergraduate institutions. I would also say that the prestige of your potential MA institution is less important than several other factors - namely, the potential for funding, and having a strong advisor. 

 

Also, for early American history, languages are often not hugely important (unless your research really demands it). Since you have some time, it might be worth considering whether you could enroll in a language class to show you have at least some proficiency in a foreign language. 

 

Thank you for the information.

 

A question about advisors, and this will make sound a bit ignorant, but how exactly does it work? I know I'd work with the person, but how do I choose an advisor and when would I need to get one?

 

And for the language, looking at a number of sites they seem to require passing a language proficiency tests, often even for Early American History. French would be the most useful language I'm sure in this field, and I do have a decent knowledge of French, but I really doubt it's enough for me to pass a test.

[Simple Twist of Fate]

Well, there's no admissions test for foreign languages... At my current (Ph.D.) university, there's an expectation that your language will be taken care of by the third semester, whether by taking language classes or by passing an exam at some point.

 

It's okay for you to not know how things work -- there's a pretty steep learning curve on a lot of this stuff. In graduate history applications, you will identify a potential advisor. This person will ideally have similar research interests to yours (this is usually referred to as "fit"). At the very least, he or she will need to be in your field. So while it's common to switch advisors once you're in a program, you select one during the application process who you could work with.

 

So once you've identified your research interests (which I understand may not be fully formed at this point) you should go back through the secondary sources you used and identify which scholars whose work you find useful are still teaching at graduate degree-granting institutions. Alternatively, you can do what I also did, which is to comb through the faculty pages of practically every scholar in your field. I applied to work with my current advisor in part because her faculty website said that she was working on a forthcoming book project similar to my own work. After you've identified several scholars who might be interested in working with you, you can begin to build a list of schools to apply to. Unfortunately, in this process, we have to apply to places based on where potential advisors are, not based on where we'd like to live, or the strength of the program. You haven't got a chance of getting into a graduate program if there's no (tenured) faculty member there who can support your research.

 

Best of luck.

 

PS- feel free to PM me about early American history more specifically, or particular historians who might be interested in your research. 

Edited March 28, 2013 by Simple Twist of Fate

[History Time]

I went to an underfunded non-flagship state school that no one has heard of, got poor grades for two years, switched majors, had no content advisor for my senior thesis, and got average scores on my GRE. BUT, I worked my ass off the last two years and wrote a writing sample (thesis) and SOP that were solid. I visited archives for research, joined clubs/societies, and everything in between. If you haven't already, start studying for the GRE verbal and establish good relationships with your profs for LORs. Knock your SOP and writing sample out of the park and you will do fine. My plan is the same as yours--good MA program to launch me to a great PhD program.

 

I was accepted into UConn's MA program for this coming fall partly because of a good POI fit but largely because they're in the process of expanding their 20th-century US program (specifically political history). They're also hiring a lot of new faculty to accommodate the new students because of a new president at the university, or something to that effect. That is the sort of thing you can't really predict without inside knowledge (which I didn't have), and in a way I guess I'm lucky I decided 2 days before the app was due that I should apply there. On the other end of the spectrum, there will be places that have 10 spots and 300+ applicants. My best advice is apply to a wide range of schools. Do everything in your power to make you the best candidate and hope for the best. I can't provide any info beyond the application process and others who have been through the process more than once will be able to provide better info, so take it as you will. This has just been my experience.

Edited March 28, 2013 by History Time

[History Time]

Alternatively, you can do what I also did, which is to comb through the faculty pages of practically every scholar in your field. I applied to work with my current advisor in part because her faculty website said that she was working on a forthcoming book project similar to my own work. After you've identified several scholars who might be interested in working with you, you can begin to build a list of schools to apply to. Unfortunately, in this process, we have to apply to places based on where potential advisors are, not based on where we'd like to live, or the strength of the program. You haven't got a chance of getting into a graduate program if there's no (tenured) faculty member there who can support your research.

 

This is precisely what I did. It's very tedious and frustrating--especially when the faculty pages are cumbersome and require a lot of clicking--but it works.

[Emdave]

Thank you for the information.

 

A question about advisors, and this will make sound a bit ignorant, but how exactly does it work? I know I'd work with the person, but how do I choose an advisor and when would I need to get one?

 

And for the language, looking at a number of sites they seem to require passing a language proficiency tests, often even for Early American History. French would be the most useful language I'm sure in this field, and I do have a decent knowledge of French, but I really doubt it's enough for me to pass a test.

 

If I were in your position, I would put down "beginner/moderate French" or whatever specific abilities you have with the language. Some applications will specifically ask if you can read or speak or write the language. Then, I would work on bulking up your reading ability, because that's primarily what grad schools care about. Most of them have a language requirement in place to make sure that you will be able to read the necessary primary sources for your project without having to ask other people. So, French would be ideal for Early American, but you could also look into Spanish (depending on your specific interests within your time period) because there are dozens of quick-immersion Spanish courses you could take.

 

During my undergrad, I worked for one of the biggest names in Colonial American history for four years, so I think I have some familiarity with the ins and outs of what they're looking for, even though my personal time period of interest is post-Civil War.

 

Feel free to PM me too if you have questions.

 

Also, hang in there and don't succumb to self-doubt! If you worry about your chances too much, you might end up sabotaging yourself. It's good to worry and be realistic, but you still have to dream and push for what you want.

 

Em

[red4tribe]

Thank you everyone so much for the help.

 

Does anyone have any school recommendations in particular? I actually looked into a could schools in Canada too which have Early American history programs. Do you think that would hurt/enhance future PHD prospects?