Loyola University Chicago

Department of History

Graduate Program Handbook

.

Please expand sections below for more information.

The Department of History supports graduate study in Public History and US and Social and Cultural History with specialties in Urban history, Digital history, Women’s and Gender history, and Transnational history. We offer master's programs in history and public history; a master's program in public history and library information science (jointly with Dominican University); and a doctoral program in history and public history. History master’s and doctoral students work closely with faculty in and out of the classroom as they train to become academic historians, public historians, teachers, archivists, museum professionals, and researchers as well as possess sufficient preparation to pursue other career pathways.

 

We offer the following graduate degree programs:

 

BA/MA 5-Year Program

The combined BA and MA degree program in History integrates Loyola University Chicago’s current History degree programs at the undergraduate and master levels. The program provides specially selected History majors with the opportunity to more efficiently move through two degrees and thereby jump-start their professional development by completing two degrees in five rather than six years. Graduates of this program are well prepared to pursue a PhD in History, to apply to a professional school, or a wide range of positions in a variety of employment sectors. The combined degree is available for only the MA degree in History (not the program for the MA in Public History or the dual degree Public History/MLIS degree with Dominican University). The program outcomes are the same as for the MA in History.

 

MA in History

Upon completion of the MA in History, graduates will be able to:

  • Use the historical method to solve historical and historiographical problems while applying the perspectives of class, race, gender, etc. to historical events and trends;
  • Identify and criticize interpretive paradigms and methodologies relevant to historical scholarship and the historical profession;
  • Perform historical research in archives and libraries and evaluate the provenance, context, validity, and biases of these sources from the past;
  • Apply the necessary research skills to produce original scholarship on a chosen historical topic using primary sources while evaluating the validity, context, and biases of secondary source literature produced by other scholars;
  • Demonstrate the ability to deploy multiple forms of communication (written, oral, and new media) to discuss their own historical scholarship and graduate-level knowledge of their chosen fields.

MA in Public History

Upon completion of the MA in Public History, graduates will be able to:

  • Use public history methods and theories to share historical interpretation with a broad range of public audiences;
  • Apply new media digital tools to the preservation and presentation of archival material;
  • Utilize the best professional practices to preserve, catalog, and present historical artifacts and records;
  • Understand and employ local, state, and federal preservation rules to establish the significance of historic properties;
  • Demonstrate the ability to work with public history institutions to make the past relevant to diverse communities;
  • Perform historical research in archives and libraries and evaluate the provenance, context, validity, and biases of these sources from the past;
  • Apply the necessary research skills to produce original scholarship on a chosen historical topic using primary sources while evaluating the validity, context, and biases of secondary source literature produced by other scholars;
  • Demonstrate the ability to deploy multiple forms of communication (written, oral, and new media) to discuss their own historical scholarship and graduate-level knowledge of their chosen fields.

MA in Public History/MLIS Dual Degree Program with Dominican University

Upon completion of the MA in Public History and MLIS in Library and Information Science at Dominican University, graduates will be able to:

  • Use public history methods and theories to share historical interpretation with a broad range of public audiences;
  • Apply new media digital tools to the preservation and presentation of archival material;
  • Utilize the best professional practices to preserve, catalog, and present historical artifacts and records;
  • Understand and employ local, state, and federal preservation rules to establish the significance of historic properties;
  • Demonstrate the ability to work with public history institutions to make the past relevant to diverse communities;
  • Perform historical research in archives and libraries and evaluate the provenance, context, validity, and biases of these sources from the past;
  • Apply the necessary research skills to produce original scholarship on a chosen historical topic using primary sources while evaluating the validity, context, and biases of secondary source literature produced by other scholars;
  • Demonstrate the ability to deploy multiple forms of communication (written, oral, and new media) to discuss their own historical scholarship and graduate-level knowledge of their chosen fields;
  • Demonstrate expertise in archival management;
  • Employ strategies and best practices for preservation planning and management of preservation programs and resources;
  • Assume professional responsibilities in the library and information field.

PhD in History

Upon completion of the PhD in History, graduates will be able to:

  • Use the historical method to solve historical and historiographical problems while applying the perspectives of class, race, gender, etc. to historical events and trends;
  • Identify and criticize interpretive paradigms and methodologies relevant to historical scholarship and the historical profession;
  • Perform historical research in archives and libraries and evaluate the provenance, context, validity, and biases of these sources from the past;
  • Apply the necessary research skills to produce original scholarship on a chosen historical topic using primary sources while evaluating the validity, context, and biases of secondary source literature produced by other scholars;
  • Demonstrate the ability to deploy multiple forms of communication (written, oral, and new media) to discuss their own historical scholarship and graduate-level knowledge of their chosen fields;
  • Advance the knowledge of the discipline;
  • Conduct cutting edge research;
  • Engage respectfully in debates about the nature of the past in order to enrich historical understanding and generate new questions and investigatory avenues.

PhD in Public History/American History

Upon completion of the Program in Public and American History, graduates will be able to:

  • Use the historical method to solve historical and historiographical problems while applying the perspectives of class, race, gender, etc. to historical events and trends;
  • Identify and criticize interpretive paradigms and methodologies relevant to historical scholarship and the historical profession;
  • Perform historical research in archives and libraries and evaluate the provenance, context, validity, and biases of these sources from the past;
  • Apply the necessary research skills to produce original scholarship on a chosen historical topic using primary sources while evaluating the validity, context, and biases of secondary source literature produced by other scholars;
  • Demonstrate the ability to deploy multiple forms of communication (written, oral, and new media) to discuss their own historical scholarship and graduate-level knowledge of their chosen fields;
  • Advance the knowledge of the discipline;
  • Conduct cutting edge research;
  • Engage respectfully in debates about the nature of the past in order to enrich historical understanding and generate new questions and investigatory avenues;
  • Use public history methods and theories to share historical interpretation with a broad range of public audiences;
  • Apply new media digital tools to the preservation and presentation of archival material;
  • Utilize the best professional practices to preserve, catalog, and present historical artifacts and records;
  • Understand and employ local, state, and federal preservation rules to establish the significance of historic properties;
  • Demonstrate the ability to work with public history institutions to make the past relevant to diverse communities.

 

NameTitleOfficeEmailPhone
Dr. D. Bradford Hunt Department Chair

Crown Center, Room 515

dhunt1@luc.edu

773-508-2217
Dr. Patricia Mooney-Melvin Graduate Program Director Crown Center, Room 523

pmooney@luc.edu

773-508-2228
Dr. Theodore Karamanski Public History Graduate Director Crown Center, Room 517

tkarama@luc.edu

773-508-2684
Dr. Kelly O'Connor Undergraduate Program Director Lewis Towers, Room 926

kocon6@luc.edu

312-915-7292
David Hays Administrative Assistant Crown Center, Room 539

dhays1@luc.edu

773-508-2221
Tim Libaris Graduate Program Administrative Assistant Crown Center, Room 501

tlibari@luc.edu

773-508-2182

 

Each graduate History student is assigned a mailbox in the History Department Mail Room, located in Crown Center,  Room 502.

 

These mailboxes should be checked regularly.  Since the boxes are not locked, please be careful about what you leave in your box.

 

NameTitleOffice #Phone/E-mail
Emily Barman Dean of The Graduate School & Vice Provost of Graduate Education Granada Center, Room 442

773.508.2478
ebarman@luc.edu

Susan Grossman, PhD Associate Dean Granada Center, Room 438

773.508.8949
sgrossm@luc.edu

Heather Sevener Assistant Dean, Student Services Granada Center, Room 436

773.508.2476
hsevene@luc.edu

Mitchell Denning, PhD Associate Dean of Graduate Education, Stritch School of Medicine Cardinal Bernadin Cancer Center, Room 237

708.327.3358
mdennin@luc.edu

Tamika Toler Awards and Budget Manager Granada Center, Room 434

773.508.7479
ttoler@luc.edu

Emily Forestieri Communications & Records Coordinator Granada Center, Room 440

773.508.8945
eforestieri@luc.edu

Jessica Alfe Administrative Coordinator for Professional Development Granada Center, Room 443

773.508.3165
jalfe@luc.edu

Danielle Richards Graduate Assistant for Thesis & Dissertation Formatting  Granada Center, Room 413

773.508.2976
formathelp@luc.edu

Stephanie Jean-Baptiste Graduate Assistant Granada Center, Room 414

gradresearch@luc.edu

Jeremy Mixell Associate Director of Recruitment - Graduate & Professional Enrollment Management (GPEM) WTC
Lewis Towers, Room 1219

312.915.6530
jmixell@luc.edu

 

The Graduate School academic calendar, referred to as Key Dates and Deadlines, can be found here: https://www.luc.edu/gradschool/key_dates.shtml.  You are required to familiarize yourself with these dates and deadlines.

 

Please check this calendar regularly for updates.

The Rambler Card is Loyola's official identification card and identifies all members of the Loyola community. This card provides access to the resourses you need at Loyola University Chicago.  It also provides access to campus buildings. 

We expect you to have this card by the week before school begins.  For updated information regarding the Campus Card Office hours, location and contact information, and the process of obtaining your ID, please visit https://www.luc.edu/campuscard/index.shtml.

Communication

Keeping in touch with the Graduate Program is very important.  Both the Graduate School and the History Department use the Loyola email system to distribute important information to graduate students.  If a response is warranted, it is the student’s responsibility to reply to all such Department e-mails in a timely manner.  For reasons of confidentiality, as well as efficiency, communications to students will be sent to students’ Loyola email accounts and not to any other email address. Students are responsible for checking this account frequently and/or setting up e-mail forwarding.

 

If you prefer to primarily use a non-LUC e-mail account please see directions below for ensuring e-mails sent to your LUC account are properly forwarded to another account of your choosing.

 

Students using Loyola's Outlook Web Access (OWA) site (http://outlook.luc.edu) can activate its forwarding service for sending University email to other accounts.

 

Instructions

1. Sign in to Loyola OWA at http://outlook.luc.edu using your username and password

2. Click the Gear icon sitting in the upper right hand corner.

3. In the Settings Menu, click on 'Mail' found towards the bottom.

4. Click the triangle symbol next to 'Accounts,' then click 'Forwarding.'

5. Click the 'Start forwarding' radio button and then fill in the destination address of your forwarded Loyola email.

6. Sign out of Loyola OWA.

 

Note: The forwarding service will begin within an hour of making the change.  The same time frame applies to a request for stopping mail forwarding.

 

Contact Information

It is important to keep the University informed of your current home address and phone number.

 

The Graduate School and the University should be notified of any changes through LOCUS.

For information regarding your rights and responsibilities when using electronic University resources, please visit https://www.luc.edu/its/aboutus/itspoliciesguidelines/rightsandresponsibilitieswhenusingelectronicuniversityresources/.

Students seeking academic accommodations for a learning issue must meet with the Student Accessibility Center (SAC) to verify the learning issue and to establish eligibility for accommodations.  Students may email sac@luc.edu or visit https://www.luc.edu/sac/ to begin the process. 

 

Students should schedule an appointment with their instructor to discuss any academic concerns and/or accommodations within the first two weeks of the semester.

Academic honesty is an expression of an ethic of interpersonal justice, responsibility and care, applicable to Loyola University Chicago faculty, students and staff, which demands that the pursuit of knowledge in the university community be carried out with integrity.  The Graduate School Academic Integrity policy guides what happens in the History graduate programs: https://www.luc.edu/gradschool/academics_policies.shtml.

 

Graduate students in History are also guided by the standards set forth by the American Historical Association and the National Council on Public History.

 

Although academic dishonesty can take many forms, in our field it often centers on plagiarism. The Graduate School Catalog defines plagiarism as ““the use of ideas, language, or work of another without sufficient public acknowledgement that the material is not one's own.”  As a graduate student, you very likely have a good understanding of the boundaries of what is acceptable and what is not.  If you are ever uncertain, it is of course best to consult the Graduate Program Director or another faculty member.

 

The penalty for an instance of plagiarism is, at a minimum, failure on the assignment, which may well be equivalent to failure in the course.  A serious breach or a pattern of dishonesty can lead to expulsion from Loyola.

GSPS is a database for everything related to graduate student progress and allows us to monitor students, provide administrative oversight, and document student milestones.

 

GSPS can be accessed here: https://gsps.luc.edu/Secure/Login.aspx

Almost all of the forms necessary for your progress are to be filled out in GSPS and are initiated by you or the Graduate Program Director. 

 

You will find the following forms in GSPS: Change in Degree Seeking Status, Comprehensive Examination Sign-off, Leave of Absence, Research Tools, Dissertation Committee, Dissertation Proposal, Dissertation Defense, Doctoral Candidacy, Extension of Time, and Transfer Credits. 

Students, faculty, and administrators are strongly encouraged to resolve any problems they encounter in the academic process through informal discussion. If students are unable to resolve a problem with a member of the faculty, or if they wish to lodge a formal complaint on academic matters, they should first meet with the Graduate Program Director (GPD). If the problem cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the GPD, it will be taken up by the Department Chair who, if necessary, will refer it to the History Department Grievance Committee. In the event an academic grievance involves the Department Chair, a student may lodge a formal complaint directly with the Graduate School. Students wishing to initiate a grievance after the departmental process must do so in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School. Further information can be found on the Graduate School Academic Polices web page.

 

The History Department and Loyola University Chicago take seriously complaints of unethical or discriminatory behavior. Such conduct is covered under Loyola University’s Comprehensive Policy and Procedures for Addressing Discrimination, Sexual Misconduct, and Retaliation  (https://www.luc.edu/equity/policyprocedure/comprehensivepolicy/). To move forward with complaints, students can contact the EthicsLine and the Center for Student Assistance and Advocacy.

Grades

The grading system used in the Graduate School is as follows:

A               4.00

A–             3.67

B+             3.33

B               3.00

B–             2.67

C+             2.33

C               2.00

C-              1.67

D+             1.33

D               1.00

F                0.00

I              Incomplete

W            Withdrawal

WF           Withdrawal, Failure

P              Credit

NP            No Credit

AU            Audit

 

Graduate students in the Department of History are expected to maintain an average of not less than B (3.0).  Those who fail to meet this requirement may be dismissed.  In any case, PhD students who find themselves receiving primarily B’s (or below) should consider seriously whether pursuing a doctorate in History remains the most gainful use of their time.

 

Withdrawals

If a student withdraws from a course before the published withdrawal deadline, their transcript will show no record of the course.  If they withdraw after the withdrawal deadline, but before the WF deadline, their transcript will show a W for the course.  If a student withdraws after the University’s WF deadline, they will receive a WF for the course.  The WF is a penalty grade, and is figured into students’ GPAs.

 

Withdrawal from graduate classes is uncommon; however, students who do withdraw from a course must first consult with the Graduate Program Director before dropping through LOCUS. Students should check the Graduate School Key Dates and Deadlines for deadlines on withdrawing for full or partial refunds, and with a W or WF grade.  More information regarding refunds for withdrawasl is availabe on the Office of the Bursar website.  Students are responsible for withdrawing themselves from classes through LOCUS.

 

Incompletes

Faculty may assign the grade of I to a student who has not completed the assigned work by the end of the term.  This grade is not assigned automatically; rather, it is up to the student to make a request to the instructor and, if granted, work out a plan with the instructor, including a deadline for completing the work for the course.  The Graduate Program Director must be notified about all incompletes.

If the student does not turn in the work by the deadline, the I will automatically become an F.  The Graduate School has absolute deadlines for finishing incomplete courses.  The deadlines are posted on the Graduate School’s Key Dates and Deadlines.

 

Please read the policy on the Graduate School Academic Policies website, as follows:

“The Graduate School expects students to complete all coursework by the end of the term during which the courses were taken.  However, if a student and the instructor make arrangements in advance, a student may receive a grade of I (Incomplete) at the end of the term.  The student is to complete the outstanding work and submit it to the instructor according to a schedule approved by the instructor, subject to the following Graduate School policies. The student must complete and submit all outstanding work to the instructor by the last day of the semester following the term in which the I grade was assigned. (For purposes of incomplete grades, the summer sessions are counted together as one term.)  If the student does not turn in the work by the deadline, the I will automatically become an F.  The Graduate School will not approve a change of grade if the student does not complete and submit the work to the instructor within one term of the assignment of an I grade.”

 

It is of course better to avoid taking an incomplete.  Making up an incomplete course often proves harder than students expect, particularly if much time has elapsed since the end of the course.  In any case, faculty members have various policies regarding Incompletes, so it is advisable to discuss the matter with your instructor as early as possible if you anticipate the need for an Incomplete.

 

Too many incompletes may raise questions about a student’s ability to progress through the program and could affect a student's chances for University fellowships. For students on a merit award with more than one incomplete at the beginning of the academic year the Graduate School might not renew their award.

 

For further information on Loyola’s grading policy, including Withdrawals and Incompletes, please consult the Graduate School Academic Policies website.

Students apply to receive a MA or PhD degree through LOCUS (Loyola's Online Connection to University Services).  They should select a degree conferral term at the end of which they expect to complete all degree requirements. 

 

Deadlines for degree conferral application are:
Fall (December): August 1
Spring (May): December 1
Summer (August): February 1

 

More detailed information regarding degree conferral application can be found here: https://www.luc.edu/gradschool/graduation/.

In support of the University Mission and in accordance with federal regulations effective January 2010, Loyola University of Chicago has implemented a new Responsible Conduct in Research and Scholarship program that incorporates ethics education into the curriculum for all students.  All doctoral students are required to takes this course no later than the end of their second year in their graduate program. 

More information can be found here: https://www.luc.edu/ors/RCRHome.shtml.

Graduate students preparing to conduct research involving the use of human subjects, whether or not such research is pursued in connection with a thesis or dissertation, must secure approval of the University's Institutional Review Board for Protection of Human Subjects (IRB) prior to undertaking the research. 

More information about using human subjects in research can be found here: https://www.luc.edu/irb/.

Graduate School students who are approved in advance for a Research Funding Request may receive reimbursement of up to $500 for expenses related to the research and preparation of a dissertation, thesis, or major research paper if applicable. The Graduate School will only grant one research funding award per student, and reimbursement for the funds must be claimed within the same academic year. To apply, please submit a Research Funding Request Form.

 

For more infomration on research funding from the Graduate School please visit the Financial Assistance and Funding website.

Presentation of conference papers is an important part of students’ professional development, and Ph.D. students in particular should aim to give at least two papers during their graduate careers—preferably including professional and not just graduate-student conferences.

 

The Graduate School funds some graduate student travel for the purpose of presenting papers or chairing sessions at conferences.  Since funds are limited, students should apply immediately upon acceptance of their papers or sessions. (Forms are presently available at http://www.luc.edu/gradschool/FundingGrad.Education.shtml).

 

Typically, HGSA allots some of its funding to support student presentations at conferences.  The amount available varies by year.  HGSA shares this information with the graduate student body when it has stabilized its annual budget.

 

After you return, you will be asked to supply all original receipts as well as boarding passes, etc., for your trip, and proof of attendance (conference registration receipt and program copy with your session).  You can find the Reimbursement Request Form at http://www.luc.edu/gradschool/servicesandresources_forms.shtml.  Once travel has been completed, please submit your receipts, related conference documents, and a completed reimbursement form to the Awards Coordinator in the Graduate School. For more information about the Graduate School conference support see: https://www.luc.edu/gradschool/FundingGrad.Education.shtml.  For HGSA funding, once travel has been completed, please submit your receipts, related conference document and a completed reimbursement form to the HGSA treasurer.  In both cases, you must submit your reimbursement material within 30 days of travel to insure that the reimbursement will work its way through the system with dispatch.

The Graduate School Progress System (GSPS) provides places to record your professional activity.  This activity is an important element of your graduate education.  Please keep your information up to date in GSPS.  Doing so allows us to showcase your achievements.  After graduation, please send this type of information directly to the Graduate Program Adminstrative Assistant, the Graduate Program Director, or the Public History Program Director.

The History Department sponsors an annual award for the best research paper by a graduate student.  More information can be found here: https://www.luc.edu/history/mccluggageawardcompetition/.

Each degree-seeking student has a faculty academic advisor throughout the period of graduate study.  The faculty academic advisor plays a major role in working with the student to ensure a planned, disciplined, and well-supervised approach to graduate study.  The Public History Program Director advises all master’s students in the Public History Program.  The Graduate Program Director advises all students in the master’s in history and the doctoral program.  At the dissertation stage, the Dissertation Director also serves as an advisor for that part of the process.

 

The relationship between advisor and advisee is reciprocal and requires mutual effort in the planning and execution of all aspects of the student's progress.  The faculty academic advisor, as a mentor, is to be diligent in providing guidance by being available for regular consultation.  The student is responsible for actively seeking the guidance of the faculty advisor and, when appropriate, the dissertation advisor for all matters pertaining to the student's progression through the program including degree completion.

 

All students are required to meet with either the Public History Program Director or Graduate Program Director to plan the next semester’s schedule and to review their progress in their program.  MA students are encouraged and doctoral students are required to develop an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and share it with their advisor each semester.  The IDP is a planning tool design to assist with graduate school and career planning.  We recommend using the assessments and IDP template at ImaginePhD for this.

It is ordinarily expected that all work for the master’s degree will be completed at Loyola University Chicago.  Upon the recommendation of the Graduate Program Director, however, and with the approval of the Dean of the Graduate School, up to six hours of credit for graduate work at another university may be counted toward the M.A. degree. 

 

For students entering the Ph.D. program with prior graduate work, up to thirty hours of credit may, with the Graduate Program Director’s recommendation and the Graduate Dean’s approval, may be counted toward a Loyola University Chicago PhD. The precise number of hours credited toward advanced standing is worked out by the Graduate Program Director during a student’s first semester in the program.

Course Loads

A full-time student will usually carry three courses per semester.  Course loads for part-time students are worked out on an individual basis.  All students on assistantships are considered full-time.

 

Registration

All new and continuing graduate History students must complete the process of registration before every semester in which they are either attending classes or writing their dissertations.  A schedule of courses for the upcoming term is available a couple months before classes are scheduled to begin and can be accessed here.

 

All graduate History students have a faculty advisor.  Dr. Patricia Mooney-Melvin, Graduate Program Director, advises all PhD, MA, BA/MA, and non-degree students.  Dr. Theodore Karamanski, Public History Program Director, advise all MA Public History and MA Public History/MLIS students.  Each semester all students are required to meet with their academic advisors.  Advising appointments are arranged by e-mailing your faculty advisor directly.

 

During these advising appointments students will discuss course registration for the following semester.  Once this is decided, the faculty advisor will e-mail the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant, and copy the student, with the courses for which each student is to be registered.  The GPA will register each student for their classes. 

 

Account Holds

Students should check their LOCUS accounts for holds when scheduling their academic advising appointments each semester.  Holds can be placed on a student’s LOCUS account for any number of reasons (Wellness Center, Bursar’s Office, etc.).   If you have a hold, please work diligently to get the issue resolved.  Students cannot be registered for classes until all account holds are resolved and removed.

 

LOCUS

If a student needs to drop a class, they can do so themselves, but please e-mail the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant and copy your faculty advisor so accurate registration lists for our graduate students can be maintained.

 

It is your responsibility to check LOCUS to verify your registration each semester.  Students must maintain continual registration throughout their years in the program or risk having to apply for reinstatement and pay both a penalty and back fees.

 

For more information on continuous enrollment and student enrollment status, please visit the Gradaute School Academic Policies website.

Internships and practicums provide hands-on experiences for graduate students and allow them to explore specific career pathways.  Public History students are required to take a public history internship as part of their course of study.  Doctoral and MA-History students can explore other career avenues by taking the Career Diversity Internship or, if a public history minor, can sign up for a public history internship in consultation with the Public History Program Director.  

 

Practicums are special topic projects in the area of public history.  Many times, the public history internship format works for this course.  At other times, it is a specific public history project or set of readings.  Students interested in the practicum should discuss their ideas with the Public History Program Director.

 

Internship Forms

PhD Field Examinations

Introduction

Comprehensive field examinations assess a graduate student’s knowledge of a historical field, ability to think historically, and competency to undertake independent research. These examinations measure a student’s ability to think as a historian, to contextualize information, and to demonstrate command of a body of knowledge in a defined field.  At the doctoral level, successful completion of the comprehensive field examinations in conjunction with an excellent coursework record indicates that a student possesses the necessary skills to begin work on the dissertation.

 

The comprehensive field examination covers a field of study broadly defined.  The student should expect that they will be asked to demonstrate an acceptable level of understanding of the entire breadth of a historical field in terms of various subject areas as well as the chronological coverage of that field.  Core readings for each field will serve as the basis of student reading lists.  In general, the comprehensive field examination focuses on historiography and historiographical debates.  Some faculty, however, may emphasize content; students should discuss the focus of the comprehensive field examination with each individual faculty member on the committee.  Major field lists in U.S. history and minor field lists in medieval history, modern European history and thematic fields have been compiled for designated chronological and thematic areas.

 

Major and Minor Field Examinations in U.S. History

For the PhD minor field examination in U.S. history, students will be examined in 19th century America and 20th century America. They should also choose one thematic area for the examination.  The thematic field will be interwoven in the two field reading lists.  For the PhD major field examination in U.S. history, students should choose two of the three designated chronological areas.  They should also choose two thematic areas for the examination.  One thematic area will have its own examiner.  The other thematic field will be interwoven in the field and other thematic reading lists.

 

Thematic areas include:

  • Urban
  • Women and Gender
  • Sexuality
  • Indigenous America
  • Cultural
  • African American and Race
  • American West and Borderlands
  • Immigration and Ethnicity
  • Labor
  • Environmental
  • Legal

Other thematic fields are possible with the approval of all committee members.

 

Minor Field Examinations in non-U.S. History Fields

For the PhD minor field examinations in areas outside of U.S. history (such as medieval, modern Europe and other thematic fields), students should work closely with their committee members to create reading lists with a broad chronological sweep and a set number of thematic areas.

 

Examination Format

Designated take-home examination formats are as follows:

 

PhD Minor Field

Students must answer two examination questions (out of a possible four questions) by producing two 10–15-page essays.  Examination essays should quote from readings and use formal citations.  The student has one week to complete the examination.

 

PhD Comprehensive Major Field

Students must answer three examination questions (out of a possible six questions) by producing three 10–15-page essays.  Examination essays should quote from readings and use formal citations.  The student has two weeks to complete the examination.  The take-home examination in the PhD Comprehensive Major Field Examination is followed by a two-hour oral examination.  The oral examination is normally scheduled within one week of taking and passing the take-home examination.

 

For the written comprehensive field examinations PhD minor field and PhD major field examinations each professor supplies two questions, and the student must answer ONE from each professor.  For the PhD minor field examination two questions.  The student will answer three questions for the PhD major field examination.  For the oral examination portion of the PhD major field exam, please see the head of your examination committee for exact procedures.

 

Examination essays should quote when necessary from readings and use formal citations of endnotes or footnotes in accordance with the University of Chicago Press’s Manual of Style http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html, Kate Turabian, Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, or the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd. edition.

 

To ‘pass with distinction’ (the only other option outside of pass or fail), you must receive a ‘high pass’ from all members of the exam committee on all examination questions.  Please make certain you mark which questions you are answering--this will eliminate some initial guessing on the examiners’ part when grading.

 

Public History Oral Examination: For PhD students with a public history minor field and for PhD students in the Public History/American History program the Public History field examination is a two-hour oral examination.

 

Field Examination Committee and Reading Lists

Setting Up the Examination Committee

In general, students should complete a Comprehensive Field Examination Form ideally one semester before they wish to take an examination. Once a student has identified the faculty member they wish to have as committee Chair, the student and faculty member should meet to discuss the fields and potential committee members.  Students will ask other professors to be members of their committee.  In general, students should work with professors with whom they have taken classes or worked with in a scholarly capacity.  The minor field examination for the PhD consists of two examiners (one of whom is the chair of the exam).  The major field examination for the PhD consists of three examiners (one of whom is the Chair of the exam).  A student’s advisor generally serves as the chair of the examination committee.  The public history oral examination for the PhD Public History/American History program consists of two examiners, selected from the public history faculty.

 

For the written examinations, the Chair and the committee members must sign the student’s Comprehensive Field Examination Form. The form then goes to the Graduate Program Director who will review the form and the student’s file.  Upon approval by the Graduate Program Director, the committee is established within the Department.

 

The Public History oral examination committee is arranged by contacting the Public History Graduate Director.

 

The Chair and the committee members must sign the student’s Comprehensive Field Examination Form.  The form then goes to the Graduate Program Director, who will review the form and the student’s file.  Upon approval by the Graduate Program Director, the committee is established within the Department.

 

Creating the Examination Reading List

The student will confer with each prospective committee member, discuss the parameters of the fields, and determine the relevant bibliography for which they will be held responsible during the examination.  Again, students should consult the suggested reading lists for assistance in creating their own customized comprehensive field examination reading lists.  Once a preliminary reading list is assembled, students must distribute this list to all members of the examination committee for their approval.  Please remember that committee members have the right to revise the list.  A final (revised) examination reading list MUST be approved by all members of the committee at least one month before the examination date. All members of the committee must have an electronic copy of the final examination reading list.

 

Comprehensive field examination reading lists (books and articles) generally include the following:

PhD minor fields examinations: 50-70 publications.
PhD major field examinations: 240-350 publications.

 

Each student is ultimately responsible for developing their own bibliography which will serve as the basis for the examination.  The members of the student’s committee may add or delete works from the list, and all members of the committee MUST approve the final reading list no later than one month before the examination.

 

Suggested Reading Lists

 

Meeting with Committee Members

Students should meet with EACH individual member of their committee at least once during the exam preparation process.  Students should make sure that the final examination reading list is approved and that each member has a copy of the final reading list.  Meetings with each individual faculty member should occur at least one month before the examination date.

 

Students are encouraged to meet with committee members to discuss potential topics for examination questions, and to ask questions about particular readings in preparation for these meetings as well as the exam itself.  It is the student’s responsibility to communicate regularly with the examination committee prior to taking the exam.

 

Scheduling and Taking the Examinations

When the student is ready to schedule the examination, they should complete the Comprehensive Field Examination Form.  This form goes to the Graduate Program Director who performs a file check to determine if the student has fulfilled all the requirements necessary to take the examination.  Students will use the Field Examination Form to establish a date and time to obtain the examination from the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant.  If the date and/or time of the examination changes it is the responsibility of the student to e-mail this information to the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant with at least five business days advance notice.

 

PhD minor field examinations are due one week later at the same time that the examination was originally obtained.  PhD major field examinations are due two weeks later at the same time that the examination was originally obtained.

 

Answers to each question should be written on separate Microsoft Word documents.  The beginning of each document should include the student's name and the question they have chosen to answer.  Microsoft Word documents should be e-mailed to all faculty examiners and the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant by the aforementioned time.

 

Students should avoid scheduling examinations during the summer and the period between the Fall and Spring semesters.  Faculty members are not expected to be available during these periods, and many will physically be unavailable to attend examinations.  Examinations should also not be scheduled to begin on weekends or a University holiday.

 

The Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will administer all aspects of the written examination.  Two weeks prior to the examination date, the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will contact all committee members with a request for examination questions. The Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will distribute the examination and collect it.  The Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will route the completed examination and the grading ballots to the members of the examination committee.  After grading has been completed, the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will send copies of the ballots to the committee chairperson who will announce the results to the student.  The examinations and original ballots will be kept in the student’s file.

 

The results of the examination should be reported to the student no later than two weeks after completion.  If extraordinary circumstances preclude such a report in this time frame, the committee chairperson should make every effort to communicate with the student and offer an explanation about the delay.  If the results are not forthcoming in a timely manner, the student should seek the assistance of their advisor or the Graduate Program Director.

 

The oral examination portion of the Ph.D. major field examination should be scheduled within one week of passing the written comprehensive field examination.  The student, working with all members of the examination committee, finds an appropriate date to take the two-hour oral examination.  It is permissible and sometimes advisable to establish a date for the oral examination prior to taking the written component of the comprehensive field examination.  The Chair of the examination committee works with the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant to schedule a time and place to meet for the oral examination.

 

Students taking the oral examination in public history arrange the date of the examination in consultation with the Public History Program Director.

 

Grading the Examination

Each member of the committee should arrive at an independent decision on the merits of the examination answers.  Each member of the committee must grade all of the questions, not just the one they submitted.  The student must receive unanimous approval on all questions to pass the examination (both minor and major field examinations) without qualification.

 

Unsuccessful Examinations

In cases where the examiners determine that the student has failed a part of the examination, the student will be required to retake only the failed parts of the examination.  For example, if a student taking a major field examination passes two questions but fails the third question, they will have to retake the examination in the subject area of the third question.  The time allowed for retaking examinations should be proportional to the number of questions originally required.  In the example above, the time frame limit would be five days (i.e., one third of the total exam time).  The student must retake the examination within two months of the original examination date.

 

In cases where all or part of an examination must be retaken, the membership of the committee must remain unchanged.  Only the Graduate Program Director can grant exceptions under extraordinary circumstances to reconstitute an examination committee for a comprehensive field examination.

 

If a student fails one element of the examination, the student will be required to answer written questions about the material.  This is typically done within one week of the examination.  If the entire examination needs to be retaken, it must be done within three months of the original examination.  In cases where all or part of an examination must be retaken, the membership of the committee must remain unchanged. Only the Graduate Program Director can grant exceptions under extraordinary circumstances to reconstitute an examination committee for a comprehensive field examination.

 

If the student fails either part or all of the examination twice, they will be disqualified from continuing in the program and dismissed from the Graduate School.  The student will have an opportunity to petition the Department and the Graduate School for re-statement through the Departmental and Graduate School grievance procedures.

MA Field Examinations and MA-Public History Programs Examinations

 

Introduction

Comprehensive field examinations assess a graduate student’s knowledge of a historical field, ability to think historically, and competency to undertake independent research.  These examinations measure a student’s ability to think as a historian, to contextualize information, and to demonstrate command of a body of knowledge in a defined field.  At the master’s level, these examinations serve as a capstone requirement that demonstrates a specific level of training in history.

 

The comprehensive field examination covers a field of study broadly defined.  The student should expect that they will be asked to demonstrate an acceptable level of understanding of the entire breadth of a historical field in terms of various subject areas as well as the chronological coverage of that field.  Core readings for each field will serve as the basis of student reading lists.  In general, the comprehensive field examination focuses on historiography and historiographical debates.  Some faculty, however, may emphasize content; students should discuss the focus of the examination with each individual faculty member on the committee.  Students should consult the suggested reading lists that faculty have compiled for designated chronological and thematic areas.

 

Major Field Examination in U.S. History

For the MA. major field examination in U.S. history, students will be examined in 19th and 20th century U.S. History. They should also choose one thematic area for the examination.

 

Thematic areas include:

  • Urban
  • Women and Gender
  • Sexuality
  • Indigenous America
  • Cultural
  • African-American and Race
  • American West and Borderlands
  • Immigration and Ethnicity
  • Labor
  • Environmental
  • Legal

Other thematic fields are possible with the approval of all committee members.

 

Examination Format

The take-home examination format for the MA major field examination requires students to answer two examination questions (out of a possible four questions) by writing two 10-15-page essays.  Examination essays should quote from readings and use formal citations.  The student has one week to complete the examination.  Each professor supplies two questions, and the student must answer ONE from each professor. The student will thus answer two questions for the MA major field. 

 

Examination essays should quote when necessary from readings and use formal citations of endnotes or footnotes in accordance with the University of Chicago Press’s Manual of Style http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html, Kate Turabian, Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, or the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd edition.

 

To ‘pass with distinction’ (the only other option outside of pass and fail), students must receive a ‘high pass’ from all members of the exam committee on all examination questions.  Please make certain you mark which questions you are answering--this will eliminate some initial guessing on the examiners’ part when grading.

 

Field Examination Committee and Reading Lists

Setting up the Examination Committee

In general, students should complete a Comprehensive Field Examination Form ideally one semester before they wish to take an examination. Once a student has identified the faculty member they wish to have as committee Chair, the student and faculty member should meet to discuss the fields and potential committee members.  Students will ask other professors to be members of their committee.  In general, students should work with professors with whom they have taken classes or worked with in a scholarly capacity.  The major field examination for the MA degree committee consists of two examiners, one of whom is the chair of the committee.

 

The chair and the committee members must sign the student’s Field Examination Committee Form.  The form then goes to the Graduate Program Director, who will review the form and the student’s file.  Upon approval by the Graduate Program Director, the committee is established within the Department.

 

Creating the Examination Reading List

The student will confer with each prospective committee member, discuss the parameters of the fields, and determine the relevant bibliography for which they will be held responsible during the examination.  Again, students should consult the suggested reading lists for assistance in creating their own customized comprehensive field examination lists.  Once a preliminary reading list is assembled, students must distribute this list to all members of the examination committee for their approval.  Please remember that committee members have the right to revise the list.  A final (revised) examination reading list MUST be approved by all members of the committee at least one month before the examination date.  All members of the committee must have an electronic or a hardcopy of the final exam reading list.  MA major field reading lists generally include 50-70 publications.

 

Each student is ultimately responsible for developing their own bibliography which will serve as the basis for the examination.  The members of the student’s committee may add or delete works from the list, and all members of the committee MUST approve the final reading list no later than one month before the examination.

 

Suggested Reading Lists

 

Meeting with Committee Members

Students should meet with EACH individual member of their committee at least once during the exam preparation process.  Students should make sure that the final examination reading list is approved and that each member has a copy of the final reading list.  Meetings with each individual faculty member should occur at least one month before the examination date.

 

Students are encouraged to meet with committee members to discuss potential topics for examination questions and to ask questions about particular readings in preparation for these meetings and the exam itself.  It is the student’s responsibility to communicate regularly with the examination committee prior to taking the exam.

 

Scheduling and Taking the Examination

When the student is ready to schedule the examination, they should complete the Comprehensive Field Examination Form.  This form goes to the Graduate Program Director who performs a file check to determine if the student has fulfilled all the requirements necessary to take the examination.

 

Students will use the Field Examination Form to establish a date and time to obtain a copy of the examination from the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant.  If the date and/or time of the examination changes it is the responsibility of the student to e-mail this information to the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant with at least five business days advance notice. 

 

MA major field examinations are due one week later at the same time that the examination was originally obtained.  An electronic copy of the examination must be e-mailed to the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant and all faculty examiners by the aforementioned time.

 

Answers to each question should be written on separate Microsoft Word documents.  The beginning of each document should include the student's name and the question they have chosen to answer.  Microsoft Word documents should be e-mailed to all faculty examiners and the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant by the aforementioned time.

 

Students should avoid scheduling examinations during the summer and the period between the Fall and Spring semesters.  Faculty members are not expected to be available during these periods, and many will physically be unavailable to attend examinations.  Examinations should also not be scheduled to begin on weekends or a University holiday.

 

The Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will administer all aspects of the examination.  Two weeks prior to the examination date, the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will contact all committee members with a request for examination questions.  The Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will distribute the examination and collect it.  The Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will route the completed examination and the grading ballots to the members of the examination committee.  After grading has been completed, the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will send copies of the ballots to the committee chairperson who will announce the results to the student.  The examinations and original ballots will be kept in the student’s file.

 

The results of the examination should be reported to the student no later than one week after completion.  If extraordinary circumstances preclude such a report in this time frame, the committee chairperson should make every effort to communicate with the student and offer an explanation about the delay.  If the results are not forthcoming in a timely manner, the student should seek the assistance of their advisor or the Graduate Program Director.                                             

 

Grading the Examination

Each member of the committee should arrive at an independent decision on the merits of the examination answers.  Each member of the committee must grade all the questions, not just the one they submitted.  The student must receive unanimous approval on all questions to pass the examination without qualification.

 

MA-Public History Programs Major Field Examination        

The public history oral examination for MA students in both of the Department’s public history degree programs is a two-hour examination.  The examination covers the field of public history and reflects the readings and assignments included in each of the public history courses.

 

Students arrange this examination by meeting with the Public History Program Director. During the meeting, the examiners and the exam time will be determined.  Students should meet with both examiners before the examination takes place to discuss the examination.

 

Grading the Examination

Each member of the committee should arrive at an independent decision on the merits of the examination answers.  Each member of the committee must grade all of the questions, not just the one they submitted.  The student must receive unanimous approval on all questions to pass the examination without qualification.

 

Unsuccessful Examinations

In cases where the examiners determine that the student has failed a part of the examination, the student will be required to retake only the failed parts of the examination.  For example, if a student taking a major field examination passes one question but fails the second question, they will have to retake the examination in the subject area of the second question.  The time allowed for retaking examinations should be proportional to the number of questions originally required.  In the example above, the time frame limit would be three and 1/2 days (i.e., one half of the total exam time).  The student must retake the examination within two months of the original examination date.

 

In cases where all or part of an examination must be retaken, the membership of the committee must remain unchanged.  Only the Graduate Program Director can grant exceptions under extraordinary circumstances to reconstitute an examination committee for a comprehensive field examination.

 

If a student fails one element of the examination, the student will be required to answer written questions about the material.  This is typically done within one week of the examination.  If the entire examination needs to be retaken, it must be done within three months of the original examination.  In cases where all or part of an examination must be retaken, the membership of the committee must remain unchanged. Only the Graduate Program Director can grant exceptions under extraordinary circumstances to reconstitute an examination committee for a comprehensive field examination.

 

If the student fails either part or all of the examination twice, they will be disqualified from continuing in the program and dismissed from the Graduate School.  The student will have an opportunity to petition the Department and the Graduate School for re-statement through the Departmental and Graduate School grievance procedures.

Public History Portfolios: Putting it All Together

The public history portfolio plays a key role in the oral exam that caps the public history program.  Hence the question of what should go into your portfolio is necessarily an important one.  What follows are a few features that go into a strong portfolio.

  • The portfolio is made up of a current resume and examples of all your public history class products.
  • The resume should reflect all your professional experience including internships, volunteer or paid employments in the field, as well as class projects with genuine clients. Client directed class projects should NOT be listed as “schoolwork” but rather as you working for the client. So, for example if your museum class worked on an exhibit for the Frances Willard House, list the work as being done for the Willard House NOT History 487.
  • Among the public history work in the portfolio the most important is your internship report. Also included would be your tour done for History 480, an Oral History if you took History 483, project work for Management of History Museums and Management of Historic Resources. If in the case of these latter two classes, you are taking your exam before the final product is finished include to the extent possible a draft. After the semester e-mail the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant a version of the portfolio with the final products, as a single PDF.
  • Bring to the oral exam two copies of the portfolio. Usually these are bound in some way (spiral, notebook binder, or clasp) with an attractive cover. You will keep one copy the other stays with the department for program assessment purposes. Under COVID protocols the exam is conducted via Zoom and the portfolios are presented as a PDF attachment.

If you have any questions regarding your portfolio or the public history exam, direct them to Dr. Theodore Karamanski (tkarama@luc.edu).

Links to Graduate School Forms:

  • Instructions for Thesis and Dissertation
  • Dissertation Defense Announcement Template - Students should create an announcement for their dissertation defense using this template as a guide.  Once completed, it should be e-mailed to the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant at least one week prior to the date of the defense. The Graduate Program Administrative Assistant will e-mail the announcement to all History faculty and graduate students.
  • Approval Ballot for Text and Oral Defense - The student is responsible for printing this, completing the section at the top of the ballot, and bringing it to the oral defense along with a pen.  Upon conclusion of the defense, the ballot should be signed and dated by all committee members then placed in the Graduate Program Administrative Assistant's mailbox.  The Graduate School requires a scanned copy of this. 

History Department and Graduate School Requirements and Deadlines:

A first step for all dissertating students is to reflect on their writing process and habits and develop an individualized plan for research and writing that includes daily goals, interim deadlines, and target completion dates. It should also include strategies for managing time, assistantship responsibilities, self-care, and interactions with your adviser.

 

Students at the beginning of the process will spend more time researching than writing but researching and writing go hand-in-hand. Use your writing as a way to make sense of your material as it is fresh in your mind. This is informal writing, but it helps you keep some intellectual control over the process. Be sure to set up a regular schedule of interaction with your adviser. The frequency will vary over the course of the project, but it is important to stay in communication about your research progress, to discuss challenges, to review work, etc.

 

Once students have selected a committee, they load the committee information into GSPS. Once the form is submitted, it will go to the Dissertation Director for approval, then to the GPD, and then to the Graduate School for final approval. When the dissertation proposal is approved by the committee, the student loads the information into GSPS.  Once the form is submitted, it goes to the committee for formal approval, to the GPD, and then to the Graduate School.

 

Dissertation/Thesis Formatting– Graduate School

The informtaion on the the Dissertation/Thesis Formatting website shoudl be thoroughly reviewed.  Download the Format Manual for Theses and Dissertations. Read through the FAQs: Format Check and Final Copies.  Go to a formatting session as you begin to write and near the end of the process. The more you format correctly at the beginning, the easier it is at the end.

 

Graduate School Dissertation Deadlines

December Graduation

  • August 1: Last day to apply for a December degree conferral.
  • October 1: Last day to submit for the format check.
  • November 1: Last day to submit final copies.

May Graduation

  • December 1: Last day to apply for a May degree conferral.
  • March 1: Last day to submit for the format check.
  • April 1: Last day to submit final copies.

August Graduation

  • February 1: Last Day to apply for an August degree conferral.
  • June 1: Last day to submit for the format check.
  • July 1: Last day to submit final copies.

History Department & Dissertation Committee Deadlines

Each PhD candidate's experience will be slightly different depending on their chair and committee, but there are some general guidelines to follow. Be sure to review these with your chair and add relevant dates to the Graduate School schedule, above.

 

Time to Degree
There are time limits to degree completion.

  • Depending on how you enter the PhD program, you have either six years (entering with a significant number of transfer credits) or eight years (entering with a BA and virtually no transfer credit) to complete your degree. If you exceed this time limit, you will need to apply for an extension through GSPS. These are given in yearly increments and are based on process, a plan, and your advisor’s approval.  Typically, you need to apply by June 1.
  • You need to defend your dissertation within five years of becoming a PhD candidate. If you do not, you will need to pass a second PhD examination.
  • More information can be found on the Graduate School website under Academic Policies, Time Limit for Degree Completion. 

Departmental Monitoring
Each semester, all dissertation chairpersons are required to meet with their dissertators, assess their progress by completing and submitting a HIST 600 Progress Report, and recommend a P (Pass) or NP (No Pass) for History 600. For any questions regarding this process please e-mail the Graduate Program Director. 

 

Research and Writing Resources

Graduate students will conduct original research and write research papers and other materials for coursework, publications, and public audiences. The following resources are meant to supplement any research or writing assistance received by faculty advisers, mentors, and instructors.

 

Loyola Resources

  • Information regarding the History Library Subject Specialist, Research Guide for History, and a complete list of All Research Guides, can be found at these respective links.  Library subject specialists can provide customized guidance for research in all academic disciplines. The History Library Subject Specialist maintains the subject guide for History, which helps students and faculty navigate Loyola's library databases and other resources, and the Specialist works one-on-one with students looking for assistance with history projects and materials.  The History Specialist is also available to consult with students on finding and obtaining materials needed for classroom or research purposes.
  • The research guide for government information, may be particularly helpful to students navigating sources related to the United States government.
  • The History Department has several copies of Dr. Karen Single's Demystifying Dissertation Writing guide available for loan in Crown Center, Room 558. This guide will be a helpful resource for dissertating PhD candidates, as well as MA students working on Master's Essays.
  • Loyola's Graduate School offers periodic writing workshops as part of its Graduate Writing Series. The Graduate School announces workshops in the email newsletter it sends to all graduate students.
  • The Loyola History Graduate Student Association runs a Dissertation Writing Group (DWG) that meets throughout the year to provide support for students navigating the dissertation process. For more information and to participate, contact the HGSA DWG co-chairs.
  • For Loyola students who have to apply to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for research clearance, the Graduate School usually offers a workshop on how to navigate this process. Check the Graduate School website and email blasts for updates throughout the year. The Graduate Program Director can also assist students applying for IRB clearance.
  • The Wellness Center often hosts a Dissertation and Thesis Support Group.

Other Resources

  • The Craft of Research (4th edition), by Wayne Booth, et. al., and published by the University of Chicago, is a helpful guide for anyone conducting in-depth historical research.
  • Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers' A Pocket Style Manual walks writers through several citation formats, including Chicago Style, the format most historians use when citing their work.
  • Dr. Tara Gray's Publish and Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar provides helpful advice about time management and goal-setting for anyone undertaking a writing project.
  • Dr. Eviatar Zarubavel's The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing Theses, Dissertations, and Books provides useful advice for students working on any long-form writing projects.
  • Dr. Raul Pacheco Vega maintains a popular blog about research and writing. He is not a historian, but much of what he writes is applicable to humanists.
  • "A Guide to Writing Good Academic Prose," from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Loyola Resources

  • Information regarding the History Library Subject Specialist, Research Guide for History, and a complete list of All Research Guides, can be found at these respective links.  Library subject specialists can provide customized guidance for research in all academic disciplines. The History Library Subject Specialist maintains the subject guide for History, which helps students and faculty navigate Loyola's library databases and other resources, and the Specialist works one-on-one with students looking for assistance with history projects and materials.  The History Specialist is also available to consult with students on finding and obtaining materials needed for classroom or research purposes.
  • The research guide for government information, may be particularly helpful to students navigating sources related to the United States government.
  • The History Department has several copies of Dr. Karen Single's Demystifying Dissertation Writing guide available for loan in Crown Center, Room 558. This guide will be a helpful resource for dissertating PhD candidates, as well as MA students working on Master's Essays.
  • Loyola's Graduate School offers periodic writing workshops as part of its Graduate Writing Series. The Graduate School announces workshops in the email newsletter it sends to all graduate students.
  • The Loyola History Graduate Student Association runs a Dissertation Writing Group (DWG) that meets throughout the year to provide support for students navigating the dissertation process. For more information and to participate, contact the HGSA DWG co-chairs.
  • For Loyola students who have to apply to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for research clearance, the Graduate School usually offers a workshop on how to navigate this process. Check the Graduate School website and email blasts for updates throughout the year. The Graduate Program Director can also assist students applying for IRB clearance.
  • The Wellness Center often hosts a Dissertation and Thesis Support Group.

Other Resources

  • The Craft of Research (4th edition), by Wayne Booth, et. al., and published by the University of Chicago, is a helpful guide for anyone conducting in-depth historical research.
  • Diana Hacker and Nancy Sommers' A Pocket Style Manual walks writers through several citation formats, including Chicago Style, the format most historians use when citing their work.
  • Dr. Tara Gray's Publish and Flourish: Become a Prolific Scholar provides helpful advice about time management and goal-setting for anyone undertaking a writing project.
  • Dr. Eviatar Zarubavel's The Clockwork Muse: A Practical Guide to Writing Theses, Dissertations, and Books provides useful advice for students working on any long-form writing projects.
  • Dr. Raul Pacheco Vega maintains a popular blog about research and writing. He is not a historian, but much of what he writes is applicable to humanists.
  • "A Guide to Writing Good Academic Prose," from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The History Department is committed to supporting students in identifying their career goals, developing an array of skills, and pursuing diverse career pathways. You can find Professional and career resources can be found at the Career Pathways for Historians blog.

 

Additionally, the University’s Career Development Center, host a very helpful website with many resources.  Should students have any questions, feel free to contact them at careercenter@luc.edu.

Loyola University Chicago's HGSA has been serving the interests of full-time and part-time history graduate students for over a decade.  The purpose of the HGSA is to represent the interests of the History graduate students to Loyola faculty, staff, and administration.  Additionally, the HGSA cultivates academic excellence and community among the graduate students.  More information can be found here: https://www.luc.edu/history/historygraduatestudentassociationhgsa/.

Teaching Opportunities

Teaching assignments are generally limited to Teaching Assistants.  The History Department Chair, in consultation with the Graduate Program Director, assigns all classes.  Occasionally, additional teaching opportunities are available to experienced graduate students.  Summer sessions are offered through the Department each year, running from May to August, which may be available for qualified instructors. 

 

Be aware, however, that there are always more prospective teachers than available courses.  The criteria used to assign some summer classes or other opportunities to graduate students include: experience and proven success in the classroom; good progress toward the degree; and preparedness to teach the courses available.  Contact the History Department Chair for further information.

Official leaves of absence are intended for students who wish to temporarily discontinue their graduate studies due to special circumstances (e.g., medical, personal, or professional reasons).  A leave of absence postpones all deadlines concerning completion of degree requirements for the duration of the leave.  A student requesting a leave must complete a Leave of Absence form in GSPS and contact the Graduate Program Director, who then makes a recommendation on the student’s behalf to the Graduate School.  Decisions regarding the approval of leaves of absence rest with the Graduate School.

 

Leaves of absence may be requested for a semester or for a full academic year. In order to be reinstated to active status, the student must notify the Graduate School in writing upon returning from a leaveUnless the student is granted a renewal of a leave, they must return to active status in the semester following its expiration.  Failure to do so may result in withdrawal from the program.

Below is the policy governring appropriate use of History Department letterhead by faculty, staff, and graduate students:

 

Faculty, staff, and graduate students currently enrolled and in good standing at Loyola can use official Departmental letterhead, but only for official correspondence related to the work of the Department and the education of students or their future careers. The use of letterhead is restricted to official correspondence that includes activities such as:

    • Applications for employment, fellowships, internships, or grants, including academic and non-academic opportunities
    • Requests for research assistance, access to libraries, or access to other institutions to advance research, teaching, or service
    • Correspondence with journals, presses, or other academic organizations about research, teaching, or service
    • Correspondence with other LUC Departments in response to official requests or inquiries

Letterhead may not be used to conduct activities that a reasonable person would find unrelated to the work of the History Department or the greater mission of LUC, including but not limited to:

    • Conducting personal business, like correspondence with banks, insurers, government agencies, or companies on matters of personal interest
    • Conducting the business of outside organizations, including academic organizations, such as soliciting funds or organizing meetings

When in doubt, faculty, staff, and graduate students are advised to ask the History Department Chair or the Graduate Program Director for permission to use Departmental letterhead.

This policy refers to full-time graduate students at the LUC lakeside campuses who are in good academic standing, funded by an assistantship through the Graduate School and/or extramural agencies, and who are to become a parent, or take on the commitment as the parent, of an infant or young child.

 

Description and Requisites of the Parental Leave:

A. The qualifying students will receive their full stipend from the Graduate School for up to 60 calendar days (the equivalent of 8 work weeks). The leave time must be taken consecutively.

 

B. Either parent is eligible. If both parents are full-time funded Graduate School students from the LUC lakeside campuses, and both are in good standing, both students may apply, but with the understanding that only one parental leave is allowed at a time (e.g., maximum total of 60 calendar days), and therefore can be divided but not duplicated.

 

C. Qualifying students must be the primary caregiver, devoting at least 40 hours per week to the direct care and supervision of the child.

 

Procedures - Notification and Application:

D. Notification

The Graduate Program Director

First, the student who plans to make an application for a Parental Leave must establish a meeting with the Graduate Program Director (GPD) at least four months in advance of the planned leave, barring special circumstances (e.g., sudden notice of the adoption, or an emergency situation).  This allows the GPD sufficient time to arrange for substitutes to fulfill the student’s research and/or teaching obligations for professors, or the Department. It is also important for planning the continuance of the student’s program upon his or her return.

 

Research Assistants

Research assistants will be replaced by the Graduate Program Director for the duration of the leave, and the substitutes will receive a stipend from the Graduate School.

 

Teaching Assistants and Graduate Student Teachers of Record

Teaching assistants and graduate student teachers of record will be replaced by the Graduate Program Director, or chairperson, according to the custom of the department, and the substitutes will receive a stipend from the Graduate School.

 

Professors Affected by the Leave

The Graduate Program Director communicates to the professors affected by the student’s leave. In the case of those professors in whose classes the student is presently enrolled, the ways and timeline by which course requirements will be fulfilled will be discussed. Professors assisted by the student in research and/or teaching will be notified by the GPD about the intended leave and the plan to provide a substitute assistant for the duration of the student’s absence.

 

Loyola’s International Students Office (If Applicable)

International students with a student visa must notify Loyola’s International Students Office of their plan to obtain a parental leave since a leave from their academic program may affect their visa status.

 

E. Application

The Associate Dean of the Graduate School

Four months prior to the intended leave, and immediately after meeting with the Graduate Program Director, the student applies to the Associate Dean of the Graduate School. It is the responsibility of the Associate Dean to examine the academic performance of the student to ensure that the student is in good standing, and following consultation with the Graduate Program Director, to assess whether the student will be successful in completing the program upon his or her return from the leave.

 

Extramural Funding Agencies (If Applicable)

Students who are funded by extramural sources will notify the funding agency(ies) immediately and make application to the outside funder(s) for parental leave.

 

More information can be found here:  https://www.luc.edu/gradschool/academics_policies.shtml.

More information on financial resources can be found here: https://www.luc.edu/gradschool/FundingGrad.Education.shtml.

 

The History Department offers a limited number of Graduate Assistantships to students enrolled in the doctoral program. We only accept Ph.D. students who are funded through these GAships, and the number available depends on Graduate School support from year to year.

Most graduate students choose to find their own off-campus apartments.  The only on-campus housing option for graduate students is Baumhart Hall located on the Water Tower Campus in downtown Chicago.

 

Please note, all history classes will be held at the Lake Shore Campus and the History Department is located at the Lake Shore Campus as well. 

 

For additional information regarding on-campus housing for graduate students please visit http://luc.edu/reslife/halls/.

Parking

If a student plans to commute to Loyola, there are different parking lots available for use.  The main parking structure, adjacent to Sheridan Road and the Halas Sports Center, houses the Parking Office.  For a complete list of Lake Shore Campus parking options, locations, costs, and accepted forms of payment, please visit: http://luc.edu/campustransportation/generalinformation/lakeshorecampus/.

 

At peak class times, available parking can sometimes be scarce.  Street parking in the community immediately surrounding campus is restricted to residents during certain hours, so be sure to read street signs and posted notices carefully to avoid getting a parking ticket.

 

Parking is also available near the Water Tower Campus, although it is more expensive.  Parking stubs can be stamped at the information desk at the 25 E. Pearson building to receive a modest discount.  For a complete list of Water Tower Campus parking options, locations, costs, and accepted forms of payment, please visit: http://www.luc.edu/campustransportation/generalinformation/watertowercampus/.

 

Shuttle Bus

Loyola offers an intercampus shuttle that runs express between the Lake Shore Campus and Water Tower Campus, Mondays - Fridays during the Fall and Spring semeter when classes are in session.  Use of the shuttle is free for LUC students.

 

For more information on the shuttle, plese visit: http://www.luc.edu/campustransportation/services/intercampusshuttle/.

 

8-Ride

For more infomration about the University's van shuttle service please visit: https://www.luc.edu/campustransportation/generalinformation/alternativetransportation/8-ride/.

 

Additional general information about campus transportation can be found here: https://www.luc.edu/campustransportation/generalinformation/.

Wellness Center

The Wellness Center has many resources and programs to promote the phycial and mental wellbeing of our students.  More information can be found by visiting the website for the Wellness Center.

 

The Line

The Line is Loyola's confidential hotline for support and resources related to gender-based violence (including sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and sexual harassment). The Line is staffed by highly trained, confidential Loyola Advocates who can help members of the Loyola community process instances of gender-based violence and navigate possible next steps, including reporting to Loyola, medical and mental health care, or legal options. Please consider saving The Line phone number (773) 494-3810 in case you or someone you know is ever looking for support.

 

More information can be found by visiting the website for The Line.