Grad School for History

RedCoatMonster · #1 03-13-2008, 06:14 PM

Anyone know of list of the top grad schools for History? Im hoping to find a decent one in Oklahoma so I dont have to move, RedCoatMonsters dont make much money.

Alfie · #2 03-14-2008, 02:56 AM

What period and area of history? History is a pretty big thing.

Just see which professors you most respect and choose university accordingly.

Brad Barker · #3 03-14-2008, 01:35 PM

the NRC is coming out with a new list of rankings sometime this year (the summer?).

here's a link to their list from 1995, the last time they provided a ranking:

http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nr...c41.html#area8

(do a ctrl+f for "history")

i was going to put up the results from us news and world report, but besides probably being illegal, there are just too many damn specialties. the categories are african history, african-american history, asian history, cultural history, european history, latin american history, modern us history, us colonial history, and women's history.

i can get ya the top ten for any of those. (the top 25 for just "history" is, imo, useless. for example, when considering the top ten physics schools for me, what mattered was how they ranked in condensed matter. their strengths in any other field are completely irrelevant.)

BartmanPDX · #4 03-14-2008, 02:07 PM

Your best bet is to try to get a fellowship somewhere. Most large schools have some teaching fellowships, which can allow you to go to school at a place you might not otherwise consider for financial reasons.

I managed to get a full fellowship to Stanford for grad school, which was really important since I didn't want to finish up with a big bunch of loans.

I agree with the previous posters that it all depends on what your specialty is. My specialty was African history, and I wanted to work with certain professors.

For grad school, individual professors and specialties are more important to consider than blanket "ratings" per se.

As always: IMO, YMMV.

Folmeister · #5 03-14-2008, 03:17 PM

Yup, go with the best faculty for your subject area. Where do the movers and shakers in your subject area teach? As a holder of dual degrees in history, I really have to ask: Why? Do you really understand what you are getting yourself into? Are you going for MA or MA + Ph.D? I don't wish to be negative, but even with my relative luck in getting work, I wouldn't exactly call the history degree the path to God, gold, or glory!