PhD in History in Santa Cruz United States | University of California, Santa Cruz

The History Ph.D. program at UC Santa Cruz adopts a worldwide perspective with a transnational focus, promoting interdisciplinary methods and cross-cultural examinations in historical scholarship to foster creative perspectives on global historical developments. Working closely with faculty mentors, doctoral candidates design customized study plans and conduct pioneering research that integrates their chronological, geographic, and thematic or methodological specializations. Each student develops proficiency in a primary teaching concentration (organized by geographic area and time period) along with a secondary teaching specialization focusing on a distinct region or analytical framework.

Our program delivers intensive training through coursework and independent research, preparing students to conduct original historical investigations and instruct undergraduate history courses. Mirroring the dual professional focus of most historians, our graduate curriculum equally emphasizes research skills and teaching preparation. We selectively admit only the most dedicated and accomplished candidates suited for advanced historical study, specifically those who can most effectively leverage our faculty's distinctive academic strengths.