Secondary Ed. major looking to pursue history Phd

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello! Looking for some advice---</p>

<p>I am a History/Secondary Education major in my last semester at a regional college in Maryland, and I am considering applying for Phd programs. I would like to specialize in Modern Chinese History, specifically Chinese women, gender, sexuality, and social change/inequality. I have a 3.999 overall GPA, a 4.0 in history, have received numerous history awards and scholarships at my University, am graduating summa cum laude in a few short months and will be the undergraduate speaker at the Liberal Arts commencement. I have also studied abroad in Vietnam and done extensive travel in China and S. Korea.</p>

<p>While I am enjoying my student teaching at a local high school, history has always been my true love and pursuing a graduate degree in history has long been a dream of mine. I wanted to get my teaching certification, however, to fall back on since the job market for professors is so difficult. Researching what I love for a living would truly be living the dream for me.</p>

<p>Here's the problem(s):
1. Since I am a secondary education major, I did not take as many history courses as is required for regular history majors. More specifically, I have only taken two Asian history courses, and I have only taken two semesters of Mandarin language due to the demanding schedule of the Education department.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>My undergraduate university is not very prestigious, so I'm not sure where I stand. I have a great GPA, but I received it from an average regional college (Top 50 for the northern region).</p></li>
<li><p>Likewise, I have not had the opportunity to do independent research or internships in history, since I've been interning in high schools for the past three semesters. I have presented papers at regional history conferences, but not beyond this.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>So my main question is whether universities will expect me to have more of a foundation in my field and in Chinese language. Can I take some more basic Asian history and language courses while in a graduate program? If not, would it be worth spending a few semesters after I graduate in January to take more history and language at my current university?</p>

<p>I really just don't know where I stand. I seem to be the best of the best in my college's history department, but I don't think that's saying much. I'm sure I'm not Ivy League material, but can I be considering well-respected schools like Johns Hopkins (my top choice), NYU, or Duke? Or is that too much of a stretch? Any info. and advice would be appreciated. </p>

<p>Honestly, if I can't get into a respectable program, I don't think it'd be worth it since it is so very competitive to get tenure in history.</p>

2

<p>

Most of the top programs have at least 20 applicants per spot, and several have 40-45 per spot. In nearly all cases, lacking a good reading knowledge of the languages you need for your subfield will get your application rejected out of hand. There is little time to pick up languages in grad school.</p>

<p>

Things like “Ivy League material” are meaningless at the graduate level. The other history departments you list are at least as difficult to get into as history programs at some of the Ivies. Many programs that are pretty subpar have 10% (or below) admit rates, for that matter. History is a very popular field.</p>

<p>Out of curiosity, why Hopkins? I must admit that I am not familiar with Chinese history, but I would be very cautious about a program with only two scholars in my area. Considering that in a given term a professor may be on sabbatical, teaching only undergraduate courses, etc., one’s chances of taking relevant courses are increased with more faculty. That said, fit is the primary factor, and if the faculty at Hopkins perfectly fit your research interests, it would probably make a good choice. Unless you have very good reasons for staying in Maryland, I am hoping JHU’s location is not a factor in your decision.</p>

<p>You may want to look into universities that offer a graduate certificate in women’s/gender studies, as even social historians often have a very weak grasp of the appropriate literature/theory.</p>

<p>Honestly, I think your best option is either staying at your school and beefing up on languages or aiming for a master’s as a stepping stone to a good PhD program. I think your background is definitely good enough to get you into a funded MA program somewhere. Far be it from me to discourage you from applying to good PhD programs, and you might want to apply to at least a few. I would balance it out with other programs, however.</p>

3

<p>You will not get into any Chinese history PhD program that is even barely respectable without far more than 2 semesters of Mandarin. Given your deficiency both there and in the amount of history classes you have taken, I would recommend you look into getting a Master’s degree first. Even very good Master’s programs will let in people with weaker language backgrounds if they have a strong profile, and doing well in one would put you in a good position to get a PhD.</p>

<p>To respond to warblersrule, Chinese history is a relatively small field at most schools, and Hopkins certainly shouldn’t be counted out due to only having two faculty. In fact, I’d say Hopkins is pretty clearly a better choice than Duke or NYU (the other two programs the OP mentioned). The Hopkins history department is also generally very well regarded (probably top 5 in the country), which is helpful for getting a job later, though not very useful for someone looking for a place that’s easier to get in to. That said, for someone interested in Chinese Women’s history, it’s probably worth looking more at schools that have faculty who focus on it (there are plenty of places that do, though Hopkins isn’t one).</p>

4

<p>Thanks so much for the advice, warblersrule and svalbardlutefisk. I’m just getting started in the research process, and was just looking for opinions on what kind of programs are suitable for my background. Sounds like looking at Master’s programs would be a better idea for me. I agree that a stepping stone is probably what I need. </p>

<p>Wablersrule, I suppose I really don’t have a good reason for Hopkins. It’s a top five school for history so I think it is reasonable to have as a top choice, but I suppose it also has something to do with the fact that I grew up poor in the outskirts of Baltimore City and always stared at that school on a hill like it was heaven. I was accepted as an undergraduate, but we didn’t have the money. I’ve always wanted a second chance. I also understand this is not a practical way to be thinking about this and that I need to get over it. With more research, I’m sure I’ll find schools that are a better fit. I really don’t have a problem with leaving Maryland at all, and luckily I have a spouse that does not either. I understand that I cannot be considering academia if I’m not willing to relocate.</p>

<p>I’m going to continue Mandarin at my current university in the Spring and Fall, and I am planning on teaching English in China next Spring. Hopefully this will help me prepare for graduate school and be more of a competitor for a phd program in the future.</p>

<p>Thanks again—you’ve been a big help. As I’m the first person in my family to receive a college degree, I need all the practical advice I can get!</p>

5

<p>Thanks so much for the advice, warblersrule and svalbardlutefisk. I’m just getting started in the research process, and was just looking for opinions on what kind of programs are suitable for my background. Sounds like looking at Master’s programs would be a better idea for me. I agree that a stepping stone is probably what I need. </p>

<p>Wablersrule, I suppose I really don’t have a good reason for Hopkins. It’s a top five school for history so I think it is reasonable to have as a top choice, but I suppose it also has something to do with the fact that I grew up poor in the outskirts of Baltimore City and always stared at that school on a hill like it was heaven. I was accepted as an undergraduate, but we didn’t have the money. I’ve always wanted a second chance. I also understand this is not a practical way to be thinking about this and that I need to get over it. With more research, I’m sure I’ll find schools that are a better fit. I really don’t have a problem with leaving Maryland at all, and luckily I have a spouse that does not either. I understand that I cannot be considering academia if I’m not willing to relocate.</p>

<p>I’m going to continue Mandarin at my current university in the Spring and Fall, and I am planning on teaching English in China next Spring. Hopefully this will help me prepare for graduate school and be more of a competitor for a phd program in the future.</p>

<p>Thanks again—you’ve been a big help. As I’m the first person in my family to receive a college degree, I need all the practical advice I can get!</p>

6

<p>History covers so many areas- be sure when you say “top 5 for history” you are focusing on Asian history or the right sub-field. And, “women, gender, sexuality, and social change/inequality” is often equally well covered through sociology or anthropology, which would still allow you to study modern China and its history.</p>

7

<p>*if you look at this, as an example, you can see how the program is interdiciplinary, the profs who cover close to your interests (and how many are sociologists) and that “Applicants for candidacy are admitted, funded, and trained through individual disciplinary departments.” You might benefit from tying your ed major to your interests in China- ie, adding the role of education in social change or how education is opening to the new generation of women, in China. Just think it through and see what makes sense and would make you a logical candidate. You can also check the soc dept to see what lang requirements its grad students have.
See if you can find similar program info at other schools. If this link doesn’t quite match your idea about how you’d do grad school, it’s at least a starting point.
[The</a> Graduate Program in East Asian Studies at Hopkins](<a href=“http://sites.jhu.edu/east-asian/graduate.html]The”>http://sites.jhu.edu/east-asian/graduate.html)</p>