Support

A community supporting historians as professionals and people.

Doctoral students in history train and produce scholarship in an intimate, responsive community. Students receive support tailored to their professional needs and aspirations along with their lives beyond Bowden Hall. 

Producing innovative historical scholarship is time- and resource-intensive. In addition to the financial security provided by the base stipend, doctoral students are supported in accessing robust funding streams within the department, through the Laney Graduate School, and from external organizations. 

Grant-writing workshops organized by the History Department and the Laney Graduate School position students to compete well for major fellowships, including from funders like the American Council of Learned Societies, Social Science Research Council, and Fulbright-Hays program. 

Training in inspiring, accessible, and inclusive pedagogies is central to doctoral education in history at Emory. The Laney Graduate School's Teaching Assistant Training (TATTO) Program introduces graduate students to best practices in teaching in a scaffolded manner.

Teaching responsibilities increase over the student's career, capping with the opportunity for most doctoral students in history to design and teach their own course to Emory undergraduates. 

The doctoral program prioritizes professionalization and career preparedness throughout graduate students' training. Formal workshops and seminars ensure that students can position themselves well to compete for academic positions at an array of institutions, from teaching-intensive colleges to major research universities and beyond.

At the same time, the department supports students' pursuit of career paths that do not lead to traditional faculty positions.

Opportunities to conduct substantive work in fields like public and digital humanities (to take two examples) during graduate training allow students to hone competencies that translate broadly in the workforce.

Learn more about the Laney Graduate School's career development programs and resources. 

With a small number of students accepted to the doctoral program each year, the history doctoral program prioritizes intensive and supportive mentoring of graduate students. From students' very first days on campus, faculty mentors work closely with advisees to refine dissertation topics, support the securing of necessary funding for research, and discern the right career path beyond graduation.

This hands-on approach to advising helps students to productively navigate the hidden curricula of graduate school and the profession beyond.

Explore the History Department's graduate faculty mentors.