Department of History

Graduate

Watch students discuss their experiences here at Pitt

We train area specialists with a global perspective. Our students learn how to research, interpret and teach the histories and historiographies of particular places from comparative, cross-cultural, transnational and global approaches. To foster awareness of transregional and transcontinental connections, the department's specialists in five regional fields (U.S., Latin American, Asian, African, and European history) also work together in topical clusters and transnational groupings to offer advanced seminars, speaker series, and more.

While building regional expertise through seminars and directed studies, our students receive systematic transnational and transregional training through seminars. Students might choose to focus on one of them, or study several in conjunction. In either case, our graduates distinguish themselves as area specialists who understand the potentially global connections of all human interaction, and who are trained to think, research, and teach across regional boundaries.

Our students also take advantage of a vibrant city-wide academic community, including cross-registration and strong collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University's Department of History.

The training students receive in our graduate program serves them well on a variety of career tracks (http://www.history.pitt.edu/alumni/directory). A number of our graduates find employment in university administration, in the field of public history and education outside the university, or work for the government and non-governmental organizations. Most, however, choose teaching careers at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. The most desirable of such academic jobs are tenure-track positions at four-year colleges/universities (4YTT). And our graduates have been highly successful in securing such positions. According to data provided by the American Historical Association in 2018 (https://www.historians.org/wherehistorianswork), our 4YTT percentage is the 13th highest out of a total of 161 History graduate programs in the United States, thus placing us nationally in the top 8th percentile.

For more information about the graduate program please contact Niklas Frykman, Graduate Director, or Paris Yamamoto, Graduate Administrator. 

Our Program

Our highly selective graduate program is known for the careful mentoring of students, a spirit of collaboration among faculty and students, an emphasis on graduate student self-governance and voice, and last but not least generous funding through a variety of teaching and research fellowships. 

Prospective Students

After the global pandemic forced us to pause admissions for one year, we are once again accepting applications to our graduate program for Fall 2022. The application deadline is January 15, 2022. We encourage prospective students to explore this website and to read recent publications by our faculty in regions and themes that match their interests. Feel free to reach out directly via email to potential mentors among our faculty, or to contact current students with questions about their experiences. If you have any questions about the graduate program, please don’t hesitate to contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Niklas Frykman (niklas.frykman@pitt.edu).

Current Student Resources

Our program provides excellent opportunities for professional development, including seminars and workshops geared towards careers both inside and outside of academia. We take great pride in our graduates' wide range of successful professional trajectories and also have an academic placement rate that ranks among the highest of comparable schools. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about our program and the application process by exploring the frequently asked questions.

Contact

For more information about the graduate program please contact Niklas Frykman, Graduate Director, or Paris Yamamoto, Graduate Administrator.