IN THIS SECTION
Prizes
Departmental Honors
Fellowships and Grants
Prism
Internships
Resources for Research and Study Abroad
Opportunities
Prizes:
Department Prizes
The Department offers two annual prizes for the BA essays. These award winning papers are nominated by the readers (preceptor and faculty advisor) and the final selection is made by the Collegiate Affairs Committee.
- The Anna M. and George N. Barnard Memorial Prize in American History
- The Emil Karafiol Prize in European and International History
Departmental Honors:
In order to receive honors, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.5 in the concentration. Their BA Essays must also be nominated for honors by their readers (preceptors and faculty readers).
Fellowships and Grants:
To support students who wish to pursue research in libraries and archives off campus, the History Department sponsors three competitive fellowship programs. These include the Mann Travel Grant for travel to U.S. archives and the Sack and Montag Fellowships, both of which can be used for research related travel within the U.S. and abroad. In addition to the departmental awards, there are a number of other funding opportunities available through other units on campus. See the undergraduate program Facebook page and the concentrator's bulletin board (2nd floor, Social Science Building) for current opportunities. Outside opportunities also arise during the year, so it is a good idea to check periodically for updates. You should also ask your college advisor about options within the college.
James M. Sack and Philip E. Montag Summer Research Fellowships in History
Through the generosity of History Department graduates James M. Sack, AB '72, and Philip E. Montag, AB ’58, the History Department offers two summer fellowships to rising fourth year students who wish to pursue research on their BA essays during the summer quarter. Students who plan to pursue graduate level work in History are encouraged to apply for these generous awards (up to $2000).
These award may be used to cover travel to archives or libraries, research related expenses, and room and board during the research period. The fellowships cannot be used to fund the acquisition of capital equipment, such as computers, cameras, or ordinary published books. The application deadline will be announced during the spring quarter. Please check with the Undergraduate Coordinator for the year’s due date.
Applicants should submit:
- A proposal of three to four pages. In it, you should outline your topic, summarize the historiographical context in which you will write, and explain the theoretical or conceptual framework in which you conceive the project. You should also describe as fully as possible the sources you are seeking in the archives or libraries you will be visiting.
- A Curriculum Vitae (academic resume).
- An up-to-date plan of the courses in your major.
- Short letters of recommendation from your faculty advisor and preceptor
- A transcript
- A budget outlining your expenses
Direct all application materials to Traci Parker in SS225 or by email, tparker@uchicago.edu.
Applications will be judged by the Undergraduate Program Committee, with the advice of other members of the faculty as needed.
The Mann Award Travel Grant:
(FOR RESEARCH IN US ARCHIVES)
The Department offers a travel grants of up to $500 for BA summer research. Students may apply for this grant at the end of their third year or at the beginning of their fourth year. The deadline will be announced during the spring quarter.
Applicants should submit:
- A proposal of three to four pages. In it, you should outline your topic, summarize the historiographical context in which you will write, and explain the theoretical or conceptual framework in which you conceive the project. You should also describe as fully as possible the sources you are seeking in the archives or libraries you will be visiting.
- A Curriculum Vitae (academic resume).
- An up-to-date plan of the courses in your major.
- Short letters of recommendation from your faculty advisor and preceptor
- A transcript
- A budget outlining your expenses
Direct all application materials to Traci Parker in SS225 or by email, histundergrad@lists.uchicago.edu. Applications will be judged by the Undergraduate Program Committee, with the advice of other members of the faculty as needed.
Prism:
PRISM (Planning Resources Involvement for Students in the Majors) is a CAPS program for disciplines such as history, anthropology, and English that have not traditionally received extracurricular professional guidance at the University. The History Department works closely with PRISM to mentor undergraduate students through individual and group meetings and provide workshops and events to encourage students to explore history and its professional application in academic and non-academic settings. In recent years, PRISM and the History Department have co-sponsored events such as visits to the Chicago History Museum and the DuSable Museum of African American History, discussions on current historical events such as the 2008 presidential election, workshops on applying to graduate school and finding employment, workshops on drafting curriculum vitas and resumes, and lunches with faculty and alumni.
PRISM also offers research grants to history students. There are two grant programs connected to PRISM: PRISM Research Grants, funded by the college, and Seidel Scholars PRISM Grants, funded by a generous donation from the Larry R. and Kathleen Gilles Seidel Charitable Trust.
Students interested in history-specific PRISM programs and grants should contact the Undergraduate Coordinator, Traci Parker for additional information.
Internships:
The city of Chicago offers many opportunities for History concentrators to explore the options of their concentration. In recent years UChicago students have assisted in developing the Children's Gallery at the Chicago History Museum, documenting African American oral histories for the Chicago-based History Makers project, and preparing online exhibitions on pre-modern Japan for the Field Museum. The Department receives information on internship opportunites from a variety of institutions throughout the year. See the Facebook page or the undergraduate bulletin board (2nd floor, Social Science Building) for current opportunities. There is also a folder of internship applications from past years in the Undergraduate Coordinator's office, SS 225. You are encouraged to work with the Undergraduate Coordinator to find or create an internship opportunity that reflects your particular interests.
Resources for Research and Study Abroad:
The city of Chicago is an excellent resource for history students. A constellation of Chicago institutions—including the Chicago History Museum, Newberry Library, Art Institute of Chicago, and DuSable Museum of African American History—maintain specialized libraries and archives that UChicago undergraduates may use in their studies. On campus, history students have access to one of the nation's best private research libraries. UChicago's library system, which contains more than seven million catalogued volumes, is rich in foreign-language materials, rare books, specialized reference works, microfilms, and journals. Study abroad programs in civilization studies provide history students with an opportunity to supplement their course work at the University. Whether the focus is the history of Western civilization or a non-Western culture, the central elements are the same: the close analysis and discussion of important texts (historical, philosophical, and literary) that grow out of and illuminate a historical development, and the consideration of a society as an evolutionary process. UChicago currently offers Civilization studies programs in Athens, Barcelona, Beijing, Cape Town, Jerusalem, Oaxaca, Pans, Pune, Rome, and Vienna.