online phd specializing in history

Thanks, Rich, one more time!

I am going to develop the game plan. I have the subject and the ideas, and now I have research how to apply successfully and develop the portfolio. Any ideas how to do that as well?

 

"How to apply" depends on where you're applying, etc.
Jack

 

Is the Union Institute still about the only American RA DL history doctoral program these days? I read most of the the threads posted above and there doesn't seem to be much change. The U of Florida programs are certainly well-known, but as Jack pointed out the language requirements are considerable (certainly Latin, possibly Greek, if I remember correctly), and on one of the older threads Bill Dayson suggests they are only open to those currently teaching.

The problem of a research library for a DL PhD program I think would be fairly easily solved by becoming a "grad student at large" or "adult learner" at one of the multitudes of top tier universities offering this service. I suspect that DL medieval studies, Renaissance, and modern era history PhD programs that would use modern languages for research would be popular.

 

Wales Lampeter also has a history doctorate, but the program requires periodic visits to campus.

http://www.lamp.ac.uk/history/dl.htm

 

i am reapplying again for the history PhD

I was advised to reapply and was provided guidance as to the application. I had an interview with a facuty member earlier this week. This seems like a different approach as opposed to what I have been reading in earlier postings in this website. Any guidance or ideas as to this? Thanks!

 

Re: i am reapplying again for the history PhD

And for which school are you re-applying?

 

I reapplied to UI&U

Sorry about that, Ted!

 

Re: I reapplied to UI&U

Ah, so you re-applying at the Union Institute and University www.tui.edu for their PhD in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences with concentration in History? Well, insofar as your application, I would start with suggesting a possible dissertation topic with possible committee members. Your committee members will include two core faculty, two adjunct faculty, and two peers. Then, you would want to develop your degree plan, which includes new learning, internship, and project demonstrating excellence.

You did suggest, with repect to the interdisciplinarity requirement, the integration of history and psychology. You would, of course, want to get much more specific than that, such as, for example, "A Psychological Profile of Richard Milhous Nixon, with an Emphasis Upon His Early Relationship with His Father and How It Impacted His Personality Development." Naturally, that is just one suggestion and you may take it or leave it as you wish.

The core faculty in history include: Susan D. Amussen (PhD, Brown University, 1982) Early Modern England, esp. Women's History; Late Mediaeval Europe; The Slave Trade in the West Indies; Charles Hables Gray (PhD, University of California Santa Cruz, 1981) History of Consciousness; Technohistory; Computerized Weapons Systems in the United States Military Since World War II; Vietnam War; United States Investments in South Africa; Iraq War I; Technology, Social Change and National Identity in Spain and Argentina; Technology and Politics; Information, Globalization, and Power; Postmodern War; Cyborgs; Information Technology and Business; Computer-Assisted Learning; and Fred G. Kohun (PhD, Carnegie-Mellon University, 1990) History of Technology; Information Systems.

Should you include psychology in fulfillment of your interdisciplinarity requirement, the core faculty in psychology at Union Institute are: Nancy Anne Boxhill (PhD, Union Institute, 1980) Child Psychology; Joseph F. DeLoach (PhD, Wayne State University, 1969) Educational Psychology and Counseling Psychology; Linda B. Hopkins (PhD, Temple University, 1977) Clinical Psychology; Noel Gene Markwell(PhD, Purdue University, 1959) Counseling Psychology; Robert McAndrews (PhD, Saybrook Institute, 1979) Human Sciences; "An Inquiry Into Meaning and Value"; William H. McKelvie (EdD, West Virginia University, 1973) Counseling; Clinical Psychology; Sherry Eve Penn (PhD, Union Institute, 1975) Communication Psychology; Hank J. Raymond(EdD, George Washington University, 1983) Counseling; Psychology and Human Relations; Larry J. Ryan (PhD, University of Windsor, 1971) Clinical Psychology; Kenneth Suslak (PhD, University of Minnesota, 1968) Child Psychology; and M. Wilson Williams (PhD, University of New Mexico, 1984) Counseling Psychology.

The two adjunct professors would be outside experts drawn from anywhere in the world and the two peer readers would be your fellow Union doctoral learners. Union encourages its doctoral learners to recruit the most prestigious experts in their fields. A former Senior Member of degreeinfo, Rich Douglas, earned his PhD in Non-Traditional Education from the Union Institute in 2003 and had Dr. John Bear, author/co-author of the first fifteen editions of _Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning_ as one of his adjunct professors. Dr. Bear has often mentioned that being the most prestigious expert in one's field is sometimes rather a bit like being the prettiest girl in school ... everyone's afraid to ask you to the dance. In other words, hey, it never hurts to try.

Having established a dissertation topic, you will want to set up your degree plan, which includes new learning, internship, and project demonstrating excellence (which can take the form of a traditional dissertation or which could also be something a bit more non-traditional). In the portion on new learning, one will want to set forth what competencies one will want to prove. In this case, while there are other ways of proving competency, once upon a time, at a Union Institute Open House in Seattle, when I asked about the distinction between proving competencies and taking coursework (in this case, self-designed coursework), I was told that you prove competencies by taking coursework. Further, it was suggested that one could design one's courses by using as one's starting point syllabi from graduate-level history courses at other universities. The internship, it was suggested, could take the form of a community college professorship in history, but it could also take the form of a public history position, such as going on an historical archaeology dig, getting a position as an archivist, working in historical editing and publishing, being a docent or a curator in a historical society museum, or undertaking an historical preservation project. For the Union Institute and University's Comprehensive Degree Plan, see: http://www.tui.edu/current/phd/first.la.asp?strLink=Aa.3.8.2.4 .

It has been said here before that Union does not take transfer credits but rather expects one to build an entire program from scratch. Here is their policy in fuill: "We do not count credits already earned, yet we try to assess the worth of prior learning gained from academic, professional, and/or life experience as it relates to the gaining of proficiency in your fields." http://www.tui.edu/current/phd/first/proficiency.asp?strLink=Aa.3.8.2.3 .

The Union Institute and University has a 35-day residency requirement. There is the Entry Colloquium (10 days), at which one presents one's plans for the doctoral program to the group. Then there are three Five-Day Seminars (15 days). Three interesting seminars listed on Union's website www.tui.edu include: Susan D. Amussen's History, Historiography, and Historical Methods; Michael O. Patton's Research Methods and Theory Formulation for Applied Social and Behavioral Sciences; and Larry J. Ryan's History and Systems of Psychology. Then, there are ten Peer Days (10 days). For more on Union Institute's Residency requirements, see: http://www.tui.edu/current/phd/residency/default.asp?strLink.Aa.3.8.4 .

Good luck and hope this helps!

 

Re: Re: I reapplied to UI&U

There! That fixes the link!

 

Thanks, again, Ted!

In my response to: Ted Heiks, who wrote:

Ah, so you re-applying at the Union Institute and University www.tui.edu for their PhD in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences with concentration in History?

Yes, I am. i was turned down in August. I learned then that I applied under one set of criteria but the committee used another. After a bit of lobbying and discussion --- I would describe it as begging for a second chance --- I was encouraged to reapply. I guess the begging helped!

I worked on slimming down the application for reapplication --- originally it was over 100 pages --- to just under 30 pages. I slimmed down the application to 26 pages. I hope that helped as well!

Well, insofar as your application, I would start with suggesting a possible dissertation topic with possible committee members. Your committee members will include two core faculty, two adjunct faculty, and two peers. Then, you would want to develop your degree plan, which includes new learning, internship, and project demonstrating excellence.

Ted, I do have the topic and I have already done the initial research and writing. The problem is that the topic is so narrow and obtuse that there are not any academic scholars as to the topic. I do not know who the core faculty shall be; however, I was asked --- during last week's telephone interview -- if I have given thought to the idea of the adjunct faculty and the dissertation committee. I told them that I had, and I was encouraged to try to get some of the premier writers in the field as well. She did not flinch when I had mentioned the names of the core faculty with whom I really desired to work. I was told that the core faculty usually manages that "learner load" but also the decision as to who the faculty are ---- this is the inference that I am drawing --- is administratively decided.

You did suggest, with repect to the interdisciplinarity requirement, the integration of history and psychology. You would, of course, want to get much more specific than that, such as, for example, "A Psychological Profile of Richard Milhous Nixon, with an Emphasis Upon His Early Relationship with His Father and How It Impacted His Personality Development." Naturally, that is just one suggestion and you may take it or leave it as you wish.

That would be an awesome topic! Maybe I could use that one instead would you mind if I borrowed and pursued it as well?

The core faculty in history include: Susan D. Amussen (PhD, Brown University, 1982) Early Modern England, esp. Women's History; Late Mediaeval Europe; The Slave Trade in the West Indies; Charles Hables Gray (PhD, University of California Santa Cruz, 1981) History of Consciousness; Technohistory; Computerized Weapons Systems in the United States Military Since World War II; Vietnam War; United States Investments in South Africa; Iraq War I; Technology, Social Change and National Identity in Spain and Argentina; Technology and Politics; Information, Globalization, and Power; Postmodern War; Cyborgs; Information Technology and Business; Computer-Assisted Learning; and Fred G. Kohun (PhD, Carnegie-Mellon University, 1990) History of Technology; Information Systems.

Should you include psychology in fulfillment of your interdisciplinarity requirement, the core faculty in psychology at Union Institute are: Nancy Anne Boxhill (PhD, Union Institute, 1980) Child Psychology; Joseph F. DeLoach (PhD, Wayne State University, 1969) Educational Psychology and Counseling Psychology; Linda B. Hopkins (PhD, Temple University, 1977) Clinical Psychology; Noel Gene Markwell(PhD, Purdue University, 1959) Counseling Psychology; Robert McAndrews (PhD, Saybrook Institute, 1979) Human Sciences; "An Inquiry Into Meaning and Value"; William H. McKelvie (EdD, West Virginia University, 1973) Counseling; Clinical Psychology; Sherry Eve Penn (PhD, Union Institute, 1975) Communication Psychology; Hank J. Raymond(EdD, George Washington University, 1983) Counseling; Psychology and Human Relations; Larry J. Ryan (PhD, University of Windsor, 1971) Clinical Psychology; Kenneth Suslak (PhD, University of Minnesota, 1968) Child Psychology; and M. Wilson Williams (PhD, University of New Mexico, 1984) Counseling Psychology.

Wow, that is a "deep bench." I think that any one of them would be awesome to have! Thanks for sharing!

The two adjunct professors would be outside experts drawn from anywhere in the world and the two peer readers would be your fellow Union doctoral learners. Union encourages its doctoral learners to recruit the most prestigious experts in their fields. A former Senior Member of degreeinfo, Rich Douglas, earned his PhD in Non-Traditional Education from the Union Institute in 2003 and had Dr. John Bear, author/co-author of the first fifteen editions of _Bears' Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning_ as one of his adjunct professors. Dr. Bear has often mentioned that being the most prestigious expert in one's field is sometimes rather a bit like being the prettiest girl in school ... everyone's afraid to ask you to the dance. In other words, hey, it never hurts to try.

Would either you, Rich, or Dr Bear mind being among the adjunct faculty or reader that would "put me through the paces as well?

Having established a dissertation topic, you will want to set up your degree plan, which includes new learning, internship, and project demonstrating excellence (which can take the form of a traditional dissertation or which could also be something a bit more non-traditional). In the portion on new learning, one will want to set forth what competencies one will want to prove. In this case, while there are other ways of proving competency, once upon a time, at a Union Institute Open House in Seattle, when I asked about the distinction between proving competencies and taking coursework (in this case, self-designed coursework), I was told that you prove competencies by taking coursework.

Here is where I admitted to the interviewer where my deficiencies lay the most. I told her that I was not well trained academically as to this. I admitted that the time had been reached to be molded and shaped into that of an historian. I did not know much of the schools of thought and argument (say Fukuyama and Ferguson). i admitted knowing who they are and knew some of their respective theories, but ask me to label and assess, I would have a few problems. I believe that there had to be candor. The question is would it kill me in the admission or help me?

Further, it was suggested that one could design one's courses by using as one's starting point syllabi from graduate-level history courses at other universities. The internship, it was suggested, could take the form of a community college professorship in history, but it could also take the form of a public history position, such as going on an historical archaeology dig, getting a position as an archivist, working in historical editing and publishing, being a docent or a curator in a historical society museum, or undertaking an historical preservation project. For the Union Institute and University's Comprehensive Degree Plan, see: http://www.tui.edu/current/phd/firs...Link=Aa.3.8.2.4 .


Ted, these are the area that I have been discussing as well as mentioned in the reapplication as well as the interview. I had the feeling that eyebrows were raised. I hope this helped as well.

It has been said here before that Union does not take transfer credits but rather expects one to build an entire program from scratch. Here is their policy in fuill: "We do not count credits already earned, yet we try to assess the worth of prior learning gained from academic, professional, and/or life experience as it relates to the gaining of proficiency in your fields." http://www.tui.edu/current/phd/firs...Link=Aa.3.8.2.3 .

The Union Institute and University has a 35-day residency requirement. There is the Entry Colloquium (10 days), at which one presents one's plans for the doctoral program to the group. Then there are three Five-Day Seminars (15 days). Three interesting seminars listed on Union's website www.tui.edu include: Susan D. Amussen's History, Historiography, and Historical Methods; Michael O. Patton's Research Methods and Theory Formulation for Applied Social and Behavioral Sciences; and Larry J. Ryan's History and Systems of Psychology. Then, there are ten Peer Days (10 days). For more on Union Institute's Residency requirements, see: http://www.tui.edu/current/phd/resi...trLink.Aa.3.8.4 .

Wow, that is just as impressive! You have certainly helped! The residency requirement was discussed as well. I know and feel that it would be best suited to meet the lifestyle that I, and many others who do not have the time to attend the traditional program, to achieve earning the doctorate.

Thanks!

Good luck and hope this helps!

 

Re: Thanks, again, Ted!

1. What is your topic? I recall you mentioning the integration of history and psychology, perhaps intellectual history, and philosophic justification for U. S. fringe constitutional actions in the Philipines. Perhaps I could help you research possible experts in yoiur field, if you would specify.

2. You certainly may have the psychohistory of Dick Nixon for your dissertation topic. Good original source material would include: Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, Haynes Johnson, and Lawrence Meyer, eds., _The Presidential Transcripts with Commentary by the Staff of the Washington Post_ (New York: Dell Publishing, 1974) and Bruce Oudes, ed., _From: The President: Richard Nixon's Secret Files_ (New York: Harper & Row, 1989). Good psychobiographies of Nixon, though older, include Bruce Mazlish, _In Search of Nixon_ (Baltimore: Penguin, 1973) and Bela Kornitzer, _The Real Nixon: An Intimate Biography_ (New York: Rand McNally, 1960). Also, I can't seem to find the reference to it, but I'm sure I've seen a Nixon bio by his psychiatrist. Bruce Mazlish was for many years Professor of History at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. My old historiography professor once called Bruce Mazlish "the man who put the psycho into psychohistory." Bela Kornitzer's book focuses on Nixon's childhood.

3. I seriously doubt that not knowing the various philosophies of history would be too terribly large a liability in getting admitted. As noted, Professor Susan D. Amussen does offer five-day seminars in Philosophy of History, usually twice a year. You might try to raise to a conscious level what your thoughts are about the philosophy of history. Do we stick, Dragnet-like, to "just the facts, ma'am, just the facts"? Are various types of historiographical interpretations okay with you, so long as we announce in our introductions and prefaces whether we are Marxists or Libertarians or whatever in our interpretations of history? Can the past teach us anything, as if to say, he who is ignorant of the past is doomed to repeat it? Or is history merely an act of intellectual stimulation in need of no other justification than that it is so much fun to do? Is history cyclical, that is, does history repeat itself? Or is it actually the case that some people only think history repeats itself because, really, historians repeat themselves? Is history the grand tale of the inevitable progress of human liberty? Or is it all meaningless because, after all, vanity, vanity, all is vanity, and there is nothing new under the Sun? Some good, albeit old, works in the philosophy include Harry Elmer Barnes, _The History of Historical Writing_; Ernst Breisach, _Historiography_; Bruce Mazlish, _The Riddle of History_; Hans Meyerhoff, _The Philosophy of History in Our Time_; Page Smith, _The Historian and History_; and Fritz Stern, _Varieties of History_. You might search for these at www.amazon.com and www.bookfinder.com .

Good luck and hope this helps!

 

Ted, you sure did help. Now the question is, are you ready to be a member of my adjunct faculty committee?

You mentioned that Rich Douglas was a Senior Member here. has he gone to greener cyber pastures?

Thanks for all of your guidance!

Peace

Rob

 

For your adjunct faculty members, you will want to find two people who are the experts in the field of either the psychobiography of Nixon or the intellectual justifications for US fringe constitutional actions in the Philipines (or whatever your topic of choice might be). As I hold only the undergraduate degree, I would not be qualified to sit on your committee. Rich Douglas and John Bear have emigrated over to www.degreediscussion.com .

 

Why?

 

Leicester

I did my Undergrad in Archaeology at Leicester. The good old nanny state paid for everything. I looked at the MA Archaeology and Heritage by DL a few years ago and was startled by the cost. (10.000 pound) enough to buy a good used 30 ft sailboat in Ontario. If I were looking to do post grad in the UK/PhD I think Lampeter is probably a good option.
However, I did the MA by DL History: Imperialism and Culture at Sheffield Hallam University (formerly Sheffield Poly) it was less than $3000 US I dont think they have a Phd up and running yet though one could contact them and find out their plans

Roy Maybery