university of toronto phd in history

History Of Toronto

spans more than 10,000 years

• Blog Toronto

Toronto University’s History PhD Program – Unlocking the Past and Shaping the Future of Historical Research in Canada

Are you fascinated by the historical intricacies of the past? Do you aspire to unravel the mysteries that have shaped our world today? If so, the PhD in History program at the University of Toronto offers a prestigious and enriching educational journey that will allow you to delve deep into the depths of time.

Recognized as one of the top institutions in the world, the University of Toronto boasts a rich and renowned Department of History. With a history of excellence dating back over a hundred years, this department provides a stimulating and intellectually rigorous environment for aspiring historians.

The PhD in History program at the University of Toronto is designed to cultivate critical thinking, meticulous research skills, and a deep understanding of historical processes. Through a multidisciplinary approach, students explore a vast range of historical periods, from ancient civilizations to modern societies. With access to an extensive collection of primary sources and archives, PhD candidates have the unique opportunity to contribute new insights and perspectives to the field of history.

Under the guidance of distinguished professors and renowned scholars, students in the PhD program are encouraged to pursue their own research interests and develop their expertise in a specialized area. The curriculum offers a balance of coursework, seminars, and independent research, ensuring that students acquire both a broad foundation in historical scholarship and the skills necessary to excel in their own research projects.

By joining the PhD program in History at the University of Toronto, you open doors to a world of historical exploration, academic growth, and intellectual stimulation. Take the first step towards a rewarding and fulfilling career in the field of history by embarking on this doctorate journey at one of the world’s leading universities.

Doctorate degree in history at Toronto University

Toronto University offers a prestigious Doctorate degree in History for students who are passionate about the subject and wish to delve deeper into the study of historical events and trends. The university’s program provides a comprehensive curriculum and a range of research opportunities, making it an ideal choice for those seeking to advance their knowledge and expertise in the field of history.

Cutting-edge research opportunities

As a PhD student in history at Toronto University, you will have access to a wealth of cutting-edge research opportunities. The university’s faculty members are renowned experts in their respective fields and are actively involved in groundbreaking research. From archival studies to oral history projects, you will have the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary research and contribute to the ever-evolving body of historical knowledge.

Furthermore, Toronto University boasts a number of research institutes and centers dedicated to specific areas of historical study. These include the Center for the Study of the United States, the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, and the Robarts Center for Canadian Studies, among others. These institutes provide additional resources and support for doctoral students, further enriching your research experience.

A comprehensive curriculum

The Doctorate degree program in History at Toronto University provides a comprehensive curriculum that equips students with a deep understanding of historical theories, methodologies, and analytical skills. The program covers a wide range of historical periods, regions, and themes, allowing students to explore their specific interests and develop expertise in their chosen area of study.

In addition to coursework, the program places a strong emphasis on independent research and writing. Students are expected to undertake extensive research projects and produce a high-quality dissertation that contributes to the field of history. Supervised by experienced faculty members, you will receive guidance and support throughout the research process, ensuring the successful completion of your doctoral degree.

Enrolling in the Doctorate degree program in History at Toronto University opens up a world of opportunities for aspiring historians. With its rich research opportunities and comprehensive curriculum, the program provides the platform for students to become leading experts in their chosen field of historical study.

Toronto University’s history department

At Toronto University, the history department offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary program of studies for students pursuing a doctorate in history. The department prides itself on its world-class faculty, diverse research opportunities, and rigorous curriculum.

The faculty members in the history department at Toronto University are internationally recognized experts in their respective fields. They offer a wide range of expertise, covering various historical periods, regions, and themes. Students have the opportunity to work closely with these scholars, benefiting from their guidance, mentorship, and cutting-edge research.

Research Opportunities

The history department at Toronto University provides students with ample research opportunities to explore their areas of interest. From archival work to field research, students are encouraged to engage in hands-on, primary-source research to develop their critical thinking and analytical skills. The university’s vast library system offers extensive resources for historical research, including rare and unique collections.

In addition to the university’s resources, the history department has strong ties with local museums, historical societies, and research centers. These partnerships enable students to access additional research materials, participate in collaborative projects, and connect with professionals in the field.

The history department’s PhD program at Toronto University is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in historical research, writing, and teaching. The curriculum combines core courses in historiography, research methods, and theory with specialized seminars that allow students to delve deeper into their areas of interest.

Students also have the opportunity to take courses outside the department to complement their historical studies. This interdisciplinary approach encourages students to broaden their perspectives and incorporate diverse methodologies into their research.

The program culminates in the completion of a doctoral dissertation, where students have the opportunity to make an original contribution to the field of history. Under the guidance of faculty members, students develop their research topic, conduct extensive research, and produce a comprehensive written work that demonstrates their expertise.

Overall, the history department at Toronto University offers an enriching and stimulating environment for students pursuing a PhD in history. With its esteemed faculty, diverse research opportunities, and rigorous curriculum, it equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the field of historical research and academia.

Phd in history from University of Toronto

A Phd in history from the University of Toronto is a prestigious and highly respected doctorate degree in the field of historical research. The University of Toronto offers a comprehensive and rigorous program that prepares students for successful careers in academia, research, and other professional fields.

Program Overview

The Phd program in history at the University of Toronto is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in historical research methods, critical thinking, and analytical skills. Students have the opportunity to engage in advanced coursework and seminars that cover a wide range of historical topics and methodologies.

Throughout the program, students work closely with renowned faculty members who are experts in their respective fields. These faculty members not only provide guidance and mentorship but also foster an environment of intellectual curiosity and academic excellence.

In addition to coursework, students are required to complete a dissertation on a topic of their choice. This original research project allows students to contribute to the field of history by conducting in-depth research, analyzing primary sources, and presenting their findings in a scholarly manner.

The University of Toronto provides a wealth of research opportunities for Phd students in history. The university’s libraries house extensive collections of historical materials, including manuscripts, archives, rare books, and digital resources. Students have access to these valuable resources, which greatly enhance their research and writing process.

Furthermore, the university’s history department hosts various research centers and institutes that focus on specific historical periods or themes. These centers provide a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment where students can engage with scholars from different disciplines and pursue their research interests.

These research centers not only provide valuable resources and support but also organize conferences, workshops, and seminars that allow students to present their research and receive feedback from experts in the field.

In conclusion, a Phd in history from the University of Toronto offers students a rigorous and comprehensive program that equips them with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their academic and professional careers. With a strong emphasis on research and a supportive academic community, the University of Toronto is an ideal institution for pursuing a Phd in history.

Research Opportunities in History at Toronto University

Studying for a doctorate in history at the University of Toronto offers a wealth of research opportunities for students passionate about the study of the past. With a storied reputation as one of the top history departments in the world, Toronto University provides a conducive environment for academic growth and excellence in the field of historical research.

Faculty Expertise

The university boasts a distinguished faculty, comprised of renowned historians who specialize in various historical periods, regions, and methodologies. This diversity of expertise allows students to explore a wide range of research interests and find mentors who can guide them through their academic journey.

From ancient civilizations to modern times, students can delve deep into their chosen area of historical inquiry, benefiting from the wealth of knowledge offered by Toronto University’s esteemed faculty members.

Archival Resources

Another advantage of pursuing a history PhD at Toronto University is the access to extensive archival resources. The university’s libraries house vast collections of primary sources, including manuscripts, letters, photographs, and maps, which provide invaluable insights for conducting original research.

Furthermore, the city of Toronto itself is home to numerous historical archives and museums, offering additional avenues for research and collaboration. Students can take advantage of these resources to enrich their doctoral studies and contribute new perspectives to the field of history.

In conclusion, pursuing a history PhD at Toronto University offers students unparalleled research opportunities in a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment. With expert faculty and access to extensive archival resources, students can embark on a journey of discovery and contribute to the expanding body of historical knowledge.

Curriculum for history PhD programs

The curriculum for history PhD programs at the University of Toronto is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of historical studies and prepare them for a successful career in academia or other research-intensive fields.

Students in the history PhD program have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of specialized courses that cover various periods, regions, and topics in history. These courses are taught by world-renowned faculty members who have expertise in diverse areas of historical research.

From the beginning of their studies, students are encouraged to explore their research interests and develop their own projects. They have the opportunity to work closely with faculty members who can provide guidance and support throughout the research process.

The core of the history PhD program is the dissertation, which is an original piece of research that contributes to the field of historical studies. Students are required to conduct extensive research, analyze primary and secondary sources, and present their findings in a written dissertation.

In addition to the dissertation, students are also required to complete coursework in their chosen area of specialization. This coursework provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct advanced research in their field.

Students in the history PhD program at the University of Toronto also have access to a wide range of resources and research opportunities. The university’s libraries and archives contain extensive collections of historical documents and materials, providing students with valuable resources for their research.

Overall, the history PhD program at the University of Toronto offers a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that prepares students for a successful career in historical research. Graduates of this program have gone on to pursue postdoctoral positions, academic appointments, and careers in research institutions and public organizations.

University of Toronto history doctorate

The University of Toronto offers a prestigious history doctorate program for students seeking to deepen their understanding and expertise in the field of historical studies. As one of the top-ranked universities in Canada and internationally recognized for its academic excellence, the University of Toronto provides an ideal environment for pursuing a doctorate in history.

Through its history doctorate program, students have the opportunity to engage in rigorous research and analysis in various subfields of history. The program offers a wide range of research opportunities, allowing students to delve into the historical context of their choice. From political history to social history, students can explore the diverse aspects of the past and contribute to the advancement of historical knowledge.

As a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Toronto, you will have access to renowned faculty members who are experts in their respective areas of historical research. The faculty is composed of accomplished scholars who are committed to mentoring and guiding students throughout their doctoral journey. Their expertise and guidance will help shape your research and ensure its academic rigor.

Moreover, the University of Toronto’s history doctorate program includes a robust curriculum designed to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to conduct in-depth historical research. From advanced research methodologies to theoretical approaches in history, the curriculum is carefully curated to provide a comprehensive understanding of the field.

Located in the vibrant city of Toronto, the university offers a rich historical landscape for students to explore. With a myriad of archival collections and research resources available, students can immerse themselves in primary source material and engage with the city’s historical heritage. The University of Toronto’s close proximity to numerous historical sites and institutions further enhances the opportunities for students to actively participate in historical research.

Embarking on a history doctorate program at the University of Toronto is an enriching and rewarding experience. It offers a platform to contribute to the body of historical knowledge and make a significant impact in the field. With its rigorous research opportunities, distinguished faculty, and vibrant research environment, the University of Toronto provides an ideal setting for pursuing a doctorate in history.

Historical studies PhD at Toronto University

If you are passionate about history and aspire to advance your academic journey in this field, the PhD program in Historical Studies at Toronto University offers a comprehensive and enriching experience. As one of the leading universities in Canada, Toronto University provides a prestigious platform for pursuing your doctorate in history.

The PhD program in Historical Studies is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of historical research, methodology, and analysis. Students have the opportunity to specialize in various areas such as Canadian history, European history, or global history, among others.

As a doctoral student, you will benefit from the expertise of renowned professors who are experts in their respective fields. The faculty at Toronto University offers guidance and support throughout your research journey, assisting you in developing your research topic, conducting primary and secondary source analysis, and refining your arguments.

The research opportunities at Toronto University are vast and diverse. The university’s extensive library resources provide access to numerous archival collections, rare documents, and digital databases, enabling students to delve deep into their research topics. In addition, the university encourages collaboration and interdisciplinary research, allowing students to explore new perspectives and approaches in their studies.

The curriculum of the PhD program in Historical Studies is carefully designed to ensure a well-rounded education for its students. The program consists of a combination of coursework, comprehensive exams, and the completion of a doctoral dissertation. The coursework includes seminars and specialized courses that equip students with the necessary theoretical and methodological tools to conduct rigorous research.

In the final stage of the program, students are required to complete and defend a doctoral dissertation based on their original research. This is a significant milestone in the PhD journey, where students contribute to the body of knowledge in their specific area of historical studies.

Graduates from the Historical Studies PhD program at Toronto University have pursued successful careers in academia, research institutions, government organizations, and the private sector. The program equips students with critical thinking, research, and analytical skills that are highly valued in various professional fields.

If you are passionate about history and seek to make an impact in the field of historical studies, the PhD program at Toronto University is an ideal choice. With its renowned faculty, diverse research opportunities, and rigorous curriculum, the program provides a solid foundation for a successful career in academia and beyond.

Overview of the history PhD programs

The University of Toronto offers a variety of PhD programs in the field of historical studies, providing students with the opportunity to pursue advanced research and acquire expertise in a specific area of history.

Our history PhD programs are designed for individuals who are passionate about exploring and understanding the past. Through rigorous coursework and intensive research, students develop the necessary skills to contribute to the field of history through original and significant research.

At the University of Toronto, students have access to a wide range of research opportunities. Our faculty members are renowned experts in their respective fields and actively engaged in cutting-edge research that encompasses a broad spectrum of historical topics. Whether your interests lie in ancient civilizations, modern history, or global history, there is a wealth of resources and expertise available to support your research.

In addition to the university’s extensive library collections, students also have the opportunity to collaborate with faculty members on research projects, gaining invaluable hands-on experience. The university is also home to various research centers and institutes that provide a supportive environment for interdisciplinary research.

The history PhD programs at the University of Toronto offer a comprehensive curriculum that combines advanced coursework and research. Students are required to complete a series of seminars and courses that cover various historical periods and methodologies.

In addition to the core curriculum, students have the flexibility to tailor their studies to their specific research interests. This includes the opportunity to take courses outside of the history department, allowing for interdisciplinary exploration and the development of a well-rounded research perspective.

As part of the program, students are also expected to complete a doctoral dissertation, which demonstrates their ability to conduct original research and make a significant contribution to the field of history.

From research opportunities to a rigorous and flexible curriculum, the history PhD programs at the University of Toronto provide students with the necessary tools and support to become leading scholars in the field of history.

Admission requirements for PhD in history at Toronto University

To be considered for admission to the Doctorate in History program at Toronto University, applicants must meet certain requirements. The admissions process is competitive and rigorous, ensuring that only the most qualified candidates are selected for this prestigious program.

Academic Qualifications

Applicants should possess a Master’s degree in History or a related field from an accredited university. The program committee evaluates each applicant’s academic record, taking into consideration the reputation of the institution from which the degree was obtained. A high level of achievement in graduate coursework and research is expected.

In rare cases, candidates without a Master’s degree may be considered if they have exceptional research experience or academic accomplishments in the field of History.

Research Proposal

As part of the application process, candidates are required to submit a detailed research proposal. This proposal should outline the specific area of research they wish to pursue during their doctoral studies. It should demonstrate a clear understanding of the research topic, its significance, and its potential contribution to the field of History.

The research proposal is evaluated based on its originality, feasibility, and alignment with the expertise of the faculty members at Toronto University. It is a crucial component in the selection process and should reflect the applicant’s enthusiasm for research and commitment to advancing knowledge in the field of History.

Letters of Recommendation

Applicants must provide three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with their academic abilities and potential. These recommendations should highlight the applicant’s research capabilities, analytical skills, and ability to work independently.

The letters of recommendation should be written by professors or professionals who are well-versed in the field of History and can provide a comprehensive assessment of the applicant’s qualifications.

Statement of Purpose

Applicants are also required to submit a statement of purpose that outlines their academic and career goals, as well as their motivation for pursuing a PhD in History at Toronto University. The statement should articulate the applicant’s research interests, explain why they are interested in the particular program at Toronto University, and highlight how their past experiences and future aspirations align with the program’s objectives.

The statement of purpose is an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their writing skills, clarity of thought, and ability to articulate their research interests and objectives.

Language Proficiency

Applicants whose native language is not English must provide proof of English language proficiency by submitting scores from a recognized English language test, such as the TOEFL or IELTS. The minimum required scores may vary, so it is essential to consult the program website for the most up-to-date requirements.

International applicants who have completed a degree at an English-speaking university may be exempt from this requirement, but additional documentation may be required to verify their language proficiency.

Meeting the admission requirements for the PhD in History program at Toronto University is a significant step towards pursuing advanced studies and contributing to the field of History. Interested candidates are encouraged to carefully review the program requirements, prepare the necessary documents, and submit a compelling application that demonstrates their passion for research and their potential to excel in the program.

Funding options for history PhD students

When considering a doctorate in historical studies, it’s important to carefully consider the funding options available. Pursuing a PhD in history can be a significant financial investment, but there are various funding opportunities that can alleviate some of the financial burden.

One of the main funding options for history PhD students is through the university itself. Many universities offer scholarships, grants, and fellowships specifically for PhD students in the history department. These funding opportunities are often competitive and may require an application process, but they can provide substantial financial support for students throughout their studies.

In addition to university funding, there are external sources that offer financial assistance for history PhD students. These sources can include government agencies, private foundations, and historical societies. These organizations recognize the value of historical research and are often willing to support students pursuing a PhD in history through grants or scholarships.

Another option for funding is through teaching or research assistantships. Many history PhD programs offer opportunities for students to work as teaching or research assistants. These positions can provide students with a stipend or salary, as well as valuable teaching or research experience.

Students pursuing a PhD in history can also explore options for funding through external research projects or collaborations. These projects often have funding available for students to participate in research or contribute to specific historical studies. This can provide students with hands-on research experience while also offering financial support.

It’s important for prospective history PhD students to thoroughly research and explore the funding options available to them. By taking advantage of scholarships, grants, assistantships, and external funding opportunities, students can alleviate some of the financial burden of pursuing a PhD in history and focus on their studies and research.

History research centers and institutes at Toronto University

Toronto University offers numerous research centers and institutes dedicated to historical studies. These institutions provide opportunities for both PhD students and scholars to engage in cutting-edge research and contribute to the advancement of historical knowledge.

Centre for the Study of the United States

The Centre for the Study of the United States focuses on the historical, social, and cultural aspects of the United States. It offers various research programs and initiatives that explore the development of the country and its impact on the world. PhD students can benefit from the center’s extensive resources and collaborate with renowned scholars in the field.

Centre for Medieval Studies

The Centre for Medieval Studies is a leading institution for the study of medieval history. It offers a rigorous research environment with access to archives, manuscripts, and other primary sources. Doctorate students can engage in interdisciplinary research and contribute to the understanding of medieval societies and cultures.

These are just a few examples of the many historical research centers and institutes at Toronto University. PhD students in history can choose from a wide array of research opportunities and interdisciplinary studies to enhance their academic journey and contribute to the field of historical studies.

Faculty and advisors in the history department

The history department at Toronto University prides itself on having a team of highly qualified and dedicated faculty members who are experts in various historical fields. These professionals play a crucial role in shaping the research opportunities and curriculum available to PhD students in history.

Faculty Members

The history department at Toronto University consists of renowned scholars with extensive experience in teaching and research. They provide students with a diverse range of expertise and perspectives to draw from in their doctoral studies. The faculty members are actively engaged in conducting their own historical research, publishing scholarly articles and books, and presenting at national and international conferences.

PhD students have the opportunity to work closely with these faculty members, benefiting from their wealth of knowledge and expertise. Faculty members are accessible and approachable, and they actively engage in mentoring and advising students throughout their doctoral journey. Whether students need assistance in selecting a research topic, conducting archival research, or navigating the publication process, faculty members are there to provide guidance and support.

Each PhD student in history is assigned a faculty advisor who serves as a mentor and guide in their academic journey. Advisors are chosen based on their expertise in the student’s specific area of historical research. They work closely with students to develop a comprehensive research plan, outline coursework, and provide feedback on research proposals and dissertations.

The advisor plays a pivotal role in shaping the student’s doctoral experience, offering constructive criticism, identifying research opportunities, and connecting students with relevant resources and networks. They also provide valuable career advice and help students navigate the job market upon completion of their doctorate.

PhD students at Toronto University benefit immensely from the guidance and support provided by the faculty and advisors in the history department. The expertise and mentorship they receive pave the way for successful research, academic accomplishments, and future careers in the historical field.

Historical archives and collections at Toronto University

The University of Toronto offers a wealth of historical archives and collections for PhD students studying the history of the doctorate. These resources provide invaluable research opportunities and access to primary source materials.

Robarts Library

The Robarts Library houses one of the largest research collections for the study of history in Canada. It offers extensive holdings, including books, manuscripts, rare books, and maps, covering a wide range of historical topics. PhD students can take advantage of the library’s vast resources to deepen their understanding of specific historical periods or events.

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is a world-renowned research library that specializes in rare books, manuscripts, and special collections. It houses a vast array of historical materials, including medieval manuscripts, early printed books, and archival collections related to the history of science, music, and literature. PhD students can explore these unique collections and gain insights into the past through firsthand examination of rare and valuable historical artifacts.

University of Toronto Archives

The University of Toronto Archives is the official repository for the records of the university’s administration, faculties, and departments. It also holds a significant collection of personal papers and organizational records from notable individuals and organizations associated with the university. PhD students can access these archives to delve into the rich history of the institution itself, as well as explore the broader historical context in which the university operated.

Overall, the historical archives and collections at the University of Toronto offer PhD students in history a wide range of resources and research opportunities. By utilizing these valuable holdings, students can enhance their studies and contribute to the field of historical research.

Interdisciplinary approach in the history PhD programs

The history PhD programs at Toronto University offer an interdisciplinary approach to historical studies. This approach involves bringing together scholars from various disciplines to explore the complexities of history and gain a deeper understanding of the past.

As a leading institution in the field of history, the University of Toronto recognizes the importance of interdisciplinary research. Students pursuing a doctorate in history at Toronto University have the opportunity to collaborate with experts in fields like anthropology, sociology, art history, political science, and literature.

Benefits of an interdisciplinary approach

The interdisciplinary approach in the history PhD programs in Toronto University allows students to explore diverse perspectives and methodologies, enriching their research and broadening their intellectual horizons. By combining insights and theories from different disciplines, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of historical events and phenomena.

This approach also encourages students to think critically, question assumptions, and challenge traditional interpretations. It fosters innovative research and allows students to develop new approaches to historical studies.

Research opportunities

The University of Toronto provides numerous research opportunities for history PhD students. These include access to extensive archives, libraries, and collections, both on-campus and in the wider Toronto area. Students can also take advantage of the university’s partnerships with museums, cultural institutions, and research centers, which provide additional resources for interdisciplinary research.

Through collaborations with scholars from different disciplines, students can engage in interdisciplinary research projects that address complex historical questions. They can also take part in seminars, workshops, and conferences that bring together scholars from various fields, allowing for fruitful discussions and intellectual exchange.

In conclusion, the history PhD programs at Toronto University offer students the opportunity to pursue an interdisciplinary approach to historical studies. This approach not only enhances their research but also prepares them to engage in critical and innovative thinking, equipping them with valuable skills for their future careers in academia or other fields.

Fieldwork and experiential learning opportunities

The history PhD program at the University of Toronto offers students numerous opportunities for fieldwork and experiential learning in their studies. These opportunities allow students to engage with historical research in a hands-on and immersive way, enhancing their understanding and skills in the field.

Archival research

One of the key aspects of fieldwork in historical studies is conducting archival research. The University of Toronto is home to a vast collection of archival materials, including manuscripts, rare books, photographs, and other primary sources. PhD students are encouraged to utilize these resources to conduct their own original research, gaining valuable experience in navigating archival collections and analyzing historical documents.

Collaborative projects

In addition to individual research, the program also offers opportunities for students to engage in collaborative projects. This allows them to work closely with peers and faculty members on interdisciplinary research initiatives. Collaborative projects can involve fieldwork such as archaeological excavations or community-based research, providing students with practical experience in applying historical methods and theories in real-world contexts.

Internships and placements

The program also facilitates internships and placements for PhD students, allowing them to gain practical experience outside of the academic setting. These opportunities may include working in museums, archives, historical societies, or other relevant institutions. By engaging in internships and placements, students can further develop their research and analytical skills while also expanding their professional networks.

Overall, the history PhD program at the University of Toronto offers a range of fieldwork and experiential learning opportunities to enhance students’ understanding and engagement with historical research. Through archival research, collaborative projects, and internships, students are equipped with the practical skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers in historical studies.

Graduates’ achievements and career prospects

Graduates of the PhD program in history at the University of Toronto have achieved significant successes in their academic and professional careers. With a doctorate degree from one of the most prestigious universities in Canada, our graduates are well-equipped to excel in various fields.

The rigorous studies and research opportunities offered in the history PhD program provide graduates with a deep understanding of historical context, critical analysis skills, and effective communication abilities. These skills make our graduates highly sought after in academia, research institutions, and public sector organizations.

Many of our graduates have gone on to secure tenure-track positions at renowned universities worldwide, where they continue their research and contribute to advancing historical knowledge. Others have pursued successful careers in museums, archives, and cultural institutions, where their expertise in historical studies is highly valued.

Besides academia and cultural institutions, our graduates have also found success in the public and private sectors. The critical thinking and research skills gained during their PhD studies allow them to thrive in fields such as policy analysis, consulting, journalism, and publishing. The ability to analyze and interpret complex historical data sets our graduates apart and enables them to provide valuable insights and perspectives.

Furthermore, the history PhD program at the University of Toronto fosters a supportive and collaborative environment, where students have the opportunity to network with leading scholars and professionals in the field. This network, combined with the university’s strong reputation, provides graduates with a significant advantage when seeking employment or research opportunities.

In summary, graduates of the history PhD program at the University of Toronto have a wide range of career prospects and have achieved notable accomplishments in various fields. With their doctorate degree and the skills acquired through their studies, our graduates are well-prepared to make significant contributions in their chosen career paths.

Student testimonials and experiences in the history PhD programs

As a student of the history PhD program at the University of Toronto, I have had the privilege of studying under renowned historians and researchers in the field. The program offers a comprehensive curriculum that delves into various aspects of historical studies, equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge to become experts in their chosen areas of research.

One of the highlights of the program is the opportunity to conduct independent research on a topic of personal interest. The university has an extensive library and online resources that provide access to a vast collection of historical documents, journals, and books. This allows students to explore a wide range of primary and secondary sources, providing a solid foundation for their research.

The research opportunities offered by the history PhD program are unparalleled. Students have the chance to work closely with faculty members who are not only experts in their respective fields but also extremely supportive and approachable. The program encourages interdisciplinary research, allowing students to collaborate with scholars from other fields to gain a broader perspective on their research topics.

One of the unique aspects of the program is the opportunity to participate in archival research trips. The university organizes regular visits to archives and historical sites, both within Canada and internationally, giving students first-hand experience in conducting research and accessing rare historical materials.

The curriculum of the history PhD program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of historical theories, methodologies, and debates. The program offers a wide range of courses covering various periods, regions, and themes in history, allowing students to tailor their studies to their specific interests.

In addition to the coursework, students are required to complete a dissertation based on original research. This process involves selecting a research topic, conducting extensive research, and producing a scholarly work that contributes to the field of historical studies. The faculty members provide guidance and support throughout this process, ensuring that students receive the necessary mentorship to successfully complete their doctorate of historical studies.

Specializations and concentration areas in the history PhD programs

The history PhD programs at the University of Toronto offer a wide range of specializations and concentration areas for students to pursue. These areas of focus provide students with the opportunity to delve deeply into specific topics and develop expertise in their chosen field of study.

1. Cultural and Social History

In the cultural and social history concentration, students examine the ways in which societies and cultures have developed over time. This specialization allows students to explore topics such as social movements, cultural identities, and the impact of social and cultural changes on historical events.

2. Political and Diplomatic History

The political and diplomatic history concentration focuses on the study of political systems, international relations, and the role of diplomacy in shaping historical events. Students in this specialization may research topics such as the development of political ideologies, the impact of wars and treaties, and the actions of political leaders.

Additionally, students in the history PhD programs at the University of Toronto have the opportunity to tailor their studies to their specific research interests. Whether it is the history of a specific region, period, or theme, students are encouraged to develop their own unique research projects under the guidance of their faculty advisors.

Upon completion of their PhD, graduates of the history programs at the University of Toronto will have gained a deep understanding of their chosen field of study and will be well-equipped to pursue careers in academia, research, and public or private sector jobs.

Historical research methodologies and tools

The doctorate in history at the University of Toronto offers a comprehensive curriculum that equips students with a deep understanding of the methodologies and tools used in historical research. Students in the PhD program engage in a range of studies that explore the history of different regions, events, and cultures. Research opportunities are available in a variety of subfields, enabling students to specialize in areas of interest.

Primary Sources

A central component of historical research is the analysis and interpretation of primary sources. These sources provide firsthand accounts or direct evidence of historical events or periods. In the PhD program, students are trained in the critical analysis of primary sources, which may include letters, diaries, documents, artifacts, or oral histories. Learning how to assess the reliability and biases of primary sources is essential for producing accurate and insightful historical research.

Archival Research

Archives contain a wealth of historical materials that can significantly contribute to original research. The University of Toronto boasts extensive collections of archival materials, which offer students access to a wide range of sources. Through hands-on experience in archival research, students learn how to navigate archival databases, locate relevant materials, and identify potentially fruitful avenues for exploration. The ability to effectively utilize archives is an invaluable skill for PhD students conducting in-depth historical research.

From historiographical analysis to oral history interviews and comparative analysis, PhD students in history explore a range of research methodologies that contribute to a multifaceted understanding of the past. Alongside these methodologies, the University of Toronto also provides access to various research tools, including databases, reference books, bibliographies, and primary source collections. These tools facilitate both the discovery and analysis of historical data, allowing students to conduct rigorous and comprehensive research.

By developing a solid foundation in historical research methodologies and utilizing the tools available at the University of Toronto, PhD students in history can embark on original studies that contribute to the field’s collective knowledge and understanding.

Collaborative research projects and partnerships

As a PhD student in history at the University of Toronto, you will have the opportunity to engage in various collaborative research projects and partnerships. These initiatives provide a unique platform for you to enhance your research skills and knowledge while working alongside fellow historians and scholars from different disciplines.

One of the significant advantages of pursuing a doctorate in history at Toronto University is the extensive network of research centers and institutes dedicated to historical studies. With access to these resources, you can participate in interdisciplinary research projects that explore different aspects of history, ranging from political and social movements to cultural and intellectual developments.

Collaborative research projects allow you to gain insights and perspectives from scholars specializing in various historical periods and regions. This collaborative approach fosters intellectual exchange and innovation, as you engage in critical discussions and debates with fellow researchers. It also broadens your own research scope and methodologies, enabling you to approach historical studies from different angles.

In addition to the opportunities within the university, Toronto itself is a vibrant city with a rich historical heritage. The city offers numerous partnerships and collaborations with local museums, libraries, and archives, providing you with access to a wealth of primary sources for your research. These partnerships offer a unique chance to contribute to the preservation and interpretation of historical materials while making your own valuable contributions to the field of history.

By engaging in collaborative research projects and partnerships, you will not only strengthen your academic and research skills but also develop a professional network of peers and mentors. These connections can be invaluable as you progress in your academic and professional career, opening up opportunities for future research collaborations, publications, and career prospects in the field of history.

Overall, the University of Toronto offers a robust environment for doctoral students in history to engage in collaborative research projects and partnerships. With its rich historical resources and established networks, you will have the support and opportunities necessary to excel in your research and contribute to the field of history.

International study and research opportunities

As a PhD student in History at the University of Toronto, you will have access to a wide range of international study and research opportunities. The department encourages students to undertake doctoral research that explores historical topics from a global perspective and fosters collaboration with scholars from around the world.

Doctorate in History

The History PhD program at the University of Toronto is designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to become leading scholars in the field of history. The program offers a vibrant intellectual community and a supportive environment for research and academic growth.

As a doctoral student, you will have the opportunity to engage in international study and research through various avenues, such as participating in conferences and seminars abroad, collaborating with scholars from other institutions, and conducting archival research in different countries.

Study abroad opportunities

The University of Toronto has partnerships with numerous prestigious universities and research institutions around the world. Through these partnerships, PhD students in History can take advantage of study abroad opportunities and conduct research in different countries.

Additionally, the department offers various funding opportunities, such as travel grants and research scholarships, to support international study and research. These resources enable students to explore historical archives, collections, and sites that are relevant to their research interests, both within and outside of Canada.

By engaging in international study and research, you will be able to broaden your understanding of historical processes, gain new perspectives, and establish valuable connections with scholars and experts in your field. Such experiences can greatly enhance your doctoral research and contribute to your academic and professional development.

Publishing and presenting research findings

As a History PhD student at the University of Toronto, you will have numerous opportunities to publish and present your research findings. The university’s Department of History is known for its strong emphasis on research, and it offers a supportive environment for doctoral students to share their work with the academic community.

One of the ways to publish your research is through the department’s own publication, the Toronto Journal of Historical Studies . This peer-reviewed journal provides a platform for graduate students to showcase their research and contribute to the field of history. It covers a wide range of historical topics and encourages interdisciplinary approaches.

Conference Presentations

Another avenue for sharing your research is by presenting at conferences. The Department of History organizes an annual graduate conference, where students can present their work to fellow students and faculty members. This conference offers a valuable opportunity to receive feedback and engage in scholarly discussions with peers.

In addition to the university’s conference, many national and international conferences specialize in historical studies. These conferences attract scholars from around the world and provide a platform for showcasing your research on a larger stage. Presenting at these conferences can help you build connections, receive feedback from experts in the field, and gain visibility for your work.

Publication Opportunities Outside the University

Aside from the department’s journal, there are numerous other publications that specialize in historical research and welcome contributions from doctoral students. These journals provide a chance to reach a wider audience and enhance the impact of your research. Some popular journals in the field of history include The American Historical Review , The Journal of Modern History , and History Workshop Journal .

Additionally, you can explore opportunities to contribute book chapters or articles to edited volumes or collaborative projects. Collaborating with other scholars can provide new perspectives and broaden the reach of your research.

Public Outreach and Digital Scholarship

Beyond traditional academic channels, the University of Toronto’s Department of History encourages students to engage in public outreach and digital scholarship. This may involve creating a blog or website to share your research findings with a broader audience, participating in public lectures or panels, or collaborating with museums or historical organizations.

History conferences and symposiums at Toronto University

Toronto University offers a vibrant and active community for historical research and discussion. As a PhD student in history, you can take advantage of the numerous conferences and symposiums organized by the university’s Department of History.

These events provide an excellent platform for scholars and students to present their research, exchange ideas, and engage in intellectual discussions. The conferences and symposiums cover a wide range of historical topics, allowing participants to explore various areas of historical studies.

Whether you are interested in ancient civilizations, medieval history, or modern world events, there is a conference or symposium for you at Toronto University. These events often feature renowned scholars and experts in the field, providing valuable insights and perspectives.

Attending these conferences and symposiums is beneficial not only for PhD students but also for those pursuing their doctorate in historical studies. It offers an opportunity to network with fellow researchers, establish connections, and gain exposure in the academic community.

The university regularly hosts conferences such as the Annual History Conference and the International Symposium on Historical Research. These events attract participants from around the world and showcase cutting-edge research in the field of history.

By participating in these conferences and symposiums, PhD students can enhance their research skills, broaden their knowledge base, and stay updated with the latest trends and advancements in historical studies. It also allows them to receive feedback on their own research and potentially collaborate with other scholars.

Overall, the history conferences and symposiums at Toronto University provide an enriching experience for PhD students and contribute to the vibrant intellectual community within the university.

Alumni network and professional development support

As a PhD student in historical studies at the University of Toronto, you will have access to a strong and extensive alumni network. Our graduates have gone on to pursue successful careers in academia, research, public history, and other related fields. This network offers a valuable resource for networking, collaboration, and mentorship opportunities.

Networking Opportunities

Through our alumni network, you will have the chance to connect with professionals in your field who have a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the historical studies domain. This can open up doors for potential collaborations, job opportunities, and research partnerships.

Mentorship and Guidance

Our alumni network also provides an excellent platform for mentorship and guidance. Graduates from our history PhD program are often willing to share their knowledge and experiences with current students, providing valuable insights and advice on career paths, research methodologies, and professional development.

Additionally, the University of Toronto offers various professional development programs and resources to support your academic and career growth. The School of Graduate Studies hosts workshops, seminars, and conferences that focus on enhancing research skills, teaching techniques, and job market preparation.

Moreover, the university’s Career Exploration & Education Center provides resources and services to assist students in exploring career options, developing job search strategies, and preparing for interviews. They also offer networking events and job fairs that connect students with employers and professionals in various fields.

Overall, the alumni network and professional development support at the University of Toronto ensure that you have access to a wide range of resources and opportunities to advance your career in historical studies and beyond.

Applying for a PhD in history at Toronto University

If you are passionate about historical research and considering pursuing a doctorate in history, Toronto University presents exciting opportunities for your academic journey. As one of the top institutions for history studies, the university offers a renowned PhD program that provides comprehensive training and research opportunities for aspiring historians.

Why choose Toronto University for your history PhD?

Toronto University stands out as a exceptional institution for history studies due to its commitment to academic excellence, diverse faculty, and extensive research resources. The university’s history department is renowned for its faculty members who are experts in various historical periods and regions.

When you join the history PhD program at Toronto University, you will have access to extensive library collections, archives, and digital resources. These resources will enable you to conduct in-depth research and contribute to the historical understanding of various topics.

Moreover, Toronto University hosts regular seminars, conferences, and workshops that facilitate intellectual exchange among scholars and students. These events provide valuable networking opportunities and foster a vibrant academic community.

Application process

Applying for a PhD program in history at Toronto University involves several steps. First, you need to submit an online application through the university’s official website. Make sure to review the specific requirements and deadlines set by the history department.

Your application should include a detailed research proposal outlining your research objectives, methodology, and potential contribution to the field of history. Additionally, you will need to provide your academic transcripts, CV, letters of recommendation, and a writing sample that showcases your research and writing abilities.

Once your application is submitted, the admissions committee will review it carefully. If shortlisted, you may be invited for an interview to discuss further your research interests and goals.

If accepted into the PhD program, you will have the opportunity to work closely with expert faculty members who will guide you throughout your research journey. The curriculum is flexible, allowing you to tailor your studies to your specific interests and career goals.

Embarking on a PhD journey in history at Toronto University is a rewarding experience that will equip you with advanced research skills and open doors to various career paths. It is an opportunity to contribute to the field of history and make valuable scholarly contributions.

Contact information and program details

If you are interested in pursuing a doctorate in historical studies, the University of Toronto offers a top-tier PhD program in history. As one of the leading institutions in the field, our program provides exceptional research opportunities and a comprehensive curriculum.

Contact Information:

If you have any questions or would like more information about our PhD program, please feel free to reach out to our program coordinator:

Name: [Coordinator’s Name]

Email: [Coordinator’s Email]

Phone: [Coordinator’s Phone Number]

Address: [Coordinator’s Address]

Additionally, you can visit our program’s website for more details:

Website: [Program Website URL]

Program Details:

Our PhD program in history at the University of Toronto offers a rich and diverse curriculum. Students have the opportunity to specialize in various areas of historical studies, including but not limited to:

– Ancient History

– Medieval History

– Modern European History

– North American History

– Global History

– Gender and History

– History of Science and Technology

Our faculty members are renowned experts in their respective fields and offer guidance and mentorship throughout the doctoral journey. The program also provides funding opportunities for research and conference travel.

If you are passionate about history and want to contribute to the field through original research, the PhD program in history at the University of Toronto is the perfect choice for you.

Related News

Northeastern University Toronto History: A Pioneering Journey in Global Education

When will toronto era’s tour tickets go on sale, meet the toronto raptors coaching staff – a behind-the-scenes look at the experts leading the team to victory.

Northeastern University Toronto Campus – a Hub of Innovation and Learning

Graduate Programs of Study

Learn more about what is offered at the university of toronto through the school of graduate studies . .

The Department of Historical Studies and our undergraduate programs are your starting point to a successful graduate program of study in:

• Department of Classics
• Department of History
• Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations
• Department for the Study of Religion
• Women and Gender Studies Institute

SGS Home     

School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Calendar

History: history phd.

The Department of History offers a broadly diversified program of graduate studies leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. There are opportunities to study and research several geographic, chronological, and thematic areas of history. Visit the departmental website for descriptions of specific fields .

Applicants may enter the PhD program via one of two routes: 1) following completion of an appropriate MA degree or 2) direct entry following completion of an appropriate bachelor's degree.

PhD Program

Minimum admission requirements.

Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Department of History's additional admission requirements stated below.

Normally, applicants may enter the PhD program with an MA degree in history or its equivalent with an A– average or better.

Applicants must satisfy the department of their ability to do independent research at an advanced level.

In addition to the School of Graduate Studies online application form, applicants must submit:

an Application Information Form

three letters of recommendation

a 500-word specific research proposal outlining a precise field and area of historical investigation

a writing sample of no more than 6,000 words.

Applicants who were educated outside Canada, whose primary language is not English, and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction was not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language through the successful completion of a recognized English-language proficiency examination as outlined in the School of Graduate Studies General Regulations.

Completion Requirements

Coursework . With MA degree in history : students must successfully complete a total of 2.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) with a B+ average throughout the coursework.

Residence requirement. Residence means students must be in such geographical proximity as to be able to visit the campus regularly and participate fully in the University's activities associated with the program. PhD students must maintain geographical proximity to the campus until they have passed their field examinations but no longer than a period of two years.

Comprehensive examinations. At the beginning of their programs, students consult with their supervisor and the Associate Chair, Graduate to determine their fields. Two options are available: two majors or one major and two minors. Major fields should coincide with the subject area(s) that the student has chosen for the thesis. Minors should be in different areas. The comprehensive field examinations consist of a written examination in each field and a common oral examination covering all fields. Students are required to take their field examinations by the spring of Year 2, but they are strongly advised to take them as soon as possible after the completion of their coursework. Examinations are held in January and April. Examinations cannot be postponed beyond the spring of Year 2 without permission of the Associate Chair, Graduate. The department's website lists the fields offered .

Language requirements vary with the student’s major area of study. If not already so qualified, a student must qualify in one language other than English normally by the beginning of Year 2 and no later than 12 months after the successful completion of the comprehensive examinations and may be asked to qualify in other program-related languages. All language requirements are subject to the approval of the Associate Chair, Graduate.

Thesis: When all of the above requirements are completed, the candidate will proceed to write the PhD thesis and defend it at a Doctoral Final Oral Examination. The thesis must be a piece of original scholarship, approximately 350 pages (90,000 words) in length, exclusive of notes and bibliography. Thesis preparation is guided by a committee consisting of the major supervisor and two other faculty members. The thesis must be presented within six years of first enrolment in the full-time PhD program.

PhD Program (Direct-Entry)

Exceptional applicants may enter the PhD program by direct entry from the BA with an A– average or better.

Coursework . By direct entry : students must successfully complete a total of 4.5 full-course equivalents (FCEs) , 0.5 of which must be HIS1997H The Practice of History . Students must maintain an A– average in their first 2.0 FCEs in order to continue in the program.

Comprehensive examinations. At the beginning of their programs, students consult with the Associate Chair, Graduate to determine their fields, and students will be assigned advisors. Two options are available: two majors or one major and two minors. Major fields should coincide with the subject area(s) that the student has chosen for the thesis. Minors should be in different areas. The comprehensive field examinations consist of a written examination in each field and a common oral examination covering all fields. Students are required to take their field examinations by the spring of Year 3, but they are strongly advised to take them as soon as possible after the completion of their coursework. Examinations are held in January and April. Examinations cannot be postponed beyond the spring of Year 3 without permission of the Associate Chair, Graduate. The department's website lists the fields offered .

Language requirements vary with the student's major area of study. If not already so qualified, a student must qualify in one language other than English normally by the beginning of Year 3 and no later than 12 months after the successful completion of the comprehensive examinations and may be asked to qualify in other program-related languages. All language requirements are subject to the approval of the Associate Chair, Graduate.

Thesis : When all of the above requirements are completed, the candidate will proceed to write the PhD thesis and defend it at a Doctoral Final Oral Examination. The thesis must be a piece of original scholarship, approximately 350 pages (90,000 words) in length, exclusive of notes and bibliography. Thesis preparation is guided by a committee consisting of the major supervisor and two other faculty members. The thesis must be presented within seven years of first enrolment in the direct-entry PhD.

• Programs at a Glance
• Programs by Graduate Unit
• Programs by SGS Division
• Search Collaborative Specializations
• Search Combined Degree Programs
• Search Graduate Faculty Members
• Glossary of Degrees and Honorifics
• Sessional Dates
• Important Notices
• General Regulations
• Degree Regulations
• Fee Regulations
• Financial Support
• Dean's Welcome
• Mission Statement
• Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto
• PDF Calendar and Archives

Universal Navigation

Universal navigation2.

• Browse All Undergraduate Courses
• Research Opportunities, Independent Studies and Senior Thesis
• Internships for HPS and STS Students
• Browse All Graduate Courses
• Key Contacts

Recent News

Upcoming events, search form.

Welcome to the IHPST

We are a community of scholars who use the methods of the humanities to understand science, technology, and medicine in their local and global contexts. Our Institute offers exciting undergraduate and graduate programs, hosts lively public  talks and events , and offers  postdoctoral opportunities for the next generation of scholars in the field.

The IHPST is the expression of long-standing interests at the University of Toronto in the humanistic study of science and technology. Over its half-century, the Institute's faculty have played transformative roles in shaping the field. Today’s IHPST is more committed than ever to carrying out leading-edge historical and philosophical research and teaching that shapes our understanding of science, technology, and medicine. It adds to that interdisciplinary mission an ongoing commitment to engage deeply with contemporary political and social issues, including in the areas of technology and ethics, science and race, and medicine and social justice.

With world-class faculty , exciting research opportunities , and a diverse group of talented students , IHPST brings together the arts, sciences, technology, and medicine to provide liberal arts for the twenty-first century.

• Request new password

Universal Navigation

Universal navigation2.

• 2023-24 Graduate Courses
• 2022-23 Graduate Courses
• 2021-22 Graduate Courses
• 2020-21 Graduate Courses
• Dictionary of Old English
• CMS Chronica
• CMS Weekly Digest

Search form

PhD Program

The PhD program at the Centre for Medieval Studies is rigorous and interdisciplinary. Students pass two Latin exams  and choose from a broad variety of courses , with the option of enrolling in several  collaborative programs . For further information, see the Centre's PhD  program requirements , funding details , guidelines , scholarships & awards , and recent dissertations .

If a student wishes to dispute a matter, such as a grade or examination result, and if informal mediation is unsuccessful, the student may formally appeal to the GDAAC. For further information, see the School of Graduate Studies'  policy on academic appeals .

PhD Program Information

Apply to the PhD Program

• Prospective Graduate Students
• Program Requirements
• Tuition and Funding
• Scholarships and Awards
• Funding Opportunities for PhD Students
• Program by Year
• Guidelines and Forms
• Recent Dissertations
• Curriculum & Course Information
• Request new password

School of Graduate Studies

History and philosophy of science and technology, program overview.

The Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST) offers two degree programs: Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy . IHPST conducts research, offers advanced studies programs, and serves as a focus for University-wide interest in its field.

Courses are open to all graduate students and are suitable complements for specialists in science or the humanities. Students participate in the IHPST colloquia, which are open to the U of T community.

Admission is highly selective and competitive. Acceptance is based on a combination of grades, references, academic and professional accomplishments, areas of interest, and a sample of written work. All the forms required for application, including the standard application form, can be downloaded from the institute’s website. The website also contains detailed instructions for completing applications. Applications must be accompanied by transcripts, a statement of interest, letters of reference, and a writing sample of no more than 3,000 words. The application deadline is January 15. Applicants who wish to take one or more of the courses offered by the institute as non-degree students should apply for admission as Special Students. The application procedures are the same as for those of the MA program, but the deadline for applications is May 1.

Quick Facts

“Extremism is definitely a problem that doesn’t impact just individuals. It impacts all of us when it happens.”

The Book History & Print Culture Collaborative Specialization

Histoire du livre, History of the Book, Textual Studies, Print Culture, Sociology of the Text: all these names have been used to describe an international academic movement that rose to prominence in the late twentieth century and continues to expand today. The field of Book History creates and applies knowledge of the material, cultural, and theoretical aspects of books and other textual and pictorial forms, including manuscript, print, and digital media, along with associated practices of authorship, reading, and collecting, within different disciplines in the humanities and information sciences. BHPC admitted its first cohort of graduate students in September 2000, and now has a flourishing network of alumni in academia, library and information sciences, publishing and related fields in Canada and around the world.

Students apply first for admission to the master’s or doctoral program in their prospective home unit and then to the BHPC program. All students are therefore registered in a master’s or doctoral program in one of our participating graduate units (listed below) as well as in BHPC.

Participating Units:

Travaux et thèses peuvent être soumis en français, avec l’approbation des instructeurs et/ou du département d’attache. Les étudiants travaillant en domaine français sont spécialement encouragés à le faire.

In 2020 the BHPC program successfully completed a cyclical review as part of the University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP). For more about the program, see the BHPC 2019 self-study prepared for the review.

Universal Navigation

Universal navigation2.

• Completed Dissertations
• Graduate Studies FAQ
• Request or Update Your Profile
• Submit Your News and Events
• France Partnership

Search form

Follow the links below to learn more about graduate studies at the Department of Art History:

Prospective Graduate Students

Current Graduate Students

Resources for Graduate Students

• About Our Graduate Studies
• Graduate Application Information
• MA Program Requirements
• PhD Program Requirements
• Current Graduate Courses
• Tuition and Funding
• Graduate Scholarships and Awards
• Graduate Program Completion
• Graduate Student Directory
• Students' Union (GUStA)
• Graduate Forms and Guides
• Professional and Skills Development
• Writing Initiatives
• Course Descriptions Archive
• Request new password

Department of History

Ph.d. program overview.

The Ph.D. program in History trains students in the skills of conducting original historical research and crafting original historical arguments. In the course of their work as historians, Brown scholars draw on a wide range of methods and engage with a variety of audiences. While training emphasizes the core skills of academic research, writing, and teaching at the college and university level, the program’s goals do not end there. Many Brown Ph.D. students explore teaching and writing for different settings and prepare for a breadth of careers that value the skills that obtaining a Ph.D. in History entails.

Students are expected to complete Brown’s Ph.D. program in five to six years. As a mid-sized program, the department values and cultivates attentive and hands-on faculty who work closely with students throughout their progress towards a degree. Critically, students in an entering cohort proceed through the program together, so that discussions across fields, geographies, and chronologies are built into the Ph.D. program.

Students accepted into the History Ph.D. program who remain in good standing are guaranteed funding for six years. Ph.D. students not supported by external fellowships work typically as teaching assistants in the second, third, and fifth (and, if relevant, a portion of the sixth) years of their program. There are also opportunities to apply for conference, research, and study grants either through the History Department or the Graduate School.

The information presented here is a summary of the Ph.D. program. For a more detailed description, see the Department of History Graduate Handbook. Prospective students should also read carefully the information supplied on the website of Brown’s Graduate School.

The Program is divided into two stages:

Stage 1: Coursework and preparation for the Preliminary Exams (Years 1-3)

During the first and second years, students take seminars that introduce the major historiographical questions and methodologies of various subfields and develop their research skills. They identify the three fields for their Preliminary Exams and begin preparation for the exams, which are usually taken in December of the third year. Students are expected to teach as teaching assistants in their second and third years.

History offers five types of Ph.D. courses, typically to be completed within the first three years of a student’s program:

1)    Required seminars (4): "History Now" features cutting-edge historical research and writing, including that being written by History faculty members; "The Roots of History" traces the development of the historical profession, focusing on the major methodological and theoretical landmarks in that development; an advanced workshop, "Writing History," guides students through the writing of a publishable paper; a Dissertation Prospectus Seminar culminates in the student’s defense of the dissertation plan and proposal.

2)    Field Seminars offer a broad overview of the historiography of particular fields (e.g., Early Modern Europe, Modern East Asia).

3)    Thematic Seminars provide opportunities to explore a particular theme or methodological frame from a transnational and transtemporal perspective.

4)    Special Topics Seminars focus on the historiography of a particular nation or region, historical "event," or historiographical debate. They allow for focused, close training, including in specialized skills and readings in languages other than English.

5)    Independent Study courses, by arrangement with the instructor, offer students, individually or in small groups, opportunities to explore special interests in depth.

In addition, students will receive course credit for attending "The Practice of History," a series of professionalization workshops that provide guidance in grant-writing, applying for jobs, developing inclusive teaching practices, constructing effective syllabuses, etc.

Students typically take four courses per semester. Up to two graduate courses (exclusive of language courses) may be taken outside the department.

A typical schedule looks like this:

* Can be filled in a number of ways, including a language course, a 1000-level class, an independent study, a 2000-level class, or with a placeholder independent study with the DGS (HIST2910)

Preliminary Examinations 

By the end of the first semester, students should have identified three fields (one major and two minor); these are usually subfields of the primary and secondary fields listed under Fields of Study ). These will be the areas examined in the Preliminary Examinations—three written and one oral exam—usually completed by the end of the fifth semester.

Language Requirement

Language requirements are set by the fields of study. They must be completed before the preliminary examinations are taken at the end of the fifth semester.

Stage 2: Prospectus and advancement to candidacy (Years 3-5/6)

After the successful completion of all coursework, the language requirement, and the preliminary examinations, the student, usually during the course of the sixth semester, develops a dissertation prospectus. Once the prospectus is approved by the student’s dissertation committee, the student devotes full effort (outside of work as a Teaching Assistant) to researching and writing the dissertation.

In the sixth semester, students take the Dissertation Prospectus Seminar, which provides a collaborative structure for the process of identifying viable dissertation projects, selecting a Dissertation Committee, articulating the project in the form of a dissertation prospectus, and, when appropriate, developing grant proposals based on the prospectus. The prospectus, in roughly 15 to 20 pages, states the dissertation topic, sets it in the context of the relevant secondary historical literature, explains the significance of the study, outlines the methodology to be followed, describes the types of primary sources to be used, and provides a tentative chapter outline, a bibliography, and a research plan. During the Dissertation Prospectus Defense, usually held in May or June, the Dissertation Committee reviews the prospectus and provides suggestions and advice to the student. Once the prospectus is approved, the student proceeds to conduct research on the dissertation.

Dissertation

Dissertations can vary significantly between students and among subfields. Students should consult regularly with their advisors during the dissertation research and writing process, to report progress and to ensure agreement on expectations for the dissertation. The most basic standard for a dissertation is that it makes an original contribution to the body of relevant scholarship in its field. The doctoral dissertation should be completed within four years after the student passes the preliminary examinations.

The Dissertation Defense is conducted by the graduate advisor and other members of the Dissertation Committee. Its purpose is to provide a forum for a general discussion of the dissertation—its strengths and weaknesses as a contribution to knowledge and its future prospects.  If the dissertation is approved by the Dissertation Committee, the student has completed the final requirement of the Ph.D. program and can prepare to graduate.

Candidates for the Ph.D. must normally demonstrate satisfactory performance as a Teaching Assistant in undergraduate courses at Brown, or in teaching at another institution approved by the department. A Teaching Assistant usually works as a grader and section discussion leader under the guidance of the faculty member teaching the course. Ph.D. students not supported by external fellowships typically work as Teaching Assistants in the second, third, and fifth years of their program, and one semester in their sixth year. Explanation of the rights and responsibilities of teaching assistants may be found in the Department of History Graduate Handbook.

The written exam for each individual field may consist of (1) a timed, written, closed or open book exam, (2) a long essay or series of shorter essays, or (3) a draft syllabus and one or several course lectures. (Other potential outcomes must be approved ahead of time by the DGS.) The written exam may be completed (1) when the student finishes reading for a field, leaving only the oral portion for December, or (2) immediately before the oral exam in December. The oral exam, which normally takes place in December of the third year, is two hours long and consists of all three exam committee members querying the student regarding the written exams, the field at large, and/or any materials from the exam list. For more details on the preliminary exams, see the History Graduate Student Handbook.

Summary of Exam Process

• May 19 : Fields Declaration Form submitted to the student’s primary advisor (who will normally be the chair of the exam committee), the DGS, and the graduate program administrator
• Summer: Students should initiate conversations with examiners regarding lists and procedures. 
• January : Preparation for the preliminarily exam should begin in earnest, continuing through the summer and fall. Students should enroll for an Independent Study in semester 4 with their primary advisor or other examiner (see above).
• March 31 : Submission of Fields Planning Form , along with drafts of the three field lists and a progress report on language and all other requirements
• September : Graduate program administrator circulates information about the oral portion of the exam.
• November : Graduate program administrator circulates schedules for the oral exams, along with all submitted written exam responses.
• Early to mid-December : Oral exams are conducted. 

Sample Exam Preparation Schedule Note : This is intended only to provide a rough framework for exam preparation; individual exam processes may vary, depending on examiner and student availability and preference.

• January : Initiate reading for Field 1 (usually major field, as part of IS)
• April : Complete written exam for Field 1
• May : Initiate reading for Field 2
• July : Complete written exam for Field 2
• August : Initiate reading for Field 3
• October : Complete written exam for Field 3
• November : Review Fields 1, 2, and 3 in preparation for oral exam

December : Complete oral exams

The capstone project of the Ph.D. program is the Doctoral Dissertation. The Department’s required core course sequence concludes with the Dissertation Prospectus Seminar, which students take in the sixth semester, usually after passing their Preliminary Exams.

The Dissertation Prospectus Seminar (spring semester of the third year) provides a shared structure for the process of identifying viable dissertation projects, selecting a dissertation committee, articulating the project in the form of a dissertation prospectus, and, where appropriate, developing grant proposals based on the prospectus. The dissertation committee, the selection of which is a requirement of the course, consists of a chair and at least two additional Brown faculty members. 

The dissertation committee will be responsible for evaluating the student's dissertation prospectus, to be presented no later than the end of the sixth semester. This usually takes the form of a dissertation prospectus defense, which is an important moment to bring together the dissertation committee to provide input and advice on the prospectus as well as the next steps of research and writing.

After passing the preliminary exams and obtaining approval of their dissertation prospectus by the dissertation committee, Ph.D. candidates are encouraged to proceed with speed and efficiency into the research process. During the research and writing of the thesis, it is the student's responsibility to regularly provide the graduate advisor with evidence of satisfactory progress towards completion. The doctoral dissertation should be completed within four years after the student passes the preliminary exams.

The department expects each student to have a dissertation defense The defense will normally be conducted by the graduate advisor and dissertation committee members, whether in person or via video conference. If the candidate wishes, other graduate students may attend and participate in the discussion.

A Dissertation Defense form must be filled out by the student and submitted to the Department staff. This form should be filed at the same time as the submission of the penultimate version of the dissertation, on March 15 for a May graduation, or no later than one month prior to the dissertation defense date if an October or February graduation. 

If the dissertation is approved by the dissertation committee, the student has completed the final requirement of the Ph.D. and is permitted to proceed with preparations for graduation. Students are permitted by the Graduate School to graduate (having fulfilled all requirements) at three points during the year: October, February, and May. Students who wish to take part in Commencement ceremonies may elect to walk in May following their graduation (or at the time of their graduation, if in May). Brown University Commencement usually takes place the Sunday before Memorial Day. There is a separate Graduate School Ceremony as well as a Department Ceremony that graduate students are especially encouraged to attend.

Amy G. Remensnyder

Universal Navigation

Universal navigation2.

• RSVP - Graduate Orientation 2023-2024
• RSVP - Graduate Program Retreat 2023

Search form

• Curriculum & Course Information
• Graduate Course Descriptions

HIS 1997H  The Practice of History (MA only)

HIS1997 is the common experience of all post-Medieval History MA students. It provides the occasion for you to reflect on the discipline through an examination of theoretical and methodological writing, as well as some historical works exemplifying important currents of historiography. Emphasis in the course is on reading and discussion.

HIS 1001H  Topics in History: Transnational Gender Histories

How can the methodological and theoretical approaches of gender and transnational histories, when brought into dialog, blur the boundaries produced by capitalism, economics, geography, imperialism, and “science?” Students will read empirical, historiographical, and theoretical works from feminists of the Global South in conversation with that of Western feminism, to examine how claims about “culture,” universality, and knowledge have shaped categories of gender performance, sexuality, household formations in transnational perspectives. How has gender performance interacted with bodily disciplines and constraints (e.g., reproductive and cosmetic technologies and the deployment of labor)? How relevant is the experience of western women to that of women in other parts of the world?  What are the measures of equality and liberation, how should they be applied, and who gets to decide? 

HIS 1003H  Theory and History

This course provides an introduction to key theoretical works that animate historical research and practice, as well as connect historical scholarship with debates and problematics in other disciplines.  We will read classic texts of social theory such as Foucault, Marx, Spivak, Chakrabarty, Butler, Braudel, Fanon, and Trouillot in conjunction with problems and methods explored by historians, past and present. Selected themes pertinent to the historian’s craft—temporality and archives, scale, translation—and to the philosophy of history—universalism and alterity, modernity and capitalism--will be taken up to prepare students to craft their research trajectory and projects.

HIS 1004H  History and Biopolitics

This course examines and expands on Foucault’s concept of “biopolitics,” which identified the historical emergence of methods for governing living-being.   The course combines close readings of pivotal historical texts by such authors as Malthus, Marx and Darwin with current interdisciplinary scholarship that reevaluates biopolitics in relation to race, capital formations, colonialism, sex, technoscience,  economy, and ecology.

HIS 1005H  Reading Queer and Trans Histories of North America

This seminar examines the history of LGBQT2+ peoples in the US and Canada, with an emphasis on the post-1945 era. We will examine the emergence of sexual and gender identity categories over time, emphasizing transnational and intersectional approaches to LGBQT2+ history. Topics will include histories of social movements; state regulation; dis/ability; queer and trans cultural production; Two Spirit activism; racial formation; transnational capital; and settler colonialism. While most of the course reading will focus on recently published works of historical scholarship, we will also read some theory that connects these works to larger themes in queer and trans studies. The class will include a visit to The ArQuives in Toronto, the world’s largest and oldest queer community archive. This will enable students to get a sense of the important primary sources in Black, Two-Spirit, and other histories that are available there, and encourage use of those materials. This seminar encourages traditional forms of engagement with course readings (papers, reading responses) as well as emerging and alternative modalities (public writing, digital storytelling). Authors may include Julian Gill-Peterson, Susan Stryker, Hil Malatino, Kevin Mumford, Marc Stein, El Chenier, Albert McLeod, Steven Maynard, Marvellous Grounds, Julio Capo, Emily Skidmore, Joseph Plaster, and others. 

HIS 1006H  Historiography “From Below”: Comparative and Critical Perspectives

History from below,” encompassing various approaches of writing a radical “popular” or “people’s history,” has had an extraordinary influence on recent historiography. Yet from its inception, 'history from below' has had to grapple with the problematic relationship between power, politics and the production of historical narratives. This graduate seminar will seek to assess the powerful appeal, contributions and the contradictions of this diverse school of historiography. We will attempt to achieve our aim by focusing on scholarly and political projects from the colonised and decolonising world endeavouring both to retrieve the histories of “marginal” groups and to write history from the perspective of “the South” (South Asia, South East Asia and Latin America). In this regard, the course will first introduce a number of foundational approaches on the subject, including peasant studies, the British Marxist history, cultural studies, and the “new” cultural history. We will then analyze how scholars from South Asia, South East Asia and Latin America, including the Subaltern Studies Collective, have critically engaged with these paradigms. The course also will draw attention to some of the more recent methodologies and strategies proffered by scholars still grappling with the dilemmas, possibilities and limitations of writing “history from the bottom up,” in regions deeply marked by imperialism, nationalism and globalization. Students working on regions outside those formally covered by the course are welcome.

HIS 1007H  Theories, Histories, Imaginaries

This course draws on theoretical, historical, and creative texts to explore an annual theme relevant to the study of technoscience.  The theme this year is temporality and futures.  The course examines questions of time, chronicity, pasts, remainders, futures, speculation, anticipation, cycles, forecasts, aftermaths, apocalypse, development, genealogy other figurations of time, particularly as they relate to histories of technoscience, life, ecology, colonialism, and capitalism. The course takes up these questions with an emphasis on the recent past and the contemporary and through readings from interdisciplinary and theoretical scholarship with an emphasis on feminist, postcolonial, critical-race, queer, political economic orientations.

HIS 1008H  Practicum in Local and Community History

This course is designed as a practicum – we quickly will move out of the seminar room and into the archives where students will apply a number of techniques and methods used by research historians writing about the nineteenth and twentieth century city. Although the spatial and temporal focus will be on Toronto in the “long” twentieth century, the methods taught will be applicable to other geographic and national contexts. The aim is to prepare students for the research that will underlie their Masters papers or PhD dissertations.  There will be a strong emphasis on the design of research projects and how they can be structured from start to finish in collaborative fashion using a range of digital humanities tools such as Slack, Zotero, Omeka, and Neatline.

The course will begin with readings that cover exemplary recent works in community history and then move on to a section on theory and method.  Visits to the City of Toronto Archives, Metropolitan Reference Library, Ryerson Image Centre, and the Thomas Fisher Library will orient students to available source materials, finding aids, and staff support. They then will be divided in small teams that will model projects, conduct sample research, and develop digital presentation tools.

Each student will be assessed upon 1) a review of a monograph on local/community history; 2) a methodological essay that reflects on both the practice of local history and working collaboratively; and 3) a final digital research project.  In addition there will be regular “hands on” assignment using archival and documentary materials that will be submitted but not formally assessed, but will be considered part of participation.

HIS 1009H  Empire and Liberal Governance

This course delves into techniques and technologies of modern governance, seen especially through the lens of British colonial liberalism, in two broad ways: first, as a central project in the global history of the present, and more particularly, as a key story in the genealogy of contemporary neoliberal mappings of society, subjects, and agency. The seminar will introduce students to foundational literature on the concept of governmentality, historicizing the term by reading it alongside key primary texts on political economy and sovereignty, and postcolonial approaches to political theory. In particular, it poses British India as a site through which to open investigations on the key features and contradictions of liberal governing more broadly, most especially, the relationship between economy as the dominant idiom of governance and the politicization of culture/identity politics.

HIS 1010H  New Historiographies of Capitalism

Highlighting key themes and methodologies in what has been called “the new history of capitalism” emerging since the financial crisis of 2008, this course will grapple with foundational primary texts in the historical, theoretical and interdisciplinary study of capital and capitalism, alongside recent historiography addressing processes of economization and financialization.  Engaging global perspectives via colonial and contemporary formations, and posing the question of governing, the course distinguishes itself from traditional economic history as well as business history by focusing on a key feature of recent historiographies:  the contextualizing of timeless and trans-historical categories of economists through attention to processes that make economic space, time and subjects.  

HIS 1011H  Queer and Trans Oral History

For decades, oral history has been a preferred methodology in documenting social movements and the life experiences of marginalized populations. Recently, LGBTQ history, intersectional feminist politics, and queer theory have given rise to new oral history projects, new identities, and new methods. This seminar will be a workshop in doing LGBTQ oral history, with a focus on queer and trans lives. Students will follow the full life-cycle of the interview and learn how to: develop a theoretically informed research plan; grapple with ethical considerations; write a questionnaire and consent form; find narrators; use audio and visual technology to record interviews; write up fieldnotes; transcribe interviews; analyze and write from the material; and contribute to a digital exhibition using Omeka. We will read work in oral history theory in practice, including work by Boyd; Portelli; Abrams; High; Ramirez; Murphy; and others. The course will undergo ethics review before the first class, but students will learn about IRB procedures as part of the course content. 

HIS 1012H  Indigenous and Decolonial Science and Technology Studies

How have Indigenous and other colonialized people created, taken up, critiqued, transformed and resisted technologies, data, and science? From digital games to laboratories, from genetic research to pollution, from statistics to plants, we will discuss the ways land and body sovereignties are at stake in technoscience. We will learn from the growing field of Indigenous science and technology studies that includes historical and other approaches, and then put this field in conversation with works from other decolonial traditions.

HIS 1013H  Intellectuals and Decolonization

Efforts to decolonize museums, universities, and other institutions have been met with confusion, opprobrium, and applause. It is clear that decolonization no longer refers to a historical period or the fate of a nation, but rather a set of ideas, processes, and movements. This course approaches decolonization from the perspective of intellectual history. What did writers argue that decolonization meant; what role have intellectuals and their institutions sought to play in decolonization; and what were the consequences of their efforts? Moreover, how have historians written—or not written—the history of decolonization? This course will focus on historical responses by anti-colonial intellectuals to the end of the British and French empires and the ascendance of an American one. In addition to the study of anti-colonialism and its narration in professional historiography, this course also considers the relevance for historians of recent theoretical debates over decolonization and what is called "decoloniality."

HIS 1014H  Neoliberalism in North America

Neoliberalism has been North America’s dominant ideological, policy-framework and political,economic and social reality for the last half-century. Neoliberalism’s defining elements— free trade, individualism, market fundamentalism, privatization, deregulation and a weakening of the state –have profoundly reshaped Canadian and American governance and society since the 1970s, and marked a departure from the Keynesian interventionist approaches that dominated policy and discourse from 1945 until the 1970s. This course seeks to historicize neoliberalism’s emergence, its ascendance, and the resistance that this ideology and its policies have engendered from its beginnings in the postwar period to the present, and within a transnational context. The aim of this course is for students to develop their own opinions on just what the impact of neoliberalism has been on life in North America. Students will develop and sharpen these views by critically assessing historical works together, and by individually addressing issues through writing and seminar discussion. It should be emphasized that this is first and foremost a history course, and that all of these activities shall be rooted within the historical discipline.

HIS 1015H  Oral History Theory and Practice

This course will focus on the theory and practice of oral history.  Students will read and analyze scholarly works that utilize oral history interviews, and engage with key debates around issues such as memory, trauma, narrative, and representation.  Students will learn how to develop and undertake a project that employs oral history methods, including the processes of interviewing, archiving, and publishing.  They will grapple with a range of ethical, political, legal, and other considerations inherent to oral history, and of significance to other fields in the study of history.  This course will consider different approaches to oral history, over time and across cultures.

HIS 1016H (J) Historical Readings in Gender and Sexuality: History of Sexuality in China

This reading seminar will focus on sexuality in Chinese history. We will engage with theoretical works as well as empirical studies. What is historically specific about sexual identities, sexual acts, and the discourses and technologies of sex in China? How does the concept of "China" itself relate to sexuality? The goal of the course is to provide students with a basic framework for pursuing additional research, as well as for comprehensive field preparations in these areas. This course will be offered as a joint UG/G course with HIS 485 in the 2023-24 academic year. 

HIS 1017H  History and Social Media: Critical Histories for Big Publics 

This seminar responds to the disinformation crisis of the past decade by focusing on the relationship between social media and history in two ways. First, it offers a thematic survey of the much longer histories behind social media platforms, including global histories of computing, mechanization, capitalism, race, gender, and power. Second, it explores how historians could use these newer technologies to generate better public access to quality historical scholarship. So doing, this course seeks to provide future historians with a deeper understanding of how these “modern” platforms are defined by global historical legacies and biases that require our urgent attention. Readings, research, and seminar discussions help students examine these legacies at work within social media platforms themselves, revealing how they are “haunted” by ingrained biases, rooted in longer histories of racism, colonialism, misogyny/ transphobia, and capitalism. Beyond critique, this seminar focuses on whether social media platforms can function as potential tools for historians. Could a stronger understanding of the technologies and histories behind social media help historians protect public digital access to quality history and data that can make a difference? Assignments and workshops blend traditional formats like book reviews and project proposals with newer digital formats, including the production of TikTok and YouTube videos on archival sources that put our readings into action and attempt to make accurate historical information “go viral.”

HIS 1018H  History as Creative Nonfiction

The course introduces students to creative nonfiction writing by combining elements of a traditional graduate seminar and a writing workshop. The aim is to improve historical writing and prepare students to incorporate elements of creative nonfiction into their writing about the past, whether in the form of traditional scholarship, public facing work, or innovative hybrid forms. The course material and assignments will focus on careful reading and critical analysis, as well as, writing exercises, creative experimentation, and an exploration of the possibilities of form, style, and media. In order to enable students to develop greater confidence and a more self-aware engagement with writing as craft, the course will delve into creative nonfiction methods, tools, and techniques. These will relate to the fundamentals of narrative (e.g., characters, scenes, structure, plot) as well as more experimental forms of creative expression. We will read exemplary works by historians as well as engage with other forms of narrative nonfiction, literary essays, fiction, poetry, and documentary film.

HIS 1019H Science, Nature, and Empire

Empire has long been considered a crucible in which the sciences of nature were formed. The radically different environments, places, and forms of life that Europeans encountered as they expanded their territorial reach overseas—and the exotic organisms that accompanied returning explorers and collectors to Europe—exploded standard understandings of nature and the world, ushering in new theories, methods, and practices for knowing nature. This course will engage literature on the science of nature since the early modern period, with a particular focus on the 18 th and 19 th centuries, in the context of European imperial exploration, expansion, and violence. Particular attention will be paid to the roles of indigenous knowers, knowledge systems, theories, and practices in shaping modern understandings and sciences of nature.

HIS 1021H  Environment and History

More than backdrop to human history, the environment and its constituents—plants, animals, geography and geology—are fundamental forces that contribute to shaping historical events and contouring human societies and cultures. This course explores both the range of interactions between humans and the natural world over time, and the scholarly approaches to analyzing environmental history, emphasizing the methods, questions, and archival approaches central to environmental historians. Because of the scope of the field, the temporal and geographical span of this course is broad. Near global in spatial focus, this course will draw on studies of Africa, Eurasia, and the Americas, and range from the deep time history of the Earth to the early 21st century.

HIS 1022H  Animals, Culture, and History

This course seeks to shift the focus of history away from humans alone onto (nonhuman) animals (and to human-animal-interactions) and engage with the rich and rapidly expanding field of animal history. Animal histories ask us to imagine a more inclusive past that is not anthropocentric, and instead center and restore nonhuman animals into historical narratives, as subjects, active agents, participants and fellow travelers. In this class, students will examine familiar historical narratives on science, medicine, religion, food, law, disability, empire, and war through the lens of animal history.

HIS 1023H  Time, and History

“Translation, Time, and History” is an introduction to the philosophy and practice of history and it is conceived as a bridge or means of conversing across areas and temporal periods. Readings on the debates about historicism spanning a wide range of intellectual traditions such as dialectical thought, postcolonial theory, hermeneutics, and Marxism will be paired with texts pertaining to theories of translation and periodization. The seminar will reconsider questions of historical method and practice through a discussion of contemporary dilemmas of writing historical narratives that engage with the conundrums of globalization.

HIS 1026H  Modernity and Its Others: History & Postcolonial Critique

This seminar presents a postcolonial approach to the history of ideas and to the idea of history.  It tracks three major themes in the history of the idea of modernity from the late 18th through the 20th centuries: political freedom, citizenship and the nation-state; capitalism and its critique; and the relationship of history, memory, and identity.  The course will at once engage in close analysis of canonical primary texts on these themes and introduce students to practices of critical questioning that have emerged from postcolonial historiography.  Drawing largely but not exclusively from South Asian historiography, as well as from the fields of colonial/postcolonial cultural studies, the seminar addresses influential historiographical problems, such as the question of "alternative" modernities; the question of the derivative nature of anti-colonial nationalism; and the problem of writing the history of regions which have been deemed static and without history.

HIS 1031H  Images as History: photography, historical method, and conceptualizing visuality

This seminar examines photography and photographs in three ways: historically, methodologically, and conceptually. Throughout, we investigate the relationship between capitalist accumulation and the photographic image, and ask whether photography might enable us to refuse capitalism’s violence–and if so, how?

Historically, the seminar will cover the era of the photographic image, from its invention in the 1830s to the present. We will be especially concerned with examining the role that photography has played in shaping modern understandings of self, nation, and race. In addition to examining relationships between photography, identity, and power, we will develop a set of conceptual and methodological tools for analyzing photographic images, carefully considering the status of photographs as primary sources for historical research. In terms of the conceptual, we will read and discuss foundational works by Roland Barthes, Walter Benjamin, Susan Buck-Morss, and others. Here, we will consider the ethics and politics of human visual experience as such. What does it mean to see and be seen? How has photography been used to separate, identify, and classify? How have photographs changed the kinds of claims that people could make in their respective private and public spheres? Finally, students will consider ways that they might mobilize the visual archive in their own research.

HIS 1032H  Modernity and Its Visual Cultures

This seminar examines the concept of “modernity” and its expression in visual form and cultural practice. We will focus on developments in visual culture beginning in the second half of the nineteenth century in order to explore a range of transformations in subjective and social experience and economic and cultural practice that scholars from across the humanities and social sciences have described within the rubric of modernity and modernism. By studying both the primary theoretical texts underpinning this concept – including Baudelaire, Marx, Freud, and Benjamin – and key secondary literature, we will attempt to define modernity and capture the nuances of its many competing definitions. We will ground this pursuit in the history of Western visual culture. Key topics will include: technological change (from photography and film to color and printing); the centrality of urban space; theories of vision; ideas about temporality, history, and the archive; emergent practices of collecting and display; travel and colonialism; and consumerism and the mass press. In what ways, we will ask, have changes in visual culture been central to the concept, experience, and origins of modernity? And how does focusing on the visual aspects of modernity help us better understand its broader social, political, economic, scientific, and technological developments?

HIS 1040H  Maps in History: Power and Identity, Conflict and Imagination

A recent historiographical shift has opened up the study of mapping, particularly in its imperial functions, not only as an antiquarian fascination but now also as a source of political, social and intellectual history. This graduate course will examine maps as sites of the construction of identities, of the exercising of power and of performances of violence.

We will look at mapping as an encounter, and as an intrinsically ideological and imaginative process. Each week will focus on a specific set of maps, reading the maps themselves as historical texts and looking at the constructions of space, power, identity, and conflict they engendered. Although taking a global perspective, we will look at four case studies from North America, Africa, India and South East Asia from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, through which we will explore themes of imperialism, nationalism, expressions of sovereignty, territoriality, cartographic literacy, non-cartographic mapping practices, gender and space, counter-mapping, conceptions of self, and wider issues related to geographic imaginations.

HIS 1101H  Race and Gender in the Northern Colonies of North America

A comparative examination of race and gender in colonial New England, New France and the British North American colonies.  Initial sessions discuss theories of gender and race 1600-1850. The course proceeds to case studies of groups such as the Salem “witches.”   It examines debates on women in New France and literature on masculinity in the fur trade.  The course then turns to the Loyalists at the time of the American Revolution, with particular attention to Iroquois and black minorities among the exiles. Occupational groups such as midwives and seamen are analysed. The course closes with examination of two mid-nineteenth century racialized groups, the blacks of Upper Canada and the mixed-bloods of Red River.

HIS 1104H  The Colonial Americas in the Atlantic World, 1500 - 1800

This course examines North and South America, as well as the Caribbean and Meso-America, during the centuries of European conquest and colonization.  A range of topics will be considered, including war, slavery, Christian missions, and the establishment of settler societies, but the main focus will be on the interaction of indigenous peoples and newcomers.  The working hypothesis is that the American empires of Spain, Portugal, France and Britain were the joint creation of natives and Europeans.

HIS 1106H  Topics in Canadian Social History

This course examines selected topics in Canadian social history from the early eighteenth century to the late twentieth century.  Students will have an opportunity to study various significant topics where there is a strong secondary literature.  The topics are organized chronologically, and an effort will be made to appreciate the significance of social transformations over time.  We will focus on the changing approaches and methodologies of historians during the past 30 years.  Ultimately, students should gain a better understanding of both Canada's social history and the writing of social history by Canadianists. Likely topics include: the rise of institutions, aboriginal peoples and acculturation in the prairie west; industrialization and the family; working-class cultures; spectacles and the new cultural history; gender and the reform movements; the rise of the welfare state; immigration; consumerism.

HIS 1107H  Religion, Culture and Society in Canada

This seminar offers an overview of the principal historical movements and historiographical debates relating to the role of religion in Canadian social and cultural development.  Seminar discussions will focus on such issues as native spirituality, the role of religion in the Canadian state, social Christianity, “national” and ethnic Churches, the emergence of Judaism and Islam as religious presences in Canadian society, religion and multiculturalism, secularization, and the relationship between religion and education.  Emphasis will also be placed on using primary sources for scholarly research.  Students will be encouraged to write original microstudies of local religious groups based upon archival research.

HIS 1109H  Topics in Canadian History

This seminar will introduce some of the key topics and classic readings in Canadian history. It is mainly intended to allow PhD students to begin preparation for the Canadian field exam, but it will also provide a general view of work in Canadian history for graduate students. A key aim of the course is to draw students out of their area of thematic or temporal specialization within Canadian history.

HIS 1111H  Topics in North American Environmental History

This seminar course is interdisciplinary, studies past environmental change in North America and reviews major works and themes in environmental history.  Topics include theory and historiography, the pre-European environment and contact period, the environmental impact of resource development, of settlement, industrialization and urbanization, ideas about nature in religion, literature and Canadian and American culture, the conservation movements in Canada and the United States and the modern environmental movement.  The works of American historians such as Donald Worster, William Cronon and Carolyn Merchant, and Canadian historians such as Ramsay Cook, Gerald Killan and George Wareeki are considered.  Students will have the option of writing several analytical book reviews or of writing one research paper to fulfill the written requirements in the course.

HIS 1112H  Canada in Comparative Contexts: Gender, Labour, Migration

This graduate seminar on Canadian history within comparative contexts will focus on three major areas of study - gender history (including sexuality, memory history, food); labour and working-class history (including recent feminist works on race and gender identities); and migration and immigration (including “transplanted” and more recent transnational approaches). The focus will be on the Canadian past, particularly the 19th and 20th centuries, and on Canadian studies but these will be studied within comparative North American and broadly international contexts (The latter will require reading some of the key US, European and other international works). The goal of the course is to provide students who are interested in pursuing graduate work in Canadian history, or social, labour, gender and migration history more broadly, with an opportunity to become more fully immersed in the literatures dealing with three major areas of current research and debate.  They will also be encouraged to undertake comparative and international approaches to their own research.  Students will read theoretical works (including those informed by Marxist, post-modern, critical race, feminist, and cultural studies approaches) and discuss methodology (for example, writing social history with case files) but the emphasis will be on empirical studies.  In dealing with each of the three major themes of the course, the readings will highlight such topics as migrant, immigrant and racialized workers; male and female subjects; female activism vs male activism; gendering migration and workers’ internationalism; working-class sexualities and juvenile delinquency; moral regulation and state repression.

Students will be strongly encouraged to undertake a major research paper using some primary Canadian sources.  Alternatively, they may choose to write their major essay on the historiography of a major topic, such as Asian workers in the Americas.

HIS 1113H  Politics and Society in North American History

This seminar examines selected topics in the political history of North America, drawing on both Canadian and American literature (and, where appropriate, theoretical or analytic works from international scholars) to think about politics in a broad and comparative way.  Students will be encouraged to think about similarities and differences in political cultures across the 49th parallel, and about the development of political vocabularies, institutions, and practices that transcend national, regional, and local boundaries but are simultaneously shaped by them.  The course is intended to appeal to students interested in political, social, economic or cultural history, but also to break down the distinctions between such categories.  Possible themes and topics include: varieties of liberalism; imperalism and republicanism; the emergence of “modern” state institutions; social movements and radical politics; regional influences on politics; citizenship and nationalism; the public sphere; changing ideas of and struggles over political participation; race and gender in politics.

HIS 1114H  Indigenous Histories in North America

This seminar provides a broad regional survey of recent scholarship in Indigenous histories of Turtle Island.  Readings for the seminar will feature histories written by or in collaboration with Indigenous scholars and Indigenous communities, with the aim of drawing students into discussion of comparative historiographies, the role of worldview in historical writing and the significant methodological interventions made by Indigenous scholars and Indigenous studies.  Students will consider oral history and material culture as sources for writing history, and discuss ethical research practices for community-based scholarship.

In addition to active participation in weekly seminar students, each student will write a major paper, approximately 20 pages in length, in the form of a review essay on the historiography of either a region or a topic.

HIS 1117H  Canada: Colonialism/Postcolonialism

This course will introduce students to key works and approaches to the study of empire and ‘race’ in Canadian history. We will discuss the history of migration, the meaning of empire in everyday life, Canada’s relations with the global south, and Indigenous politics. Throughout, we will debate the merits of the ‘transnational’ turn in Canadian history.

HIS 1118H (J)  Canada by Treaty (Joint HIS419H1)

This intensive joint graduate/undergraduate research seminar provides opportunity for detailed study of the treaty processes between Indigenous peoples and newcomers in Canadian history, examining the shift from alliance treaties to land surrender agreements during the colonial period through to the signing of recent treaties including the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the Nisga’a Final Agreement. We will consider the history of Canada as a negotiated place, mapping the changing contexts of these agreements over more than four centuries through readings and seminar discussions. The first six weeks will be devoted to an intensive study of more than four centuries of negotiated agreements between Indigenous peoples and newcomers to the lands that would become the Dominion of Canada.  There will be a day long field trip Friday September 28th to the Woodland Cultural Centre and the Mohawk Institute Residential school and a class trip to the Royal Ontario Museum. For the major assignment, students will select a treaty of personal relevance to them and conduct detailed research (guided by the professor), contributing their findings to a web resource on Canada's treaties. Students in this year's Canada By Treaty will have the opportunity to learn about digital curation and website design. Primary source analysis, seminar participation, digital content, research essay.

HIS 1128H Canada and Transnational History

This course explores how the “transnational turn” has influenced the writing of Canadian history over the past two decades. Students will be introduced to the major debates in the international literature, as well as a range of works in Canadian history that adopt a transnational approach.  In weekly readings, seminar discussions, and in the preparation of a major historiographical paper on a topic of their choosing, students will reflect on the challenges and merits of interpreting, researching, and writing Canada’s history through a transnational lens.

HIS 1142Y (J) Canadian Foreign Relations (Joint HIS405Y)

The course this year will concentrate on the period since 1980-2000. The course will centre around the Mulroney government’s foreign relations, including acid rain negotiations, the free trade agreement of 1988, peacekeeping, the South African question, Canada’s defence policy, and the end of the Cold War. On some topics primary research materials can be made available.

HIS 1168H (J)  Topics in History: History of the Sex Trade in Canadian and Comparative Contexts (Joint HIS417HI)

This course explores the historiographies and historical populations surrounding “the world’s oldest profession” in Canadian and comparative global contexts, from the 17th century onwards. Using a range of texts, students explore both the lived experiences and representations of those involved in this controversial economy, including madams, clients, police, and queer and trans communities. Throughout the course students will examine a range of sex work archives and primary sources, including memoirs, photographs, and film, to develop an original research project on a topic related to the course theme.

HIS 1180H  Race in the USA and Canada

This course explores the enduring power and changing forms of “race” in Canada and in the United States from historical and theoretical perspectives. We will examine how “race” has affected society and inequalities within both nations. We will also see how “race” has impacted both nations’ engagements with the world. To make our comparison concrete, we will consider connections as well as divergences. To that end, our examination of “race” will focus on tracing interactions among law, society, and policy from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. We will examine these interactions as they affected white, black, indigenous, Asian, Latino, Muslim and mixed race residents. We also will probe related impacts on transnational and international relations. This is both a reading and research course.

HIS 1200H  Readings in European Intellectual History

The course will introduce students to the methods and practices of intellectual history with a focus on the development of ideas in Europe from the Enlightenment to the present day. The books assigned in the course will be a combination of classic and exemplary works in the field, theoretical texts in related fields, and some of the best and most representative works recently published in the field. The aim is to give students a solid foundation in the methods and practices of intellectual history, an exposure to a breadth of approaches within the field and a sense of the trends in recent scholarship while also enabling them to engage with challenging theoretical works that will allow them to create their own unique approaches to intellectual history.

HIS 1203H  Jus commune

Jus commune: the rise and development of learned jurisprudence in the High Middle Ages. Jurisprudence is one of the foundational disciplines in the rise of the Universities and the one in which the newly defined figure of the academic most directly became engaged in the rule and development all sorts of high medieval institutions and practices.  This course will examine the texts and practices relate to medieval jurisprudence.

HIS 1204H  Topics in Medieval Church History

Our medieval history students and those in the Centre, whatever their topics of interest, can all profit from some familiarity with the history of ecclesiastical institutions in the high Middle Ages (papacy, episcopate, parish structures, clerical education etc.).  The proposed course would provide the opportunity to acquire such familiarity while varying the topics covered in accordance with the research interests of the students.

HIS 1205H  The Communist Experience in Central and Eastern Europe: Genres of Interpretation

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of 20 th  century east European Communism. A little over three decades since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the east European communist regimes, scholars across the disciplines continue interpreting communism’s multifaceted legacy. Consensus on what exactly constituted state socialism and how to remember it, however, is difficult to achieve. With emphasis on recent historiography, this course highlights the complexities of the communist past. Focusing on a range of issues--such as nostalgia, consumer culture, sexuality, gender, nationalism, dissidence, political violence and attempts at transitional justice--this course will reveal that, when considered as a lived-experience, it is impossible to represent socialism in a straightforward and unambiguous narrative. Instead, we will explore the various, sometimes conflicting, ways in which people lived in and through the communist regimes and the ways in which they have come to interpret their legacy. This course will combine discussion of scholarly studies with screenings of documentary and fiction films. For their writing assignments students will produce a historiographical survey, a comparative essay on visual and written sources, and a research paper based on both secondary and relevant primary sources. Students will also deliver an in-class presentation and lead discussion.

HIS 1210H  Gregory of Tours and the Sixth Century

Seminar on the sixth-century as seen through the historical and hagiographical works of Gregory, bishop of Tours (573-94).  Gregory was the most prolific western historical writer of his age, authoring a large history in ten books, most of which deal with contemporary events, and eight books documenting the miracles, past and present, of the saints.  Gregory is the major source for early Merovingian politics and institutions (secular and ecclesiastical) and for the cult of the saints in Frankish Gaul.  In the last decade and a half his work has been the subject of major revisionist studies exploring the premises of his writing and has stimulated a rich secondary literature contextualizing the social, political, and religious life depicted in its pages.  Gregory’s writings will be supplemented by selected works of contemporary western and Byzantine authors.

HIS 1213H (J) Medieval Institutes of Perfection (Joint HIS428H1)

Up until the twelfth century, a significant proportion of Western medieval sources originated from monasteries. At the same time, many considered monastic life to be the most perfect form of existence. During this seminar, we will try to understand why such was the case, as well as how the monastic ideal evolved from its origin to the twelfth century. We will explore with a critical eye some of the most important monastic primary sources, especially the intriguing hagiographic sources (Lives of saints) and the so-called “normative” sources (rules and customaries). These sources will be read in English translations but students who can read Latin will be encouraged to access the original texts. Thanks to these sources, we will discuss the daily life, internal structures, and interactions with the lay world of the most significant monastic communities of the Middle Ages. This is an introductory course for graduate students desirous to acquire sound bases in the history of medieval monasticism.

HIS 1214H  The Merovingians

Narrative and institutional history of Gaul in late antiquity and the early middle ages, culminating in the Frankish kingdom of the Merovingians.

HIS 1215H  Social Change in Medieval England, 1154 - 1279

A research seminar devoted to the study of social and economic change from the accession of Henry II to the passage of the Statute of Mortmain under Edward I.  Subjects of inquiry will depend upon the interests of the class, which among other things may include: 1) social status and responsibility; 2) the means available to obtain, hold and transfer land; 3) the distribution of wealth and the value of property; 4) trade, industry and markets in town and country; 5) the feudal and manorial “familia”; 6) employment opportunities; 7) food production and transportation; 8) record keeping and literacy; 9) technology; 10) family ties; 11) crime and justice.  Knowledge of Latin and modern European languages is highly desirable.

HIS 1221H  Early Modern Europe: Topics in Social History

Social historians of the past decades have explored new ways of understanding human experience, publishing fascinating new work on sensory history, spatial history, material history, and history of the emotions.  They have worked with some earlier social historical methods, like quantification, they’ve incorporated foundational concerns about class and economics, and they’ve integrated areas of inquiry that took off in the second half of the 20 th century, like the histories of gender, of children and youth, and of race.  Early modern historiography has been transformed by the intersections of these approaches, and in this seminar we’ll consider how the new work on sense, space, materials, and emotions may change our approach to the early modern world.  We’ll look at some theoretical or survey works, read some monographs together in depth, and sound out the scope of possibilities through a few essay collections.   When we look at different sides of human experience, do we see and interpret the early modern period differently?

HIS 1222H  Ritual in Renaissance and Early Modern Europe               

This course will consider the use of ritual as a means of understanding the evolving structures of European domestic, religious, and political life in the period of 1400 through 1700.  Particular attention will be paid to ritual calendars and rites of passage, the inter-penetration of political and religious concerns, the reaction against ritual in the Protestant Reformation, and the expanding use of ritual to substantiate claims of political authority both in Europe and overseas.

HIS 1223H (J)  Humanism and the Renaissance (Joint HIS496H1S)

This seminar will investigate the central place of humanism in the development of the European Renaissance. Beginning with the emergence of humanism in fourteenth century Italy, the class will investigate the influence of humanist ideas on various aspects of the political, social and cultural worlds of Renaissance Europe, north and south of the Alps.

HIS 1228H  Revolutions in History: The Annales School in Context

This course is a readings seminar designed to introduce students to the work of the loose association of 20th-century French historians known as the Annales school, which came to have far-reaching influence on the writing of history around the world. More broadly, this course proposes to explore how an understanding of both historical context and the social trajectories of individual historians can shed light on historical scholarship itself.

HIS 1231H  Topics in French History: Governing a State in Contemporary Europe, France 1940 - 2000

The course aims at giving a plural and vivid image of the challenges facing the governants (i.e. political power and administrative élites) of a modern State such as France during the second half of the 20th century.

HIS 1232H  European Colonialism, 1870-1970: A Comparative History

The course will examine colonialism from the rise of the “New Imperialism”, to the advent of decolonialization. Although all European colonialisms will be considered, special attention will be paid to the two largest European empires, France and Britain’s. The course will further analyze a set of important themes, ranging from power and social control, to race and gender, colonial culture, colonial ideologies, and mechanisms of colonial rules. Chronologically, this course will cover a number of crucial watersheds, from conquest and resistance to the construction of new identities, and the breaks and continuities provided by the two world wars.

HIS 1233H  Colonial Urbanism in the Mediterranean World, 1800 - 1950

Modern European powers tend to inscribe their power onto the urban fabric of its colonies and protectorates.  In the process, colonial cities often became ‘laboratories of modernity.’  This course analyses how – from Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798 to decolonization in the 1950s – colonial urbanism affected the modern Mediterranean world.  It does so by focussing on French, British and Italian urban designs and politics in cities of the Levant and North Africa.  We will pursue comparatively the cultural and material, economic and architectural policies of three major European imperial powers and contrast them to late Ottoman urban culture.

HIS 1234H  Readings in Early Modern French History

This course is designed to introduce students to fundamental questions in the history of early modern France, as well as help prepare students for examination fields in early modern European history. Students will examine a series of key themes and important primary and secondary texts as an avenue into critical reflection on the political, religious and social history of France in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Of particular interest will be the institutions of the Renaissance monarchy, the causes and consequences of the Wars of Religion, historiographical debates surrounding the development of the absolutist state, the social history of war, and the intersection of social change, political history and religious life. All assigned course reading will be in English. Students will write one short book review and a longer essay analyzing a substantial primary text (or series of documents).

HIS 1235H  Histories In/Of The Mediterranean: From Braudel To Post-Colonialism

This seminar addresses the emergence and recent transformation of the early modern Mediterranean as an historical object.  It will offer an overview of the historiography of the early modern Mediterranean from Braudel to his most recent critics, and situate this historiography within the broader field of contemporary scholarship and politics.  In particular, it will explore the methodological and epistemological implications of post-colonial critiques of Orientalism and Occidentalism on the one hand and of the ongoing conversations between historians and anthropologists of the Mediterranean on the other.  Among topics covered will be the emergence of Europe, borderlands and frontiers, varieties of colonial and territorial states, early modern ethnography and travel writing, kinship, merchant "nations" and diasporas, and cultural interaction between the Ottoman Empire and its neighbours.  Students will be expected to write weekly response papers, a book review, an annotated bibliography, and a final paper.

HIS 1236H  French Colonial History: 1830 - 1962

This seminar will examine recent trends in French colonial history, covering the period from the conquest of Algeria (1830) to the wars of decolonization. Readings will span a wide geographical range, encompassing French colonies in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific, and ending chronologically with postcolonial legacies and the question of Francafrique.

HIS 1237H  France since 1870

This graduate course explores themes and episodes in French history since the Paris Commune. Students will be introduced to the historiography of the Commune, the Dreyfus Affair, French colonialism, immigration, the two world wars, the Vichy regime, decolonization, and May 1968.  Memory, identity, citizenship, immigration and empire are some of the recurring themes in this course. Readings will include a range of cultural, political, gender, and social approaches.  In some cases we will read classics, and in others we will consider very recent studies.

HIS1245H  Gender, Men and Women in Europe, 1500-1950

This course explores theories and histories of gender with particular attention to Europe over four-and-a-half centuries. We will consider gender and sexuality as connected and entangled with religion, violence, the state, and everyday life. The chronological and geographic boundaries of the course are porous, and we will be especially attentive to linkages between Europe and Africa, Asia, and the Americas and the ways gender shaped those interactions and intersections and how people experienced them. Assigned readings will pair older scholarship with new work to reveal continuities and changes in the discipline. Students will explore an area of particular interest in a historiographic analysis and participate in peer-review workshops.

HIS1265H  Atrocities and Memory in Postwar Europe and North America

This course will examine how Europeans and North Americans confront the memory of both Nazi mass murder and the Allied bombing of Germany through the law, literature, left wing agitation, film, memorials and museums, and political debates. How do postwar representations of German atrocities and the Allied liberation of Europe, or conversely, German suffering and Allied war crimes shift throughout the postwar period, and what do these representations mean for “overcoming the past?” We will juxtapose generational responses, national reactions (including Germany, Poland, Israel, and the US and Canada), and official vs. unofficial representations of the atrocities of the Second World War. Among the focal points: the Nuremberg and postwar West German trials of Nazis, the fascination with Anne Frank, anti-fascist terror in 1970s Germany, The Berlin Memorial and the US Holocaust Museum, and films such as Shoah and Schindler’s List, and the explosion of debate on the bombing of Germany between 1943-45.

HIS 1268H  The Holocaust: History and Historiography

This seminar explores the history and especially the historiography of the Holocaust. Among the themes we will consider are the roles of religion in the Holocaust, colonial contexts, gender and sexuality, and cultures of memorialization. How has scholarship on these and other matters changed over the course of 80 years? Readings include works written during and close to the events and recent contributions to the field. Combinations and juxtapositions of works are intended to highlight innovations and persistent questions and help you revisit familiar material in new ways. We will read primary sources and secondary literature related to the Holocaust as well as consider how similar issues play out in other cases of genocide and mass atrocity and the scholarship about them. Oral presentations and the long paper (an historiographical analysis, although in consultation with the professor, students may write a paper based on original research) will give students an opportunity to explore areas of particular interest to them.

HIS 1269H (J)  The Social History of Medicine in the 19th and 20th Centuries (Joint HIS423H1)

The seminar, designed to inform students about developments in this new emerging scholarly field, will include topics such as the evolution of the doctor-patient relationship, the impact of medical care upon health, the evolution of such medical specialties as internal medicine, neurology and psychiatry, the relationship between culture and the presentation of illness, and the history of medical therapeutics.

HIS 1272H (J)  Twentieth-Century European History: Globalization and Empire (Joint HIS496H1)

What is globalization? What is empire? How can we think of the relationship between them? Globalization is one of the most widely-used concepts today. As a concept, it means many different things. We will investigate its range of meanings, analyzing in particular its connections with different imperial projects and the types of connections (economic, political, cultural) that they fostered. The goal is to seek to understand the types of globalization active in our world today. In other words, through a historical analysis of globalization and empire we will explore the various processes of economic and political transformation that created our modern present.

This course is designed for advanced undergraduate students as well as MA and PhD students in History and CEES. For the MA students it builds a strong foundation in the core topics and literatures of modern European and global history. For PhD students it supports the preparation of examination fields in this area.

HIS1273H  Taking the Waters: Spas and Water Cures in History

This seminar immerses students into the rich world of mineral water cures. It explores the relationship between the medical sciences and society, and the connections between prescriptive and normalizing medical rituals and sites of pilgrimage, capitalism, and sociability.  The seminar will also focus on shifting medical meanings, on gender dynamics at these sites, and on uses and practices surrounding hot water springs, as well as varied experiences of spa towns as sites of leisure and tourism.  The course is transnational and features case studies in Mexico, Madagascar, Britain, Germany, Tunisia, Japan, France, Austria, Hungary, Greece, and Canada. 

HIS 1275H  Imperial Germany, 1871 - 1918

This research seminar will focus on recent controversies concerning social, cultural, and political change in the time of Bismarck and Wilhelm II. Among the topics to be considered are state- and nation-building after 1866, regional identities, gender and sexuality, religion, culture, antisemitism and murder in a small town, and British diplomatic reports on the rise and repression of the German labour movement. A combination of secondary literature and primary documents (all in translation and many online) will be discussed each week, beginning with a short student presentation. Among the required texts are James Retallack (ed.), Imperial Germany 1871-1918. The Short Oxford History of Germany (2008) and Helmut Walser Smith, The Butcher’s Tale. The course will conclude with a discussion of the East German film adapted from Heinrich Mann’s biting satire, The Loyal Subject (1918).

HIS 1278H  Topics in 20th C German History: The Two Germanies in the Postwar Period

This course is designed to further the preparation of students for examination fields in twentieth-century German and European history. We will read major (new) works on the century’s central period and events — the two world wars, the Holocaust, the rise of fascism, the Cold War and the reconstruction of Europe, colonialism and decolonisation — as well as exploring the larger processes of transformation that span the century as a whole. These include the development of the modern social welfare state and the growth of a mass consumer society, the legacies of war and violence, ethnic nationalism and its discontents, and the strength and weaknesses of democratic political culture (with an emphasis on histories of gender and sexuality). Particular attention will be paid to Germany within Europe. We will also examine works which attempt to connect the two halves of the century – the histories of war and violence with those emphasizing democracy and reconstruction. These works seek to establish an overarching paradigm for the twentieth century, whether it be territoriality and the rise and fall of the nation state or the creation and destruction of political community.

HIS 1279H  World War II in East Central Europe (Joint HIS451H1)

World War II was much more destructive and traumatic in East Central Europe than in Western Europe. The difference was caused by many reasons, among which the Nazi and Soviet plans and policies were the most important. Yet, there were also numerous East Central European phenomena that contributed to the cruelty of World War II in the East. This seminar will explore the external and internal factors that defined the war in the discussed region. Students will analyze the military, political, economic, and cultural activities of Germany, the Soviet Union, and their allies and enemies. Following sessions will concentrate on the fall of the Versailles systems, diplomatic and military activities throughout the war, on occupational policies of the invaders, economic exploration of the invaded, on collaboration, accommodation, resistance, genocide, the “liberation” and sovietization of East Central Europe after 1944. All the secondary and primary sources used in class are English.

HIS 1281H  Experiences of Real Socialism

This research seminar will examine a number of texts and films produced during and after the socialist era. Writings from the former period include memoirs, diaries, fiction, and film produced during the 1960s and 1970s in the Soviet Union and other countries of the “socialist camp,” including Yuri Trifonov’s novel, House on the Embankment (1976); Natalya Baranskaya’s novella “A Week Like Any Other” (1979) and the films The Joke, by Jaromil Jires (1969) and Man of Marble by Andrzej Wajda (1976). Works produced after 1991 include Andrzej Stasiuk’s novel On the Road to Babadag (2004), and the films Goodbye Lenin! byWolfgang Becker (2003) and 24 City by Jia Zhangke (2008).  Additional readings are critical works dealing with the concept of “real (existing) socialism," its legacy and issues of nostalgia.

HIS 1282H  Comparative Totalitarian Culture

The purpose of the course is to historicize the concept of totalitarian culture by examining the relation between propaganda, entertainment, and mass culture, in the context of how both Germany and Soviet Russia related to Hollywood. Primary materials to be considered are German and Soviet films of the 1930s and 1940s.

HIS 1283H (J)  Crusades, Conversion and Colonization in the Medieval Baltic (Joint HIS412H1)

This seminar will explore the impact of crusades, religious conversion and colonization on medieval Baltic history. The focus of the course will be on close reading and analysis of the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia in English translation. Our readings and discussions will include topics such as crusades and violent conversion, medieval colonialism, Europeanization as well as German expansion eastwards, the role of the Teutonic Knights and the strategies of survival of the native Baltic people after conquest and Christianization.

HIS 1286H  Imperial Russian Social History

The first all-Russian (which was really the first all-imperial) census of 1897 categorized the population of the Russian Empire by gender, by social status, by profession, by religion, and in a way, by nationality. In this course, we will examine the ways that those categories developed over the preceding centuries. We will examine how social estates developed, and how alternate forms of social stratification did or did not develop to challenge those estates. We will look at the role religion played in categorizing Russian society, and the ways that the Russian state viewed religion synonymously with nationalism.  And we will investigate the ways that ethnic and national differences became more recognized as important sources of social division, too, related to, and yet separate from these other forms. 

HIS 1287H (J)  Polish Jews Since the Partitions of Poland (Joint HIS433H1)

The history of the Polish Jews and of Polish-Jewish relations are among the most interesting and controversial subjects in the history of Poland. The Jewish experience in Poland can contribute to an understanding of the Holocaust and of the non-Jewish minorities in Central and Eastern Europe. The course will explore the history of Polish Jews from the Partitions of Poland to the present time, concentrating on the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries: the situation of Polish Jews in Galicia, the Congress Kingdom of Poland, and Prussian-occupied Poland before 1914; during World War I; in the first years of reborn Poland; in the 1930s; during WW II; and in post-war Poland. The course will examine the state policies of Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Poland towards Jews; the rise of Jewish political movements; the life of Jewish shtetls in Christian neighbourhoods; changes in the economic position and cultural development of Jewish communities in Poland, and the impact of communism on Jewish life. Materials for the course are in English. Sessions will focus on an analysis of primary sources, translated from Polish, German, Russian, Yiddish, and Hebrew, as well as on secondary sources, representing diverse interpretations and points of views.

HIS 1288H  Russia’s Empire

The collapse of the Soviet Union along national lines brought about a renewed interest in the non-Russian parts of the Imperial Russian state. This so-called “imperial turn” has altered the ways that we think about Tsarist Russian rule. In this course we address different approaches to the study of the Russian Empire as an Empire from its origins in the sixteenth century until the collapse of the Tsarist state — but not precisely of its empire — in 1917.

HIS 1289H (J)  The Cold War Through Its Archives (Joint HIS401H1)

The course reviews the history of the Cold War in light of formerly-secret archival documents.  Examples include the US White House Tapes and Venona decrypts; massive declassification of records in the ex-Soviet bloc; and parallel developments in China, Cuba, and other Communist states.  Archival discoveries have cast new light, not just on individual episodes (e.g., Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979) but on the origins, strategies, and driving forces of this 45-year conflict.  The focus will be mainly on the superpowers and their alliance systems.

HIS 1290H  Topics in Imperial Russian History: Russia’s Empire

This seminar examines selected topics in the history of the Russian Empire from the early eighteenth century to the early twentieth century. Part historiographical survey, part topic-specific examination, the course introduces students to important issues in the history of imperial Russia, including serfdom and unfree labor, colonialism, autocracy and authoritarian rule, and religious and ethnic diversity.

HIS 1296H (J)  Stalinism (Joint HIS490H1)

A historiographical survey of the political, cultural and social history of the Soviet Union during Stalin’s years in power. Major emphasis of the course is on historiography, interpretation, and an introduction to sources. Key topics covered include collectivization, the Great Terror, the gulag, WWII, the Holocaust and postwar Stalinism. This course serves as basic preparation for a minor field in Twentieth-Century Russian history.

HIS 1301H  History of Food and Drink

The field of food studies has emerged in the past few decades as a rich source of interdisciplinary research that also speaks to a broad audience beyond the academy. This class will introduce students to a wide range of approaches to the field from history and allied disciplines. Readings will cover all chronological periods from prehistory to the present and geographical areas from around the world. Because many scholars also teach classes on food, even if they research in other fields, we will also discuss teaching methods. Writing assignments will include weekly reviews and a historiographical term paper. Students should consider this class an opportunity to practice the art of writing clear, compelling prose, even if they adopt different styles in other venues. A part of each seminar will be devoted to “workshopping” student essays and practicing editing skills.

HIS 1416H  Early Modern English Popular Culture 

This seminar introduces students to current research debates and methodologies in early modern British social, cultural and legal history. Topics include orality, literacy and print culture, religion, magic, medicine, drink, sex, work and public order.

HIS 1435H  Studies in Victorian Society

This course will consider some of the major themes in Victorian social and cultural history with emphasis on the most recent secondary literature. Examples include a feminist analysis of the victims of Jack the Ripper, a revisionist treatment of servants after Do w nton Abbe y, and covid-informed examinations of the influenza pandemic of 1918. Emphasis will be on trends in the scholarship, models for writing, and links with other fields.

HIS 1441H (J) Ireland, Race and Empires (Joint with CLT411H1)

Ireland, Race and Empires.  This course examines the extent to which the Irish can be understood as a colonized and racialized people, and the degree to which they participated in the colonization and racialization of Blacks and Indigenous peoples in the British and American empires.  It encompasses debates about whether the Irish were victims of genocidal policies during the Famine, and their role in what one historian calls the “casual genocide” of imperial expansion.  It also discusses the character and limitations of anti-colonialism in Irish nationalist discourse, and attitudes of racialized minorities and Indigenous peoples towards the Irish. 

HIS 1519H  Thinking of Diversity:  Historical Perspectives on American and Canadian Pluralisms 

This one-semester seminar explores the historical evolution of American and Canadian thinking about diversity -- ethnic, religious, and regional -- from early modern defenses of religious toleration and the “two nations” concept to early twentieth-century “cultural pluralism” and today’s multiculturalism.  Participants will consider the development of pluralist ideologies as articulated by intellectuals and in more everyday, vernacular forms, such as political campaigns, historical commemorations, and other Ccultural productions.  They will examine pluralist thought in the context of competing ideologies, such as nativism.  And they will explore the problems and promise of comparing pluralist ideologies and other responses to diversity in Canada and the United States.  The seminar combines intensive reading in primary and secondary sources -- including an emerging literature by Americanists and Canadianists on the early roots of multiculturalism -- with discussion, in-class presentations, three short response papers, and the preparation of a detailed prospectus (25 pages) for a research project in this developing field.

HIS 1531H  American Political History Since 1877

This course is a one-semester seminar designed to introduce students to major themes and problems in the political history of the modern United States. We will examine a range of topics under the heading of politics broadly defined, including the ways ordinary Americans of various backgrounds practiced politics; reform movements such as Populism and Progressivism; American nationalism; the emergence of the federal administrative state; the rise and fall of the New Deal political order; and the resurgence of conservatism since the 1960s. The seminar seeks to provide an introduction to American political historiography that would prove useful to, among others, students preparing for comprehensive examinations.

HIS 1532H  American Foreign Policy in the Cold War

This seminar will provide an in-depth exploration of U.S. foreign policy during the so-called “Cold War Era.”  Cold War historiography has exploded in recent decades: In addition to diplomacy and strategy, a history of US policy in this era requires attention to the intellectual, psychological, legal, racial, and gendered foundations of policy. Weekly discussions will consider how scholars have brought new methods to the study of the Cold War, and how consideration of the Cold War has helped propel the field of history in new directions.

HIS 1533H  Gender and International Relations

This seminar explores the use of gender as a category of analysis in the study of international relations. Topics include gendered imagery and language in foreign policymaking; gendered beliefs about war and peace; sexuality and the military; gender in the global economy and global governance; sexual violence and international human rights; gender and international security; and contributions of feminist theory to IR theory.

HIS 1538H  Readings in U.S. History

This seminar will survey some of the important topics and readings in U.S. history after 1877. Given the extensive scope of the historiography in the U.S. field, this particular section of HIS1538H will have a thematic focus on the “history of capitalism,” with an emphasis on the 20 th century. This relatively recent field brings together subfields such as the history of slavery, business history, critical management studies, labour history, economic history and the history of consumption, advertising, marketing and logistics. In this course, we will pay careful attention to how historians have brought analytic attention to structural inequalities based on race, gender, class, and sexuality to bear on their analysis of political economy. Readings will include works by authors such as Tanisha Ford, Cedric Robinson, Nan Enstad, Bethany Moreton, Louis Hyman, Kim Phillips-Fein, N.D.B Connolly, Peter Hudson, Dan Bouk, Lizabeth Cohen, David K. Johnson, and others. The course is designed for students preparing for comprehensive fields or others seeking a basic background in 20th century US history.

HIS 1543H  Topics In Material Culture

Material evidence such as clothing, consumer and household goods, art, built form, and landscape can provide unique and exciting insights into past and present culture(s) unavailable through textual sources alone.  Because of historians’ reliance on documents, we have overlooked material sources, in the process failing to develop a methodological framework for their study found in such object-centered disciplines as archaeology, anthropology, art history, and folklore. This is a historical methods/theory course where students produce a research proposal on a topic of their choice that centers on material culture.  The goal is to demonstrate the importance of objects for understanding the past by exploring current interdisciplinary trends in theory and methodology.  We examine how artifacts can inform historical inquiry and conversely how historical research can shape what we know about the material worlds of the past.  Although much of the theoretical and applied writing in material culture is North American, we will also look at the somewhat different approaches to the subject developed in Canada and Europe.  The course will give participants a better understanding of the practice of history in general and innovative ways to approach it.

HIS 1552H  Historical Perspectives on Gender and Migration

Gendered analyses conducted within varied theoretical and methodological contexts have arguably transformed the historical study on immigration, and feminist and gender approaches have gained a critical standing in analyses of international migration. More recently, critical gender interventions are being made within the field of mobility studies, with its focus on regional, continental, oceanic, and global migrations. This seminar explores the relation of gender and migration within national and comparative contexts, including for North America, and through a focus on mobility on a larger scale. It considers the major international migrations that have shaped the modern world as well as the making of refugee, labour, marriage, and family migrants. The features of migration as a gendered phenomenon—historically, migrations have been sometimes male-predominant, sometimes female-predominant, and sometimes gender balanced—will be highlighted. The course will consider the methodological problems posed by gender analysis of migration as well as methodological approaches that have proved important to the field, such as oral history (for the modern era). Other topics considered include pluralisms in different national contexts, and Indigenous/immigrant encounters.

HIS 1555H (J)  Gender and Slavery in the Atlantic World, 17th to 19th Century (Joint HIS446H1)

The course examines the relationship between gender and the experience of slavery and emancipating several Atlantic world societies from the 17th-19th centuries. Areas to be covered are the Caribbean, Brazil, the U.S. South, West and South Africa and Western Europe.

HIS 1662H  Rethinking Modernity through Japan

The purpose of this seminar is to introduce graduate students to the major problems, paradigms, and literature on global modernity as seen through the lens of Japan. The course will begin with reflections on area studies as it has addressed questions of modernity and modernization in Japan, while also attending to recent criticisms of this body of knowledge. Although specific topics will vary from year to year, they may include considerations of nationalism, democracy,  labor, social management, science, education, biopolitics, empire, temporality, gender and sexuality, culture and ideology, warfare, social conflict, and shifting understandings of human difference. Readings selected for their theoretical or comparative utility will complement those on Japan. 

HIS 1664H (J)  Religion and Society in Southeast Asia (Joint HIS496H1)

This course introduces students to the historical debates on religion and society in the eleven states that now constitute “Southeast Asia.”  Readings will address how religious practices in the region—animism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism and Christianity—have served as forces for social and political change in the modern period.  Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of “religion” in the region’s political transitions in the twentieth century, including the ways in which Southeast Asia’s approach toward “modernity” directly relies upon religious authority.

HIS 1668H  Topics in Early Modern Asian History

This course examines the historiography of the Asian region from c. 1500-1800 A.D. It focuses on the works emerging in the recent two decades, particularly those that seek to move beyond political-economic concerns, European-Asian dichotomization, the confines of area studies like “East Asia”, “Southeast Asia” and “South Asia”; as well as the dissection of historical periods into “medieval”, “early modern” and “modern” eras. The topics and approaches include the exploration of “parallel histories” and “connected histories” across Asian regions and around the world, the use of historical anthropological methods in the studies of Asian localities, and the study of units of analysis of border-crossing potential such as those following the movements of commodities, people and networks.

HIS 1673H  Critical Historiography of Late Imperial and Modern China

This course introduces students to a series of important topics in recent scholarship on late imperial and modern Chinese history. It covers major methodological and theoretical issues and debates such as the relationship between history and interdisciplinary theory, Orientalism and postcolonial studies, women and gender study, print culture, history of emotions, nationalism and modernity, economic history, microhistory, archives and knowledge production, and rethinking of Chinese legal “tradition.” The assignments could include research paper, one or more critical/reflective book reviews from a reading list, and/or critical reflection essays on the class readings. This course is different from and complementary to my other graduate seminar HIS1674 China in Global History. These two courses are offered in alternate years.

HIS 1674H  China in Global History

This course explores major themes and debates on the historical interconnections between China and other parts of the world based on the most recent scholarship and cutting-edge theories. It combines critical reflections and class discussions with a well-planned schedule for students to finish a quality research paper under the instructor’s guidance. This course will enable the students to further enhance their research and writing skills, prepare for a publishable article, or write up their thesis or doctoral dissertation proposal.

HIS 1675H  Imperial Circulation and Diasporic Flows in the British Empire

Over the last few years, the task of rethinking the British Empire has involved reconnecting issues of race, class, gender, nation, and empire. This new imperial history is greatly strengthened by recent historical works which explore a range of issues including mixed-race liaisons, lascar seamen, the English language, conversion, and chain migration. This history connects the local and the global. This course offers a thematic approach focused on modern South Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Rim, and the British Empire. Through exemplary studies, it challenges conventional, uni-directional dichotomies of empire-periphery & homeland-diaspora. It discusses how multi- directional modes of imperial circulation and diasporic flows transform both our understanding of the British Empire, and of imperial and trans-national history writing.

HIS 1677H  Empire and Nation in Modern East Asia

This course interrogates the utility of the conceptual categories “empire” and “nation” in analyzing the modern history of East Asia and beyond. Chronologically, we will cover the collapse of the Qing empire, the arrival of Western industrial powers, the rise of the Japanese empire, the emergence of nationalisms in East Asia, and the ascent of China in contemporary geopolitics. In the final section of the course, we will move beyond the anthropocentric approach and the identity paradigm to explore the meanings of “empire” and “nation” in the context of the material and planetary turns.

HIS 1702H  Colonial Violence: Comparative Histories

Historians have often downplayed violence as a central theme in the foundation and governance of colonial empires. In this seminar course we consider the violence of conquest and resistance, colonial genocides, anti-colonial rebellions, everyday violence and the law, the impact on indigenous peoples, policing, settler violence, and links between violence in the colonial and post-colonial eras. What are the implications for new thinking about some of the major issues in recent history such as the Holocaust and world wars, the crisis of postcolonial states, the Cold War, continuing western military interventions in Africa and the Middle East, and issues of memory and forgetting? We will examine case studies from a variety of periods and places in a comparative framework.

HIS 1704H  Seminar in Latin American and Caribbean History

Made up of several independent nations and overseas dependencies, the Latin American and Caribbean region is both the product of a tumultuous past and a site of constant reinvention. Once the home of hundreds of distinct languages and cultures, this fascinating region has witnessed centuries of dramatic changes: from the Iberian invasions of its indigenous heartlands to the Haitian Revolution, from the struggles to build independent nation-states in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to the rise of military dictatorships and more recent efforts to rebel against an overbearing United States.

This course examines diverse debates within the study of Latin American and Caribbean History, from the pre-Colombian era to the present (specific topics and approaches vary from year to year, based on instructor preference). No prior knowledge of the region or of historical research is required; indeed, the course is open to students from any discipline and specializing in other regions of the world. The goal of this seminar is to provide students with a foundation in the historiographies of colonization, racialization, nation-state formation, gender and sexuality, and the environment (among other topics).

HIS 1705H (J) Trends in Women and Gender History in the Global South (Joint HIS406H1)

This graduate seminar is intended as an introduction to key issues, debates, and themes in the historiography of women and gender in the global south. With an emphasis on Africa, we will mostly focus on recent publications that aim to make new theoretical and empirical interventions into what has been an experimental sub-field, especially in terms of methodology.  We will also, however, consider older, now more canonical texts that still underline the terms of interesting debates.

The seminar will be a space for intellectual exploration and learning, for the forming and sharpening of ideas, and for discovery about some of the ways women and gender historians (and our colleagues from related disciplines such as historical anthropologists) have been making histories, working in a variety of fields and archives, defining and theorizing problems and using evidence-based research.

The requirements are designed to give students great flexibility in developing work that will be most useful to their various personal research interests and needs.

HIS 1707H  Topics in African History

An in-depth examination of critical themes and topics in the histories of Africa. Content in any given year depends on instructor. Past iterations have focussed on themes such as sources and methods in African history; slavery and postslavery; labour and commercialization; violence and conflict; gender and colonialism; environmental change and health; state formation and urbanization. All students will engage with major historiographical debates, assignments geared towards professional development (book reviews, comprehensive exams preparation, mini conference presentations, etc), and produce either a major research paper based on primary sources or a historiographical paper. See the Department of History website (Graduate) for further details on each offering.

HIS 1708H  Space and Power in Modern Africa

This course examines the production, experience, and politics of space in modern Africa from a historical perspective. How is space - local, national, and imperial - produced? In what ways does power inscribe these spaces? This course will explore these questions through a variety of readings examining historical examples and cases from across the continent from the late 19th century through to the present.

HIS 1710H  Slave Emancipation in the Atlantic World

This course explores the long process of the ‘unfinished revolution’ of abolition in the Atlantic World from the 18th-late 19th century Atlantic World. It will take a comparative and transnational approach, with materials that include primary printed sources, classic texts, current historiography, literature, explorations of the history of emancipation through digital and visual culture. We will examine scholarship and historical debates about abolition in the Caribbean, North and South America, West Europe and Africa.

HIS 1712H Topics on the History of Ethiopia 

“Topics on the History of Ethiopia” will provide students with a forum to examine the history of the region from prehistoric times to the present. Particular attention will be paid to the Axumite, Zagwe and Solomonic dynasties, to the India Ocean and Red Sea trade routes, to relations with Egypt, the Sudan, Somalia and the Arabian Peninsula, and to the adoption of Middle Eastern religions. The UofT has a rich collection of unique on-line resources, including Mazgaba Se’elat (<ethiopia.deeds.utoronto.ca> UserID & Password: student) a database of 75,000 original images of Ethiopian art and culture; the entire collection of 219 manuscripts (18,000 folios) from the 15 th -century monastery of Gunda Gunde ( http://digitalscholarship.utsc.utoronto.ca/projects/gg/frontpage ), and a growing collection of interviews with craftsmen currently involved in chiseling out churches from the rock ( https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/projects/ethiopic-churches/ ). “

HIS 1725H  Topics in Latin American History: Race, Genders, and Citizenship

A popular saying in various parts of Latin America is that “Mexicans descended from Aztecs, Peruvians descended from Incas, and Argentines descended from boats,” which posits that some countries construct their identities in relationship to pre-Colombian indigenous histories, and others to processes of immigration. Who gets excluded from the national body in these framings? And how have those marginalized groups sought to create more inclusive conceptions of citizenship and belonging?  To answer these questions - which trace their roots to Latin America’s colonial period, took on contentious implications during the independence era, and remain at the heart of contemporary discourse throughout the region – this course will guide students through an examination of historical documents, scholarly analyses, and various forms of cultural production.

HIS 1783H  Jews of the Premodern Islamic World

For a millennium, most of the world’s Jews lived in Islamic lands. The result of this extended encounter was that Jewish literature and culture developed in intimate dialogue with Muslims. This course explores key facets of that Jewish-Muslim relationship. Topics may include: social and legal history, the political and legal institutions that shaped the Jewish experience of minorityhood; the Islamic religious milieu which simultaneously challenged and inspired Jews; and the popular and scholarly culture which Jews both consumed and contributed to. A major focus of the course will be on investigating the promises and challenges provided by different genres of primary sources, most of which were written between 900 and 1600. We will examine legal, documentary, and literary sources, and consider the strategies that scholars have developed to draw information from them. Prior course work in either Jewish or Islamic studies is recommended. All texts will be provided in English although students with knowledge of Hebrew and/or the languages of the Islamic world will be encouraged to put those skills to use.

HIS 1784H  The Islamic Revolution

This seminar explores the making of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Framed in a comparative historical perspective on revolutions, it interrogates the cultural and political peculiarities that made possible the rise of Shi‘i clerics to power after the overthrow of the Pahlavi Dynasty in February 1979. This course particularly focuses on the pre-revolutionary conception of a diseased “social body” that required the intervention of “spiritual physicians” to restore the moral and spiritual health of society.

HIS 1786H  The Middle East & Europe in 19th-Century Travel Literature

This course introduces graduate students to the use of travelogues as a historical source by focusing on the literature produced by and about Middle Easterners from the 19th century. We will examine the ways in which travelers’ journeys intersected with the geopolitical aims of empire and colonialism in the production of knowledge. We will also look at how travelers’ experiences of foreign cultures were shaped by such factors as religion, gender, and ethnic identity. Finally, we will explore the phenomena of spiritual awakenings, orientalism, and cultural appreciation and appropriation. All sources will be provided in English translation. Students with knowledge of other languages will be encouraged to put those skills to use. 

HIS 1800H  Global Histories of the Archives

This course problematizes the repositories from which historians derive empirical evidence and interpretive authority. It asks how we might think of archives and libraries not as inert containers of information to be mined, but as social processes and historically evolving institutions shaped by contingent material-cum-textual practices of truth-making. Case studies spanning a wide spatial and temporal arc will offer a comprehensive introduction to a transnational historiographical field and a set of conceptual frameworks and methods for further work at the intersection of Book History, Anthropology, Archival Studies, Media Studies, and Settler Colonial Studies. Readings will focus on topics such as the emergence and transformation of imperial archives, the long shadow of Eurocentrism in both Book History and Archival Studies, the role of scribes, archivists, and cataloguers as cultural intermediaries, the entanglements between state, corporate, and family archives, and the constitutive role of myriad archival practices in varied regimes of evidentiality and governmentality, from medieval scriptoria to Indigenous digital platforms. In particular, the course will thematize the centrality of mobility – of textual/visual artifacts, technologies, genres, scribal practices and practitioners – across presumed divides (manuscript:print:digital; pre:modern; metropole:colony; north:south; east:west) in the making of “documents” and “archives,” “books” and “libraries” as objects of study.

HIS 1802H (J)  Slavery in North America (Joint HIS496H1)

Slavery has existed in many human societies throughout history. Beginning in the sixteenth century, European empires pioneered a new system of racial chattel slavery predicated on enslaving Native Americans and the transportation of enslaved African captives to plantation zones in the Americas. This course examines the history of slavery in British North America and the United States (c. 1619-1865). We will explore both the Atlantic and domestic slave trades; Indigenous and Atlantic slaveries; the codification of racial difference that accompanied slavery’s expansion; gender and the reproduction; enslaved people’s lives and politics; the economic history of slavery; the politics of slavery in the United States (1776-1865); and the destruction of chattel slavery during the Civil War (1861-65). We will conclude by taking up what Saidiya Hartman calls the afterlives of slavery in post-war American history.

HIS 1805H  Human Rights and Empire

In what ways are human rights and empire entangled? What rights discourses developed in the colonies and territories across the global South and how did they shape the imperial subject? How did human rights in turn take shape at the end of empire and within the postcolonial world? This course uses a thematic approach to explore the connections between human rights and empire in the modern era, beginning with the New Imperialism of the nineteenth century to the present day. Emphasizing Asia and Africa, topics include theories and genealogies of human rights, personhood and sovereignty, individual-state relations, revolution and mass social movements, humanitarian intervention, anticolonial nationalism, and international law.

HIS 1806H  Histories of the Carceral State

The United States is home to five percent of the world’s population but nearly twenty-five percent of the world’s prisoners, including a disproportionate number of African Americans and Latinos. “Mass Incarceration” has been enormously profitable for corporations despite generating large public deficits and social crises in communities of color. It has also provoked public and scholarly debates about the history, ethics, and function of incarceration in modern societies. Drawing upon an interdisciplinary approach to politics, race, state-formation, capitalism, and empire, this course explores the origins of the U.S. carceral state and considers it alongside other twentieth-century carceral states in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.

HIS 1810H  Indigenous Economies and Imperialism

This course will explore relationships between Indigenous peoples, empire, and capitalism since the late fifteenth century. It will focus on questions of the embeddedness of economies in a wide variety of both Indigenous and imperial societies and cultures while paying particular attention to critiques of both empire and economic systems, whether feudalism, gift or other indigenous economies, or capitalism. The course will also explore the imperialism of the discipline of economics, its scientific discourse of universal laws, and the ways in which these have driven the expansion of the market system, influenced recipes for “improving” Indigenous society, and continue to profoundly shape historical analysis.

HIS 1820H  Law, Space and History

An introduction to historical studies of law and space, this course will cover themes such as legal histories of colonization and the corporation, emergency, legal geographies of national spaces, frontiers and urbanism, the constitution of public and private property, and bodily space. In addition, the class will consider methodological reflections on jurisdictions, temporality, scale and place-making for historians. Readings will be cross regional and comparative but focus on colonization in Asia, Africa and North America. Open to students of anthropology, geography, and law.

HIS 1825H  Changing Skylines: (Re)mapping Urban History in the Global Age

This reading seminar examines how modern cities have been conceptualized in historiography and related interdisciplinary literature. The urban types and global moments that we are covering include colonial/postcolonial cities, industrial/postindustrial cities, socialist/postsocialist cities, Cold War cities, as well as science/smart cities. At stake here is to think about how to (re)write urban history when cities of the global South have increasingly become the sites for us to imagine urban futures. Special attention will also be given to the roles of war, ideology, capital, aesthetics, technology, and ecology in the making urban landscapes and infrastructures.

HIS 1830H  Critical Approaches to Historical Anthropology

‘Historical anthropology’ as a distinct, appealing and influential mode of enquiry seeking to combine historical and anthropological approaches to analyse social and cultural processes through time, emerged from important dialogues and engagements between historians and anthropologists over the past three decades. Through a critical examination of the propositions of ‘historical anthropology’, the course will probe how its practitioners have grappled with the constitutive, if problematic relationships between ‘culture’, power and history and ethnography and the ‘archive’. Equally, it will assess the extent to which historical anthropology has elaborated new research methodologies, shaped historiography and facilitated conversations and encounters between disciplines. In this regard, course readings will draw attention to recent strategies proffered by scholars grappling with the possibilities and dilemmas of historical anthropology in spaces deeply marked by colonialism, nationalism and globalisation like South Asia. Course materials will draw upon, but will not be limited to readings from South Asia

HIS 1840H  Empires in World War II

This seminar explores the fate of colonial empires during the pivotal period of the Second World War, globally defined (1937-1945). It spans much of the planet, from Canada to India, Manchuria and Indochina, as well as encompassing both Anglophone and Francophone Africa, and the colonial metropoles of Britain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan. Thematically, it considers the conflict from multiple perspectives, including the power inversions inherent in colonies liberating or coming in aid to their motherlands. The readings encompass cultural, political, military, gender and memorial themes. The seminar will focus for instance on Italian colonial cinema, on forms of Japanese power in Manchuria, on the war effort undertaken by African civilian populations, on the battle for natural resources, and on the tensions generated by the World War in Canada. The course will feature several non-mandatory films: showings will be arranged at Robarts Library.

HIS 1860H  Global Rights: A Critical History

This course will look at the history of human rights globally in the twentieth century. Students will focus on a range of rights debates across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The goal of this course is to engage with key moments in human rights history, with a focus on the emergence of major human rights movements and institutions, and their interactions with liberalism, colonialism, capitalism, and social justice. The readings for this course will be mainly within the field of history, but will also include law, anthropology and political science. This course invites students to read human rights history from the perspectives of activists as well as lawmakers. As such we will read a variety of secondary and primary sources.

HIS 1880H  Digital History

This course will introduce graduate students in history to the conceptual, epistemological challenges of the rise of digital communication, research tools, and archives; to the emerging historiography written by historians using digital tools and archives or developing historical interpretation sin digital formats; and to the range of digital tools that allow them to contribute to this emerging historiography.

HIS 1890H  Regimes of Value

Notions of value are central to a wide variety of human activities, informing spirituality, morality, economics, social relations, public policy, and our relationship with the natural and built environments. Scholars in the humanities and social sciences, though, rarely do anything more than invoke an implicit understanding of the concept. Is value innate in people, places, and things? Or is it actively defined and redefined, whether by individuals or society as a whole? This course focuses on value in a series of contexts, including the value of money, commodities, and human life as well as the values promulgated by religion and morality. In doing so, it draws on the insights of political economy, anthropology, sociology, literary theory, cultural studies, and history to both demonstrate the value of deliberate reflection with respect to the use of concepts and to deepen our understanding of this incredibly important concept in particular.

HIS 1900H  History in International Affairs

The course will explore historical examples of decision-making in international affairs. The choice of case studies will vary from year to year, but might allow attention to a wide range of issues: e.g., decisions to go to war; economic globalization and instability; energy and environmental crises; regional tensions around indigenous, ethnic, or religious divisions; post- colonial political adjustments involving law, gender, and institutional development. Readings, research, and discussions will consider whether greater sensitivity to historical roots and complexities might have improved the results produced by decisions and solution efforts.

HIS1901H  Approaches and Methodologies in Contemporary International History

This course will introduce students to historical methods, analytical problems, and new modes of inquiry involved in the study of contemporary international history (CIH) as reflects faculty area of expertise and current scholarly trends. As a hands-on methods training course, students will delve into recent historiographical questions, develop research and writing mechanics, interrogate archival practices, and explore different aspects of the profession and discipline in the context of the highly dynamic and expanding CIH Field. The course will emphasize global, transnational, and international approaches to the recent histories of all regions, allowing students to work on their research interests at the same time.

Cross-Listed Courses

Jhl 1680h  revolutionary women's cultures in east asia, early to mid 20th century.

This course examines the interrelationship of concepts and practices of what we may term “revolutionary womanhood” and “revolutionary culture” (in the spheres of literature, cinema, arts, mass print media, and cultural associations and institutions) in different modern national, anti-imperialist, and socialist movements of the early to mid 20th c across East Asia. “Revolution” and “woman” were key terms, representing “new” subjectivities, collectivities, and arenas for imagining/enacting the transformation of the political, social and cultural realms in China, Japan and Korea.  When brought together under different frameworks of “revolutionary womanhood” what new possibilities emerged for these imagined and real transformations? We will explore the expressions and meanings of “revolutionary womanhood” in different cultural genres and media, examine the historical contexts of each revolutionary moment/movement, and engage with scholarship on the intersections between ideas and practices of revolution, culture, and gender. While attentive to particular local contexts, we will also explore the intra-regional circulation of concepts of “revolution”, “culture” and “woman” and their changing meanings across the period in East Asia. We will also engage in further comparative analysis with other revolutionary cultures transnationally, including but not limited to pre and post 1917 Russia, Europe and the U.S., with which ideas and practices of “revolution” and “new womanhood” in East Asia had deep practical and imagined connections. In this sense, we will explore the transnational (or internationalist) dimensions and visions of revolutionary women’s cultures in East Asia.

All primary works will be in English translation, but students with knowledge of Chinese, Japanese and Korean are encouraged to read works in the original languages. Students whose research interests include histories of 19th and 20th c revolutionary movements and cultures and questions of gender outside of East Asia are very welcome to join the course.

BKS 2000H  Advanced Seminar in Book History and Print Culture

What does the history of books have to do with the so-called “archival turn”? And how might both respond to the challenges of global and entangled history? This course introduces students to book history and the history of archives as inter-related fields. In particular, it thematizes mobility – of textual artifacts, technologies, genres, scribal practices and practitioners – across presumed divides (manuscript:print:digital; pre:modern; metropole:colony; north:south; east:west) in the making of both “books” and “archives” as objects of study. Through a series of case studies students will explore how both books and archives (and books in archives!), as specific instantiations of textual materiality and institutionalization, might be thought of not as inert “objects” waiting to be mined extractively, but rather as processes imbued with social lives and shaped by contingent textual practices. Course readings and activities will offer a strong grasp of two thriving historiographical fields and their significant intersections, as well as divergent conceptual and methodological frameworks for further research across them.

HPS 4110H  Medicine, Science, and Mobility in the Mediterranean World

The Mediterranean world has historically been characterized as a fluid and permeable space of both human and non-human movement across Africa, Asia, and Europe. This course examines the role of Mediterranean interactions in the histories of science and medicine, focusing on the premodern period. We will address topics such as medical pluralism; the relationship between slavery and medicine; the management of epidemics and public health; the movement of specimens and curiosities; travel and scientific exchange; the genesis of orientalism; and the making of human diversity. We will also critically reflect on the category of mobility, engaging in questions related to how movement participated in processes of knowledge production in the sciences and medicine and, conversely, how scientific and medical pursuits encouraged mobility.

HPS 4106H  Environment, Technology, and History

Environmental history takes as its foundational premise that human beings shape and alter their environment, and that the rest of non-human nature, in turn, influences societies and cultures the world over. A recent generation of scholars working at the intersection of the histories of environment and of technology have further demonstrated the degree to which technologies mediate this reciprocal relationship. This course will introduce students to both the histories of human-environmental-technological interaction, on the one hand, and the historiography of this nexus on the other. The focus will be on transnational flows and interconnections since 1800, from toxic places and toxic bodies, to nuclear energy, climate change, environmental justice, and the concept of the Anthropocene. Students will have the opportunity to build significant independent research projects over the course of the semester, with guidance on methods, archival research, and best practices for academic writing built into the structure of the course.

RLG 3203H  The Talking Book

The trope of the “Talking Book” appears within early Black American literature. Those who were not yet literate regarded others moving their lips and reading aloud as seemingly “talking” to the book. The Bible was one of the central works that Africans in the Americas confronted as a written and oral text. This course explores the history and development of biblical interpretation by Black biblical scholars in North America. It considers how these scholars address the use, impact, and influence of biblical texts in African Diasporic cultures and traditions. It examines the disciplinary and methodological diversity of their work as well as their challenges and contributions to academic biblical studies.

MSL 2303H  Special Topics in Museum Studies: “Difficult” Heritages and Precarious Times

This course delves into discussions surrounding “difficult” heritages, “dark” tourism and stories of conflict, pain and shame explored by museums, exhibitions, and historic sites. It also explores the role cultural institutions and sites play in times of conflict and uncertainty. Classes will be structured around a series of questions such as: What is heritage? Who gets to decide what will be memorialized? What are the socio-political contexts in which stories are told? Who are the audiences for this work? We will investigate evolving definitions as well as practices, ethics and ideologies of curating and collecting, learning, and leadership of spaces and places sharing histories of war, genocide, oppression, inequality and on-going threats to survival. We will approach topics with criticality, curiosity and empathy, working together to reflect upon museum and heritage professionals as not only stewards and storytellers, but also as active and powerful community builders and change agents.

MSL 2307H  Special Topics in Museum Studies: Memory and Power - an introduction to critical perspectives and methodologies in Memory Studies

This course explores the ways in which societies conserve, commemorate, and contest the past, and the roles played by communities, institutions, political actors, and other stakeholders in the development of public memory. Across a wide array of case studies, we will explore questions including, but not limited to: what is the relationship between memory and power? How do practices of commemoration both shape and reflect local, national, and transnational identities? How do mnemonic institutions like museums and archives relate to their political, social, and cultural milieux? How are memories encoded in material culture, and in physical spaces and places?

MST 3237H Through the Lens of Monastic Rules and Customaries

This course explores the history of monasticism from late antiquity to the late Middle Ages through its so-called normative sources, especially rules and customaries. The main goal of the course is in-depth reading of primary sources, however, attention will also be given to the recent secondary literature on these texts, challenging the traditional history of monasticism. While the focus is on monasticism, it is also a social history course as it allows the study of medieval daily life even in periods for which we have no similar sources for other groups of society. Students will be able to choose one theme to study through all the sources read in class (in translation and Latin) –such as food, organization of space, punishment or sexuality–, or to investigate lesser-known (and usually not yet translated) rules and customaries.

MST 3123H  Medieval Medicine

This course surveys the major developments and examines key texts in the history of medicine in Europe and the Mediterranean from c.300 to 1400 AD. Topics include pharmacy and pharmacological treatises, surgery, therapeutics, regimen and diet, the transmission and adaptation of ancient medical works, the contributions of Arabic authors, the school of Salerno, the rise of academic and professional medicine in the 13th and 14th centuries, medical responses to the Black Death, and anatomy on the eve of Renaissance medicine.

MST 3253H  King Frederick of Sicily

This course explores the complex Mediterranean world of the first half of the thirteenth century by tracing the colorful life and career of King Frederick II (1194-1250), known in his time as a ‘wonder of the world’ for his cosmopolitan court in Sicily, his knowledge of languages (including Arabic), his engagement with science and philosophers from around the world, his many titles (king of Sicily, Italy, Burgundy, Jerusalem, and Roman Emperor) and his ex-communication (three times) by the most powerful popes of medieval Europe who labelled him an Antichrist. The course examines key sources for Frederick’s reign, particularly Frederick’s own laws and contemporary chroniclers, and surveys major developments for context to Frederick’s reign, such as the Norman inheritance in Sicily, relations with the Islamicate world, the rise of mendicant orders, Pope Innocent III and the international papacy, early universities, and scholastic education.

NMC 2085H  Methods in Medieval Middle East History

This course serves as a foundation in the study of the medieval Middle East and early Islamic history, through an introduction to the field, key problems in historiography, and methodological debates in current scholarship. The period from late antiquity to the Mamluk era is considered, with a focus on the question of sources and the challenges they pose for modern scholars. Topics of interest include historical periodization, the potentials of non-Arabic sources on the rise of Islam, and the relationship between social, political, and intellectual history. The medieval Islamic historiographical tradition is surveyed across its various forms, with attention to critical considerations in the use of narrative sources. The relevance of material sources such as numismatics and archaeology, as well as documentary sources such as epigraphy, papyri, and archival material from the Genizah, are considered seriously. Students are also introduced to key reference works. This course is open to graduate students in all fields of medieval history, Middle East Studies, and Islamic Studies. No language prerequisite.

WGS 1021H  Black Diasporic Feminisms: Modernity, Freedom, Belonging

This seminar studies a select but living archive of Black feminist knowledge-making across diasporas, with a particular focus on the disparate but interconnected itineraries of Black and Third World feminist writers, artists and revolutionaries. We will situate our texts historically as well as transnationally to explore contexts and movements that generated imaginative practices of invention, connection and intervention. In addition to interdisciplinary scholarship, we will immerse ourselves in theoretical insurgencies and conjure work—self-making, bridge-building and freedom dreaming—that continue to animate ongoing struggles for liberation. This course invites participants to build on these rich traditions through self-reflection, creative expression and engaged scholarship. Our collective endeavor is not simply to reckon with, honor and critique what has gone before us, but also to orient ourselves toward new terrains and new questions. 

WGS 1029H  Black Feminist Histories: Movements, Method, and the Archive

This seminar provides an introduction to historiographies of Black feminism, and Black feminist approaches to history, memory and the archive. It studies activism and knowledge-making from the nineteenth century to our contemporary moment, with a particular focus on histories of anti-imperialist and anti-colonial struggle across diasporas. For our purposes, “Movements” refers to intellectual/cultural/political mobilizations and fronts, as well as the travel of people and ideas. We will situate our texts historically as well as transnationally to examine contexts and collectives that generated imaginative practices of invention, connection and intervention that continue to animate ongoing movements for solidarity and liberation. In addition to foundational and emerging scholarship on women, gender and Black radical traditions, we will explore history-making and the political uses of the past through close readings of literary works as well as various forms of political ephemera. This seminar invites participants to build on rich traditions of self-making, bridge-building and freedom dreaming through self-reflection, creative expression and engaged scholarship. Our collective endeavor is not simply to reckon with, honor and critique what has gone before us, but also to orient ourselves toward new terrains and new questions.

FAH 1965H  The Sixties Revisited

The 1960s are synonymous with revolution, both political and aesthetic. In this course, we will consider how recent methodological "turns" within art history (e.g. the global, the diasporic, the decolonial; queer, transgender, latinx, indigenous, and Black studies; reassessments of social history of art) might produce new histories of this monumental decade. Potential topics include: the body and sculpture, performance and abstraction, information and technology, commercialism and capital, and solidarity. Students will be expected to identify the themes and gaps in current literature, discuss questions of methodology, and develop practices of close reading and close looking.

• Prospective Students
• PhD Program
• 2024-25 Graduate Course Offering
• Fields of Study
• Evaluation & Program Policies
• Accommodations
• Graduate History Society
• Request new password