Graduate Studies

IN 1936, LSU granted its first doctoral degree in history, and in the succeeding decades the history department has produced many historians who have gone on to enjoy distinguished careers in academia and other fields. We believe we have an excellent, congenial department, one that provides students with a great deal of individual attention. 

Students develop close working relationships with their faculty mentors and they explore their interests through small graduate level seminars and independently directed study. LSU’s History Department has earned an outstanding reputation for both the quality of its teaching and the high standards of its scholarship. The Department is nationally and internationally recognized as a center for the study of Southern and Civil War history, but the Department is strong in other areas of United States history – in particular the history of the early Republic, the cultural history of the twentieth century, and the history of gender. In addition, British history, Medieval and Renaissance studies, and the cultural and intellectual history of Modern Europe are areas of strength. The Department also has faculty working on Latin America, Africa, South Asia, and China, and offers minor fields in those parts of the world as well as in world history.

The history department has a good record of placing its graduates after leaving LSU; many find teaching positions at colleges and universities across the nation. We also have graduates who have made careers in publishing, libraries and archives, government service, and secondary teaching.

 

Applying

Considering applying? A written Statement of Purpose will be part of your application packet. For some general guidance on what pitfalls to avoid in writing one, check this recent blog post by historian Thomas Kidd: How to Write an Excellent Statement of Purpose.

Statement of Purpose