Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in History - Social History and Policy

Students are admitted into the history department’s graduate programs with or without a master’s or professional degree. Students who do not have a master’s degree in history will generally be required to complete that degree in the department before moving on to the PhD; those who have earned graduate or professional degrees closely related to their PhD programs may petition for direct admission to the PhD program. Students who first complete their MA in history at Case Western Reserve must complete an additional 24 hours of course work, pass the qualifying exams required by their program of study, and prepare a PhD dissertation while enrolling in at least 18 hours of supervised dissertation-writing work. Students who have completed their master’s-level work before coming to Case Western Reserve must complete at least 24 hours of course work before taking their qualifying exams and proceeding to their dissertation. Social History and Policy Program (SHP) The Social History and Policy Program is designed to prepare students for careers either as analysts and administrators of social policy or as teachers and researchers in colleges and universities. The program defines social policy broadly to include not only welfare, family and juvenile matters, aging, health care, and medicine, but also education, urban history, environmental history, cultural policies regarding museums, libraries and similar agencies, and labor. The program recognizes that social policies are made and put into practice by private, nonprofit organizations and through legal institutions as well as through federal, state, and local legislatures and executives. Entry into the program does not require an MA in history; several students have been admitted with JD, MSW, library science, or other degrees. However, the program often requires students with limited backgrounds in U.S. history to take extra course work. More tightly structured than the traditional PhD, the Social History and Policy Program requires 18 hours of course work (and possibly additional hours to prepare for examinations); qualifying examinations in U.S. history and in the history of social policy; a cognate field; and a dissertation. The program also includes an option for the student to complete a policy-related internship. In the past, internships have been conducted with the Cleveland Federation for Community Planning, the Interchurch Council of Greater Cleveland, the Bureau of Jewish Education, the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, and the Hathaway Brown School.