UMass/Five College Graduate Program in History
The University of Massachusetts Amherst/ Five College Graduate Program in History
represents an extraordinary collaboration between the faculties of five distinguished campuses --
Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Hampshire College, and the
University of Massachusetts Amherst -- and offers qualified students exceptional
resources to pursue advanced study in history. Our mission is to offer a small, high
quality program with a low student-faculty ratio and ample opportunity for participation
in seminars, lecture courses, and individual instruction.
M.A. and Ph.D. programs are available in a variety of fields, especially in the
history of the United States, Latin America, and Europe; among these is the nationally
known and highly respected program in Public History. We offer a variety of historiography
courses in U.S., European, Latin American, and World History. Featured is the Introduction
to History seminar taken by all new students during the fall semester. We also schedule a
range of topical courses and research seminars. In recent years, these have explored
social and cultural history, the history of work and labor, women's and gender history,
public history, and the history of science and technology. Recent additions to the faculty
have strengthened resources in the history of China, Pacific Empires, women's history,
and the history of science.
The graduate program is highly selective. In recent years we have been able to admit
only about 25% of M.A. applicants and an even smaller percentage of Ph.D. applicants.
While most PhD applicants have MAs before they apply, in exceptional cases an applicant
may be admitted directly into the doctoral program. (Here is a list of
current and recent graduate students for an idea of students work in progress).
Special Programs/Resources:
Notable is the nationally respected program in Public History that draws on a
network of museums, archives, historical societies, and historic preservation agencies,
including Historic Deerfield and the Emily Dickinson Museum, with opportunities for both
internships and research. Among a rich variety of special collections are the
W. E. B. Du Bois and Horace Mann Bond papers and the papers of the Hon. Silvio O. Conte
at the University as well as substantial resources for Early America, especially New England,
and Latin American. The Sophia Smith Collection at Smith College is an internationally
recognized repository of manuscripts, photographs, periodicals, and other primary sources in
women's history. The substantial collections of the American Antiquarian Society are
nearby in Worcester, Massachusetts.
For more information on graduate study at the University of Massachusetts Amherst,
visit the Graduate School's
information page, which includes links to the
Graduate Bulletin,
Graduate Student Handbook,
Typing Guidelines for Theses and Dissertations, and much more. For departmental information consult the History Department's Graduate Program Handbook. You can also visit the site of the Graduate History Association, established and operated by history graduate students. |
