History (Ph.D.)
Important: This degree plan is effective for those starting this degree program in fall 2025 through summer 2026. This degree plan will remain in effect for students who do not break enrollment or who do not change degree programs, concentrations, or cognates.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Courses | ||
| Research Competencies 1 | ||
| Research Competency/Languages | ||
| Research Competency/Languages | ||
| Historiography/Interpretation Courses | ||
| HIST 501 | Historical Methods | 3 |
| HIST 502 | Historiography | 3 |
| HIST 711 | Development of Western Freedoms | 3 |
| HIST 901 | Doctoral Historical Research | 3 |
| HIUS 530 | American Christian Heritage | 3 |
| HIUS 713 | American Entrepreneurship Since 1900 | 3 |
| Professional Studies Courses | ||
| HIST 701 | Historical Professions | 3 |
| HIST 820 | Teaching History | 3 |
| Choose one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Local History Research | ||
| Digital History | ||
| Internship | ||
| History Specialization 2 | ||
| History Specialization Elective 3 | 3 | |
| History Specialization Elective 3 | 3 | |
| History Specialization Elective 3 | 3 | |
| External Field or History Elective Courses 2 | ||
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Comprehensive Reading Courses 4,5 | ||
| Choose three of the following courses: | 9 | |
| Comprehensive Examination and Readings in Early America | ||
| Comprehensive Examination and Readings in Modern America | ||
| Comprehensive Examination and Readings in Early Modern Europe | ||
| Comprehensive Examination and Readings in Modern Europe | ||
| Dissertation Courses | ||
| HIST 980 | Historiographical Research | 3 |
| HIST 987 | Dissertation Research I | 5 |
| HIST 988 | Dissertation Research II | 5 |
| HIST 989 | Dissertation Research III | 5 |
| HIST 990 | Dissertation Defense | 0 |
| Total Hours | 72 | |
- 1
Demonstration of research competencies in appropriate areas (language proficiency, statistics, digital humanities, etc.) as approved by the graduate program director. Students completing dissertations on topics where English is not the first language must demonstrate language proficiency
- 2
Student may not apply more than 15 total credit hours of 500-600 level coursework to the History Specialization and External Field or History Elective sections.
- 3
Choose a 500-900 level course from one of the following disciplines: HIUS, HIEU, HIST, or HIWD
- 4
Other Comprehensive Readings courses may be substituted with approval of the History Graduate Program Director
- 5
No Comprehensive Examination & Reading Course may be taken more than twice
All applicable prerequisites must be met
Graduation Requirements
- Complete 72 hours
- A maximum of 50% of a post-graduate and doctoral degree may be transferred if approved and allowable, including credit from an earned degree from Liberty University on the same academic level
- 3.0 GPA
- No grades lower than a B- may be applied to the degree
- Degree must be completed within 7 years
- Submission of Degree Completion Graduation Application must be completed within the last semester of a student's anticipated graduation date
Program Offered in Online Format
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| HIST 501 | Historical Methods | 3 |
| HIST 502 | Historiography | 3 |
| HIST 701 | Historical Professions | 3 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| HIUS 530 | American Christian Heritage | 3 |
| History Specialization 1,2 | 3 | |
| History Specialization 1,2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| History Specialization 1,2 | 3 | |
| Field Study/History Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Field Study/History Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fourth Semester | ||
| Choose three credits from the following: | 3 | |
| Local History Research | ||
| Digital History | ||
| Internship | ||
| HIST 711 | Development of Western Freedoms | 3 |
| Field Study/History Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Fifth Semester | ||
| HIST 820 | Teaching History | 3 |
| HIUS 713 | American Entrepreneurship Since 1900 | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Sixth Semester | ||
| HIST 901 | Doctoral Historical Research | 3 |
| Comprehensive Reading Elective 3,4 | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Seventh Semester | ||
| Comprehensive Reading Elective 3,4 | 3 | |
| Comprehensive Reading Elective 3,4 | 3 | |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Eighth Semester | ||
| HIST 980 | Historiographical Research | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Ninth Semester | ||
| HIST 987 | Dissertation Research I | 5 |
| Hours | 5 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Tenth Semester | ||
| HIST 988 | Dissertation Research II | 5 |
| Hours | 5 | |
| Eleventh Semester | ||
| HIST 989 | Dissertation Research III | 5 |
| HIST 990 | Dissertation Defense | 0 |
| Hours | 5 | |
| Total Hours | 72 | |
- 1
Choose a 500-900 level course2 from one of the following disciplines: HIUS, HIEU, HIST, or HIWD.
- 2
Students may not take more than 15 total hours at the 500-600 level for History Specialization and Field Study/History Elective courses.
- 3
Choose from the following courses: HIUS 911, HIUS 912, HIEU 913, or HIEU 914.
- 4
Other Comprehensive Readings courses may be substituted with approval of the History Graduate Program Director.
- *
Demonstration of research competencies in appropriate areas (language proficiency, statistics, digital humanities, etc.) as approved by the graduate program director. Students completing dissertations on topics where English is not the first language must demonstrate language proficiency.