Areas of Study

The history faculty at Purdue support graduate study in a wide variety of geographical areas reaching from the medieval period to the present day. In an effort to respond with flexibility to shifting interests among potential students and persistent limits on academic resources, we recently have restructured the program to take advantage of a relatively small number of broad-based seminars along with customized reading and research courses designed to meet the needs of students in residence at the moment.  The new program is mapped out below under PhD requirements.

You are encouraged to select major and minor fields that draw on the expertise of current faculty to shape a plan of study that best fits your individual educational and career objectives. Traditional geographical concentrations include Europe since the Middle Ages, the Americas (colonial and modern), Africa, Asia, and parts of the Middle East. Current faculty thematic interests include problems of modernization, economic growth, imperialism, colonization and decolonization, women and gender issues, slavery and race relations, political development and nation building, popular culture, environmental issues, war, peace, and international relations. Several faculty members also pursue teaching and research interests that are specifically cross-cultural, transnational, or global in perspective. Prospective students should study the faculty directory and visit individual faculty web pages to learn more about their current scholarship.