Intellectual breadth, specialized scholarly competence, and excellence in teaching distinguish the graduate program in History at the University of Georgia. Internationally recognized and award-winning faculty serve as advisors for graduate students in a relatively small program, providing opportunities for individualized mentoring. Graduate students enjoy the academic resources of a major research university while developing marketable skills as educators. The program has an excellent record of placement, with graduates recently hired by such institutions as Appalachian State University, Clemson University, University of Virginia at Wise, Emporia State University, Georgia Southern University, Kennesaw State University, LeMoyne College, Murray State University, Radford University, St. Bonaventure University, University of Akron, University of Baltimore, and University of Georgia.

While our graduate students explore diverse research and teaching interests, the program maintains particularly strong concentrations in social and cultural history, early American history, African American history, history of the American South, French and European history, Latin American history, history of capitalism, and agricultural and environmental history.

The University of Georgia program in history grants degrees at both the MA and PhD level. We offer terminal MA degrees in American and European history; individualized programs in other geographical areas are also available. Masters degrees in History can lead to jobs in secondary teaching, technology, the public sector, business, publishing, or higher education administration. After their first year of study, MA students at UGA have the option of making a "fast track" application to the PhD program. If accepted, they need not write an MA thesis if they change their degree objective at that point to a PhD, saving them a significant amount of time in graduate studies. MA students at UGA who wish to pursue doctoral degrees also regularly gain admission to other fine programs. Other Ph.D. programs that have admitted our MA graduates include UC-Berkeley, Chicago, Columbia, Cornell, Emory, Harvard, Indiana, Michigan, UNC-Chapel Hill, Northwestern, Pennsylvania, Rutgers, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Yale.

The PhD program, with its coursework, exams, guided dissertation research, and training in teaching aims to place graduates in post-secondary faculty positions. We offer PhD degrees in American and European history, and offer minor field concentrations in a variety of topics from World history to Environmental history to Gender Studies. Our doctoral students pursue a wide range of topics in their dissertation research, and have recently published articles in Signs, Environmental History, Journal of Southern History, Georgia Historical Quarterly, Journal of American History, North Carolina Historical Review, Pacific Historical Review, and Radical History Review.

Teacher training is an integral part of the program. In a specialized graduate course, HIST 8001: Teaching History in Colleges and Universities, students learn the skills necessary to succeed as post-secondary teachers--such as writing and presenting lectures, developing new courses and course syllabuses, leading discussions, and developing innovative assignments. After careful preparation, PhD students customarily teach their own classes. Departmental and university awards are presented to outstanding graduate student teachers.

Numerous forms of financial support are available. Merit-based teaching and research assistantships provide a stipend and remission of all but nominal fees for both MA and PhD students. Enhancement grants are readily available to the most qualified applicants. Most of our graduate students have teaching assistantships with moderate work loads. Fellowships are available to exceptionally qualified applicants and finishing doctoral students. Travel grants for research and conference papers are available on a limited basis. Several of our graduate students have won competitive grants for research from the Willson Center for the Humanities and Arts.

The New Georgia Encyclopedia is edited in the Department, and the Southern Historical Association maintains its secretary-treasurer's office here as well. The University of Georgia Libraries maintain excellent research facilities for historians. The Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies maintains an impressive archival collection on Georgia and U.S. political history, while the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library contains approximately 120,000 rare books on a variety of subjects, and over 6 million individual items including family papers, diaries, letters, theatrical papers, corporate and organizational papers.

Prospective applicants to the program are encouraged to explore courses offered, the full guidebook to graduate requirements, and review the research and teaching interests of current students and faculty before beginning the application for admission. Prospective students might also wish to learn about about the University of Georgia as well as the community of Athens--justly known for its prominent live music scene, vibrant cultural and community life, and affordable college-town living. The city is an hour from Atlanta, from the mountains of North Georgia, and from major state parks at lakes Lanier and Hartwell. The UGA cinema series is one of the best in the country. The University offers housing for graduate students, both single and married. Moderately priced off campus housing is abundant.