Graduate Program

The Program is run jointly by the Department of History of Science and Technology, in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of History of Medicine, in the School of Medicine.  Core courses and electives are open to all students in the program.  All faculty in both departments are eligible to serve on committees for all students in the program.  Graduate committees frequently include faculty from both departments.

Each year, the graduate program attracts a strong cohort of students. They come to The Johns Hopkins University with diverse backgrounds including medicine, science, and history. The majority of students enroll in the Ph.D. program, which prepares students for scholarly careers in teaching and research. The program has long been particularly strong in the history of medicine and science for early modern Europe; medicine, science and technology in the United States, 19th and 20th centuries; history of public health and colonial medicine; and Russian and Soviet science. New areas of great activity include Asian science and medicine, history of public health, and the history of 20th-century biology and biomedicine. Graduates of the program work at a variety of universities, colleges, research institutes, and museums.

The graduate program combines a broad introduction to historical scholarship with training in the skills needed for specialized historical research in the history of science, medicine and technology. Preparing to teach history and learning how to do historical research are complementary goals. Students work in a variety of settings, including research seminars, proseminars, and individualized tutorials, as well as gaining teaching experience in the department's undergraduate courses.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

For further information about the Department of History of Science and Technology, write:

The Graduate Coordinator
Department of the History of Science and Technology
The Johns Hopkins University
3505 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218

For general information, email Mrs. Danielle Stout at danielle@jhu.edu

Ph.D. Admissions

The Program's two departments have separate admissions processes.  Students interested primarily in the history of science and technology should apply through the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.   Students in the history of medicine should apply through the School of Medicine.

History of Science and Technology. Telephone 410-516-7501 (Homewood Campus office) or email Prof. Sharon Kingsland at sharon@jhu.edu for more information.  Students interested in the History of Science and Technology can apply on-line.  The application deadline for History of Science and Technology is January 17, but applicants are advised to send in the main application materials by January 1.  A graduate handbook describing the program requirements in detail is available on request: please email Sharon Kingsland at sharon@jhu.edu for a copy of the handbook.

History of Medicine.  Write to the Graduate Coordinator, Department of History of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, 1900 E. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205; or call 410-955-3178 (History of Medicine main office).  Click here for online applications to the History of Medicine Department through the School of Medicine.  You may also email Ms. Coraleeze Thompson at coraleez@jhmi.edu for more information, or email the Graduate Coordinator, Prof. Marta Hanson, at mhanson4@jhmi.edu.  Please see the website of the Department of History of Medicine for more information about programs, faculty, and students.

Program Requirements

During the first year of study, students receive a general introduction to historical research and complete a year long survey in either the history of science or the history of medicine. In their second and third years, candidates prepare three fields of study: one in the Program of the History of Science, Medicine and Technology, one in the History Department and a third field to be determined by the student and their advisor. The specific requirements for such fields are set by the faculty member directing the field, in consultation with the student. These fields entail both broad and intensive reading, and may include an examination, research paper, and/or preparation of several historiographic essays. Candidates must also demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages before being admitted to formal candidacy for the degree.

The final requirement for the Ph.D. degree is completion of a dissertation that is an original contribution to historical knowledge, and of a standard suitable for publication.  Candidates defend their dissertations at an oral examination before a committee of faculty from the Program and other departments.

Financial Support

The Program currently offers incoming graduate students financial support for five years, including full tuition coverage, a stipend or teaching assistantship, health insurance, and a travel and research allowance of $1000. Support after the first year is dependent on satisfactory progress in meeting program requirements.  Students may also be eligible for external fellowships, for example the National Science Foundation predoctoral fellowships, the Social Sciences Research Council predoctoral fellowships, Mellon predoctoral fellowships, etc.

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