The normal duration of the Ph.D. program is five to seven years. The program is the same whether or not the student has received an M.A. degree in history from another institution.
Students should be in residence at the University for at least three years. During this time students should complete the required coursework, take the general examinations for the Ph.D., work with undergraduates as a graduate teaching assistant, and complete a prospectus for the Ph.D. dissertation. During the remaining years the student should research and write the doctoral dissertation. In the fourth year and beyond, the student can also continue to teach either as a graduate teaching assistant or, for the most advanced students, as an independent instructor of undergraduate courses.
The program is structured with an intensive focus on coursework during the first two years, transitioning to extensive supervised experience in college teaching as a complement to continuing research.