Two (completely different) research interests, mention in SOP or no?

[Banstaraí]

Hey everyone,

So I'm applying for a variety of programs in medieval Irish history. However, prior to my fascination with the medieval period I was something of an obsessive student of the early twentieth century in Ireland-- and my coursework and CV (awards/ presentations) reflect that early on.

The thing is, after I get my doctorate I don't necessarily see myself as sticking solely to the medieval period-- I love twentieth century history and always have more than a few ideas on hand for research. So I'm probably going to end up publishing in several time periods; this is not terribly unusual amongst Irish historians, honestly.

For the SOP however, should I mention this, or stick completely to the medieval period? I do want to make it clear that my graduate studies will be focused on the medieval period and that anything modern would be "extracurricular."

Additionally, however, there are relatively few historians (in the US) in either field... Yet my top choice school, in addition to having insanely good resources for the medieval topic I want to work on, has a historian of the early twentieth century period who publishes on some really interesting things. She's not in the history department (not that I'm applying to the history department either), but nonetheless she's there. Should I make an attempt to contact her, and if that's successful put a subtle mention of that in my SOP-- to demonstrate that I would indeed get a lot out of being at that specific program in addition to all the awesome things that my normal program offers? It's not that I would expect her to go out on a limb and advise me or anything-- just that there's someone I could engage with as a member of the scholarly community who has incredibly similar interests.

[TakeruK]

You say this other prof is not in the history department but is she in the same department/program you are applying to? If not, then is she in a program that has formal (or informal) connections with the program you are applying to?

 

I am not in your field, but generally, I do not think you should spend space in your SOP mentioning things outside of the program/department you are applying to. However, if the other person is in another department that is well connected with yours and if students in your program regularly work with profs in this other program, then mentioning it could be a good idea. 

[Banstaraí]

The situation is a bit complicated... Essentially I'm applying to the Celtic Department with plans of doing an ad hoc degree between Celtic and History. There's another department at the university, Literature and History, where this person is a lecturer. Lit & Hist has a connection with the more traditional History department, though Celtic tends to be more tied to the English department, however my plans will bring me back into the orbit of History (and hence Lit & Hist). Just to clarify Lit & Hist also doesn't produce grad students, so again, not looking for an adviser type person.

[missmend]

I can only go by your post, but it sounds like you should take a step back and really ask yourself what it is you want to study. And you need to be brutally honest. 

 

Medieval and modern history are two completely different beasts with very, very different content. As a medievalist, you will be trained in skills that will have limited to no translation into twentieth century history - you'll need to learn Latin, Old Irish, Old English, paleographic skills. In a PhD program, you'll be doing research with and for professors who will be introducing you into the world of academia, making connections with other scholars and schools, becoming familiar with a very narrow subset of journals, methods, literature, etc. This is great if you want to stay in medieval studies, but they'll be no help to you if you want to ultimately study modern events. Furthermore, it does bring into question your commitment; a PhD is a six year commitment to one subject, and if your ultimate goal is not to work with that topic, you need to reconsider if its right for you, or the decision will be made for you by admissions committees. 

 

Granted, there are ways you could connect the two, but it does require significant thought as to the connection. Off the top of my head, if you're interested in something like how medieval Ireland and Celtic culture were brought up and used in Irish national movements in the 19th and 20th centuries, there's a possible crossover. Even there, though, you would primarily be a modern historian. Frankly from your first post, it sounds like you have more skills working with modern history and a greater interest in that time.

 

I'm not trying to discourage you from contacting said professor or having varied interests, but to suggest you should really, truly, be ready to commit to one study and stop flirting with one on the side. 

[history_geek]

I completely agree with missmend. I needed to take a step back and decide if I wanted to study Economics, Economic history, or German Economic history. I know they all sound familiar, but deciding what you want to exactly do is crucial. You will allow yourself to look closer at some programs, re-rank your programs, and find new programs. If you think it over this weekend, come Monday, you can effectively sit down and truly critique the programs that you are interested in.

 

As for the SOP, I have been finding it extremely difficult to fit and effectively describe one major research interest. Adding a second interest will probably lead you to lack description on your main interest and make the committee think you do not fully understand what you want to do. Your SOP is tiny, compared to the rest of your application, but it contains some of the most important information in the entire application. Pick one interest and fully describe it, if you have room, then only describe how your main research interest fits into the second interest.

 

Best of luck to you!

[random_grad]

In addition to things said above, consider the prospective adviser with whom you apply to work. Does (s)he have any interest in modern history or is she 100% focused on the middle ages? you need to fit in with their priorities.

[Banstaraí]

Sorry for taking so long to reply-- finals and graduation and whatnot.

After speaking with my adviser (and every other history professor in my department, haha) I more or less decided to go with what Missmend suggested. Particularly since several professors in my department have interests that are divergent like mine: they told me I just need to stick with one for grad school and I'd be fine to pursue both when I'm past the PhD. With some strong hints that it would be better to get the training in medieval as there is a great deal more technical expertise needed. So medieval Ireland it is!

Thanks for the replies, everyone!