Princeton University ranks number one for the study of history, according to both "U.S. News & World Report" (2009) and PhDs.org (2010). The magazine actually ranked Princeton first in a tie with three other institutions, but it was ranked by itself at the top by PhDs.org. The history department at Princeton offers a curriculum at the undergraduate level that is similar to what most graduate programs offer. Students must take comprehensive exams and complete a thesis to receive their bachelor's degree. At the graduate level, Princeton offers a Ph.D. program that takes approximately five years to complete. The first two years consist of coursework, followed by approximately three years of dissertation work.
Princeton University
Department of History
129 Dickinson Hall
Princeton, NJ 08544
609-258-4159
princeton.edu
Yale University ranked No. 2 on the PhDs.org list and tied with Princeton on the "U.S. News & World Report" rankings. Similar to the program at Princeton, Yale undergraduate students must complete a senior thesis using the basic process of historical investigation. Students must take courses across a spectrum such as U.S. history, European history, Latin American history, African history, and Asian history. At the graduate level, students can complete a master of arts, master of philosophy and the Ph.D. Yale offers opportunities for combined Ph.D. programs in such specialties as the history of science and medicine, Renaissance studies, or African American studies.
Yale University
Department of History
PO Box 208324
New Haven, CT 06520
203-432-1366
yale.edu
Stanford University ranked No. 3 on the PhDs.org list and was also tied with Yale and Princeton atop the "U.S. News & World Report" rankings list for 2009 (the University of California, Berkeley was the fourth institution, but finished eighth on the PhDs.org list). Stanford is well respected in academic circles for its various interdisciplinary degree programs. In the field of history, Stanford offers the bachelor of arts degree. Students can purse a general history track or one of four different interdisciplinary tracks: Africa, Asia, and Middle East; the Americas; Europe (includes Russia and Eastern Europe); and history prior to 1700. At the graduate level, Stanford offers only the Ph.D., but does so in 14 different fields of study. Some of these include Early Modern Europe, U.S. History, and Jewish History.
Stanford University
Department of History
450 Serra Mall
Stanford, CA 94305
650-723-4291
stanford.edu