Every academic year we admit 10-12 promising students from a large pool of highly selective applicants into our Ph.D. program in History. Our small cohort size allows more individual work with faculty than most graduate programs in the United States.
The department expects most graduate students to spend no less than four and no more than six years completing the work for the Ph.D. degree. Individual students' time to degree will vary with the strength of their undergraduate preparation as well as with the particular language and research requirements of their respective subfields. Students specialize in 14 distinct subfields:
- Africa
- Britain
- United States
- Early Modern Europe
- Medieval Europe
- Modern Europe
- Russia/Eastern Europe
- East Asia
- Jewish History
- Latin America
- South Asia
- Ottoman Empire and Middle East
- Science, Technology, Environment, and Medicine
- Transnational, International, and Global History
Degree Requirements
All History Ph.D. students are expected to satisfy the following degree requirements:
- Teaching: Students complete 4 quarters of teaching experience by the end of their 3rd year.
- Candidacy: Students are expected to apply for candidacy to the PhD program by the end of their 2nd year.
- Orals: Students are expected to take the University Orals Examination at the beginning of the 3rd year in the program.
- Languages: Language requirements vary depending on the field of study.
- Residency Requirement: The University requires 135 units of coursework to reach to Terminal Graduate Registration (TGR) status. Students are expected to reach TGR status by the Autumn Quarter of their 4th year in the program.
Please review detailed policies and requirements in the Ph.D. Handbook and on Stanford Bulletin.
Funding
We provide continuous 12-month funding to History Ph.D. students for up to the first five years of the doctoral degree program in History. Comprised of fellowship and assistantships, the funding package provides tuition, fellowship stipend or assistantship salary, summer stipend, and health insurance. A sample Ph.D. funding package is as follows:
- 1st year: 3 quarters fellowship stipend and 1 summer stipend
- 2nd year: 2 quarters of teaching experience, 1 quarter fellowship stipend, and 1 summer stipend
- 3rd year: 2 quarters of teaching experience, 1 quarter fellowship stipend, and 1 summer stipend
- 4th year: 3 quarters fellowship stipends and 1 summer stipend
- 5th year: 3 quarters fellowship stipends and 1 summer stipend
Additional departmental grants for relocation, language training, research, and conference travel are also provided. For detailed information, please see Ph.D. Funding page.
Stanford's Knight-Hennessy Scholars (KHS) Program offers 3 years of graduate funding in connection with degree-granting Stanford units. KHS admits up to 100 applicants each year including among Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences students. The program focuses on training visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders ready to address complex global challenges. The KHS application deadline is October 8, 2025 (1:00pm PST). Learn more about KHS admission.
How to Apply
Admission to the History Graduate Programs are for Autumn quarter only. Interested applicants can apply online at https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/apply/apply-now and submit the following documents:
- Statement of Purpose (included in Application)
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- A Copy of Official Transcripts from each University/College attended
- Transcripts are required from all prior college level schools attended for at least one year. A scanned copy of the official transcript is submitted as part of the online application. Please do not mail transcripts to the department. We will ask only the admitted students to submit actual copies of official transcripts.
- 1 Writing Sample on a historic topic (10-25 pages; sent via Stanford's online application system only)
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test is not required
- TOEFL/IELTS for all international applicants (whose primary language is not English) sent via ETS. Our University code is 4704.
- Application fee $125 (subject to change)
- The History Department is not able to provide fee waivers. You may request an Application Fee Waiver from Stanford University Graduate Admissions Office. Waiverequests are due 2 weeks before the application deadline.
The Department of History welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. Review of applications is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, and admissions essays in order to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field. We uphold and advance Stanford's values by maintaining recruitment activities that are accessible and free from discrimination. Learn more about Stanford Values and Commitment to Compliance.
Application deadline for Autumn 2026-27 is December 2, 2025 at 11:59pm EST. This is a hard -not a postmark- deadline.
All application material is available online. No information is sent via snail mail. Interested applicants are invited to view a Guide to Graduate Admissions at https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/.
Questions?
Please contact Arthur Palmon (Assistant Director of Student Services).
