Admission and Financial Aid
Admissions
Each year the History Department admits a small cohort of graduate
students, with the goal of providing a collegial, intimate, and intellectually
vibrant learning environment. While most candidates are admitted for the Ph.D.
degree, Duke also accepts a few students to pursue an M.A. degree. No university
funding is provided towards the M.A. degree, and only those that can pay their
own tuition should apply. Duke also accepts a few students entering the Law
School for participation in a joint JD/MA degree. Duke does not admit new candidates
for the spring semester. Applications must be postmarked or submitted online
before December 15. The reduced application fee deadline is November 15 . Nominations
for university awards are made by the History Department in mid-February. Nominations
for departmental awards are made in March, and likely candidates are invited
to visit campus for a weekend to meet faculty and graduate students.
Funding for New Applicants:
Several professors read all applications. All students accepted in the program have funding, either through the department, a university fellowship, other academic units at Duke, or outside funding sources.
University fellowships through the graduate school: The faculty members of the Graduate Committee nominate the most outstanding applicants for university fellowships available to entering students through the graduate school. (Note: There are other university-wide fellowship available to more advanced students; they are described below in section “The Doctoral Dissertation”). The university fellowships available to entering students include:
• James B. Duke
• Duke Endowment
• University Scholars
For more information on these university-wide fellowships, see the Graduate School website.
Fellowships in other academic units at Duke : Qualified applicants are also nominated for area studies fellowships in U other academic units at Duke U , such as Asia/Pacific, Russia , Western Europe, Medieval-Renaissance, or Latin America .
Fellowships through sources outside the university : The History Department has been successful in obtaining such support and in recruiting outstanding applicants who have earned outside funding through national or international fellowships such as the Ford, Mellon, and Javits.
Departmental fellowships: Students accepted to the Ph.D. program in the History Department who are not funded by the university, another academic unit, or by outside sources are offered departmental fellowships. Each award is renewable annually, contingent upon satisfactory academic progress. Students may not hold another award (such as Mellon or Javits) or be engaged in full-time or part-time employment concurrently with this fellowship. (That is, although we are pleased when our students win such awards, they cannot be held in addition to an ordinary Department Fellowship.)
Departmental Fellowship covers the following expenses, usually for a five-year period, although contingent on satisfactory academic progress in the program:
- Stipend for five years
• Tuition for the first three years (tuition not charged after the third year);
• Annual registration fee for five years;
• Annual health insurance
• Annual health fee for five years
• Annual recreation fee for five years.
Note: Health insurance is compulsory by University policy. You have the option of accepting the graduate student health insurance or providing it yourself. If you obtain health insurance through an outside provider, the graduate school does not reimburse you for that expense. Graduate school's funding of heath insurance was new in the academic year 2006-2007. There may well be changes in this benefit over the next few years.
The stipend is a crucial component of the fellowship package. For the academic year 2007-2008 the stipend is $18,250 per year. It is divided in two parts: the noncompensatory portion ($14,250 for the academic year 2007-2008) is granted without the requirement of labor; the compensatory portion ($4,000 for the academic year 2007-2008) is paid for labor as a teaching assistant, research assistant, or grader in the History Department or in another department or program, such as African and African American Studies, Women's Studies, or the University Writing Program. Over the past few years, the graduate school has been increasing the stipend amount each academic year, although there are no guarantees in this regard.
There is no stipend paid after the fifth year. The department makes an effort to reimburse fees for all students in the sixth year, although funding beyond the fifth year is not guaranteed. After a student has successfully defended his/her dissertation, the Department will reimburse his/her fees for the final semester.
While the Department Fellowship ensures five years of full support, we expect students to apply for institutional and external fellowships in their fields. Outside fellowships replace departmental funding for students in years one through five of the program. If the outside fellowship is less than what the student would receive through the departmental stipend, the department will make every effort to bring the student up to that year's stipend rate (both the noncompensatory and compensatory portions), without requiring labor from the student. Given graduate school regulations, however, it may not be possible in all cases. In that event, the department will try to bring the student as close to that amount as possible. The department also will pay the student's registration fees, health fee, and recreation fees. In accordance with graduate school regulations, students will not automatically receive any credit towards additional funding for future years from the history department, if they receive outside funding during their five years of funding from the department.
Teaching and Grading Assistantships
As a condition of the Departmental Fellowship awards, each recipient works for the department as either a grader (up to 9.9 hours per week throughout one semester, paid $2000) or a teaching assistant (up to 19.9 hours per week throughout one semester, paid $4000). Students in their first year usually fulfill this obligation through two Graderships or Research Assistantships. Each gradership or research assistantship entails working for a professor in the Department for nine hours per week. During subsequent years, the holder of a Departmental Fellowship is usually designated as a Teaching Assistant (TA) in one undergraduate course for one semester each year. The salary for Graders and TAs represents a portion of the overall financial package awarded to Ph.D. students who have a Departmental Fellowship, and is paid to them separately. For a discussion of the duties of Graders and TAs, see the section on "Teaching Opportunities" in this Handbook.
Continuation of Funding
While funding extends for five years, it is contingent on successful progress in the program. The faculty meets annually, in January, to discuss the progress of students who are still doing coursework and have not yet taken prelims. After their first year in the program, the graduate school requires students to file a written progress report with the DGS each spring. The DGS, in consultation with the faculty members of the graduate committee, then review those reports to assess students' progress. Should there be problems, the DGS and the faculty members of the graduate committee will meet with the student, to discuss the issues and to formulate a plan to resolve them. Although our goal is to assure every student's success in the program, there are instances where problems prove intractable and students fail to progress in the program. In those rare instances, the DGS may decide to discontinue funding. Fellowship renewal depends upon sound academic work.
Work Study
Additionally, a portion of the Department's graduate funding each year is allocated as "Work-Study" money for students whose financial situation makes them eligible. To determine eligibility for "Work Study" aid, students should complete and file a Graduate and Professional School Financial Aid Statement [GAPSFAS] by January 1 of each year. Participation is crucial in terms of bringing full funding to the Graduate History Program each year.