As a humanistic discipline, history increases our limited “here and now” understanding by expanding our experience to include all people past and present. Unlike most scholars, historians usually focus on long-range change, and strive to attain all-encompassing views of men and women. As a result, one can gain an enlarged perspective of human potential.
While an advanced degree in history will not provide all the answers, nor predict the future reliably, studies in history can clarify some options for the future by illuminating those past events and forces which affect one’s life. As the Swiss historian Jakob Burckhardt said, history may make one “not merely smart for the next time but wise for always.” Recent history graduates have become successful in a variety of positions in education, industry, and government.
The Department of History offers both the M.A. and the Ph.D. degrees. There are two programs of study for the master’s candidate. The thesis option includes the satisfactory completion of an extended essay based upon research in one’s area of concentration as well as 24 additional hours of course work. The non-thesis option requires the satisfactory completion of 30 hours including at least six hours in 600-level history seminars and a methodology seminar. A comprehensive examination based on the course work also must be passed.
A master’s degree candidate may concentrate in American, Canadian, European, East Asian, technology, or environmental history.
The Ph.D. candidate may concentrate in either American or Canadian history and must become knowledgeable in two areas of history and in a related discipline. Comprehensive written and oral examinations in these areas usually are scheduled at the end of two years of preparation. The candidate also must submit a scholarly and substantial piece of original research (dissertation) and defend it before his or her committee.
Candidates at both the master’s and doctoral levels are expected to demonstrate competence in a foreign language. The student’s advisory committee is responsible for determining specific requirements.
The Raymond Fogler Library is the historian’s research center. Among its most significant collections are journals, books, and documents in Maine, New England, Canadian, and maritime history. The Maine Historical Society Quarterly is edited out of the Department and provides opportunities for graduate students to learn about the editing, layout, graphics, and printing of a journal. (See HTY 598.) Small travel grants are available for dissertation work at research centers in other cities. In recent years, topics of theses and dissertations have included American refugee policy in the 20th century, women’s suffrage movements in Maine and Canada, Canadian-Columbian relations, Egyptian revival and 19th-century American commemorative culture, and the politics of fashion and women’s work in 20th-century America.
Admission to the graduate program in history is based upon the requirements of the Graduate School, including GRE scores. The History Department currently awards on a competitive basis several teaching assistantships annually which pay a stipend and include a waiver of tuition. Students also may compete for other University scholarships.
Richard W. Judd, Ph.D. (California-Irvine, 1979), Professor and Chair. Maine, U.S. labor and environmental history.
Richard Blanke, Ph.D. (California, 1970), Professor. Contemporary Europe, Russia, Modern Germany.
Jay A. Bregman, Ph.D. (Yale, 1974), Professor. Ancient, Intellectual, Jazz.
Jacques Ferland, Ph.D. (McGill, 1986), Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator. Colonial Canada, French-Canadians, Native peoples.
Nathan Godfried, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1980), Professor. 20th Century U.S., Labor and Economic, Mass Media and Popular Culture.
Alex Grab, Ph.D. (UCLA, 1980), Professor. Modern Italy, 18th/19th century Europe, Middle East.
Mazie L. Hough, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 1997), Assistant Professor. U.S., Women, Political, Legal.
Michael Lang, Ph.D. (University of California, Irvine, 1997), Associate Professor. Modern Europe, historiography, international relations.
Elizabeth McKillen, Ph.D. (Northwestern, 1987), Professor. U.S., Foreign relations, Labor, 20th Century.
Stephen M. Miller, Ph.D. (Connecticut, 1996), Professor, British Empire, Modern Africa, military history.
Vinh-Long Ngo, Ph.D. (Harvard, 1975), Professor. Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian history.
Warren C. Riess, Ph.D. (New Hampshire, 1987), Research Associate Professor. Early & modern America, Maritime Archaeology.
Liam Riordan, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania, 1996), Associate Professor. Colonial British America, American Revolution, and Early U.S. Republic, cultural and social history.
Scott W. See, Ph.D. (University of Maine, 1984), Libra Professor. Canada, Canadian-American, U.S. History.
Howard P. Segal, Ph.D. (Princeton, 1975), Professor. Science and technology, American history.
Smith, Maureen E., Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 1993), Associate Professor. Native American history.
Janet K. TeBrake, Ph.D. (Maine, 1984), Assistant Professor. Ireland, Britain, 19th century, Europe.
Graduate School
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