Columbia University
Courses: Students normally take three courses a term in their first year and two a term in the second year. The Colloquium in Atlantic History I (GR8176), The Colloquium in Atlantic History II (GRXXX) and the Research Seminar for Ph.D. students (GR8924) are required. Five of the Seven remaining electives should be 8000-level courses.
Languages: Students must pass two language exams, typically French and Spanish, though these may be replaced by others as appropriate, and as research interests dictate. Students who do not pass exams in both languages at the beginning of their first semester normally take a language course during the first academic year in the program. At least one language exam must receive passing marks by the end of the second semester. The second exam should be completed no later than the beginning of the fifth semester of study and in all cases must be concluded prior to sitting for orals.
Orals: The purpose of the oral examination is to help students develop a general knowledge of several fields of history and scholarship so that they may be able to teach and write in areas beyond those of their specific research interests. Students should plan take the oral exams no later than the end of the sixth term. Orals fields in Atlantic history vary considerably depending on the area of concentration. Generally, though, candidates prepare in at least one trans-national field, typically ‘Atlantic History’, or the ‘History of the African Diaspora,’ or both; (2) and at least two regional fields selected from the following: Caribbean, Europe, North America, Latin America, or West Africa. The fourth field may be trans-national, regional, or thematic, or constituted outside the Department or in another area of History. The selection of these fields and the faculty who will serve on the orals committee should occur at the end of the second year of study and in close consultation with the student’s advisor.
Dissertation Prospectus: Students in Atlantic History complete and defend the dissertation prospectus no later than the end of the sixth semester of graduate study.