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PhD Graduate Field in History of Science

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phd in history of science

History of science students at Berkeley can be found in several departments, including history, art history, English, and philosophy. The Department of History offers a graduate field (MA/PhD) in the history of science. Graduate students in the history of science at Berkeley enjoy a kind of dual citizenship: not only are they enrolled in a top-ranked doctoral program, but they also have full access to the resources available in the Office for History of Science and Technology (OHST) and the Center for Science, Technology, Medicine, & Society (CSTMS).

At Berkeley, students learn to see the practice of science as related to its cultural, intellectual, and historical context. The paired resources of OHST and the departmental doctoral program provide PhD students with a strong grounding in both the special field of the history of science and the larger discipline into which it fits.

Completion of the PhD generally takes five to seven years, and upon graduation students have gone on to teach (at institutions including Harvard, Oxford, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, among many others), while others have chosen other career tracks — including careers as museum scientists, archivists, science education specialists, or even stockbrokers and software engineers. Faculty members’ research foci are described here . History of science is always interested in students with research interests outside of these areas, though, so prospective students should not be discouraged if their interests do not completely overlap with those of the faculty members. In recent years, graduate students have worked in areas as diverse as the history of modern computing, medicine in colonial Cambodia, and the creation of European scientific horticulture.

OHST and CSTMS provides graduate students with access to a wide range of professional and community resources. Through our colloquium series, production of the journal Historical studies in the physical and biological sciences , and participation in the International Summer School in History of Science, graduate students are exposed to current work in all areas of the history of science. In addition, OHST maintains a close relationship with history of science programs at other local universities, including Stanford and UC Davis, and the program in History of Health Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco.

If you have questions about the graduate offerings in history of science at Berkeley, or would like to arrange a visit to OHST, please contact us by calling 510-642-4581 or emailing Davinder Sidhu at [email protected] . If you are interested in applying to the History Department’s graduate program, contact the department for application materials and information.

Applying for Financial Support

For current Graduate Field students, grants are available for History of Science-related conferences and fieldwork. Application deadlines are once per year, May 1st. Please see the  guidelines  for more information.

Intellectual Community

phd in history of science

CSTMS Colloquia

The CSTMS Colloquium is a seminar series of invited lectures held approximately every other Thursday from 4-6pm in 470 Stephens Hall during each semester.  They are often sponsored by research units within CSTMS, and occasionally co-sponsored by other units at Berkeley and other UC campuses. The colloquia help countervail the tendency in academic work toward social isolation and excessive specialization, and are aimed at fostering a sense of intellectual community among a group of talented young and established scholars.

The colloquia are an integral part of your intellectual life and professional development here at Berkeley. Students in their first two years are expected to attend, and advanced students, visitors, and others are warmly encouraged to. The current colloquium schedule is available under Events .

OHST Working Group

The CSTMS community also organizes a weekly OHST Working Group for its local community and visiting scholars. These meetings provide an informal forum for discussing developments in History of Science and in Science and Technology Studies, as well as your ideas, interests, and intellectual conundrums.

Science, Technology, and Society Center

The Science, Technology, and Society Center (STSC) is another part of CSTMS, and promotes research and discussion of STS issues at Berkeley. History of science students often find its offerings helpful. It also sponsors a working group in Science & Technology Studies.

Doreen B. Townsend Center

Located in 220 Stephens Hall, the Townsend Center for the Humanities sponsors interdisciplinary activities (speakers, seminars, conferences, etc.) in the humanities and social studies, including science and technology related topics. It supports many working groups for students and faculty.

Other California doctoral programs

Berkeley has an agreement for cross-registration with other University of California campuses and Stanford University. Notices of special lectures and seminar series are regularly circulated. In particular, the Program in History of Health Sciences at UC San Francisco, across the Bay Bridge, coordinates closely with Berkeley’s history of science program.

Visiting scholars

In addition to our graduate students and faculty, OHST hosts a number of visiting academics from around the world. They stay with us for as little as a week, and sometimes as long as two or more years.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i apply to the history of science program.

The Office for History of Science and Technology does not grant degrees directly. Most students intending to study the history of science at Berkeley apply to the History Department’s MA/PhD program and choose History of Science as their field of concentration.

If I apply to the Berkeley History Department, how is the history of science program structured?

Berkeley history students take courses in two fields of study in the History Department, typically history of science and a geographical/chronological field (e.g., U.S., early modern Europe, East Asia – Japan). They also study a third, “outside” field in another department. This can be a science, a humanities/social science discipline, a professional field (such as public policy), or any other course of study offered at Berkeley. The outside field allows them to gain an interdisciplinary perspective.

If I am in another department, how can I draw on the resources of history of science?

All Berkeley doctoral programs require you to make contacts outside your home department. You can choose history for your “outside” field and work with a professor in the history of science. You can take courses, prepare an oral examination field, and have a historian of science on your dissertation committee.

At Berkeley, I would get a PhD in, say, History, rather than the PhD in History of Science offered by some other universities. Does this matter?

In some ways yes, in some ways no. Berkeley graduates are trained in their larger discipline as well as history of science. This gives them access to wider intellectual circles. After graduation, the strength of their home department (at Berkeley, typically one of the top-ranked programs in the nation) also helps them in their job search. The History degree has never disadvantaged our students in the history of science field.

I want to study a topic which doesn’t correspond perfectly to a specific professor’s area of expertise. Is this a problem?

No, professors welcome students with interests different from their own. However, if your topic is widely distant from current faculty strengths — in chronological, geographical, or disciplinary terms — you may need more information to make a decision. When in doubt, just e-mail the professor with your question.

Is it possible to study the history of science if I don’t have a background in history?

Yes. About half our graduate students come from science, philosophy, or other backgrounds. There is time during your coursework to fill in gaps in your preparation. In composing your application, address your background directly. A persuasive statement of purpose and relevant writing sample will help your application.

What are Berkeley’s other attractions?

Besides a scenic setting, fantastic cultural and recreational opportunities, and exceptional weather? UC Berkeley is known for academic strength across the board. At Berkeley you can study more foreign languages than anywhere else in the country, take courses in an exceptional number of top-ranked graduate and professional programs, and encounter an amazing diversity of scholars. For more information, ask us to put you in contact with our current students , or e-mail them directly.

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History of Science

Program finder image

The Department of the History of Science offers a comprehensive graduate program leading to the A.M. and Ph.D. degrees. The program’s goal is to produce the next generation of professional historians of science, training students to examine the development of science through a course of study that lays a broad foundation for teaching and research across the field. Faculty and student interests span medieval to contemporary times, and engage the full range of sciences: physics, astronomy, molecular biology, evolutionary theory, technology, brain and behavioral science, the psychological sciences, medicine, and public health. Together we form a lively interdisciplinary community of scholars.

Graduate students in the Program in History and Philosophy of Science can pursue PhDs either in the Philosophy Department, through its PhD subplan in  History and Philosophy of Science  or in the History Department, through its PhD field in  History of Science, Medicine and Technology . Diplomas will be issued by the respective departments, but the HPS study will not be noted on the transcript nor on the diploma.

Graduate students in the Program in History and Philosophy of Science who wish to pursue a  Ph.D. Subplan in History and Philosophy of Science  must fulfill  Philosophy Departmental Ph.D. degree requirements  and the following HPS requirements:

Philosophy Ph.D. students declaring the HPS subplan in Axess will have it appear on the official transcript but is not printed on the diploma.

Graduate students in the Program in History and Philosophy of Science who wish to pursue a  Ph.D. in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology , must fulfill  History Department Ph.D. degree requirements , and the following HPS requirements:

The courses described above must include two research seminars, at least one of which must be in the history of science, technology and/or medicine. Students are expected to write papers on substantially different topics for each seminar. You should also aim to present your research at the annual meeting of a professional society associated with the history of science, technology and/or medicine sometime during your third or fourth year.

All students participating in the program are required to attend the HPST  colloquium series  and are expected to present their own research at least once in the course of their studies at Stanford. The colloquium series generally meets three times per quarter. This year the students have created a  History of Science Reading group  which will meet five times in the winter quarter. The meetings are open to all who are interested.

For a complete list of courses see the  Undergraduate page , or look up specific course information in the  Stanford Bulletin .

For Graduate Admissions applications, please visit the  Stanford graduate admissions page.

History of Science and Technology, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences.

The graduate program in the history of science and technology leads to the Ph.D. degree.  The object of the Ph.D. program is to provide the rigorous training necessary for a scholarly career in teaching and research; consequently, the focus of the student’s activity will be the research seminars of the department. Faculty from the Institute of the History of Medicine in the School of Medicine also participate in the program.

The Eisenhower Library and the Welch Medical Library contain about two million volumes, including the special collections of the Institute of the History of Medicine in Baltimore. These research facilities are supplemented by the rare book holdings at Evergreen House, the Pratt Library, and the Peabody Library.

Other important research collections are available to students. In Philadelphia, collections include the Science History Institute, the American Philosophical Society, and the Academy of Natural Sciences. The Hagley Museum and Library’s collections in the history of American science and technology are within easy distance of campus, as are the incomparable holdings of the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the National Library of Medicine, and other governmental agencies in Washington, D.C.

Financial Aid

The department has several graduate fellowships and teaching assistantships. Students may also be eligible for federal financial support through the National Science Foundation. Information on these and other fellowships can be obtained through the fellowship advisor at the student’s college, or from the Fellowship Office of the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Washington, D.C. 20025. In the recent past, doctoral candidates have also won support for their research in the United States and abroad through such sources as the Smithsonian Fellowships, the Fulbright-Hays grants, the Spencer Foundation, Consortium for History of Science, Technology and Medicine, Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Fellowship.

Admission Requirements

Application deadline is January 15. Applicants to the Ph.D. program in the History of Science and Technology should upload and submit all required application materials and supporting documents through the online application system.  For additional information on admission requirements, please visit our admissions website . 

For further information on our faculty and programs, please visit our website at: http://host.jhu.edu .

Program Requirements

Before candidates begin full-time research on their dissertations, they must prepare themselves adequately in the appropriate fields of knowledge, become skilled in the techniques of historical research, and be able to carry out a sustained piece of historical analysis and writing.

In the first year of the program students are introduced to the methods and techniques of research and complete a year-long survey course in the history of science or the history of medicine. Students in their second year of study present a research paper to the department. In the second and third years of study, students complete three “fields” or concentrations. One field must be within the Department, one outside the department generally in a historical discipline, and the third is negotiable depending on student interests and needs. Our students have also done historical fields with curators or research historians at the Smithsonian Institution. The third field can extend beyond historical subjects and may involve a scientific subject, for example. A field is intended to demonstrate a student's mastery of a specific body of knowledge, both for the student's own scholarly work and as a preparation for teaching. The fields are individually arranged and satisfied. Before being admitted for formal candidacy for the degree, the student must also demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages.  If a student’s native language, excluding English, is research related, the native language may fulfil a language requirement.  Students are expected to submit a dissertation prospectus by the end of the summer after their third year.  The final requirement for the Ph.D. degree is the completion of a dissertation that is an original contribution to historical knowledge and of a standard suitable for publication.

The History of Science and Technology is by its nature interdisciplinary, and students are encouraged to undertake study in related areas such as history, philosophy, and the natural and medical sciences.

University of Cambridge

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

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Department of History and Philosophy of Science

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  • Natural History in the Age of Revolutions, 1776–1848
  • In the Shadow of the Tree: The Diagrammatics of Relatedness as Scientific, Scholarly and Popular Practice
  • The Many Births of the Test-Tube Baby
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  • FlyBase: Communicating Drosophila Genetics on Paper and Online, 1970–2000
  • The Lost Museums of Cambridge Science, 1865–1936
  • From Hansa to Lufthansa: Transportation Technologies and the Mobility of Knowledge in Germanic Lands and Beyond, 1300–2018
  • Medical Publishers, Obscenity Law and the Business of Sexual Knowledge in Victorian Britain
  • Kinds of Intelligence
  • Varieties of Social Knowledge
  • The Vesalius Census
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  • Investigating Fake Scientific Instruments in the Whipple Museum Collection
  • Before HIV: Homosex and Venereal Disease, c.1939–1984
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PhD in History and Philosophy of Science

  • MPhil in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine

phd in history of science

Students in history and philosophy of science and medicine write substantial, focused and independent theses that shape scholarship and engage audiences in many different ways. Contributing to the development of knowledge in the University of Cambridge is a rich and rewarding experience.

Expert guidance

The outstanding international reputation of our teaching staff is a key attraction.

PhD students work closely with a doctoral supervisor and advisor (usually both from the Department of History and Philosophy of Science but sometimes from other departments in the University). With the benefit of this expert guidance, students learn how to articulate, develop and present their own research. Students meet their supervisor and advisor several times a term to discuss an outline, consider research findings or go over a chapter. Consistent review and attentive feedback are integral to the supervisory relationship.

Applicants often find it helpful to contact a potential supervisor before submitting their application.

A thriving research community

Our research community offers invaluable academic and social perspectives.

With around 45 doctoral students, a strong cohort of MPhil and Part III students, postdoctoral researchers and teaching officers, the Department fosters an exceptionally active intellectual life. Thriving seminars, reading groups and workshops provide a focus, allowing students to help set the agenda and present their own work among peers. Students are supported throughout their studies, with close attention paid to methodological development, research skills and career advice.

The Department's Whipple Library is an unparalleled specialist collection for history and philosophy of science and medicine, while other libraries in Cambridge provide access to archival and documentary resources invaluable for research on the sciences. At the heart of the Department is the Whipple Museum , a world-class collection of scientific instruments and models; some students research these objects.

Valuable teaching experience

Cambridge offers PhD students unusually valuable teaching experience through the chance to give supervisions (tutorials) for undergraduates taking History and Philosophy of Science courses. PhD students are paid by the Colleges for this service. The University and the Department provide training in supervising undergraduates.

More about the PhD

  • Requirements

For current PhD students

  • PhD students' guide

Main image: Crocodile carving by Eric Gill on the Mond Building, where there is work space for HPS PhD students

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Department of History

Ph.d. programs.

The Department of History’s doctoral degree program seeks to train talented historians for careers in scholarship, teaching, and beyond the academy. The department typically accepts 22 Ph.D. students per year. Additional students are enrolled through various combined programs and through HSHM.  All admitted Ph.D. students receive a  full  financial aid package  from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. 

History of Science and Medicine

The  Program in the History of Science and Medicine  (HSHM)  is a semi-autonomous graduate track within the Department of History. HSHM students receive degrees in History, with a concentration in the History of Science and Medicine.  There is a separate admissions process for students interested in the History of Science and Medicine. For more information, please see the  HSHM website . 

Combined Doctoral Programs

Joint ph.d. programs.

History and Philosophy of Science, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

  • Location: Tempe campus
  • Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD History and Philosophy of Science

The history and philosophy of science is an interdisciplinary field that traces its origin to foundational works such as Thomas Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions." The field is based on the idea that the best way to understand science is to study how it changes over time, along with careful analysis of its concepts and fundamental principles.

The PhD program in history and philosophy of science combines training in the core areas of history and philosophy of science with an emphasis on interdisciplinary studies of the sciences, including:

  • computational history and philosophy of science
  • foundations of evolutionary theory
  • general philosophy of science and epistemology
  • history and philosophy of applied ethics and science policy
  • history of 19th and 20th century biology

The program is especially appropriate for students with an undergraduate or master's degree in philosophy, history, or the sciences and for those who seek to broaden their disciplinary studies. Science students who have not taken relevant undergraduate humanistic core courses can make up these courses during their first years in the program.

Program Faculty PhD Students

Courses and electives

Some options for elective study, listed by focus, history of science (6 credit hours).

  • BIO 591 Embryo Project
  • BIO 591 Embryo Project Editing
  • BIO 598 Big Data in Context: Ethics, Policy, History and Philosophy
  • HPS 598 Advanced History of Science

Philosophy of science (6 credit hours)

  • BIO 598 Advanced Philosophy of Science
  • BIO/HPS/PHI 598 Philosophy of Biology and Medicine Advanced

History of philosophy (3 credit hours)

  • HPS 591 Carnap and Quine
  • PHI 581 Studies in Ancient Greek Philosophy

Value theory (3 credit hours)

  • BIO 516 Foundations of Bioethics
  • BIO 527 Environmental Ethics and Policy Goals
  • BIO 598 Advanced Bioethics
  • BIO 598 Big Data in Context: Ethics, Policy, History and Philosophy 
  • BIO 610 Introduction to Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in Life Sciences
  • BIO 611 Current Topics in Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) in Life Sciences
  • PHI 521 Bioethics
  • PHI 591 Human Well-Being and Sustainability
  • POP 633 Population Health Ethics

Advanced logic or other advanced methods (3 credit hours)

  • BIO 532 Recent Papers in Discipline-Based Education Research
  • BIO 591 ESSA Reading and Reflection
  • BIO 591 Innovations of Conservation Lab
  • BIO 591 Papers in Inclusive Teaching in College
  • BIO 598 Biology Education Research
  • BIO 598 STS Reading Group
  • BIO 791 Science Education Research Seminar
  • HSD 601 HSD I: Human Dimensions of Science and Technology
  • PHI 570 Higher Order Modal Logic

Approved courses in philosophy, history or life sciences (9 credit hours)

These courses provide expertise in your individual research area. Any courses offered under one of the prefixes BIO, ELS, EVO, HPS, MCB, MIC, and PLB, or any courses taught by biology and society graduate faculty members fulfill the requirement.

Application and admission information

How to apply.

Applications open September 1 for admission in Fall of the following year. The application deadline is December 1. We accept applications for Fall semesters only. We cannot guarantee that applications received after the December 1 deadline will be considered for admission.

All applicants must apply by filling out ASU's Graduate Admissions application. All application materials must be submitted through the application or to Graduate Admissions directly. Please do not mail or email any documents to the School of Life Sciences. 

Required materials and information include the following:

  • 1-2 page personal statement
  • An up to date CV or resume
  • Writing sample
  • The names of relevant SOLS faculty you have been in touch with who you might be interested in being supervised by
  • Unofficial transcripts and English proficiency test scores (if applicable)
  • The names and emails of at least 3 recommenders to write you letters of recommendation

Application review process and timeline

Following the December 1 deadline, faculty will begin reviewing applications. Applicants should monitor their My ASU priority tasks to ensure there are no missing materials in their application.

Faculty will decide which applicants they would like to invite to our Graduate Recruitment Weekends (GRWs), typically held in February. Applicants will hear from the School of Life Sciences in January if they are invited to participate in the GRWs.

Admission decisions will begin after the GRWs, and applicants typically receive final decisions by April 1.

Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission include the following:

  • Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
  • There are other ways to demonstrate English proficiency beyond the tests, so please refer to ASU's English proficiency webpage to review how you might satisfy requirements.

Desired qualifications typically seen in competitive candidates:

  • Research experience and a letter of recommendation from a faculty research supervisor
  • English proficiency scores that meet these teaching assistant language proficiency requirements

Please note that the GRE is not required.

Students offered admission to a PhD program in the School of Life Sciences will typically receive a funding offer as well. While individual funding offers may differ to some degree, they typically include teaching assistant and/or research assistant positions each semester (summer optional) for 5 years. These positions provide financial coverage through the following:

  • A standard salary stipend paid biweekly
  • Tuition remission covering enrollment in 6-18 credit hours for fall and spring semesters and 1-14 credit hours for summer semesters
  • Health insurance coverage

To discover more, check out the ASU Graduate College's funding opportunities !

Degree Requirements

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (6 credit hours) HPS 615 Biology and Society Lab (3) HPS 620 Research Prospectus Writing (3)

Restricted Program Electives (30 credit hours)

Program Electives (24 credit hours)

Research (12 credit hours) HPS 792 Research (12)

Dissertation (12 credit hours) HPS 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information An individual student program is developed in consultation with the student's advisor and committee.

HPS 615 Biology and Society Lab is a one-credit-hour course focused on student presentations of works in progress. Students must register for it three times during their graduate study.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of recognized standing in a related field such as history, philosophy, or history and philosophy of science, as well as a demonstrated background and interest in one or more sciences.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

  • graduate admission application and application fee
  • official transcripts
  • academic record form
  • personal statement
  • curriculum vitae or resume
  • writing sample
  • three letters of recommendation
  • proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, learning outcomes.

  • Able to articulate an understanding of current literature on scientific developments and their relevance to society in scholarly writing.
  • Able to communicate history and philosophy of science research results in presentations.
  • Able to contribute to original history and philosophy of science research in scholarly writing.

Career Opportunities

A doctorate in history and philosophy of science provides strong preparation for academic careers at every level from community colleges to research universities, including research, teaching and administration, and science communication. The skills and knowledge obtained in this program are also valuable for government careers in federal and state agencies responsible for management and conservation, and for careers in industry and nongovernmental organizations.

Career examples include:

  • food, agriculture and health care scientists in academic, private and industrial labs
  • principal investigators and policymakers in government labs and nonprofit organizations
  • professors or instructors in universities and colleges
  • science teachers in elementary and high schools
  • wildlife, animal and conservation scientists

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

The Graduate School

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History and Philosophy of Science: PhD

Graduate Program in Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values

Program Handbook

The doctoral program in history and philosophy of science is a unique program offering students instruction leading to a discipline-based Ph.D. that prepares them for positions in history, philosophy, and theology or religion departments, and in specialized programs in the history and philosophy of science. Faculty members are drawn from several University departments, including English, History, Philosophy, and Theology.

Last updated: 08/31/2023

  • GRE General Test not accepted
  • TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo for non-native speakers of English
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution; one must show conferral of a bachelor's degree. (Due upon enrollment)
  • Statement of intent
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Writing sample(s) - refer to program site for details
  • Unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution required at the time of application. (Official transcript showing conferral of a bachelor's degree due upon enrollment.)

Evan Ragland Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-5015 Email: [email protected]

Nic Teh Director of Graduate Studies Phone: 574-631-5015 Email: [email protected]

https://reilly.nd.edu/history-and-philosophy-of-science/

  • History of Science
  • Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

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Questions about these requirements? See the contact info at the bottom of the page. 

Master of Arts (AM)

Eight four-unit courses or the equivalent, including: .

  • Two seminars: Historiography of the History of Science (HISTSCI 3003A) and Research Methods in the History of Science (HISTSCI 3003B) 
  • three must be offered by the Department of the History of Science (DHS)
  • one must be outside the department.

Note that graduate reading courses and independent study courses do not fulfill the graduate seminar requirement.

  • Two additional history of science courses, designated either “for undergraduates and graduate students” (1000-level) or “primarily for graduate students” (2000-level).

History of Science courses include:

  • courses taught in other departments by members of DHS
  • courses cross-listed under history of science in the online course catalog
  • graduate-level courses offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the Science, Technology, and Society Program (a maximum of three courses may be taken at MIT).

All other courses count as outside the department.

AM students must prepare a master’s essay that presents an original argument about a topic in the history of science, medicine, and technology. It should be based on original research in primary sources, and it should engage carefully with relevant secondary sources. It should be 7,500 to 10,500 words in length, exclusive of bibliography and notes. It must be accompanied by a complete bibliography of cited works and references in an appropriate scholarly format. 

Candidates for the AM must submit the AM Essay Topic Proposal form, available on the graduate program website, by March 1 of the AM year. 

The master’s essay may consist of a paper written for a course in the history of science—HISTSCI 3003b or another graduate seminar—taken during the AM year. 

Essays written for spring seminars must be submitted to the course instructor, DGS, and graduate coordinator by the last day of the reading period. 

The master's essay may also be an independent work not connected to a course, but it is expected that the essay will have been substantially written and researched during the course of the student’s enrollment in the program; in this case, the DGS will designate a faculty member to grade the essay.  

The essay must receive a grade of B+ or higher.

Residence and Progress:

Students must be in residence for one year of full-time study.

Eight courses must be completed with grades of B or higher.

All AM students will meet with the DGS and, where applicable, their advisor at the start of each term to review progress and approve plans of study.

Masters in Passing

Doctoral students who complete the doctoral course requirements (including submitting two research papers) are eligible to receive an AM degree in history of science with the approval of department faculty.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) [1]

Students must be in residence for a minimum of two years of full-time study. While in residence, students are expected to attend the department seminar.

Years 1 and 2: Coursework and Research Papers 

Course requirements.

Sixteen four-credit courses or the equivalent, plus a two-credit course, Colloquium on Teaching Practices, normally taken in the fall of the G3 year, including:

  • Two seminars: Historiography of the History of Science (HISTSCI 3003A) and Research Methods in the History of Science (HISTSCI 3003B)
  • four must be offered by DHS
  • at least one must focus substantially on pre-1800 topics and one must focus substantially on post-1800 topics. (See the DHS graduate student program website for more details.) 
  • one must be taken outside DHS.

Note: The four seminars in DHS may include courses taught in other departments by faculty in the Department of the History of Science, courses cross-listed as HISTSCI, and graduate courses in science, technology, and society offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (a maximum of three courses may be taken at MIT). All other courses count as outside the department. Graduate reading courses or independent studies do not fulfill the graduate seminar requirement.

  • Eight electives, of which up to five may be graduate-level reading courses in the history of science or other divisions, departments, or committees
  • The Colloquium on Teaching Practices (two credits) taken in the first year of employment as a teaching fellow (normally the G3 year)

Note: The department does not accept transfer credits. However, students who matriculate into the doctoral program after receiving an AM degree in history of science or who take graduate courses as special students in the department are eligible to transfer up to eight four-unit courses.

Research Papers

In the first two years of graduate study, students must write two research papers, at least one for a departmental course. Papers must be between 7,500 and 10,500 words (exclusive of notes and bibliography); each must earn a grade of at least A-.  At least one must display serious engagement with archival or other primary sources (which may include printed and/or digital materials and objects); the other may be based on fieldwork observation (e.g., ethnographic, participant-observer) or involve media production (e.g., interactive web, audio, video/photographic, museum exhibition).

One of these essays may be an independent work not connected to a course, but it is expected that the essay will have been substantially written and researched during the course of enrollment in the PhD program. In this case, the DGS will designate a faculty member to grade the essay. 

The first paper should be submitted by June 1 of the G1 year to the graduate program coordinator, cc’ing the course instructor. Ordinarily, this essay is written in the context of the required Research Methods course.

The second paper should be submitted by April 1 of the G2 year to the graduate program coordinator. Ordinarily, this is written in the context of a departmental or external graduate seminar.

By the end of first term of the G2 year, one of these papers should be shared and discussed with one of the student’s advisor (normally the chair of the student’s General Exam Committee).

Grades and Assessment

Eight four-credit courses must be passed at a grade level of B or above in the first year of study. 

The grade of incomplete (INC) is given in extraordinary circumstances. The decision to give an incomplete is at the discretion of each faculty member. Students with more than one INC on their record at the end of a term will receive a letter of warning from the department and are at risk of being placed into "unsatisfactory status."

Harvard Griffin GSAS policy requires that academic work must be completed, and the grade converted to a letter grade before the end of the next registration period (for example, coursework for an incomplete received in the fall of 2022 must be completed before the first day of registration for the fall of 2023). A petition for an extension of time for incomplete work signed by the course instructor and director of graduate studies must be submitted to the Harvard Griffin GSAS Dean of Student Affairs Office for any coursework completed after the end of the next registration period.

All courses must be graded before a student is permitted to teach. Students with outstanding course requirements (excluding the Teaching Colloquium normally taken in G3 year) are not permitted to sit for the general examination. 

Students’ progress is reviewed each year by the department at a May faculty meeting in which a determination is made of students’ qualification for continuing graduate work in light of both departmental and Harvard Griffin GSAS requirements.

Advising and Progress

The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) serves as the primary advisor to all first-year PhD students. In addition, first-year students are strongly encouraged to seek guidance about their academic and course plans from other faculty whose research interests correspond to their own. Students are encouraged to take courses with faculty they might ask to serve on their General Examination Committee. 

During the second year, students are jointly advised by the DGS and the chair of the student’s General Exam Committee. 

First- and second-year students meet with the DGS at the start of each term for the first two years to discuss their plan of study. Students also meet with the graduate program coordinator at the beginning of each term, submitting a completed History of Science Doctoral Degree Requirements Worksheet. This is to ensure that students are fulfilling the necessary requirements. 

The formal advisor during the third year is the chair of the student’s Prospectus Committee. Upon acceptance of the prospectus, the chair of the Dissertation Committee becomes the student’s primary advisor. 

Starting in the G3 year, students and advisors both complete an annual progress report (due in April) and meet to discuss progress and academic plans. This form is available on the HoS graduate program website. All students’ progress is reviewed each year by the department at a May faculty meeting in which a determination is made of students’ qualification for continuing graduate work in light of both departmental and Harvard Griffin GSAS requirements. 

The DGS and the department chair are always available to provide support and advice at any stage of the graduate program. Students are encouraged to seek help from either of these individuals if any part of the advising process seems not to be working as it should. 

For more information about advising procedures and resources, see the HoS Advising Timeline and the HoS Advising Best Practices documents available on the HoS graduate program website. 

Language Requirement

All students must demonstrate proficiency in at least one language other than English upon submission of the dissertation prospectus in November of the G3 year (see below). The language(s) in question should reflect students’ research interests and ordinarily will be agreed on in consultation with the DGS and intended dissertation director at the beginning of the first year of graduate study; the list may be revised as necessary to reflect students’ changing intellectual trajectories. Some students may enter with all the language preparation they will need for graduate study in their chosen fields. Others may have an elementary or intermediate knowledge of a language or languages and may improve on that knowledge by taking additional coursework, including first-, second-, or third-year language courses and/or the reading courses offered by some departments, whether during the regular academic year or in the summer.

Students may demonstrate proficiency in one of the following ways: (1) completing two terms of foreign-language coursework and receiving a grade of A- or higher in the courses; (2) completing a summer Reading Knowledge or other summer language course approved in advance by the DGS and receiving a grade of A- or higher; (3) completing upper-level coursework in a language other than English; (4) making substantial use of non-English texts in one or more seminar papers or in the preparation of general examination fields and prospectuses; or (5) passing a language exam offered by the department. Proficiency is assumed in the case of native speakers and bilingual students, as long as they are skilled in both reading and speaking. 

To document proficiency, students must email the graduate program coordinator, cc’ing the advisor and the faculty member who certifies the student’s language skills. Students should list the language(s) and the means by which proficiency has been demonstrated. Students taking language reading courses at Harvard Summer School or in an external institution should have a transcript sent to the graduate program coordinator.

As students’ fields of study develop, they may find that they need to acquire new languages or further develop their skills in ones they already know. This should be discussed by students and their advisors on a regular basis as part of the advising process.

Year 2: The General Examination

PhD students in the history of science normally take the general examination at the end of the spring term of the G2 year. The aim of the general examination is to deepen and expand students’ historical knowledge for the purposes of both research and teaching. It is an oral examination in three fields, each one directed by a different faculty examiner. Students are not expected to demonstrate an encyclopedic command of detail but, rather, to give evidence of understanding the main historical developments in each field, mastery of the chief historiographic traditions associated with a particular content area, and an ability to discuss particular sciences or topics within relevant historical contexts. 

The three examiners constitute the student’s General Examination Committee, one of whom serves as chair. Each field is chosen in consultation with the DGS, the chair of the committee, and individual committee members. Two fields should be directed by faculty in the Department of the History of Science (or in certain cases by faculty approved by the department to direct a field related to the history of science, technology, or medicine). One field should be directed by a faculty member outside the department, and students should consult carefully with the DGS and their intended chair about the scope of that field and who might be asked to direct it. Occasionally, a single field may be split into two subfields, each of which is directed by a distinct faculty member. 

Once the student has agreed with each committee member about the title of their field, and the chair of the committee has approved all of them, students should submit the General Examination Application and a completed Doctoral Degree Requirements Worksheet to the graduate program coordinator. This should happen by early November of the G2 year. These applications are reviewed and then voted on by department faculty at the following faculty meeting. 

During the G2 year, students normally enroll in a directed reading course (HSCI 3001) with each of the directors of their three fields during either the fall or spring term. Preparation for the exam may take place in the fall or spring, or it may extend over both terms. In any case, preparation should involve at least seven meetings between student and faculty member. At the beginning of preparation for each field, the student and director of each field will agree on a set of texts that constitutes the reading list for that field. This list may be revised over the course of preparation in consultation with the director of each field. 

Early in the spring term, it is the student’s responsibility to coordinate with their General Examination Committee to determine the date and time of the exam. The examination should be scheduled for two hours: 90 minutes for the exam and 30 minutes for the committee to review the exam and discuss the result with the student. Once the date and time have been determined, the student should inform the graduate coordinator who will secure a room and add it to the schedule. 

General examination applications will normally only be considered once students have completed all required coursework from the G1 year (and have no outstanding incomplete grades). Moreover, at the time of the exam, students should have completed (or should be actively enrolled in) all required coursework for the degree. A rising G3 student who has not passed the general examination will be allowed one term in which to complete any outstanding course and writing requirements as well as to sit for and pass the examination. The department may ask students who have not completed this process and passed the examination by the end of the first term of the G3 year to withdraw from the program. 

For more information about general examination fields and the exam itself, consult the HoS General Examination Procedures document available on the HoS graduate program website.

Year 3 and Beyond: Teaching and the Dissertation

All students are required by the department to participate as teaching fellows or course assistants in at least one course offered by department faculty. Students may not teach during the DCF year and so should plan accordingly. All students are required to complete the Colloquium on Teaching Practices (two credits) offered in the fall, with opportunities for additional sessions in the spring. 

Rising G3 students must attend the fall Bok Center Teaching Retreat as well as the department teaching retreat held in late August/early September. The Bok Center offers numerous teaching workshops and resources to enable teaching fellows to hone their teaching skills.

Faculty course instructors hold weekly meetings with teaching fellows to guide them in leading discussion sections and grading assignments and exams. 

Consult the Department Teaching Manual for additional information.

The Dissertation Prospectus 

Students are expected to begin preparing to write their prospectuses following the completion of their general examination at the end of the G2 year. To help facilitate this process, the department normally holds two “Prospectus Study Days” (in late May and early September). 

During the summer or early in the fall term, students will assemble a Prospectus Committee in consultation with their General Examination Committee chair, presumptive primary advisor, and/or the DGS. The Prospectus Committee normally consists of three faculty members, of which one is the chair. (While Dissertation Committees may have more than three members, the Prospectus Committee is made up of exactly three members except in exceptional circumstances.) At least two members of this committee should be members of the department. Students are encouraged to include junior faculty on their Dissertation Committees. 

Over the course of the G3 year's fall term, students develop a draft of their prospectus in consultation with their Prospectus Committee, which will approve its submission to the department faculty as a whole. Prospectuses are to be submitted to the graduate program coordinator at least one week before the December history of science faculty meeting (usually by the Thanksgiving break). The faculty discuss prospectuses at this meeting and vote on their approval.

Students are expected to submit their prospectuses in the fall of the G3 year; in all cases, however, approval must be obtained before the end of the G3 year. 

After obtaining faculty approval, students present their prospectuses to the history of science community in a department seminar, usually in the spring of the G3 year.

For more information about the prospectus process and requirements, consult the HoS Prospectus Guidelines document available on the HoS graduate program website. 

The Dissertation

Once the student’s prospectus has been approved by the department, a Dissertation Committee is formed. Normally, the chair of the Prospectus Committee becomes the chair of the Dissertation Committee and the student’s primary advisor. The chair of the Dissertation Committee must be an eligible member of the department, as must at least one other member of the committee. (The names of faculty members available for the direction of the PhD dissertation are listed in the course catalog under History of Science 3000.) Students are encouraged to include junior faculty on their committees. 

Timetable for submission of the dissertation 

Students must submit a final, complete draft of the dissertation to their committees no later than six weeks prior to the “dissertations are due on” date specified by Harvard Griffin GSAS. All students must submit a PDF of the submitted dissertation with the signed dissertation acceptance certificate to the graduate coordinator. 

Committees will read and comment on the dissertation draft and ask for any revisions no later than three weeks prior to the same date.  

Students will make any necessary changes and submit the dissertation in its final form to the committee and to the department no later than one week prior to the “due on” date.  

The dissertation should be an original contribution to knowledge. It must conform to the online description, Formatting your Dissertation , on the Harvard Griffin GSAS Policies website. 

Note: Students planning on graduating should meet with graduate program coordinator a few months before planned graduation date to review graduation logistics.  

Dissertation defense  

The dissertation defense in history of science ordinarily takes place after the members of the Dissertation Committee have approved the dissertation. The dissertation defense is not required to receive the doctoral degree, but students often find the forum useful as they further their research. The graduate program coordinator will assist students in setting a defense date. 

Duration of Study 

Work for the degree should be completed within a total of six years. Normally, students take a Dissertation Completion Fellowship during the year that they complete the dissertation. However, in cases in which the dissertation is not completed, the Graduate School permits students to remain enrolled in the PhD program for one year following the Dissertation Completion Fellowship year. An extension beyond this one-year limit may be considered by the department and the Graduate School in extraordinary circumstances. 

[1] Requirements apply to all students entering the program AY 2016–17 and after; students who entered the doctoral program in the fall of 2015 may opt to follow a modified version of the AY 2016–17 course requirements; students who entered the program before 2015 are subject to the former course requirements. The Colloquium on Teaching Practices requirement applies to all students entering the program in AY 2022–23 and after. Students who entered in AY 2020–21 and 2021–22 are strongly encouraged to take the Colloquium. Teaching Colloquium requirement applies to all students entering the program in AY 2022–23 and after. Students who entered in AY 2020–21 and 2021–22 are strongly encouraged to take the Teaching Colloquium.

Contact Info 

History of Science Website

Linda Schneider   Graduate Program Coordinator  Department of the History of Science  Science Center 371  Cambridge, MA 02138  [email protected]   617-495-9978

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  • History of Science, Medicine and Technology, Ph.D.

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One of the oldest, most prestigious academic programs of its kind in the United States, History of Science, Medicine, and Technology (HSMT) draws together faculty members in History and in  Medical History & Bioethics . Collectively, we offer broad coverage of the field, with expertise that spans Europe, the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean, stretches from the Middle Ages to the recent past, and ranges across the physical, biological, and social sciences to medicine and technology.

Our degree program in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology is designed to meet the needs of the Ph.D. candidate, and we offer funding only to students who intend to pursue the Ph.D. However, we also welcome applications from students who wish to earn only the M.A. if they have external funding or are self-funded. Students with doctoral training in one of the health professions may earn an M.A. in History of Medicine. It is also possible to earn a combined M.D./Ph.D. degree through the School of Medicine & Public Health’s Medical Scientist Training Program and the HSMT degree program.

History of Science, Medicine, and Technology at UW–Madison is known for the strength and diversity of its areas of study and its warm, collegial environment. All historical aspects of science, medicine, and technology receive attention—from their internal development to their broader institutional, philosophical, religious, and literary contexts, as well as their relationships with print culture, visual culture, and material culture. Students and faculty regularly participate in the program’s weekly Brown Bag and monthly colloquium series, both of which provide opportunities to present work, discuss professional issues, and engage with a wide range of on-campus and outside speakers.

Graduate students come to the HSMT degree program from a variety of backgrounds in the sciences and humanities and with diverse professional goals. The program maintains a policy of maximum flexibility and, insofar as possible, tailors the work required for the degree to fit the individual. Students are encouraged to undertake work in related programs such as history, philosophy, science and technology studies, and the various sciences. Joint degrees in HSMT and another degree program are also possible (see below). Our graduates pursue research and teaching careers in the history of science, medical history, history of technology, intellectual and cultural history, science in general education programs, science writing, and museum work.

JOINT PH.D. IN HISTORY AND HISTORY OF SCIENCE

Students who wish to obtain a joint Ph.D. in History and the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology are initially admitted to one of the degree programs, and should indicate interest in the joint Ph.D. program at that time. After completion of a master’s degree in History or History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, the student applies for admission to the other degree program and, at the same time, to a standing committee of the two programs for admission to the joint program.

Having been admitted to the other degree program and to the joint Ph.D. program, the student then applies to the Graduate School for approval of the joint Ph.D. (See the Graduate School's academic policy regarding  joint degrees  for more information and deadlines.) The student’s application to the standing committee should take the same form as required by the Graduate School and should be prepared in close consultation with department faculty/staff.

Students in the joint Ph.D. program are assigned a home degree program and follow the regulations of that degree program with regard to seminar requirements, language requirements, financial aid, and regulations for satisfactory progress. Since the joint Ph.D. meets the doctoral minor requirement of the Graduate School, no formal minor is required of students receiving a joint Ph.D. However, students who wish to have a minor field recorded on the transcript may complete a regular Option A or Option B minor, or the internal minor of the department.

The joint Ph.D. student’s work is supervised by a committee consisting of three faculty members (two from the home degree program). The preliminary examinations test the student’s competence in both history and history of science, medicine, and technology, balancing the material and fields between the two departments (e.g. two in each, or three in one and two in the other). The number of prelim fields must equal the number required of students majoring exclusively in history or in history of science, medicine, and technology, plus one. Preparation of the Ph.D. dissertation is guided by the student's supervising committee. Satisfactory completion and defense of the dissertation constitute the final requirements for the joint Ph.D. degree.

JOINT PH.D. WITH OTHER DEGREE PROGRAMS

Students in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology degree program who wish to pursue a joint Ph.D. (one degree, two majors) with another degree program must first be admitted to the other degree program. The proposal for the degree must be approved by the Department of History's Graduate Council before it is submitted to the Graduate School. Students admitted to a joint Ph.D. will satisfy all the normal requirements of their field in History except the minor requirement.

In past years, HSMT students have successfully completed a joint Ph.D. with the Philosophy, Classics, Psychology, History, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics degree programs.

For more information on joint Ph.D. options, please contact the graduate program coordinator.

PROGRAM IN GENDER AND WOMEN'S HISTORY (PGWH)

Working under the supervision of a PGWH faculty member, History of Science, Medicine, and Technology students may organize their studies to emphasize gender, women’s history, or sexuality. They meet all their HSMT requirements, take the PGWH core seminar on transnational gender history, and take at least two additional History or HSMT graduate seminars that are gender-specific.

Applicants to the HSMT degree program who wish to be considered for the concentration in gender and women's history should indicate this on their Graduate School application.

For more details, see  Program in Gender and Women's History  or contact the graduate program coordinator.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online .

All applicants must meet UW-Madison Graduate School's  minimum applicant requirements , in addition to the below History Graduate Program requirements described below.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: DECEMBER 1ST 

To apply, applicants must submit or declare the following in the  online application :

History Supplemental Application

This section of the application asks you to provide information about your research interests, declare your preferred faculty advisors, and outline your prior language preparation (if any). 

Writing Sample

Provide a sample that best illustrates the quality of your written work (optimally no more than 50 pages, double-spaced; maximum file size 6 MB).

Transcripts

Upload an unofficial copy of your transcript from all institutions attended, showing any undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded. If accepted, you will be required to send two official transcripts from each institution.

CV or Resumé

This should highlight your accomplishments and qualifications including academic honors or distinctions; professional, research, and/or teaching experience; and any publications.

Letters of recommendation

Provide contact information for the three individuals who will furnish recommendations on your behalf. (They will receive an upload link by email.) Your letter writers need not be historians, but they should be able to speak to your academic preparation to pursue historical studies at the graduate level.

Statement of purpose

The statement of purpose (2–3 pages, double-spaced) explains your reasons for graduate study. It may be the hardest part of the application to write, but it is also the most important. While you will likely include some autobiographical information, its primary purpose is to acquaint us with how your mind works. We want to know, for example, what kinds of intellectual problems and issues interest you, whose stories intrigue you, what sorts of analytical or narrative approaches you like to pursue, which historical writings you admire—and your reasons for these various preferences. Please help us understand your decision to enter the historical profession, especially at a time when the academic job market is in decline, and how you see your own role in it. There is no single right way to approach this part of the application, but we suggest that you bear in mind the usual cautions for personal writing: speak straightforwardly, in your own voice, and write as well as you know how.

INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

All international applicants must also meet the  English Proficiency  requirements  set forth by the Graduate School.

For additional detail about the admissions process, please visit the  Prospective Student  pages on our website.

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid.  Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

We offer funding only to students who intend to pursue the Ph.D.—an application for admission to our Ph.D. program, therefore, is an application for funding. We also welcome applications from students who have external funding or are self-funded, including those pursuing the M.A. only.*

MULTI-YEAR FUNDING PACKAGE

If you apply to the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology (HSMT) Ph.D. degree program without external or self-funding and are accepted, you will be offered a multi-year support package, which begins in your first year. The details of our support guarantees may vary by funding source, field of study, and other circumstances, and the guarantee is, of course, contingent on satisfactory progress and performance. Most of our support packages offer 5 years of support and begin with a fellowship year from the UW–Madison Graduate School, generously funded by the  Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation . Our most distinguished packages include two years of fellowships:

  • Graduate Research Scholar fellowships  for underrepresented students or first-generation college students—offered annually
  • John A. Neu Fellowship in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology—offered as endowment income permits

Additional years of guaranteed funding will come from employment as teaching assistants or project assistants or additional fellowships. 

COMPETING FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

All students in good standing can apply for writing prizes, conference travel awards, and supplements to external awards. Once graduate students have passed their preliminary examination and advanced to candidacy, they may apply for various departmental fellowships and research travel funding.

Further funding opportunities are available to students who have reached the advanced stages of dissertation writing. Our advanced dissertators may apply for teaching fellowships that give them the opportunity to design and teach an undergraduate course—the  Merle Curti Teaching Fellowship  (open field), the  George L. Mosse Teaching Fellowship in European History , and the William J. Courtenay Teaching Fellowship in ancient, medieval, or early modern European history. The  William Coleman Dissertation Fellowship in the History of Science  supports one semester of advanced dissertation writing, as does the David and Greta Lindberg Distinguished Graduate Fellowship. (These fellowships are offered as often as endowment income permits.) Thanks to funding provided by the  Doris G. Quinn Foundation , we are also pleased to offer a dissertator Fellowship, which supports the final year of dissertation writing in any field.

In addition, UW–Madison offers a wealth of other opportunities to compete for funding offered, for example, by the  International Division , the  Institute for Research in the Humanities , and the UW Graduate School ( research and conference travel awards ).

More details on our funding for current/continuing students are available  here .

* If you wish to apply only for the HSMT M.A. (also known as the terminal M.A.) or for the M.A. in History of Medicine for Health Professionals, please describe your sources of support on the History Supplemental Application. For information on the cost of graduate study at UW–Madison, see this link .

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Major requirements.

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements , in addition to the program requirements listed below.

MODE OF INSTRUCTION

Mode of instruction definitions.

Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.

Evening/Weekend: ​Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules.  Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.

Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.

Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats.  Contact the program for more specific information.

Online: These programs are offered 100% online.  Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

Required courses.

Students must first complete the requirements for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology M.A.

In addition to completing the M.A. course requirements, Ph.D. students must complete two seminars at the 700 level or higher, their doctoral minor or graduate/professional certificate (9 credits), and they must gain proficiency in a second foreign language prior to taking the preliminary examination. After passing the preliminary examination, students register for HISTORY 990 Research and Thesis credits every semester until they deposit their dissertation. Students are also recommended to take HISTORY 999 Independent Work and HISTORY 710 Professional Development Seminar .

Take advantage of the Graduate School's  professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career. 

The Department of History is committed to training our students to develop skills required for a variety of careers both in and outside the academy. Although a large network of our alumni teach at colleges and universities in the U.S. and across the world, a number of our Ph.D.s have enjoyed considerable success outside the academy. They include recent graduates who are currently a museum curator, teachers at prestigious preparatory academies, a historian with the U.S. Secretary of Defense's POW/Missing Persons Agency, a CEO of an investment firm, an analyst for a defense contractor, an editor at a small press, and consultants working with non-profits in the human services, education, and public policy fields. In recent years we have undertaken a number of initiatives, detailed below, to broaden the training of our students for a wide array of careers.

Much of the preparation for the job market occurs informally and over the course of the student's graduate career—in the mentoring relationship between faculty advisor and student, in the presentation of student research in department venues, in the student's participation in professional conferences, and in early forms of professional publication. Coursework, such as for the minor requirement or certificates, can be an avenue to expanded competencies. The Center for Humanities, for example, offers a  Public Humanities certificate . Be sure to explore the Graduate School's resources such as " The Versatile PhD " and its  Professional Development pages .

Whatever career paths interest you, we encourage you to plan ahead and discuss your options—early and often—with your faculty advisor(s), with the Director of Graduate Studies, or with the Graduate Coordinator.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SEMINARS

Professional development events, preliminary examination workshop, curriculum vitae workshops.

These workshops are designed for students at all levels, ranging from first- year students writing CVs for campus positions to advanced dissertators on the job market.

Mock Interviews

The Graduate Program offers a series of opportunities to practice with a committee of our faculty for AHA interviews and on-campus job talks . They are open to a limited number of students who expect to be actively on the job market in the fall.

Careers in History Workshops

  • Articulates research problems clearly and understands the limits of current theories, knowledge, or practices within HSMT.
  • Pushes the boundaries of current knowledge in HSMT in formulating research questions, in the selection or use of primary sources, or in interpreting evidence.
  • Demonstrates breadth within their learning experiences.
  • Communicates complex ideas in a clear and understandable manner.
  • Gains appropriate experience relating to designing and teaching university-level courses.
  • Is able to articulate the broader significance of their work and the discipline of HSMT to scholars in other fields or disciplines and to the wider public.
  • Fosters ethical and professional conduct.

Graduate School Policies

The  Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures  provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.

Major-Specific Policies

Prior coursework, graduate work from other institutions.

Total credits transferred for the Ph.D. requirements, including those approved for the M.A., may not exceed 19 credits. No credits earned more than ten years before admission to the Ph.D. program may be used. A maximum of 5 credits earned between five and ten years before admission to the Ph.D. program may be used. No credits carrying a grade below B may be applied toward graduate credit requirements.

UW–Madison Undergraduate

No credits from a previous undergraduate degree are allowed to count toward our graduate degree.

UW–Madison University Special

With program approval, students are allowed to count no more than 9 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison University Special student. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements. No credits carrying a grade below B are transferable.

This program follows the Graduate School's Probation policy.

ADVISOR / COMMITTEE

This program follows the Graduate School’s Advisor policy and the Graduate School’s Committees policy .

CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED

Time limits.

This program follows the Graduate School's Time Limits policy.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

  • Bias or Hate Reporting  
  • Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
  • Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
  • Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
  • Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
  • Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
  • Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
  • Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
  • Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
  • Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
  • Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances. They may also contact the L&S Academic Divisional Associate Deans, the L&S Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Administration, or the L&S Director of Human Resources.

See the History department webpage for a full directory of faculty .

Also see our faculty affiliate and teaching associate profiles.

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Contact Information

History College of Letters & Science History of Science, Medicine and Technology, Ph.D. 608-263-1800 website maps.wisc.edu/s/wjmlvr3g

Susan Nelson, Graduate Program Manager [email protected]

Charles Kim, Director of Graduate Studies [email protected]

Lisa Normand, Graduate Admissions/Program Coordinator [email protected] 608-263-1960 4217 Mosse Humanities Bldg. 455 N. Park St. / Madison, WI 53706

Graduate Program Handbook View Here

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Welcome to the Doctoral Program in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology

Our Doctoral Program attracts a strong cohort of students from diverse backgrounds, including medicine, science, and history. Our PhD program prepares them for scholarly careers in teaching, research, and policy. The program is sponsored by two departments and students apply to, enroll in, and graduate from either History of Medicine or History of Science and Technology , but take courses in both.

In collaboration with the School of Public Health, we offer a combined degree program , the PhD in the History of Medicine/MHS in International Health; for School of Public Health students we contribute to a reciprocal combined PhD in International Health/MA in the History of Medicine.

We offer a range of  graduate courses , such as the graduate survey, research seminars, reading seminars, and individualized tutorials. All of our students gain valuable teaching experience as TAs for undergraduate courses and our senior students have proved very successful in winning Dean’s Teaching Fellowships which enable them to design and teach their own undergraduate courses.

Thematically, the Department focuses upon the histories of global health and disease; biomedicine; medical ways of knowing; healing practices; and the body. Temporal and geographic emphases include early modern Europe; sixteenth- to twentieth-century England; nineteenth- and twentieth-century Africa; early modern and modern China; twentieth-century America; and Russian and Soviet-era medicine and science.

Our program is warm and collegial; typically, our students consult with a number of faculty informally, while working closely with an adviser and a committee. We pride ourselves on careful and close mentorship. All departmental students fulfill a common set of requirements , but we tailor the program to fit each student’s individual research and training needs.

For more information on our graduate program, contact Prof. Ahmed Ragab ( [email protected] ).

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History & philosophy of science (ph.d., m.a., m.s., minor).

This program is not accepting new applicants

The History & Philosophy of Science graduate program provides professional training in the interdisciplinary subject of history of science. The program connects the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences by studying and interpreting the development of the sciences within particular historical settings and analyzing the changing roles of the sciences within modern cultures. Emphasis in the program is on scientific traditions since the sixteenth century in Europe and North America, in the physical, earth, biological, medical, and social sciences, as well as on environmental history and the history of the environmental sciences.

Students with substantial scientific or historical background are encouraged to apply to the graduate program in History & Philosophy of Science. Under special circumstances, students who do not meet the minimum requirements may be considered for admission. Prospective students should be aware that the University and the History department are not able to accommodate all applicants who meet the minimum admission requirements. Students who have not completed a Master's degree in History & Philosophy of Science should apply to the Master's program even if the intent is to pursue the Ph.D.

  History & Philosophy of Science Website

  College of Liberal Arts

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English language requirements .

English language requirements for international applicants to this program are the same as the standard Graduate School requirements .

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This program requires a statement of the student’s particular fields of interest and overall aims and purpose in the study of the history of science. An additional writing sample (no more than 25 pages) would be helpful to the graduate admissions committee.

Application requirements, including required documents, letters, and forms, vary by program and may not be completely represented here. The processing of your application will not be completed until these requirements have been met. Please, before applying to this program, always contact the program office to confirm application requirements.

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Please review the graduate school application process and Apply Online .

Dates & Deadlines ?

Admissions deadline for all applicants, funding deadline for all applicants, concentrations , mais participation.

This program may serve as a secondary or third only field of study in a MAIS degree .

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This program does not participate in the Accelerated Master's Platform (AMP)

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  • 12 March 2024

Bring PhD assessment into the twenty-first century

You have full access to this article via your institution.

A woman holding a cup and saucer stands in front of posters presenting medical research

Innovation in PhD education has not reached how doctoral degrees are assessed. Credit: Dan Dunkley/Science Photo Library

Research and teaching in today’s universities are unrecognizable compared with what they were in the early nineteenth century, when Germany and later France gave the world the modern research doctorate. And yet significant aspects of the process of acquiring and assessing a doctorate have remained remarkably constant. A minimum of three years of independent study mentored by a single individual culminates in the production of the doctoral thesis — often a magisterial, book-length piece of work that is assessed in an oral examination by a few senior academic researchers. In an age in which there is much research-informed innovation in teaching and learning, the assessment of the doctoral thesis represents a curious throwback that is seemingly impervious to meaningful reform.

But reform is needed. Some doctoral candidates perceive the current assessment system to lack transparency, and examiners report concerns of falling standards ( G. Houston A Study of the PhD Examination: Process, Attributes and Outcomes . PhD thesis, Oxford Univ.; 2018 ). Making the qualification more structured would help — and, equally importantly, would bring the assessment of PhD education in line with education across the board. PhD candidates with experience of modern assessment methods will become better researchers, wherever they work. Indeed, most will not be working in universities: the majority of PhD holders find employment outside academia.

phd in history of science

Collection: Career resources for PhD students

It’s not that PhD training is completely stuck in the nineteenth century. Today’s doctoral candidates can choose from a range of pathways. Professional doctorates, often used in engineering, are jointly supervised by an employer and an academic, and are aimed at solving industry-based problems. Another innovation is PhD by publication, in which, instead of a final thesis on one or more research questions, the criterion for an award is a minimum number of papers published or accepted for publication. In some countries, doctoral students are increasingly being trained in cohorts, with the aim of providing a less isolating experience than that offered by the conventional supervisor–student relationship. PhD candidates are also encouraged to acquire transferable skills — for example, in data analysis, public engagement, project management or business, economics and finance. The value of such training would be even greater if these skills were to be formally assessed alongside a dissertation rather than seen as optional.

And yet, most PhDs are still assessed after the production of a final dissertation, according to a format that, at its core, has not changed for at least half a century, as speakers and delegates noted at an event in London last month on PhD assessment, organized by the Society for Research in Higher Educatio n. Innovations in assessment that are common at other levels of education are struggling to find their way into the conventional doctoral programme.

Take the concept of learning objectives. Intended to aid consistency, fairness and transparency, learning objectives are a summary of what a student is expected to know and how they will be assessed, and are given at the start of a course of study. Part of the ambition is also to help tutors to keep track of their students’ learning and take remedial action before it is too late.

phd in history of science

PhD training is no longer fit for purpose — it needs reform now

Formative assessment is another practice that has yet to find its way into PhD assessment consistently. Here, a tutor evaluates a student’s progress at the mid-point of a course and gives feedback or guidance on what students need to do to improve ahead of their final, or summative, assessment. It is not that these methods are absent from modern PhDs; a conscientious supervisor will not leave candidates to sink or swim until the last day. But at many institutions, such approaches are not required of PhD supervisors.

Part of the difficulty is that PhD training is carried out in research departments by people who do not need to have teaching qualifications or awareness of innovations based on education research. Supervisors shouldn’t just be experts in their field, they should also know how best to convey that subject knowledge — along with knowledge of research methods — to their students.

It is probably not possible for universities to require all doctoral supervisors to have teaching qualifications. But there are smaller changes that can be made. At a minimum, doctoral supervisors should take the time to engage with the research that exists in the field of PhD education, and how it can apply to their interactions with students.

There can be no one-size-fits-all solution to improving how a PhD is assessed, because different subjects often have bespoke needs and practices ( P. Denicolo Qual. Assur. Educ. 11 , 84–91; 2003 ). But supervisors and representatives of individual subject communities must continue to discuss what is most appropriate for their disciplines.

All things considered, there is benefit to adopting a more structured approach to PhD assessment. It is high time that PhD education caught up with changes that are now mainstream at most other levels of education. That must start with a closer partnership between education researchers, PhD supervisors and organizers of doctoral-training programmes in universities. This partnership will benefit everyone — PhD supervisors and doctoral students coming into the research workforce, whether in universities or elsewhere.

Education and training in research has entered many secondary schools, along with undergraduate teaching, which is a good thing. In the spirit of mutual learning, research doctoral supervisors, too, will benefit by going back to school.

Nature 627 , 244 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00718-0

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Undergraduate Program in History and Philosophy of Science

College of arts and sciences.

Website :   https://hps.fsu.edu/

Director: J. Piers Rawling

Florida State University offers a program in the history and philosophy of science, leading to an undergraduate minor or a master's degree. The focus of the program is on the biological sciences, although we welcome applications from potential students interested in other areas of science. We take very seriously the importance of working on topics of relevance to the society in which we live, and we are strongly committed to an interdisciplinary approach, with involved faculty drawn broadly from across the University, especially the humanities and the natural sciences.

As a major university, we are able to offer opportunities for study and research in topics of particular pertinence to our region, such as racial issues, conservation and problems of pollution, and clashes between science and religion. We also have major strengths in other areas, including logic and formal methods, social philosophy, intellectual and cultural history, history of the South, African American history, ancient science and mathematics, as well as evolution and ecology.

FSU has attractive competitive scholarships, and there are opportunities for research and teaching assistantships that include remission of tuition. Strong library facilities exist, and we are building further on these. We are committed to helping our students when they complete their degrees, either to further graduate work or to enter the work force. The master's degree with its multidisciplinary breadth is appropriate for those interested in pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in philosophy, history, religion, or biology. It is also suitable for those undergraduates who would like to combine it with one of the traditional disciplines in our combined bachelor's-master's program. In all cases, we will aim to tailor individual course programs to suit students' needs.

The program hosts an annual conference or workshop supported by the Werkmeister Fund. Those interested in learning more about the degree, or in enrolling, should consult our Website and contact the office of the Director.

Requirements for the Minor

The minor is twelve semester hours and must include one philosophy of science course and one history of science course, or equivalent.

If used to fulfill the HPS minor, none of these courses may also be used to fulfill liberal studies or major degree requirements.

Some of these courses have prerequisites; students should check with the department that offers the course. A grade of "C–" or better must be earned in each course. Listed below are some of the classes that may be used to fulfill the minor. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all possible courses one can take to fulfill the minor requirements. Students should contact Shannon Tucker in the History and Philosophy of Science Program at (850) 644-9121 or by e-mail at [email protected] with questions about any other possible courses that may be used to fulfill minor requirements. Descriptions of the course suggestions listed below may be found in the individual department chapters of this General Bulletin .

AMH 4630 North American Environmental History (3)

AMH 4634 Florida Environmental History (3)

ANT 2511 Introduction to Physical Anthropology and Prehistory (3)

ANT 4553 The Great Apes (3)

ANT 4586 Human Evolution (3)

BSC 1005 General Biology for Non-Majors (3)

BSC 2010 Biological Science I (3)

HIS 3464 History of Science (3)

HIS 3491 Medicine and Society (3)

HIS 4930 Special Topics in History (3)

ISC 3076 Science, Technology, and Society (3)

PCB 3043 General Ecology (3)

PCB 4674 Evolution (3)

PHI 2100 Reasoning & Critical Thinking (3)

PHI 2620 Environmental Ethics (3)

PHI 3130 Introduction to Symbolic Logic (3)

PHI 3400 History and Philosophy of Science (3)

PSB 2000 Intro to Brain and Behavior (3)

PSB 4461 Hormones and Behavior (3)

REL 3145 Gender and Religion (3)

REL 3180 Bioethics (3)

REL 3493 Religion and Science (3)

REL 4359 Special Topics in Asian Religions (3)

Note: Additional prerequisites or corequisites for these courses may be required by the respective department in which they are offered. Please see the course listings found in the academic department sections of the current graduate or undergraduate edition of this General Bulletin .

Definition of Prefixes

HPS —History and Philosophy of Science

Undergraduate Courses

HPS 3320. Screening the Scientific Life: Cinema and the Cultural Image of Science (3) . This course examines how cinema has provided a unique framework for wrestling with the implications of the modern scientific enterprise, examining how easily scientific rationality can be harnessed to both moral and immoral ends and what kind of world that science has produced. By probing a variety of genres - including biography, documentary, historical drama, science fiction, political satire, and horror - this course observes the cinematic and cultural desire to make sense of science. A critical element of the course is diversity in the Western culture through the lens of race, class, gender, and ethnicity.

For listings relating to graduate coursework, consult the Graduate Bulletin .

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UB scholar secures ALISE research grant to investigate career services in LIS graduate programs

GSE news brief artwork.

Published March 12, 2024

BY DANIELLE LEGARE

A researcher at the university at buffalo graduate school of education recently received a grant to investigate career services in graduate library and information science programs..

Africa S. Hands , assistant professor in the Department of Information Science, won the Association for Library and Information Science Education (ALISE) Research Grant Program Competition, allowing her to continue her research on how library and information science graduate programs prepare students for the job market. Her one-year project, “Positioning LIS Students for Career Success,” will survey current LIS program administrators and enrolled graduate students to better understand the needs of students related to career services and preparation, as well as what is currently being offered through graduate programs. Hands was awarded $5,000.

“Research shows that even at the graduate level, students may possess limited knowledge of the profession they plan to enter,” said Hands. “For those without professional role models, career development and preparation services are particularly vital.”

The Research Grant Program Competition awards funding annually to support research broadly related to education for library and information science.

“As LIS job seekers report such long and frustrating job search experiences that they consider leaving the field entirely, insights from this research will inform the creation or improvement of career services for LIS students, advance discussion of career services for graduate students, and identify exemplars that can be used to guide programming efforts. We are so excited for Africa,” said X. Christine Wang , professor, assistant dean for interdisciplinary research, and director of the Fisher-Price Endowed Early Childhood Research Center.

This project builds on Hands’ already robust research activities. In 2021, she received a three-year early career grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to support her project, “Public Library Support of College Literacy in Appalachia,” which focuses on examining public libraries as an information resource for college-bound patrons.

In addition, through her service and publications, she aims to improve access to and awareness of information, resources and services that move people toward their personal, professional and community goals. Her work centers on the doctoral student experience, first-generation students’ cultural and social capital, and public library support for college-bound patrons.

“We hear from graduates that the job search process is grueling. Supporting students’ career planning while they are completing their degree may make for a smoother transition to the field,” said Hands. “It’s important that our graduates are prepared for the myriad possibilities of an LIS degree and career.”

Tuesday News Briefs feature the stories of the Graduate School of Education faculty, students and alumni who are engaged in their communities and making an impact through their hard work, dedication and research initiatives. If you have a story to share, please email us with the details for consideration as a future news feature.

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Robert J. Kumpf to present 2024 Richard E. Tressler Lecture on March 14

The 2024 Richard E. Tressler Lecture in Materials will be held at 3:05 p.m. Thursday, March 14, in 111 Wartik Laboratory. Robert J. Kumpf, managing director at Deloitte, will deliver the lecture, “The long history and bright future of applied materials science.”

Robert J. Kumpf

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  26. UB scholar secures ALISE research grant to investigate career services

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  28. Robert J. Kumpf to present 2024 Richard E. Tressler Lecture on March 14

    The 2024 Richard E. Tressler Lecture in Materials will be held at 3:05 p.m. Thursday, March 14, in 111 Wartik Laboratory. Robert J. Kumpf, managing director at Deloitte, will deliver the lecture, "The long history and bright future of applied materials science."

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