The Department of History

Advice to Current Graduate Students

Note:  These “blurbs” have been written over a number of years by the former chair of GSAC, Leora Auslander, most often alone but sometimes in collaboration with colleagues.  The goal of these blurbs on key tasks and moments in graduate school is to demystify the process and to provide one faculty member’s sense of norms and useful strategies.  It should be emphasized that they do not represent departmental consensus and students should always consult closely with the faculty with whom they work rather than relying on the advice contained here.  They are intended as a starting point for discussion, not a last word. 

It would, in fact, be very helpful to get feedback on these blurbs.  Are additional topics needed? More information? Different information? Please send your thoughts to lausland@uchicago.edu and the Graduate Affairs Administrator.

Further blurbs will be added as editing is completed (those with * below have not yet been completed).

General:

• Conferences
• Seminars and Seminar Papers
• Fellowships
  • Please see the American Historical Association's information on fellowships
  • The Office of Graduate Affairs also offers advice and information on graduate Fellowships and is your best on-campus resource
• Teaching: Please see the Center for Teaching and Learning website, where you can find resources on preparing to teach and building a teaching dossier, in addition to programs offered throughout the year.
• Languages*
• Workshops*

Oral Examinations:

• Choosing Fields, Choosing a Committee, and The Exam

The Dissertation:

• Choosing a Topic, an Advisor, and a Committee
• Pre-Dissertation Archive visits
• Dissertation Proposals
• Dissertation Proposal Hearings
• Scheduling the Defense
• Dissertation Defenses

The Job Market:

• Post-Docs and Jobs
• Job Letters
• Dissertation Abstract
• AHA Interviews
• Campus Interviews
• Job Talks
• Please see also the website for the Office of Career Advising & Planning Services (CAPS), where you can find a wealth of information on the academic and non-academic job searches and can schedule career counseling appointments.
• The American Historical Association and the Chronicle of Higher Education also provide guidance on the academic job search

Publishing:

• Articles*
• The Book Prospectus*