phd online humanities

• Skip to main navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to footer

Online Doctorate of Philosophy in Humanities - Faulkner University

Faulkner University

A Christian University

Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities

Faulkner University’s Honors College offers a fully online Doctor of Philosophy for professionals hoping to enrich their higher education experience.

Program Objectives

The fully online Doctor of Philosophy provides an academic path to a career in Christian education and offers a challenging opportunity to expand your mind and experiences through a worldly perspective. Diverse students bring new perspectives to program coursework, helping to facilitate engaging and challenging discussions.

Program Design

Rooted in the Great Tradition of the Western World, the curriculum for the fully online Doctor of Philosophy program follows teachings from the Great Books of the Western Tradition to facilitate intellectual and spiritual engagement from students. Faulkner’s instructors are thought leaders who have proven credentials in the classroom, society and their field of research. Their Christian interpretation of philosophical studies and ideas help to facilitate collaborative and engaging discussion threads and conference calls.

The program includes:

• A fully online platform
• A foundation course that examines the history and philosophy of humane learning.
• Seven core courses providing an in-depth look at complex ideas and thoughts.
• Three independent tutorials focused in your area of interest, including an author, idea(s), problem, theme, specific topic or historical era.
• Two dissertation courses that are the pinnacle of this academic program.
• Two interdisciplinary seminar courses.

The PhD program typically takes three to five years to complete, depending on students’ status (full-time or part-time) and the time taken to complete the dissertation.

Up to six hours of post-master’s coursework may be transferred pending the director’s approval.

Degree Plan

Admission Requirements

Offering schedule.

Prospective students who wish to enroll in the Doctor of Philosophy program must meet the following admission requirements:

• A completed graduate application
• A master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. You must provide transcripts from all institutions attended.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale.
• Acceptable graduate test score on graduate admissions exams, including the GRE (a combined verbal and quantitative score of 297 or above) or MAT (400 or above) taken within the last 5 years. This requirement may be waived for students holding master’s degrees in related fields.
• Three letters of recommendation  with specific comments regarding the applicant’s academic work, professional experience and ability to successfully complete graduate study. These letters are typically from the applicant’s previous instructors or supervisory personnel.
• A statement of personal goals that identifies how the Doctor of Philosophy program will contribute to those goals (400-500 words).
• A scholarly postgraduate writing sample
• Approval by the director of the Doctor of Philosophy program.
• Submit a completed  online application.
• Complete and print the  Official Transcript Request   form and submit it to all previously attended schools with the appropriate fee.
• Send all additional items via mail to your enrollment counselor.
• FNA 8317 Examining Fine Arts: Great Ideas Readings
• HU 7311 Introduction to Humane Letters and Learning
• HU 8326 Understanding Humane Letters: Great Ideas, Authors, and Writings
• HY 8315 Historical Investigations: Great Ideas, Authors, and Writings
• IDS 7301 Scholarly Inquiry and Writing in the Humanities
• IDS 7310 Constitution and American Civic Identity
• IDS 7310/8310 Religion and Culture
• IDS 7310/8310 Religious Humanism
• IDS 7310/8310 Justice
• IDS 8310 Community and Culture
• LIT 7324 Literary Analysis: Great Ideas, Authors, and Writings
• PHL 7313 Great Ideas Readings: Philosophical Inquiries
• SSC 7319 Great Ideas Readings: Reflection on Social Scientific Thought
• NMS 8328 Mathematical Scientific Reasoning: Great Ideas and Readings

Tuition and Fees

2024 - 2025 Financial Information

Summer  – Course offerings vary.

A minimum of three seminar courses are offered each summer.These seminars are scheduled in part based on student demand.  Contact program director for offerings in a specific term.

Note:  All live seminar meetings occur 7:30–9:00 pm (CT) via Google hangout video call.

• About Faulkner
• Where is Faulkner?
• Shop Online Store
• Three-Year Master Calendar
• Consumer Information
• Accreditation
• President’s Circle
• Faculty and Staff
• Human Resources
• Brand Guidelines
• Social Media Guidelines
• Alumni & Friends
• Friends for Faulkner

Low-Residency Humanities Ph.D.

Humanities Ph.D. Degree Program

Get started.

At Salve Regina University, our low-residency Ph.D. program in humanities examines the interdisciplinary question, "What does it mean to be human in an age of advanced technology?" This philosophical exploration interweaving humanities and technology commands society’s attention now more than ever.

Inaugurated in 1989, our doctoral program's rigorous training in the humanities, inquisitive focus on the human-technology relationship and flexible hybrid format make it an exceptional laboratory for philosophical innovation.

Low-Residency Program Format

Salve Regina’s humanities faculty guide Ph.D. students on an interdisciplinary journey that nurtures inquiry into humanities and technology. Doctoral students complete foundational coursework online and during four weeklong residencies on Salve Regina’s campus in Newport, Rhode Island. Then, they prepare for their comprehensive exams and begin the dissertation process. Learn more about program format and tuition. 

The doctoral degree in humanities is formed around our Independent Research Fellows Cohort, where students form a pod that takes courses together throughout their Ph.D. studies. This cohort-based program connects doctoral students with their peers and launches problem-solving interdisciplinary research.

Required Residency Dates

• Fall: Oct. 23-27, 2023
• Spring: March 18-22, 2024

Sample Schedule

Meet the Faculty

Resources for Doctoral Students

Program Brochure

Graduate Catalog

Academic Calendar

Schedule of Classes

Staff and Contact

Call us at:  (800) 637-0002

Program Director: Dr. Sean O'Callaghan

Discover the Difference at Salve Regina

Advance on your terms.

Salve Regina’s low-residency format honors the demands on your time. We offer an innovative hybrid model that combines online, asynchronous coursework with weeklong campus residencies. This cohort-based program connects students with their peers and provides the launchpad for interdisciplinary research.

Address Compelling Issues

Ideal for students seeking personal and professional advancement, Salve Regina’s Ph.D. in humanities program prepares graduates to make high-level policy decisions that directly engage the rapid advancement of technology and its ethical implications in government, the military, academia or business.

Wide-Ranging Applications

Our Ph.D. program places the humanities in dialogue with the latest advances in science and technology. Representing nearly every liberal arts discipline, our faculty transcend traditional academic boundaries to embrace the program’s focal question: “What does it mean to be human in an age of technology?”

Humanities Ph.D. Curriculum

Broadly conceived, the human-technology relationship remains at the heart of our interdisciplinary Ph.D. curriculum. Our humanities students are empowered by the academic freedom to draw insights and integrate knowledge from a variety of fields, including religion, philosophy, ethics, art, literature, media, history, politics and cultural theory. We challenge our students to develop a specific research direction that engages the humanities and technology. 

Humanities Doctoral Degree Courses

4 residencies | 42 credits

Required Residencies

Weeklong residences are held in March and October.

Required Courses

• HUM600: Humanities Problems and Perspectives
• HUM605: Philosophical Perspectives on the Digital Age
• HUM610: Religion, Culture and Technology
• HUM617: Political Philosophy and Technology
• HUM618: Humanities Theory, Method and Disciplines
• HUM620: Social Transformation Through Art
• HUM621: A History of Technology
• HUM625: Ethics and Modern Technology
• HUM630: Modern Literature and the Human Condition
• HUM635: Culture, Society and the Global Condition
• HUM645: Research Colloquium

Comprehensive Exams and Subject Field Exams

Students must also pass a comprehensive exam after coursework has been completed and two subject field oral exams, which are self-scheduled following the first semester. See the program handbook for details.

Language Requirement

Students must meet a language proficiency requirement, which can be fulfilled through a short online course. At the discretion of the program director, the language requirement may be waived. No graduate credit is awarded for language courses. See the program handbook for details.

Dissertation Phase

Candidates who have completed the course requirements above may begin the dissertation phase and enroll in HUM680: Dissertation Research and Writing. Humanities doctoral candidates have five years from the end of coursework to research, write and defend their dissertation. Candidates are continuously enrolled each fall and/or spring semester until the dissertation is successfully defended. See the program handbook for details.

Time to Complete

Program format.

Low residency

Application Deadline

Humanities Careers 

Our doctoral degree program in humanities expands our students’ abilities to think critically, pursue research outside of academic disciplines and elevate their writing skills. In addition, a low-residency Ph.D. facilitates students’ ability to continue their career concurrently alongside their doctoral program. 

Depending on our students’ backgrounds before the program, they can leverage their humanities Ph.D. in a variety of career paths, including: 

• Academic lecturer or professor 
• Policy analyst
• Nonprofit communications director
• Technology roles focused on ethics

Learn More About Salve Regina’s Humanities Ph.D. Program

Salve Regina’s low-residency Ph.D. program in humanities provides a space for doctoral students to examine deep questions about the humanities and technology. Interdisciplinary exploration is at the heart of this doctoral degree, inspiring academic freedom and producing exceptional researchers. 

Request information to learn more

Ready to apply?

Start your Ph.D. application

Program Spotlight: Nicholas Molinari

Even though I’m 80 miles from Newport, the hybrid format of Salve Regina’s low-residency Ph.D. program has allowed me to contribute to the discussions of the various readings, and hear the insights from my peers about these readings, better than any other learning format I've participated in, from traditional to fully online, seminar to lecture to lab. All of us contributing to arrive at a better understanding is an essential component of the program, and it’s been extremely rewarding.

• Costs, Scholarships & Aid
• Campus Life
• Faculty & Staff
• Family & Visitors
• DFW Community
• Galaxy Login
• Academic Calendar
• Human Resources
• Accessibility

Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities

Program description.

The humanities graduate program brings together scholars from history, philosophy, literature, creative writing, art history, film studies, and the performing arts who share a commitment to transnational and interdisciplinary approaches to humanistic study and practice.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program seek positions such as: teacher/educator, researcher, administrator, archivist, writer, museum curator, non-profit management and other positions in research or professional practice. Career settings may include higher education, nonprofits, cultural and historical organizations, government agencies, international development organizations, publishing houses, museums and archives, business/corporate entities and independent consulting.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Application Requirements

Visit the  Apply Now  webpage to begin the application process.  

Applicants to the Doctoral degree program should have:  

• A baccalaureate degree (BA or MA) or its equivalent from an accredited institution of higher education, normally in an arts and humanities field.  
• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit 3 letters of recommendation from faculty, or other individuals, able to judge the candidate’s potential for success in the program.  
• Admissions Essay: Applicants must submit a 650-word narrative essay, which should be reflective rather than factual. The essay should address the applicant’s academic interests and goals and indicate how the program would enable such pursuits.  
• A writing sample: Submit an academic writing sample (e.g., a seminar paper or a critical essay). 
• International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of at least 80 on the internet-based test.  Scores must be less than two years old. See the  Graduate Catalog  for additional information regarding English proficiency requirements for international applicants.  
• Each application is considered holistically on its individual merits. You must submit all supporting documents before the Graduate Admissions Committee can review your application. 
• The Graduate Record Examination is not required. 

Deadline:  The application deadline is January 15. All applications completed by the deadline will be reviewed for admission. Applications submitted or completed after January 15 may be reviewed for admission only if spaces remain within the upcoming cohort and will be reviewed in order by the date the application file became complete.

Contact Information

Dr. Shilyh Warren Associate Dean of Graduate Studies Associate Professor and Program Head Phone: 972-883-6316 Email:  [email protected]

Graduate Advising Pia K. Jakobsson Phone: 972-883-4706 Email:  [email protected]

Graduate Admissions Phone: 972-883-6176 Email:  [email protected] Request Bass School Graduate Program Information

Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology The University of Texas at Dallas, JO31 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021

Request More Information

We have received your request for more information, and thank you for your interest! We are excited to get to know you and for you to explore UT Dallas. You’ll begin receiving emails and information about our beautiful campus, excellent academic programs and admission processes. If you have any questions, email  [email protected].

The University of Texas at Dallas respects your right to privacy . By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails and calls from a representative of the University.

* Required Field

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Course Directory

PhD in Digital Humanities

Postgraduate Study

• Why Cambridge overview
• Chat with our students
• Cambridge explained overview
• The supervision system
• Student life overview
• In and around Cambridge
• Leisure activities
• Student unions
• Music awards
• Student support overview
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Disabled students
• Accommodation
• Language tuition
• Skills training
• Support for refugees
• Courses overview
• Department directory
• Qualification types
• Funded studentships
• Part-time study
• Research degrees
• Visiting students
• Finance overview
• Fees overview
• What is my fee status?
• Part-time fees
• Application fee
• Living costs
• Funding overview
• Funding search
• How to apply for funding
• University funding overview
• Research Councils (UKRI)
• External funding and loans overview
• Funding searches
• External scholarships
• Charities and the voluntary sector
• Funding for disabled students
• Widening participation in funding
• Colleges overview
• What is a College?
• Choosing a College
• Terms of Residence
• Applying overview
• Before you apply
• Entry requirements
• Application deadlines
• How do I apply? overview
• Application fee overview
• Application fee waiver
• Life Science courses
• Terms and conditions
• Continuing students
• Disabled applicants
• Supporting documents overview
• Academic documents
• Finance documents
• Evidence of competence in English
• Terms and Conditions
• Applicant portal and self-service
• After you apply overview
• Confirmation of admission
• Student registry
• Previous criminal convictions
• Deferring an application
• Updating your personal details
• Appeals and Complaints
• Widening participation
• Postgraduate admissions fraud
• International overview
• Immigration overview
• ATAS overview
• Applying for an ATAS certificate
• Current Cambridge students
• International qualifications
• Competence in English overview
• What tests are accepted?
• International events
• International student views overview
• Akhila’s story
• Alex’s story
• Huijie’s story
• Kelsey’s story
• Nilesh’s story
• Get in touch!
• Events overview
• Upcoming events
• Postgraduate Open Days overview
• Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD Study webinars
• Virtual tour
• Research Internships
• How we use participant data
• Postgraduate Newsletter

Primary tabs

• Overview (active tab)
• Requirements
• How To Apply

Course closed:

Digital Humanities is no longer accepting new applications.

The PhD in Digital Humanities, run by Cambridge Digital Humanities and based in the Faculty of English, is a research-intensive programme that aims to enable students to engage at doctoral level with projects demanding the use, production and critique of digital methods, tools, approaches, and critical/theoretical orientations. The programme expands the humanities offering at research postgraduate level at Cambridge by offering a route for cross-disciplinary engagement, responding to the growth of the field of Digital Humanities as a research area. 

The programme is designed to enable students to develop the critical literacy and practical skills and knowledge to understand and engage with digital futures, digital research, and digital cultures, as questions arise around the ethics of automation, algorithmic analysis, privacy/surveillance, virtual cultures, data sharing, intelligent agency and creativity, archival justice and digital histories, and around collections and heritage issues. Through supervisions and technical support from a research software engineer, contextualised by a research culture including guest seminars, lectures and practice-driven workshops, Cambridge Digital Humanities provides the conditions for original PhD research in Digital Humanities or in other arts and humanities/social science disciplines that make a significant intervention into shaping the field. 

The course aims to:

• enable students to engage at doctoral level with projects that require the use and generation of digital methods, tools, approaches, and/or of critical/theoretical orientations;
• expand the humanities offering at research postgraduate level at Cambridge by providing a cross-disciplinary route for engagement, responding to the growth of the field of Digital Humanities as a research area;
• enable humanities and social science-trained students to develop critical literacy and practical skills and knowledge to understand and engage with digital materials and methods for the study of matters relevant to the humanities;
• provide the conditions to enable the production of original PhD research in Digital Humanities or other arts and humanities/social science disciplines that make a significant intervention into shaping the field; and
• respond to the need for the humanities to grapple with emerging forms, practices, and social formations shaped in a digital age.

The course will benefit:

• students with relevant MPhils who want to engage with the field of Digital Humanities, enabling them to hone critical and methodological skills, develop new approaches, test them out, and specialise;
• students locating themselves in other home disciplines who wish to develop advanced projects including Digital Humanities approaches and orientations; and 
• students entering into or returning to other careers in GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums), creative industries, digital media industries, and media arts by giving them the advanced critical perspectives, practical digital literacies, and methodological insights to pursue these pathways.

Learning Outcomes

This course will equip students with: 

• the ability to create and interpret new knowledge in Digital Humanities, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication;
• a systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of Digital Humanities or related areas of research and practice;
• the general ability to conceptualise, design, and implement a research project for the generation of new knowledge, applications, or understanding in Digital Humanities, and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems;
• a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry in Digital Humanities;
• the ability to make informed judgments on complex issues, often in the absence of complete data, and be able to communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences; and
• the ability to contribute substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas, or approaches in Digital Humanities, and to engage with the wider research community.

MPhil students in Digital Humanities who wish to continue to the PhD must apply for admission through the University’s admission processes, taking funding and application deadlines into consideration. Readmission is not automatic and each application is considered on its own merits. The expected standard for continuation is an overall mark of at least 70% in the MPhil course

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, faculty of english, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, michaelmas 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Funding Deadlines

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

Similar Courses

• Digital Humanities MPhil
• Film and Screen Studies PhD
• European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by Advanced Study MPhil
• European, Latin American and Comparative Literatures and Cultures by thesis MPhil
• Education (Arts, Creativity & Education) MPhil

Postgraduate Admissions Office

• Admissions Statistics
• Start an Application
• Applicant Self-Service

At a glance

• Bringing a family
• Current Postgraduates
• Cambridge Students' Union (SU)

University Policy and Guidelines

Privacy Policy

Information compliance

Equality and Diversity

Terms of Study

About this site

About our website

Privacy policy

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

Humanistic Studies, PhD

Zanvyl krieger school of arts and sciences.

The department offers a PhD in humanistic studies, which includes a program in comparative thought and literature. Priority is given to highly-qualified candidates whose proposed course of study is congruent with faculty interests and strengths.

Financial Aid

Tuition grants, stipends, and teaching fellowships are available to doctoral candidates.

Program Requirements

Each PhD student works with a committee of faculty members who helps to design a coherent, individual program of study. During the first two years, the candidate works closely with each of their advisors. The course of study, seminars, and tutorials lead to three area examinations administered by the department and committee. During the second year, qualified students are invited to teach under faculty supervision, and occasionally students may offer undergraduate seminars of their own design.

PhD students choosing a focus in comparative literature should be competent in three national literatures and have a general familiarity with critical theory. Students are encouraged to spend at least one year studying abroad, usually working in Paris, Florence, Hamburg, Geneva, or Madrid in programs sponsored by the department or the Department of German and Romance Languages and Literatures.

Students can become supervised teaching assistants in the German Program in the Department of German and Romance Languages and Literatures, and they can earn a master’s degree in German upon completion of the field examinations, before their doctoral degree is completed. Similar arrangements can generally be made with the Department of Classics and the programs in the romance languages and literatures.

New PhD students will work with the department chair to select a faculty member to serve as a primary academic advisor. As a student’s interests become defined, they may change advisors or work with a faculty member in another department. Students who choose to work with a faculty member outside of the department should meet regularly with the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature’s director of graduate studies.

Third-Year Review

During their third year of residence, after completing all outstanding seminar papers, students will have their work reviewed by a faculty committee. The committee will comprise three faculty members from the department and the faculty members from the other departments with whom the student plans to conduct field exams. The review allows the faculty to assess the student’s progress, clarify their status in regards to remaining course work, and define future fields. Prior to the meeting, the student should circulate materials that they judge to be work that will best serve the purpose of the review.

Field Examinations

In their third and fourth years, students are expected to complete three field exams. The exams may serve to help students refine their dissertation topics, or they may be a means of extending and deepening students’ knowledge of an area in which they propose to teach and conduct research.

The examinations may take a variety of forms, and the form should be discussed at the student’s third-year review. Examples include:

• Work further on a project begun in a seminar and produce a longer paper that would become part of a dissertation
• Read into and across a particular field, writing a series of short papers on the reading or sitting for a written or oral examination on the material studied
• Design and teach an undergraduate course in an area of interest
• Complete the requirements for an MA degree in another department, as a way of strengthening claim to teach in that field

Undergraduate Teaching

Graduate students have many opportunities to develop their skills and confidence as a teacher. Beginning in the second year, students often serve as teaching assistants for courses taught by the department’s faculty or, if appropriate, for courses in other departments. In the past, PhD students have taught courses in French and German language programs, English composition and literature, history, philosophy, and political science. More experienced students are encouraged to teach courses of their own invention as a way of completing a field exam, in competition for one of the Dean’s Teaching Fellowships, or to add to the department’s array of offerings.

Dissertation Review

A second formal review of a student’s work will take place after the completion of field exams, either in the student’s fourth year or in the fall semester of the fifth year. This review will connect the student with the faculty member with whom they will write a dissertation.

The review will take place when the student has composed a substantial piece of work associated with the dissertation, e.g., the draft of a chapter. This work will be circulated before the review, along with a prospectus of 10-40 pages, to the faculty members the student wishes to have as dissertation advisors. (If all of these advisors are from outside the Department of Comparative Thought and Literature, one of the department’s faculty members, selected by the student, will also sit in on the review.)

This discussion is not intended to replace the graduate board oral, which will take place after the dissertation has been completed. However, it will mark the transition from work on the field exams to the preparation and writing of a dissertation.

Departmental Presentations

In their fifth year or beginning of their sixth year, students will give a talk on material from their dissertation to the students and faculty of the department and invited guests. This presentation gives students experience formally presenting their work. It also allows for a wider range of response to that work than a dissertation committee can provide and allows all students in the department to become better acquainted with each other’s projects.

To apply, please submit the following to  https://grad.jhu.edu/ :

Official Application

Statement of purpose Three letters of recommendation Transcripts Sample of work Supplementary Application Form (Language Form) GRE scores and subject (optional) TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable) 

• Undergraduates
• Ph.Ds & Postdocs
• Prospective Students & Guests
• What is a Community?
• Student Athletes
• First Generation and/or Low Income Students
• International Students
• LGBTQ Students
• Students of Color
• Students with Disabilities
• Student Veterans
• Exploring Careers
• Advertising, Marketing & PR
• Finance, Insurance & Real Estate
• General Management & Leadership Development Programs
• Law & Legal Services
• Startups, Entrepreneurship & Freelance Work
• Environment, Sustainability & Energy
• Media & Communications
• Policy & Think Tanks
• Engineering
• Healthcare, Biotech & Global Public Health
• Life & Physical Sciences
• Programming & Data Science
• Graduate School
• Health Professions
• Business School
• Meet with OCS
• Student Organizations Workshop Request
• OCS Podcast Series
• Office of Fellowships
• Navigating AI in the Job Search Process
• Cover Letters & Correspondence
• Job Market Insights
• Professional Conduct & Etiquette
• Professional Online Identity
• Interview Preparation
• Resource Database
• Yale Career Link
• Jobs, Internships & Other Experiences
• Gap Year & Short-Term Opportunities
• Planning an International Internship
• Funding Your Experience
• Career Fairs/Networking Events
• On-Campus Recruiting
• Job Offers & Salary Negotiation
• Informational Interviewing
• Peer Networking Lists
• Building Your LinkedIn Profile
• YC First Destinations
• YC Four-Year Out
• GSAS Program Statistics
• Statistics & Reports
• Contact OCS
• OCS Mission & Policies
• Additional Yale Career Offices

Humanities and Social Sciences PhD Pathways

Exploring pathways: finding your match(es).

As graduate students and postdocs in the Humanities or Social Sciences, you have a wealth of resources to help you explore careers that could be a great fit for you. At Yale, you are developing subject matter expertise as well as a broad set of skills in high demand in many job functions and industries.  These skills include critical and innovative thinking, written and oral communications, project management, and qualitative and/or quantitative analysis.  Start by taking stock of your transferable skills, interests and values. This self-reflection will help you structure your career exploration process and develop a professional development strategy to maximize your time at Yale. 

Once you have performed an initial self-assessment, use the resources on this page to explore the diverse array of career paths that are open to Ph.Ds. Thinking broadly about job functions beyond a particular sector or industry can expand your set of opportunities; doing so will be particularly important if you face other constraints, such as geographical limitations, in your search. For example, companies in the tech sector need content writers, project managers, and educators. 

As you go through this process, be sure to dedicate significant time to making connections with alums and others in your careers of interest.  There is no substitute from hearing first-hand from practitioners in the field about their work, the skills required, their path to their current position, and their advice about how to prepare for this career. Read our advice on networking and informational interviewing , and be sure to take advantage of the many opportunities on campus to connect with alums and employers . Even if you are not yet approaching the job market, attending career fairs can be an efficient way to learn from employers about opportunities for Ph.Ds.

As part of your process, consider professional development opportunities that can help you do a deeper dive into career paths of interest and develop relevant skills to fill in gaps on your current resume. There are many ways you can invest in your professional development without disrupting your academic priorities, so review our resources and think carefully abut your objectives. OCS advisers can also help you develop a plan that works for you. 

It is never too early to begin this career exploration process!  Meet with an OCS adviser to help hone a professional and career development strategy to maximize your time at Yale.Make an appointment with us via the Yale Career Link.   For other career exploration resources, see:

• STEM PhD Pathways
• the OCS career community pages with resources by industry and sector

Preparing for an Academic Job Search in the Humanities

• Preparing for an Academic Job Search in the Social Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences Career Development Activity Packets

These six modules offer activities to jump start your career development. Find easy-to-follow tips and resources to get started on networking, crafting a resume, interviewing, and more. You may follow the curriculum independently, or form your own small group of peers to share findings, discuss challenges, and productively reflect on the completed activities.

• Activity #1:   Self-Assessments and Career Exploration
• Activity #2:   Networking & Informational Interviewing
• Activity #3:   Communicating your Skills and Experience
• Activity #4:   Converting your CV to a Professional Resume
• Activity #5:   Preparing for the Behavioral Interview
• Activity #6:   Improving your LinkedIn Profile

Search Office of Career Strategy

Upcoming events, 3-minute thesis competition (2021) third-place winner & audience selection “best in humanities/social sciences” dana hayward, 3-minute thesis competition (2020) audience choice winner amelia kennedy, yana speaker series: impacting the future: social sector job & internship search with jen leybovich, som ’13, yale school of art alumni panel: living and sustaining a creative life, yale careers in theater panel: producing & theater management, what are creative careers creative entrepreneurship, featured news.

Craft & Career – Zina Ellis, YC ’15, actor, performer, educator – Parts 1 & 2

Certification: One Way to Transition to a Data Science Career

Wanted: Non-Finance Recruits who Can See the Forest From the Trees

Public Relations Careers: Options, Job Titles, and Descriptions

Outside The Matrix: Paul Litvak

Career exploration resources, user experience research for humanities phds.

• Share This: Share User Experience Research for Humanities PhDs on Facebook Share User Experience Research for Humanities PhDs on LinkedIn Share User Experience Research for Humanities PhDs on X

Originally published on  MLA Job List  by Rebecca Sausville.

From Doctoral Study to … Institutional Research

• Share This: Share From Doctoral Study to … Institutional Research on Facebook Share From Doctoral Study to … Institutional Research on LinkedIn Share From Doctoral Study to … Institutional Research on X

Advice from Jennifer S. Furlong and Julie Miller Vick, published in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

PhD Pathways in Faculty

• Share This: Share PhD Pathways in Faculty on Facebook Share PhD Pathways in Faculty on LinkedIn Share PhD Pathways in Faculty on X

Sign up for a free ImaginePhD account to access career exploration, networking, skill-building, and job search resources.

PhD Pathways in Translation and Interpretation

• Share This: Share PhD Pathways in Translation and Interpretation on Facebook Share PhD Pathways in Translation and Interpretation on LinkedIn Share PhD Pathways in Translation and Interpretation on X

PhD Pathways in Research and Analysis

• Share This: Share PhD Pathways in Research and Analysis on Facebook Share PhD Pathways in Research and Analysis on LinkedIn Share PhD Pathways in Research and Analysis on X
• Share This: Share Preparing for an Academic Job Search in the Humanities on Facebook Share Preparing for an Academic Job Search in the Humanities on LinkedIn Share Preparing for an Academic Job Search in the Humanities on X

OCS is pleased to announce new resources to support your academic job search!  These resources are intended to supplement the …

Employment Data and Trends

Yale gsas program statistics and outcomes.

• Share This: Share Yale GSAS Program Statistics and Outcomes on Facebook Share Yale GSAS Program Statistics and Outcomes on LinkedIn Share Yale GSAS Program Statistics and Outcomes on X

Yale GSAS data about Ph.D. admissions, enrollment, degree completion, and employment, by program.

Yale Postdoc Career Outcomes

• Share This: Share Yale Postdoc Career Outcomes on Facebook Share Yale Postdoc Career Outcomes on LinkedIn Share Yale Postdoc Career Outcomes on X

Results from a voluntary exit survey given over the  period of January 2015 to March 2021. 

Survey of the Labor Market for New Ph.D. Hires in Economics

• Share This: Share Survey of the Labor Market for New Ph.D. Hires in Economics on Facebook Share Survey of the Labor Market for New Ph.D. Hires in Economics on LinkedIn Share Survey of the Labor Market for New Ph.D. Hires in Economics on X

Annual survey conducted by the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Arkansas

Occupational Outlook Handbook – Post-Secondary Teachers

• Share This: Share Occupational Outlook Handbook – Post-Secondary Teachers on Facebook Share Occupational Outlook Handbook – Post-Secondary Teachers on LinkedIn Share Occupational Outlook Handbook – Post-Secondary Teachers on X

Wage, employment trends, and job openings for post-secondary teachers, by discipline and georgraphical region, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Survey of Earned Doctorates

• Share This: Share Survey of Earned Doctorates on Facebook Share Survey of Earned Doctorates on LinkedIn Share Survey of Earned Doctorates on X

Summaries of trends in the job markets, postgraduate plans, and median salaries for doctorate recipients, by field of study.

Humanities Indicators

• Share This: Share Humanities Indicators on Facebook Share Humanities Indicators on LinkedIn Share Humanities Indicators on X

Data on occupations, earnings, and job satisfaction of new Humanities Ph.D.s from the annual Survey of Earned Doctorates.

Organizations

Career center-american anthropological association, career resources-american economic association, career resources-modern language association, job boards-american mathematical society, professional development resources-american political science association, american statistical association stattr@k, part-time experiences and jobs boards.

• Share This: Share Guidestar on Facebook Share Guidestar on LinkedIn Share Guidestar on X

GuideStar non-profit directory provides information on the mission, programs, leaders and financials of over 1.8 million non-profit organizations.

Professional Experiences and Skill-Building for Ph.Ds and Postdocs

• Share This: Share Professional Experiences and Skill-Building for Ph.Ds and Postdocs on Facebook Share Professional Experiences and Skill-Building for Ph.Ds and Postdocs on LinkedIn Share Professional Experiences and Skill-Building for Ph.Ds and Postdocs on X

Looking for ways to enhance your skill set and gain professional experience while at Yale? Take advantage of the many …

Social Science Research Network

• Share This: Share Social Science Research Network on Facebook Share Social Science Research Network on LinkedIn Share Social Science Research Network on X

Create a free account and search job postings by discipline.

Fellowships | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

• Share This: Share Fellowships | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library on Facebook Share Fellowships | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library on LinkedIn Share Fellowships | Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library on X

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library’s fellowship program aims to facilitate research in Yale Library’s special collections by the …

Opportunities and Internships | Public Humanities at Yale

• Share This: Share Opportunities and Internships | Public Humanities at Yale on Facebook Share Opportunities and Internships | Public Humanities at Yale on LinkedIn Share Opportunities and Internships | Public Humanities at Yale on X

Check out curatorial opportunities close to home.

Internship Opportunities – Vanderbilt University Press

• Share This: Share Internship Opportunities – Vanderbilt University Press on Facebook Share Internship Opportunities – Vanderbilt University Press on LinkedIn Share Internship Opportunities – Vanderbilt University Press on X

Check out internship opportunities with Vanderbilt University Press.

Learn from Other PhDs

Alissa Ardito Ashcroft (PhD ’04, Political Science)

• Share This: Share Alissa Ardito Ashcroft (PhD ’04, Political Science) on Facebook Share Alissa Ardito Ashcroft (PhD ’04, Political Science) on LinkedIn Share Alissa Ardito Ashcroft (PhD ’04, Political Science) on X
• Assistant General Counsel Congressional Budget Office

Ellen Babby (PhD ’80, French Literature)

• Share This: Share Ellen Babby (PhD ’80, French Literature) on Facebook Share Ellen Babby (PhD ’80, French Literature) on LinkedIn Share Ellen Babby (PhD ’80, French Literature) on X
• Independent Consultant Nonprofit Management

Ariel Bardi (PhD ’15, Comparative Literature)

• Share This: Share Ariel Bardi (PhD ’15, Comparative Literature) on Facebook Share Ariel Bardi (PhD ’15, Comparative Literature) on LinkedIn Share Ariel Bardi (PhD ’15, Comparative Literature) on X
• Freelance Journlist

Lauren Bierbaum (PhD ’08, American Studies)

• Share This: Share Lauren Bierbaum (PhD ’08, American Studies) on Facebook Share Lauren Bierbaum (PhD ’08, American Studies) on LinkedIn Share Lauren Bierbaum (PhD ’08, American Studies) on X
• Senior Research Analyst CREDO, Stanford University

Peter Blodgett (PhD ’07, History)

• Share This: Share Peter Blodgett (PhD ’07, History) on Facebook Share Peter Blodgett (PhD ’07, History) on LinkedIn Share Peter Blodgett (PhD ’07, History) on X
• H. Russell Smith Foundation Curator of Western American History Huntington Library

George Camp (PhD ’67, Sociology)

• Share This: Share George Camp (PhD ’67, Sociology) on Facebook Share George Camp (PhD ’67, Sociology) on LinkedIn Share George Camp (PhD ’67, Sociology) on X
• President, Executive Director Criminal Justice Institute, Association of State Correctional Administrators

Huiting Chan (Masters ’06, International & Development Economics)

• Share This: Share Huiting Chan (Masters ’06, International & Development Economics) on Facebook Share Huiting Chan (Masters ’06, International & Development Economics) on LinkedIn Share Huiting Chan (Masters ’06, International & Development Economics) on X
• Head of Central Bank, Public Sector & Bank Sales, Americas Standard Chartered Bank

Carol Chiodo (PhD ’14, Italian Language and Literature)

• Share This: Share Carol Chiodo (PhD ’14, Italian Language and Literature) on Facebook Share Carol Chiodo (PhD ’14, Italian Language and Literature) on LinkedIn Share Carol Chiodo (PhD ’14, Italian Language and Literature) on X
• Director of Distinctive Collections and Digital Scholarship The Claremont Colleges Library

Andrew Cohen (PhD ’17, Sociology)

• Share This: Share Andrew Cohen (PhD ’17, Sociology) on Facebook Share Andrew Cohen (PhD ’17, Sociology) on LinkedIn Share Andrew Cohen (PhD ’17, Sociology) on X
• Advertising Strategist Phenomenon

Dina Dommett (PhD ’93, Italian)

• Share This: Share Dina Dommett (PhD ’93, Italian) on Facebook Share Dina Dommett (PhD ’93, Italian) on LinkedIn Share Dina Dommett (PhD ’93, Italian) on X
• Director of Student & Programme Services Oxford Saïd Business School

Emily Early (PhD ’11, Anthropology)

• Share This: Share Emily Early (PhD ’11, Anthropology) on Facebook Share Emily Early (PhD ’11, Anthropology) on LinkedIn Share Emily Early (PhD ’11, Anthropology) on X
• Associate Curator of Anthropology Arizona Museum of Natural History

Federico Galizia (PhD ’98, Economics)

• Share This: Share Federico Galizia (PhD ’98, Economics) on Facebook Share Federico Galizia (PhD ’98, Economics) on LinkedIn Share Federico Galizia (PhD ’98, Economics) on X
• Chief Risk Officer Multilateral Development Bank

Vault Career Guides

This is just a sampling of the many career and industry guides available through Vault/Firsthand, a resource free to Yale students and postdocs.

Vault Guide to Finance Interviews

• Share This: Share Vault Guide to Finance Interviews on Facebook Share Vault Guide to Finance Interviews on LinkedIn Share Vault Guide to Finance Interviews on X

The Vault Guide to Finance Interviews (9th Edition) provides advice on preparing for interviews as well as in-depth sample questions and …

• Share This: Share Vault on Facebook Share Vault on LinkedIn Share Vault on X

Undergraduate Students : Use Yale email and netID sign-on for undergraduates

Other New Users : Use this URL to make a new …

Vault Guide – Investment Management

• Share This: Share Vault Guide – Investment Management on Facebook Share Vault Guide – Investment Management on LinkedIn Share Vault Guide – Investment Management on X

The  Vault Guides to Jobs  series provides essential information about key careers and industries, with an emphasis on preparing for …

Vault Guide – Wealth Management

• Share This: Share Vault Guide – Wealth Management on Facebook Share Vault Guide – Wealth Management on LinkedIn Share Vault Guide – Wealth Management on X

Vault Guide to Library and Information Science Jobs

• Share This: Share Vault Guide to Library and Information Science Jobs on Facebook Share Vault Guide to Library and Information Science Jobs on LinkedIn Share Vault Guide to Library and Information Science Jobs on X

Vault Guide to Foreign Languages and Studies Jobs

• Share This: Share Vault Guide to Foreign Languages and Studies Jobs on Facebook Share Vault Guide to Foreign Languages and Studies Jobs on LinkedIn Share Vault Guide to Foreign Languages and Studies Jobs on X

Explore Job Market Insights In partnership with

Search continually updated U.S. market trends to learn about job types (job functions), growth trends, and desired skills. The results will include general information about each job (functional area), employment trends from the past two years and projections for the next 10 years, employers that have that role, desired education level, skills for the position, and more!

TWO WAYS TO SEARCH:

• Find Career Data by Selecting Keywords: Enter keywords of various job titles and choose a state or search nationwide to learn more about that job.
• Filter by Industry and Occupation: Search by industry and choose among popular occupations/job titles within that industry.
• Find career data by selecting keywords Keyword Search
• or, by filtering for industry and occupation Industry Search

First, choose an industry of interest, then filter for occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Type in a keyword to select a relevant occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Occupation Description

Employment trends, top employers, education levels, annual earnings, technical skills, core competencies, contact & location.

55 Whitney Avenue, 3rd Fl. New Haven, CT 06510

SERVICE HOURS

The office is closed weekends, holidays, and recess days .

Office of Career Strategy

Visiting yale.

Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology

Humanities graduate programs.

Pursue research across a wide range of critical approaches and theoretical debates in the arts and humanities.

Our graduate programs in the Humanities bring together scholars from history, philosophy, literature, creative writing, art history, film studies and the performing arts who share a commitment to transnational and interdisciplinary approaches to humanistic study and practice. The master’s and doctoral programs provide students with an interdisciplinary context in which to pursue research across all the arts and humanities.

Doctor of Philosophy in Humanities

The doctoral program in the Humanities provides both rigorous, interdisciplinary training and the flexibility to specialize in one field of study. Students in the Humanities benefit from the opportunity to work with faculty in all areas in the School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology and the flexibility to design their own course of study. Graduates from the doctoral program in the Humanities go on to pursue academic careers as well as futures in education, public service, nonprofit management, the arts, and more.

Coursework: 42 semester credit hours

Forty-two semester credit hours of which 27 are taken as organized graduate-level courses in History ( HIST ), Philosophy ( PHIL ), Literature ( LIT ), and Visual and Performing Arts ( VPAS ).

Required Courses: 6 semester credit hours

HUMA 6300  Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Arts and Humanities 1

ARHM 6310  Team-Taught Interdisciplinary Seminar

Distribution Requirements: 9 semester credit hours 

Students must take one course from each of three programs (i.e., one  HIST  or  PHIL , one  LIT , and one  VPAS ).

Electives: 18 semester credit hours

18 semester credit hours of organized graduate-level  HIST ,  PHIL ,  LIT , and  VPAS  courses

9 semester credit hours of field exam preparation under IDEA 8305, LIT 8305, and/or VPAS 8305.

Students in all PhD programs in the Bass School of Arts, Humanities and Technology are expected to demonstrate intermediate-level reading proficiency in a foreign language (equivalent to two years of foreign-language study at the undergraduate level). Students must fulfill the language requirement before scheduling doctoral field examinations.

As part of its approval of a dissertation proposal, the Graduate Studies Committee will consider the appropriateness of a candidate’s language preparation for the research or creative project. Faculty members chairing field examinations and dissertations should ensure that students possess the necessary language proficiency to carry out their proposed doctoral research.

The requirement can be satisfied upon enrollment in a PhD program by demonstrating evidence of one or more of the following:

• Completion of a second-semester, intermediate-level foreign language course or higher (e.g., an undergraduate literature course in a foreign language) with a grade of B or better. 
• Completion of a graduate course taught in a foreign language or with more than 25% of its required readings in a foreign language. 
• An undergraduate major, graduate degree, or certificate in a foreign language. 
• Successful completion of graded coursework at a foreign university at which the primary language of instruction is not English. 
• A degree in any discipline from a foreign university at which the primary language of instruction is not English. 

The requirement can be satisfied during graduate study at UT Dallas in one of the following ways: 

• Completion of a second-semester, intermediate-level foreign language course or higher at UT Dallas or elsewhere with a grade of B or better. 
• Successful completion of  LIT 6326  Translation Workshop with a grade of B or better. 
• Successful completion of one of the following  HUMA 6330 : French Workshop;  HUMA 6331 Spanish Workshop;  HUMA 6333  German Workshop with a grade of B or better. 
• Passing a written translation exam in an approved foreign language at UT Dallas. 

The doctoral field examinations consist of three written sections and an oral defense. The examining committee, composed of three members of the faculty, oversees definition and preparation of the three examination fields. 2  Initial committee formation must take place during the semester in which students complete 36 semester credit hours of coursework, which will typically be followed by nine semester credit hours of field exam preparation under IDEA 8305, LIT 8305, and/or VPAS 8305. Exams normally should be completed before completion of 60 semester credit hours.

Students are formally advanced to PhD candidacy when they have successfully completed the doctoral field examinations and received final approval for dissertation topics. Students should submit a preliminary dissertation proposal for consideration during the oral section of the doctoral field examination. After that examination, a four-person supervising committee is formed, normally from the examining committee plus an additional faculty member, to oversee dissertation work. The supervising committee must then approve a formal dissertation proposal before the student submits it to the Graduate Studies Committee for final approval.

Each candidate then writes a doctoral dissertation, which is supervised and defended according to general University regulations.

Master of Arts in Humanities

The Master of Arts in Humanities degree program is designed both for individuals wishing to enhance their knowledge and academic skills and for students intending to pursue a doctorate in a humanistic field. Students seeking the MA in Humanities may elect a professional option or a research option. Students with plans for doctoral study should choose the research option. The research option requires students to demonstrate proficiency in an approved foreign language and to complete a thesis.

Students may concentrate within one of the three main areas of study:

• History of Ideas, which concentrates on history and philosophy.
• Literature, which concentrates on literature, language, rhetoric, translation studies and creative writing.
• Visual and Performing Arts, which concentrates on visual and performing arts, art history and film studies.

All students must take at least one seminar in each of these three main areas of study.

Coursework: 33 semester credit hours

Thirty-three semester credit hours of which 27 credit hours are taken as organized graduate-level courses in History ( HIST ), Philosophy ( PHIL ), Literature ( LIT ), and Visual and Performing Arts ( VPAS ).

Required Courses: 6 semester credit hours 

18 semester credit hours of organized graduate-level HIST ,  PHIL ,  LIT , and  VPAS  courses

Students in the professional option must complete 33 semester credit hours of coursework. They are not required to complete a portfolio or meet the foreign language requirement.

Students in the research option must complete 33 semester credit hours of coursework, fulfill a foreign language requirement, and complete a portfolio.

The research option MA degree requires demonstrated proficiency in an approved foreign language. The requirement can be satisfied upon enrollment in the MA program by demonstrating evidence of one or more of the following:

• Successful completion of one of the following:  HUMA 6330  French Workshop;  HUMA 6331 Spanish Workshop;  HUMA 6333  German Workshop with a grade of B or better.
• Passing a written translation exam in an approved foreign language at UT Dallas.

Two research papers or a creative project plus a scholarly essay originating in or completed for graduate courses are revised and presented in a portfolio for evaluation by a master’s committee.

Program Highlights

Research Opportunities

Our graduate students conduct and present research national and internationally. See our graduate students’ accomplishments.

Six centers and institutes affiliated with the Bass School promote interdisciplinary research:

• The Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies
• The Center for Asian Studies
• The Center for Translation Studies
• The Center for U.S.-Latin-America Initiatives
• The Center for Values in Medicine, Science and Technology 
• The Edith O-Donnell Institute of Art History

Faculty Mentors

Our faculty members will help you gain the knowledge, skills and support you need for a rewarding career. Meet our faculty .

Dr. Theresa M. Towner

Ashbel Smith Professor of literary studies

“I tend to do two types of teaching: One is with texts that students know are very difficult, inaccessible and complicated — ones they’re afraid to tackle. And the other is the kind of texts that students think they know really, really well, but then they are surprised that they can learn so much more.”

Contact Information

Shilyh Warren Associate Dean of Graduate Studies and Program Head Phone: 972-883-6316 Email:  [email protected] Office: JO 4.510A

Pia K. Jakobsson Graduate Academic Advisor Phone: 972-883-4706 Email:  [email protected] Office:  JO 4.128

Graduate Advising Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology The University of Texas at Dallas, JO31 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021 Phone: 972-883-4706 Email:  [email protected]

Office of Admission and Enrollment 800 W. Campbell Road Richardson, TX 75080-3021 972-883-2270 or 1-800-889-2443 [email protected] utdallas.edu/enroll

Doctoral Application Deadlines

Ma application deadlines.

• Degrees, Minors & Certificates
• Graduate Student Writing Resources

Reach out to us  to get more information about your program of interest.

Review the Bass School’s  graduate application process and requirements.

Digital Humanities Research MPhil/PhD

Key information

The Department of Digital Humanities at King’s is a pioneer in its field, and we aim to provide outstanding supervision and training in a broad range of areas across digital humanities and digital culture, exploring the varied ways in which digital information, technologies and methods are transforming the humanities, arts, culture and society. We have numerous links with key institutions across the cultural and creative sectors, as well as SMEs in the digital and media industries, and we aim to prepare students for careers both in the academy and outside it.

The Department of Digital Humanities offers a PhD programme for suitably qualified candidates who wish to explore the transformative effects of digital information, technologies, and methods on the humanities, arts, culture and society. This is a pioneering doctoral programme, based in one of the world’s most prestigious centres for the study of Digital Humanities. Research in the Department reflects a ‘big tent’ view of the digital humanities, and there are no a priori restrictions on the area of research, assuming that appropriate supervisors can be found, and no fixed expectations of particular technical skills. We welcome applications from potential students with any disciplinary background in the humanities or social sciences.

You will be supervised by leading figures in your field, and participate in a lively and supportive research culture within the Department, which currently has 40 academic staff and 26 MPhil/PhD students (not including students on collaborative programmes whose primary supervisor is located elsewhere in the College), as well as post-docs and visiting researchers. Much of the Department’s research is funded through major grants from the European Commission, the AHRC, the Leverhulme Trust, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, and other key funders. Active research projects in which the Department is involved are listed here .

An overview of the areas of research carried out in the department may be found on the departmental website . Profiles and research projects of current MPhil and PhD students may be found in the King’s research portal .

There is also an option of a joint PhD with University of Hong Kong or National University of Singapore available.

• How to apply
• Fees or Funding

UK Tuition Fees 2023/24

Full time tuition fees:

£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£5,820 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

Part time tuition fees:

£2,910 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£2,910 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£2,910 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

International Tuition Fees 2023/24

£22,900 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£22,900 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£22,900 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

£11,450 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£11,450 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£11,450 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

UK Tuition Fees 2024/25

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£6,168 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£3,084 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

International Tuition Fees 2024/25

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£24,786 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities)

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with Hong Kong University)

£12,393 per year (MPhil/PhD, Digital Humanities with National University of Singapore)

These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.

Study environment

Base campus

Strand Campus

Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

All PhD candidates are allocated two supervisors, and are expected to meet with their primary supervisor on a regular basis, with progress reports submitted every six months. Students will normally be upgraded from MPhil to PhD status after 9-18 months, with a transfer to 'writing up' status usually occurring after three years of full-time study. Upon submission of the thesis, assessment is by means of an oral examination (viva).

Our postgraduate students are an integral part of the academic life of the Department. We are a growing department with many internationally recognised researchers and visiting academics. We have a wide range of both national and international projects, collaborations with other departments, as well as with other higher education institutions, cultural and memory organisations, and digital industries. Our students have access to good library facilities, and there is a research student room within the department.

The Department has an active PhD seminar series, which provides students with the opportunity to present their research and discuss its progress and its relationship to the broader discipline, and students are also invited to participate in the departmental seminar series. There is an annual PhD student conference, organised by the students themselves, as well as a range of seminars and other events both within King’s and at academic and cultural institutions around London.

London offers unparalleled diversity and richness for students in the humanities and cultural heritage, with the largest concentration of memory and cultural institutions in the UK, including the major document repositories at the National Archives, and the extensive digital and physical resources of the British Library. London also possesses extensive media and digital industries, with many opportunities for internships and employment.

Research students can apply to become Graduate Teaching Assistants to assist members of staff in delivering modules to undergraduate students on the BA in Digital Culture. Full training is provided to enable students to make the best use of this opportunity for acquiring valuable teaching experience.

Joint PhD programme

Exciting opportunities are available to undertake a joint PhD programme with the National University of Singapore (NUS). FAQs about joint PhDs can be found on the King’s Worldwide web pages.

Postgraduate training

Research students are expected to spend a week per year on training in transferable and research skills, and will have access to a diverse range of training opportunities. Students can attend a variety of specialist MA modules offered within the Department, on topics such as text technologies, spatial humanities, or metadata. The King's Graduate School runs a Researcher Development Programme of personal, professional and career development activities for all research students, and there is a centrally provided programme of ICT and related skills training. Students are able to take part in a wide portfolio of training courses ranging from generic study and employability skills, language courses at the College's Modern Language Centre, through to specific conceptual and methodological courses offered by the ESRC-funded King’s Interdisciplinary Social Science DTC.

King’s is also a partner in the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) London Arts and Humanities Partnership (LAHP) collaborative doctoral training partnership (with University College London and the School of Advanced Study, University of London), which supports an extensive network of training courses and events for AHRC-funded students.

Our research students are also encouraged to submit papers to conferences, and there are Faculty funding schemes to which students can apply for financial support to allow them to travel and present their papers.

• Entry requirements

Find a supervisor

Search through a list of available supervisors.

Accommodation

Discover your accommodation options and explore our residences.

Connect with a King’s Advisor

Want to know more about studying at King's? We're here to help.

Learning in London

King's is right in the heart of the capital.

• Technology and Humanities (Ph.D.)

This degree educates a new type of humanities Ph.D., one who will bring original contributions to scholarship, thinking, and learning to better understand the complex relationships between humans and technology.

• Academic Programs

The Ph.D. in technology and humanities prepares students for faculty-line and alternative academic careers in university research and teaching, as well as for advanced research and development positions in the private and government sectors. You will establish a strong foundation in the digital research methods necessary to deeply investigate the unique problems surrounding humans and their relationships to technology. Additionally, you'll learn to consider technology through the theoretical lenses of a number of core humanities disciplines, such as history, language, media studies, communication, and philosophy.

As a unique complement to the program’s research methods and subject breadth, you'll be given instruction and ample opportunities to explore applied knowledge via research-intensive approaches to digital design and production, such as web design/development and game design.

Students may choose from five concentration options:

• Communication and Media Studies
• Linguistics
• Technical Communication

Program Overview

This degree explores the complex relationships between humans and technology. Students study digital research methods and learn to consider technology through the theoretical lenses of a number of core humanities disciplines, such as history, language, media studies, communication, and philosophy.

Career Opportunities

As a graduate of Illinois Tech’s Ph.D. in technology and humanities program, you will be prepared for careers in the following areas:

• Research and teaching at the postsecondary level
• Alt-ac careers in university research and teaching
• Advanced research and development positions in the private and government sectors

The Ph.D. in technology and humanities requires 72 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. Students who have earned a master’s degree in a relevant field or have undertaken graduate work in relevant fields may transfer credit hours toward the doctoral degree (up to 36 credit hours for graduate course work in relevant fields at Illinois Tech or up to 30 credit hours for graduate course work in relevant fields from other institutions). Transfer credit decisions are made by the Graduate Studies Committee.

More information on course requirements can be found in the 2019-2020 Graduate Bulletin .

Students enter the Ph.D. program from a wide range of fields but should have substantial academic preparation or professional experience related to one or more humanities fields. Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a field that, in combination with the 30 credit hour technical core, would provide a solid basis for advanced academic work leading to original research in technology and humanities.

Featured Faculty

Carly A. Kocurek

Mohamed El Marzouki

Gregory Pulliam

"The Humanities department is often described as eclectic due to the diversity in research interests among faculty. Studying with different professors helped build a wide skillset and familiarity with different tools and research methods. I am prepared as a scholar-practitioner, and well-equipped to enter academe or design and research. I recently accepted a Professional Lecturer position in the School of Design in the College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University and am teaching game design and games studies."

Michael DeAnda (THUM ’19)

Learn more...

• louisville.edu
• PeopleSoft HR
• PeopleSoft Campus Solutions
• PeopleSoft Financials
• Business Ops
• Cardinal Careers

• Undergraduate
• International
• Online Learning

Department of Comparative Humanities

• Contact Information
• Mission Statement
• Statement of Support for LGBTQ+ Students
• Statements on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Black Lives Matter Movement
• Land Acknowledgment
• Full-Time Faculty
• Part-Time Faculty
• Affiliated Faculty
• Graduate Teaching Assistants
• Books by Our Faculty
• Documents & Forms for Faculty
• Humanities Major (BA)
• Accelerated BA/MA
• Internship Guidelines
• Exit Survey
• Student Perspectives
• Careers for Humanities Majors
• Documents & Forms
• MA in Humanities
• PhD in Humanities
• Medical Humanities Dual Degree Program
• Association of Humanities Academics
• Professional Development
• Graduate Internship / Professional Project
• Global Humanities Series
• Graduate Student Spotlight
• Books by Our Students & Graduates
• Humanities Graduate Studies Newsletter
• Summer 2024
• Spring 2024
• Winter 2023
• Summer 2023
• Spring 2023
• Winter 2022
• Summer 2022
• Jewish Studies Minor
• Jewish Studies Courses
• BA Track in Linguistics
• Linguistics Minor
• Linguistics and the Humanities (MA)
• Linguistics Courses
• Discourse and Semiotics Workshop
• BA Track in Religious Studies
• Religious Studies Minor
• Religious Studies Courses
• Steering Committee
• Curriculum & Tracks
• Application Instructions
• Professional Project
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Graduates and Dissertations
• Graduate Careers and Job Placements
• / PhD in Humanities

What makes the Humanities Ph.D. distinctive:

• Global vision
• Rigorous interdisciplinarity (rotating teams teaching the core courses)
• Supervised professionalization (internships and externships)
• Career diversity inbuilt in its professionalization
• Creative dissertation projects

Our History: Changing the Humanities from Within

Established in 2003 as a divisional program focused primarily on the study of the western humanities tradition, the Ph.D. in Humanities has grown into the largest interdisciplinary program in the College of Arts and Sciences and has re-invented itself to respond to the needs of students in a changing world and to provide a model of humanities education that engages with the intellectual and epochal shifts in the region and in the world.

Our graduates are employed in a variety of careers, not merely academic, but also in the non-profit sector, public policy, government, libraries, cultural administration, the law, publishing, and institutional education and research. To learn more, visit our  Graduate Careers and Job Placements page.

Humanities PhD Information Sheet

Department of Comparative Humanities Graduate Studies Bingham Humanities 213 2216 South First Street Louisville, KY 40208

Dr. Karl Swinehart Director of Graduate Studies (502) 852- 1298 [email protected]

Meg Kennedy Administrative Associate (502) 852-3887 [email protected]

Art and Design

Classical and Modern Languages

Film Studies

Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Music History

Pan-African Studies

Theatre Arts

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

Bingham Humanities 303 2216 South First Street Louisville, KY 40208

Office Hours

M–F 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

(502) 852-6805

[email protected]

Best Accredited Online Ph.D. Programs 2024

Erin Treder

Contributing Writer

Learn about our editorial process .

Rachel Miller

Updated January 2, 2024

Danika Miller

Contributing Editor

Reviewed by

Lonnie Woods III

Contributing Reviewer

Our Integrity Network

AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org is committed to delivering content that is objective and actionable. To that end, we have built a network of industry professionals across higher education to review our content and ensure we are providing the most helpful information to our readers.

Drawing on their firsthand industry expertise, our Integrity Network members serve as an additional step in our editing process, helping us confirm our content is accurate and up to date. These contributors:

• Suggest changes to inaccurate or misleading information.
• Provide specific, corrective feedback.
• Identify critical information that writers may have missed.

Integrity Network members typically work full time in their industry profession and review content for AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org as a side project. All Integrity Network members are paid members of the Red Ventures Education Integrity Network.

Explore our full list of Integrity Network members.

AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.

Turn Your Dreams Into Reality

Take our quiz and we'll do the homework for you! Compare your school matches and apply to your top choice today.

A Ph.D., or doctor of philosophy, is the highest level of academic degree that you can attain. Consisting primarily of research, a Ph.D. prepares you for a career in academia or research in the field you study.

Students who choose to pursue a Ph.D. online will find it can be completed in less time. Online students also get the added benefit of being able to complete their work from the comfort of home. The overall cost may also be less compared to an in-person program.

We've compiled a list of the best accredited online Ph.D. programs to help you start your search.

Are Online Ph.D. Programs Worth It?

An online Ph.D. program is an ideal choice if you want to balance your career and family responsibilities along with your education.

While there are some preconceived notions that online programs aren't legitimate, as long as the program you choose is accredited, the degree is the same as one earned in person.

While the annual tuition cost to earn a Ph.D. online averages $12,394 for a public institution and $26,621 for a private university, doctoral graduates enjoy a lower unemployment rate and higher weekly salary than those with less education, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Did You Know...

• According to the BLS , workers with a doctoral degree earned a median of $651 more per week than workers with a bachelor's degree in 2022.
• Doctorate-holders boast some of the lowest unemployment rates at 1%.
• In 2019, research found that 39.8% of graduate students were enrolled in online learning.
• The number of doctorates awarded between 2020 and 2021 dropped by 5.4%.
• Not all Ph.D.-holders end up working in academia.

Explore Our Featured Online Doctoral Programs

Top schools for online accredited ph.d. programs.

We use trusted sources like Peterson's Data and the National Center for Education Statistics to inform the data for these schools. AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search, finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site. from our partners appear among these rankings and are indicated as such.

Capitol Technology University

• Online + Campus

Cost per Credit: In-State | $950 Out-of-State | $950

Credits to Graduate: 60

Founded in 1927, Capitol Technology University features 40 doctoral programs, which you can complete online. Majors include aeronautical science, artificial intelligence, computer science, cybersecurity, military leadership, occupation risk management, and supply chain management. 

Programs require about 60 credits, but you can choose from a doctoral degree without any research requirements. Coursework focuses on doctoral research, proposal writing, and oral defense. Capitol also offers a dual master's and Ph.D. in technology combination program. 

Admission requirements vary, but generally you need a master's degree in a related major and five years of work experience.

Clemson University

• Clemson, SC

Cost per Credit: In-State | $515-$1,319 Out-of-State | $515-$1,319

Clemson's graduate catalog features 52 doctoral programs with the flexibility to study on campus, online, or in a hybrid format. Fields like digital history, entomology, genetics, or business administration offer on-campus programs for traditional doctoral students. You have the opportunity to study virtually in nine doctoral programs, including nursing, educational leadership, and parks, recreation and tourism management.

To obtain a doctoral degree, candidates must complete approximately 60 credits over a span of 3-5 years and successfully defend their dissertation.

Keiser University

• Fort Lauderdale, FL

Total Cost: In-State | $31,712 Out-of-State | $31,712

Keiser University, which was established in 1977, offers 19 flexible doctoral degrees. You can attend classes on the 100-acre main campus or study at one of 23 satellite campuses. Programs offer evening, online, and daytime courses. Keiser's “student first” policy lets you take 1-2 classes at a time, depending on your availability. It takes about 2-5 years to earn your doctoral degree.

To apply for a doctoral program, you need to submit your master's or doctoral transcripts, a resume, personal statement, and an application with a fee.

Mississippi State University

• Mississippi State, MS

Cost per Credit: In-State | $537 Out-of-State | $1,074-$1,468

Credits to Graduate: 60-65

The public research university MSU, which began admitting students in 1880 as an Agricultural and Mechanical College, now boasts 71 doctoral degrees, including 15 virtual programs. Ph.D. programs include engineering, computer science, agricultural sciences, mathematical sciences, and educational leadership. In addition to coursework, you'll need to complete a dissertation and defense on an independent research topic.

As a doctoral candidate, you can access ample research opportunities. The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station runs 16 stations throughout the state. Applicants need a recommended 3.4 GPA for their master's-level coursework.

Nova Southeastern University

Cost per Credit: In-State | $969-$1,386 Out-of-State | $969-$1,386

Credits to Graduate: 51-64

Nova Southeastern University, the largest private research university in Florida, boasts 14 colleges and 11 campuses. NSU offers 37 doctoral programs, with 19 of them available online. Earn a doctoral degree online in subjects such as criminal justice, computer science, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology. 

Departments such as the NSU Fischler College of Education and the School of Criminal Justice offer dissertation resources, including templates and mentor support. Each program sets distinct admission requirements, but you generally need a master's degree and a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Old Dominion University

• Norfolk, VA

Cost per Credit: In-State | $599 Out-of-State | $1,439

Credits to Graduate: 31-60 

Old Dominion University offers 10 online doctoral programs through its seven colleges and three schools. The program covers a range of subjects such as nursing, community college leadership, educational leadership, engineering management, English, instruction design and technology, and workforce and organizational development. 

Admission requirements vary across programs. For instance, the Ph.D. in business administration requires GMAT or GRE scores, while the Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction asks applicants to submit master's transcripts, an essay, and three references.

Saybrook University

• Pasadena, CA

Cost per Credit: In-State | $1,416-$1,590 Out-of-State | $1,416-$1,590

Credits to Graduate: 54-76

Offering hybrid online degrees since 1970, Saybrook University now delivers 11 online doctoral degrees. You can earn a doctoral degree completely online or in a hybrid format with a low-residency option.

Doctoral students can pursue studies in counseling, integrative social work, organizational systems, mind-body medicine, integrative and functional nutrition, psychology, and wellness. To get admitted, you need at least a master's degree. And you complete up to 76 credits over about 4-5 years.

Texas Tech University

• Lubbock, TX

Cost per Semester: In-State | $2,107-$6,877 Out-of-State | $2,107-$6,877

Credits to Graduate: 60-96

Created in 1923, Texas Tech's 13 colleges and schools offer 98 doctoral degrees. Texas Tech offers doctoral degrees in agricultural and applied economics, animal science, computer science, curriculum and instruction, and special education. 

Many of the doctoral programs, such as the Ph.D. in psychology and Ph.D. in wind science and engineering, offer STEM OPT Extension eligibility to extend your F-1 visa for up to two years. Programs require about 60 credits on average and a dissertation. Depending on the program, you may need to submit GRE scores to apply.

How We Rank Schools

Accredited Schools Online uses a custom ranking system to evaluate schools on their quality, affordability, and reputation.

We rank schools using factors like graduation rate, admission rate, tuition costs, financial aid, and program offerings. All our ranked schools hold institutional accreditation .

For this page, we created a directory of online accredited Ph.D. programs that meet our criteria. The list is organized alphabetically rather than ranked.

Learn more about how we create school rankings on our methodology page .

Does Accreditation Matter for Online Ph.D. Programs?

A college is accredited after being recognized by an independent institution that verifies the school's courses and programs meet set quality standards.

The school you choose must be accredited in order for your Ph.D. to be recognized by employers , earn professional licensures, and qualify you for federal financial aid.

Legitimate accreditors are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

How Much Does an Online Ph.D. Cost?

In general, you can expect to pay around $13,000-$30,000 per year in tuition and fees for your online Ph.D.

Several factors affect how much your Ph.D. program will cost, including:

• Whether the program is fully funded
• Whether your school is public or private
• Whether you're an in-state or out-of-state student
• How long your program lasts (most Ph.D. programs take 5-7 years to complete)
• How much financial aid you get

While many in-person and online doctoral programs in the U.S. are fully funded, these tend to be highly competitive.

One way to save money on your online Ph.D. is to attend a program that offers in-state tuition to residents. Make sure you submit the FAFSA each year so you can secure federal financial aid .

You may also need to budget for occasional travel to and from campus and research sites, especially as you work on your dissertation.

What's the Difference Between a Ph.D. and a Doctorate?

While a Ph.D. and a doctoral degree, or doctorate, both signify the same level of education completed, their uses are different.

Doctorate is the broader term — a Ph.D. is a type of doctorate. Specifically, a Ph.D. is an academic degree that prepares you for a career in research or teaching in your field of study (such as science, English, or economics).

Besides a Ph.D., other types of doctorates include a doctor of medicine (MD), a doctor of education (Ed.D.), and a doctor of psychology (Psy.D.). These degrees are typically used in either an academic or professional setting.

Online Ph.D. Programs That Don't Require a Dissertation

A dissertation is a final written project culminating in a student's original research at the end of their Ph.D. program. A dissertation is typically presented and defended by its author. It's typically required for degrees with an academic or research focus.

Not all Ph.D. programs require a dissertation. For example, some Ph.D. programs in humanities, education, business administration, and criminal justice require simple or no dissertations for a quicker completion time .

What Jobs Can You Get After Earning an Online Ph.D.?

Once you finish your online doctoral program, you can explore a variety of career paths both within and outside academia.

Many Ph.D. graduates, especially those who studied the humanities, go on to become professors. Other popular roles include administrator, scientist, and psychologist.

Graduates of online Ph.D. programs earn a relatively high average base salary of $105,000 a year, according to Payscale .

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Ph.D. Programs

• Collapse All

What is the quickest Ph.D. to get?

The quickest Ph.D. to earn are those that award professional degrees and don't require extensive research projects or dissertations at completion. These Ph.D. programs can include accounting, business, education, and media.

To finish your degree faster, you can also look for accelerated programs that quicken the pace of a program and shorten the time it takes to complete.

Are online doctoral programs legit?

If the online doctoral program is accredited, it is legitimate. Accreditation ensures that the program meets the rigorous educational standards of other comparative doctoral programs.

With accreditation, employers and other institutions of higher learning will recognize your degree. As more universities turn toward online programs to serve a more diverse student population, there are a growing number of legitimate, accredited online Ph.D. programs.

How long are online Ph.D. programs?

Online Ph.D. programs, like any other doctoral program, can vary in length but typically take 5-7 years to complete. A doctoral degree balances coursework with research. Usually, students must meet a certain number of course requirements before they can start original research.

While coursework may take only a year or two, writing a dissertation that meets the program requirements varies from candidate to candidate.

Can I earn my Ph.D. entirely online?

Yes, many accredited colleges and universities offer 100% online Ph.D. programs. That said, some programs may require on-campus experiences, such as library research and a dissertation defense.

What do employers think of online doctoral programs?

It takes a high level of discipline and persistence to obtain a graduate degree, no matter the context. Most employers will recognize and value the hard work it takes to get a Ph.D., whether you completed your doctorate online or in person.

Make sure you research potential programs. If you're attending an accredited, well-regarded school, employers will value your online Ph.D. just as much as a traditional one.

Note: The insights on this page — excluding school descriptions — were reviewed by an independent third party compensated for their time by Accredited Schools Online. Page last reviewed November 20, 2023.

Popular Resources

Whether you’re looking to earn your online degree or you’re a parent looking for answers, you can find all of your questions covered here. Explore these resources to help you make informed decisions and prepare for whatever is thrown your way.

Shape your future with an online degree

Connect with a community of peers, and find a program that will allow you to continue your education in a fast and flexible way.

• Join our team
• The UOC in Latin America

Presentation

• Programme of study

Academic team

Call for applications, request access, doctoral programme in humanities and communication.

The doctoral programme in Humanities and Communication trains students to research the social change phenomena that can be found in social practice and ideology. By studying new forms of social interaction, communication and artistic expression, our aim is to broaden our understanding of phenomena such as globalization, neocolonialism, inequalities, social movements and appropriation of technological innovations. This doctoral programme fosters an interdisciplinary, international approach to the study of these phenomena, which is also mirrored in the structure of the programme's research groups.

The faculty members who take part in this programme are aware that the knowledge created and access to it are inextricably linked with the way society is organized and power exercised, which inevitably makes these factors scenarios for conflict and inequality. Accordingly, our goal is to make available open, accessible formats and procedures for knowledge dissemination that help bu...

The faculty members who take part in this programme are aware that the knowledge created and access to it are inextricably linked with the way society is organized and power exercised, which inevitably makes these factors scenarios for conflict and inequality. Accordingly, our goal is to make available open, accessible formats and procedures for knowledge dissemination that help build a fairer and more sustainable world. In particular, we endorse and aspire to developing the concepts of open science, data commons and data sharing.

In a more specific sense, this doctoral programme aspires to train professionals endowed with a global, interdisciplinary, critical vision who will work in or influence the fields of culture and communication, understood as spheres for creation, public participation and economic production. The Doctoral School and the doctoral programme are equally dedicated to furthering the UOC's strategic goals. As such, they work to train global citizens and professionals, foster transdisciplinary outlooks and open knowledge with everyone and for everyone, and create environments that stimulate knowledge co-creation with other social agents with the goal of enhancing its impact. This programme's faculty also shares the transformational goals that are expressed in the sustainable development strategy. In general terms, before we can guarantee access to ownership of resources and technologies and foster resilience, we must understand the culture and social practices behind the contexts in which poverty and exclusion must be addressed. Thus, a large part of the research carried out by the participating groups focuses on subject areas associated with gender equality and fostering social and political inclusion, regardless of differences in age, gender, sexuality, disability, race, ethnic group, origin, religion, economic situation or any other condition. Mobility and migrations, along with the interest in protecting and safeguarding cultural heritage, are also topics shared by a large proportion of the research groups.

Learning to research

The UOC Doctoral School and this programme in Humanities and Communication offer students the possibility of taking part in the University's research groups and projects in the fields of humanities, social sciences and communication science. Working with the UOC's researchers, students acquire a global vision of the different fields of research related with their own research subject. And by assisting researchers in data collection and analysis and later in disseminating the results, students acquire the practical expertise of professional researchers. These research groups often work in collaboration with faculty members from the areas of linguistics, communication, literary studies, philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology and art. In general terms, the research projects apply a constructivist approach and preference is given to interpretative, hermeneutic and qualitative methods.

Official qualification

The UOC's Doctoral Programme of Humanities and Communication is a programme that has been approved by the Spanish Universities Council, and its implementation has been authorized by the Government of Catalonia, in accordance with current legislation.

The UOC's doctoral programmes have full academic validity throughout Spain; where such is the intention, they are qualifications to perform regulated professions, in accordance with the regulations applicable in each case. 

The certificates for these programmes are issued together with a Diploma Supplement (DS), providing details of what the student studied, their results, the professional competencies obtained and the qualification's level in the Spanish higher education system; the aim of this is to facilitate recognition of the qualification and promote students' and graduates' mobility within the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). 

In other countries, the validity of the official unive...

In other countries, the validity of the official university qualifications issued by the UOC will depend on each specific country's education laws.

18 Sep 2025

Admission: March 5, 2024

Languages: English, Spanish, Catalan

Official qualification programme

Fully online method

World's first ever online university

Personalized guidance and support

1st Spanish-language online MBA in the world

Programme quality

The quality of this degree programme is endorsed by the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU), which ensures that rigorous standards, including those demanded by the EHEA, are met.

AQU quality seal

Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency

• Training supplements
• Research Courses

Itinerary and duration

• Lines of investigation

At the start of the research period of the doctoral programme, the UOC will map out a personalized learning pathway for each student taking into account his or her research skills and knowledge (particularly in terms of research methods) and research interests. This pathway may involve courses, seminars and other research training activities. If such activities are included on a student's personal learning pathway, they must be completed with a passing mark.

In order to gain the advanced training they require to complete their research project, students must complete the courses, subjects or activities that have been mapped out on their personal learning pathway during the research period of the doctoral programme.

The training offered during the organized research period comprises several training activities of varying types, durations, timings and objectives. These are structured into five blocks: methodological courses, thematic research seminars, bridging cours...

The training offered during the organized research period comprises several training activities of varying types, durations, timings and objectives. These are structured into five blocks: methodological courses, thematic research seminars, bridging courses, complementary research-oriented training activities and a doctoral research seminar. Some of these training activities, such as those that make up the methodological courses, thematic research seminars and the doctoral research seminar, are divided into two areas: the information and knowledge society, and network and information technologies.

Table summarizing the training blocks offered during the organized research period:

1Activities aimed at full-time doctoral students studying on-site. The inclusion of courses, seminars and activities on students' learning pathways will depend on their prior research training and experience, as well as on the specific field or subject addressed in their research project.

Bridging courses

Students' learning pathways may include bridging courses. These bridging courses are based on the specific training needs associated with the entry requirements and are assigned by the Doctoral Degree Academic Committee.

Research Design in Social Sciences

The Research Design in Social Sciences course lasts one semester and is taught in English using the UOC's usual e-learning process. It provides advanced training in research methodology in some of the fields in which the research project is being conducted.

This course is compulsory. All students must enrol on it and pass it during the first semester. In special cases, the doctoral programme's Academic Committee may exempt students from taking it when, during the admission period, they submit proof of having completed this training beforehand and have already finished their thesis plan.

If, for example, the student does not have the required B2 level of Englis...

If, for example, the student does not have the required B2 level of English, they will be required to study the courses offered by the UOC's Centre for Modern Languages: English B2.1. and English B2.2.

In any event, to complete the doctoral studies, we recommend that students achieve a C1 level of English, which can also be achieved through the English C1.1 and English C1.2 courses.

Students' learning pathways may include optional courses. The decision to include courses of this type is made by the doctoral programme's Academic Committee based on the specific training needs as per the admission requirements. This may include courses from the University's master's degrees, especially for students from outside the European Higher Education Area. If included, students must complete them with a passing mark during the first academic year of their doctoral programme.

The Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Network Society course, taught by professor Manuel Castells, provides particularly useful information for the data analysis stage of research, which is why we recommend that students wait until the 4th semester of their doctoral programme to take it.

Research, transfer and entrepreneurship courses

The UOC also offers research, transfer and entrepreneurship courses in English aimed at students, researchers and faculty to foster  research in scientific, academic and business fields .

Research, transfer and entrepreneurship courses can be recognized as free elective credits on bachelor's degree courses. If you are studying a doctoral degree at any university and have obtained a competitive grant, you can also study it as part of your training resources.

You can check all the courses in the website:  https://studies.uoc.edu/en/doctoral-programmes

Research seminar

Throughout the organized research period, students are expected to participate actively in the doctoral research seminar, whether on-site (if they are studying full-time) or online.

The aim of the doctoral research seminar is for doctoral students, professors and other UOC researchers to come together to discuss research projects (whether in progress or completed). Visiting lecturers and other invited experts will also give presentations on subjects of interest to the students.

Academic participation activities

This concept includes participation in all types of activities typically carried out by professional scientists and considered inherent to researcher training. These include presenting papers at conferences, going on research stays, publishing scientific articles and organizing academic activities. Presenting papers at conferences and publishing scientific articles during the doctoral programme are considered compulsory.

The maximum duration of studies will be three years for full-time students and five years for part-time students, counted from the date of admission to the programme until the doctoral thesis is presented. This period does not include maternity or paternity leave, or any long-term sick leave deemed necessary by the Academic Committee.

The Academic Committee may authorize the extension of these periods, subject to the legally stipulated maximum periods, in specific circumstances defined for each doctoral programme.

After enrolling in the programme, each doctoral student will be given a personalized activity document. This document specifies all the activities set by the Academic Committee for the doctoral student's development.

By the end of the first year, doctoral students must write a research plan that includes the methodology to be used and objectives to be pursued, as well as the means and timetable for completing the thesis.

The Academic Committee will conduct an annual assessment of each doctoral student's research plan and activity document, which will be considered together with reports from the tutor and thesis supervisor. This research plan must receive a positive assessment for the doctoral student to continue in the programme.

Over the course of the programme, each doctoral student must successfully complete the specific training activity (basic, thematic and methodological seminars) stipulated in his/her personalized pathway. In the first year of the programme, doctoral students must also write a research plan and have it approved.

Activities in face-to-face teaching mode

Activities in distance teaching mode, research lines, doctoral school management, program direction, academic committee, thesis directors team.

PhD in Computer Engineering (UAB). He teaches courses on artificial intelligence, infographic, computer vision and business intelligence. He is currently the director of the UOC Doctoral School. His research focuses on the study of computer vision algorithms dedicated to the analysis of human behaviour, facial perception and object and scene recognition.

• Carles Prado Fonts See all

Aida Sanchez

Carles prado fonts, cristina pujol ozonas, daniel aranda juarez, elisenda ardèvol piera, ignasi gozalo salellas, marina garcés mascareñas.

Alvaro Calero Pons

Agnès Vayreda Duran

Alba colombo vilarrasa, alexandre lopez borrull, amalia susana creus, antoni roig telo, begonya enguix grau, david martínez robles, diana roig sanz, eduard aibar puentes, efrain foglia romero, elisenda estanyol casals, ferran lalueza bosch, gemma san cornelio esquerdo, glòria munilla cabrillana, isaac gonzález balletbó, jaume claret miranda, joan fuster sobrepere.

Ph.D. in History from Pompeu Fabra University, graduate in Philosophy and Arts (History) from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and postgraduate in Executive Management of Artistic and Cultural Institutions, and Executive Management of Services Marketing from ESADE. He is currently Dean of the UOC's Faculty of Arts and Humanities, where he has been an associate professor since 2001. He is a member of the Parliamentary History Group, a consolidated research group at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, and has been academic director of the Menéndez Pelayo International University's centre in Barcelona since 2007.

Joan Pujolar Cos

Joana maria pujadas mora, judith clares gavilan, lluc massaguer busqueta, marc gil garrusta, maria candela ollé castellà, maria iñigo clavo, marta coll-florit, mireia montaña blasco.

PhD in Communication. Member of the Faculty of Information and Communication Sciences, and academic director of the Master's Degree in Strategy and Creativity in Advertising.

My research activity focuses on the impact that the media have on people's well-being, particularly among the more vulnerable population groups: children, young people and the elderly. My main research interests lie in new media practices, media consumption and the influence of persuasive communication on people. I have studied the relationship between advertisements of hedonistic, low nutritional quality food and the consequences in children.

Since 2013, I have been a member of the Learning, Media and Entertainment (GAME) research group at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. 

In 2019 I was a visiting scholar at Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven in Belgium.

Natàlia Cantó Milà

Neus rotger cerdà, nicolás barbieri muttis, ona domènech bagaria, roger canadell rusiñol, roger martínez sanmartí, salvador climent roca, sandra sanz martos, silvia martinez martinez, silvia sivera bello, teresa iribarren donadeu, more than25 years' experience in e-learning.

In 1995 the UOC was launched as the world's first fully online university . More than 25 years later, we are still pioneers in digital education.

Our eLearning Innovation Center oversees the evolution of our educational model, to ensure unique, high-quality, connected and networked learning experiences.

Times Higher Education

According to the Young University Rankings, published by Times Higher Education, we are fourth best in Spain.

Shanghai Ranking

We are among the world's top 150 universities for communication and the top 200 for education.

U-Multirank

Excellent ratings in knowledge transfer, regional engagement, and teaching and learning.

Access requirements

Admission requirements

• Access documentation

Evaluation criteria

General requirements.

In order to be eligible for the doctoral programme, the candidate must meet the general requirements of the UOC and the specific requirements of the programme.

First, you must prove that you are in one of the following cases:

• Hold an official Spanish undergraduate degree, or equivalent, and a university master's degree, or equivalent, and have passed at least 300 ECTS credits in all of these two courses.
• Hold an official Spanish university degree, corresponding to previous university teaching regulations, and have passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in all official university studies, of which at least 60 must be at master's level.
• Holding an official university degree from a country that is part of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that enables access to official master's degrees, and having passed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits in all official university studies, of which at least 60 must be at master's level.
• Hold an official Spanish undergraduate degree, whose duration, in accordance with EU law, is at least 300 ECTS credits. In this case, the student must take the specific training components on a mandatory basis, unless the corresponding doctoral programme includes research training credits, equivalent in formative value to the research credits from master's degree studies.
• To have an official university degree in which, after having obtained a training place in the corresponding test of access to specialised health training places, you have passed with a positive evaluation at least two years of training of a program to obtain the official title of any of the specialties of health sciences.
• Holding an official university degree from a country outside the EHEA, without the need for homologation, after verifying that the level of training is equivalent to that of the official university master's degrees and that it empowers the issuing country of the degree to access doctoral studies.
• Hold a Spanish phD degree obtained in accordance with previous university regulations.
• Be a graduate, architect or engineer and be in possession of the diploma of advanced studies, obtained in a way provided for in Royal Decree 778/1998, of 30 April, or have achieved the research proficiency regulated in Royal Decree 185/1985, of 23 January.
• Hold an official university degree that has obtained correspondence with level three of the Spanish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education (MECES), in accordance with the procedure established in Royal Decree 967/2014, of 21 November, establishing the requirements and procedure for homologating and declaring equivalence with regard to the official university degree and academic level and to validate foreign studies of higher education.  and the procedure to determine the correspondence with the levels of the MECES of the official titles of architect, engineer, graduate, technical architect, technical engineer and diploma.

If the candidate has not passed the research initiation credits in a university master's degree, they must take the bridging courses determined by each programme, if applicable.

If the candidate is only in possession of an official undergraduate degree that, in accordance with the rules of COMMUNITY law, has a duration of 300 ECTS credits, or has not taken and passed a minimum of credits of initiation to research in a university master's degree, their permanence in the doctoral programme is subject to the passing of the bridging courses that correspond to the module,  the itinerary or the subjects of initiation to the search of the corresponding formative period.

The vehicular language of the programme is English, so another access requirement will be to demonstrate a level equivalent to B2 or high intermediate level of user independent of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. If you do not have an English level accreditation, it will be assessed by the Selection and Monitoring Committee in the course of the interview.

According to Decree 822/202, of September 28, students with a disability equal to 33% or more have a reservation of 5% of the places.

In addition to the general and additional requirements established by the University itself, the Doctoral Programme in Humanities and Communication establishes the following specific requirements:

• If you're not a citizen of an English-speaking country, you must provide proof of a level of English equal to or higher than B2 in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
• If you have attended school or have completed a bachelor's or master's degree (or equivalent qualification with regards to enrolment in the doctorate programme) in English in a country where English is an official language, you will be deemed to have an equivalent level to the one required.
• You may also demonstrate your linguistic competency in English by means of another official certificate that proves you have a level equivalent to or higher than the one required. You can consult this equivalency table to see examples of certificates t...
• You may also demonstrate your linguistic competency in English by means of another official certificate that proves you have a level equivalent to or higher than the one required. You can consult this equivalency table to see examples of certificates that correspond to these levels.

Candidates for the doctoral programme who do not reach the required level will be given the opportunity to access the doctoral programme with a B1 level if they undertake to attain a B2 level before completing the research plan at the end of the first year. According to regulations, if the student does not attain this level, the research plan cannot be approved.

The UOC's Centre for Modern Languages offers English courses to attain the minimum level required for admission into the different doctoral programmes.

The UOC offers an online English language proficiency test, which can be accessed via this link, to accredit your knowledge of English. A score of between 72 and 94 accredits a level corresponding to B2 as defined by the CEFR. When taking this test, you must specify the code that corresponds to the UOC (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya): 4418. This code does not exempt the student from paying the corresponding exam cost and fees.

If you apply for a UOC grant, you must accredit a level equal to or higher than B2 from the time of application. For other grants, financial aid or research contracts, please consult the terms and conditions and requirements for each case (level of English and part-time or full-time format).

Admission documents

If you apply for admission to the UOC's Doctoral Programme in Humanities and Communication, you must submit the following documentation:

- A photocopy of your DNI, NIE or passport.

- A letter of motivation/presentation in which the candidate makes a brief presentation of his/her career as well as the specific motivations that underpin his/her application, a description of his/her research interests, as well as a brief concrete research proposal (maximum 5 pages) and prepared with the future research group or thesis supervisor that must host it.

- A letter of endorsement from a UOC professor or researcher who is a doctor in which he/she explains his/her interest in the project and in eventually directing the student's doctoral thesis, which must be identified by name and surname

- Curriculum vitae stating the master's or postgraduate programmes and courses taken related to the research interests expressed in the motivation letter and, where appropriate, the previous scientific production.

- Example of a recent academic work (in Catalan, Spanish or English).

- Academic certificates corresponding to the previous studies to the doctorate, where they contain the subjects taken and the qualification obtained, the call, the type of subject, the number of credits, as well as the average grade of the academic record, if they have not provided them to prove compliance with the access requirements.

When degree, bachelor or master's degree certificates are provided that do not mention the average of grades out of 4, the standardized spreadsheet where the median saying is calculated.

- Certification proving the level of English required by the doctoral programme.

- The documentation that certifies compliance with the access requirements. You will find more information in the section corresponding to the space: Procedures/Requirements and documentation of access of the Campus. 

In the case of university degrees obtained in higher education systems outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) and not homologated, it is necessary to authentication of the university degree through diplomatic channels (or, where appropriate, through the Hague Convention Apostillary). When the certificates, qualifications and academic records are not written in an official language of The Spanish State or in English, it is necessary to accompany the documentation with the sworn translation into Catalan, Spanish or English. Failure to submit this documentation or the fact that the data it contains does not match what has been exposed in the application may result in the non-admission to the doctoral programme.

Once the access documentation has been reviewed and your application accepted, admission to the doctoral programme is conditional on the presentation of the official documentation. 

Applying for admission to the doctoral programme or for the doctoral grants programme are two separate things, but both processes use the same registration form. Applications for admission to the programme are assessed using the criteria established in the doctoral programme's official specifications, as published both in the Spanish Government's Official Gazette and on the UOC's website. Whereas applications for the grants programme are assessed using the criteria established in the call for applications, and each programme assesses the applications taking into account specific criteria to classify them.

Nevertheless, both processes use the same rubric. This table has the rubric and a description of how the Humanities and Communication doctoral programme's Academic Committee processes the applications.

1 December 2023 : Start of the call for applications for access and admission to doctoral programmes.

12 February 2024:  End of the call for applications for access and admission to doctoral programmes.

19 February 2024: Publication of the provisional lists of applications to be assessed. The lists will be published on the Doctoral School website .

19 February to 26 February 2024 : Period for appeals of the applications to be evaluated.

29 February 2024: Publication of the final lists of applications to be assessed. The lists will be published on the  Doctoral School website .

** The publication of the final lists of applications to be assessed will be published on 14 March.

6 May 2024:  Publication of the provisional resolution on the accepted online and granted candidates. The lists will be published on the  Doctoral School website .

6 May to 16 May 2024:  Period for appeals of the selection of online and granted candidates.

27 May 2024: Publication of the final resolution on the candidates admitted to the doctoral programmes and those who are granted. The lists will be published on the  Doctoral School website .

July 2024:  Start of the enrolment period 2024-25.

September 2024 : Start of the academic year 2024-25.

Apply for the Welcome and Information Service

Apply for the Welcome and Information Service is a free, no-obligation procedure that provides you with a user name and password that will allow you to enter the UOC's Virtual Campus, from where you will be able to:

1.    Contact experts who will help you settle any doubts you may have about applying. 2.    Consult the Campus Secretary's Office for information about the programme of studies, enrolment prices, documentation, etc.

Before requesting access, check that you meet the requirements for the programme you want to be admitted to.

Access form

On the access form, you must give your personal details and the educational level you have attained.

Access Documentation

You will find a list of the documentation you need when you request access and can consult the Campus Secretary's Office.

If you are eligible for any of the discounts stated in the Price Decree, you will have to submit the appropriate documentation, following the instructions given by the virtual Secretary's Office.

Access the Campus and contact the researcher

Virtual campus

After you have requested access, you will receive a user name and password that will allow you to access the Virtual Campus, where you will find all the information and resources you may need.

You will find the information to contact the lead researcher in the "research lines" section. The researcher can provide support for preparing your application and will be your sponsor, if he or she agrees. Once you have been admitted to the programme, he or she will advise and guide you in choosing courses, in accordance with your prior academic background, your interests and the amount of time you have.

Virtual Secretary's Office

There is a  Procedure  on the Campus where you can consult and manage all academic matters, such as viewing the programme of studies, payment options or the discounts available. 

Apply for admission

You can complete the admission form the virtual campus  Procedures / Doctoral programme admission documentation , where you will have to give your academic details, whether you want to apply for a grant and the research line you are interested in. 

You must submit an enrolment proposal after having chosen the courses you want to follow during the semester, which your tutor will analyse so that you can complete enrolment with his or her counselling. It is a step prior to completing enrolment.

Send the digital documentation

Having completed the previous step, you must attach the documentation in the same section. You can see which documentation you must attach in the corresponding section within  Procedures / Doctoral programme admission documentation.

When you have completed all the steps, the doctoral programme's academic committee will assess the applications that have been submitted. 

If you pass the first phase of the admission process, you will receive notification confirming that you have entered the second phase and a telephone interview will be scheduled.

If you pass the second phase of the admission process, you will receive notification to confirm that you have been admitted. You will have a maximum of one month (counting from the admission notification) to confirm your acceptance of the place on the doctoral programme; if this confirmation from you is not received, you will not be admitted to the programme.

It is at this point that you will be able to complete enrolment, choosing your preferred payment option from among those available. If you are eligible for any of the discounts stated in the Price Decree, you will have to submit the appropriate documentation, following the instructions given by the virtual Secretary's Office.

Remember that once you have enrolled, you will have ten days to send the admission documentation.

The Government of Catalonia establishes the public prices for credits and other academic services charged by public universities in Catalonia and the UOC. You can consult the prices in Decree 125/2023 , of June 28th.

The fees will be those applicable when enrolment is completed. Subject to annual revisions.

This programme belongs to an academic pathway. Find out about the studies with which you can achieve your goals.

• Skip to Main

Information for Prospective Student Participants

Funded by a $1.5 million Mellon Foundation Grant, the NYU Public Humanities PhD Initiative prepares humanities doctoral students for a wide variety of career paths, both within and beyond academia. It recognizes that humanities work has a public function that PhD programs have a responsibility to prepare students to fulfill. 

If you participate in the Initiative, you will have the opportunity to take part in three types of curricular and co-curricular activities that are designed to be comprehensive and complementary. You may pursue any or all of them, and they can be incorporated into your course of study without impeding your completion of the degree. They will enhance your career opportunities from the beginning of your studies at NYU, and will support both your academic and non-academic prospects.

Introductory Courses

You will be able to enroll in a pair of graduate courses, typically in your second year, on the history, theory, and practice of humanities in the public arena. Taught by two-person teams of full-time humanities faculty, the courses conceptualize the humanities as diverse intellectual enterprises. Along with other humanities PhD students from a wide range of fields and intellectual backgrounds, you will be encouraged to envision your own scholarly work not simply as the extension of highly specific disciplinary knowledge, but also as an element in a long-lived, broad-scale humanities undertaking with an expansive reach. Classes will include visits by humanistically trained scholars who work in academia and beyond, in such contexts as museums, foundations, and public-sector agencies.

Co-curricular activities

Throughout each of your first five years of enrollment, you will have access to a rotation of skills-building workshops. These are designed and sequenced to prepare you for a wide array of career paths and will be led by a variety of community members, including NYU humanities faculty, humanities PhD alumni from beyond the university, and representatives from partner organizations in the greater New York City area. Workshop topics will include professional socialization, networking, communications and presentation skills, leadership and management skills, personal development and career management. 

Sixth-year Fellowship and Internship

In your sixth year, you will be given the opportunity to hold an internship position of up to 20 hours a week while completing your dissertation. You will be fully funded by a doctoral fellowship during this year. The internship will be in a public institution relevant to your intellectual preparation and career objectives, giving you substantial personal contacts and professional experience outside academia. The internship will let you use the knowledge and skills potentially developed in the introductory courses and workshops, fittingly culminating your Public Humanities training. 

• Business Management
• Early Childhood Education & Adolescent Development
• Criminal Justice Management
• Emergency Services Management
• Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation
• Social Work
• Applied Nutrition & Dietetics
• Clinical Mental Health Counseling
• Health & Wellness
• Human Lactation Studies
• Health Care Leadership
• Organizational Leadership
• Design your own MBA
• Cybersecurity
• Integrative Learning
• Montessori Integrative Learning
• All But Dissertation (ABD)
• Educational Justice & Equity
• Ethical & Creative Leadership
• Humanities & Culture
• Public Policy & Social Change
• Martin Luther King Jr. Studies
• Doctoral Certificates
• All But Dissertation (EdD - ABD)
• Applied Nutrition and Health Education
• Educational Leadership (Pre-K-12)
• Higher Education
• California Teacher Permit
• Health Education
• Online Teaching & Learning
• Creativity Studies
• History & Culture
• Literature & Writing
• Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling
• Cannabis Studies
• Leadership in Public Service
• Social Justice
• ETSA Catalog
• Ed2Go Catalog
• U4U! Early College Program
• University Catalog
• Tuition & Fees
• Payment Options
• Scholarships
• Financial Aid Overview
• Federal Work Study
• Net Price Calculator
• How to Register
• Transfer Students Overview
• Certified Learning
• Transfer Partnerships
• International Students
• Military Students
• Accreditation
• Board of Trustees
• Hispanic-Serving Institution
• Leadership & Offices
• Rankings & Awards
• Giving to Union
• Share Your Story
• Union Store
• University Calendar
• What’s Happening
• 2023 Commencement
• Request Transcript
• Academic Services
• Career Services
• Disability Services
• Mental Health Services
• Online Library
• Military at Union
• Educational Justice & Equity
• Public Policy & Social Change
• All But Dissertation (EdD – ABD)

Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies Humanities & Culture

Our Ph.D. with a concentration in Humanities & Culture allows you to study the human condition, explore creative ways to advance social justice and acknowledge differences among individuals and social groups. Our Humanities & Culture program draws on a variety of humanities fields – social and political philosophy, history, religious studies, literature, and aesthetics – that relate to social justice and cultural differences.

Discover three interrelated modes of inquiry

Interdisciplinary Inquiry

Examine tensions and relationships between disciplines to critique and redefine existing knowledge, meanings and relationships among facts, theories and methods.

Critical Inquiry

Engage in ongoing intellectual dialogues with texts and artifacts, as well as fellow students, instructors and the public. Become a scholar-practitioner and make your voice heard.

Creative Inquiry

Learn to see things in a whole new way. Examine and reorganize existing meanings and constructions of knowledge to reveal new, unconventional meanings and constructions.

• 66 credit hour program
• Full & part-time options
• *Hybrid program
• January & July start dates
• Complete your degree in as little as 3 years

*100% online classes with a one-week residency in Cincinnati at the start of each term.

You have the option of exploring courses outside the ECL concentration or using electives for a certificate (e.g. Executive Leadership) or for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Studies specialization.

EMBEDDED CERTIFICATES - No extra time or cost to complete

Graduate certificates provide you with a distinguished addition to your Ph.D. focus. All students in the Ph.D. Program in Interdisciplinary Studies have the option to pursue one of these graduate certificates embedded in the program:

• Creative Writing
• Design Thinking
• Educational Leadership
• Ethics and Philosophy
• Executive Leadership
• Museum Studies
• Women’s & Gender Studies

Meet Our Faculty

Dissertation Information and Examples

The program supports a variety of formats for doctoral dissertations, including theoretical, historical, and interpretive research, social action research projects, empirical research using qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods, and creative dissertations. Here are some examples from our Humanities & Culture graduates:

• François, Emery (2021). The Beauty and the Strife: A Memoir of Haiti and Her Legacy in the United States .
• White, Tamara (2020). Visually Representing Diabetes Management for Incarcerated Women in California: A Creative Dissertation .
• Reinstatler, Michelle L. (2019). Becoming Legend: Constructing Paranormal Experience and Cultural Performance in Ghost-Hunting Reality TV shows and Recreational Ghost Hunting .
• Johnson, Jr., James L.  (2018). Sympathy for the Devil: Thawing the Ego and Fostering Empathy through a Theory of Lacanian Reader-response.
• Jones, Natalie (2017). The Womanist Ethics Matrix: A Methodological Tool for Transformation and Social Change

Funding Your Future

Explore your financial aid & scholarship options. We strive to make college affordable. See what makes Union the best value.

The Changing Human Experience sponsors interdisciplinary courses that explore pressing questions facing the world today. Co-taught by faculty from multiple departments, these classes showcase how the humanities, arts, and social sciences—even when speaking about remote eras or distant cultures—can help us make sense of ourselves and our society in the present moment. 

Explore the humanities and arts

Learn more about studying the humanities and arts at Stanford in this comprehensive 48-page guide.

Dianne Harris to deliver Future of the Humanities Lecture

By | Kina Viola , Cornell Chronicle

Dianne Harris, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of history at the University of Washington, will explore the concept of “access” and how it relates to the humanities and higher education in this year’s annual Future of the Humanities Lecture. Her talk, “Access and the 21st Century University,” will take place on Wednesday, March 23 at 5 p.m. on Zoom. The lecture will be free and open to the public ( register in advance ).

“As tuition prices rise and the public's faith in our enterprise falls, questions about access are in the foreground of debates that focus on higher education,” said Harris. Her talk will focus on what "access" has meant in the past, what it has come to imply today, and why that term is of particular importance for those who care about the future of liberal arts education today and its ties to social justice.

Harris has worked on behalf of the humanities throughout her career. She served as dean of the College of Humanities at the University of Utah, where she supported the creation of a digital humanities center. She served as both a senior program officer for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and as director of the Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities (now renamed the Humanities Research Institute), where her grantmaking portfolio included programs with a social justice focus. She also served as principal investigator on numerous grants, including one that supported her creation of the Humanities Without Walls, a consortium of 15 humanities centers throughout the Midwest and beyond.

Just prior to the 2016 presidential election, she was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve on the National Council on the Humanities, although her nomination was suspended due to the results of that election.

Harris holds a Ph.D. in architectural history from the University of California, Berkeley. Her scholarship, which has a broad temporal and geographic reach spanning from 18th-century Lombardy to the postwar United States, is united by a sustained focus on the relationship between the built environment and the construction of racial and class identities. An interdisciplinary scholar whose work focuses on visual and material culture as well as histories of the built environment, she is particularly well-known for her scholarly contributions to the study of “race and space.”

In addition to the Future of the Humanities Lecture, Harris will give a workshop on grantwriting to faculty, graduate students and staff. Registration is required for the March 23 workshop , which will take place at 12:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Kina Viola is program coordinator for the Society for the Humanities.

Read the story in the Cornell Chronicle .

More News from A&S

In search for alien life, purple may be the new green

Iranian strike against Israel seemed more spectacle than attack, says prof.

April 25 event celebrates class of 2024

New book gives insider’s view of cosmic search for life

PhD Student, April Best Discusses Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) and the Palm Oil Project

• Post published: April 10, 2024
• Post category: News

April Best is completing her PhD in the Department of English and a graduate certificate in Global Studies. She collaborated with other MSU students and Indonesian graduate students to develop a new website that gathers together the research and videos from the collaborative online international learning experience organized as part of the Fall 2023 GSAH 850 course. April writes:

“Participating in a COIL experience with students from the National Islamic University in Jambi, Indonesia introduced me to new ways to research and collaborate. Moving between academic research, interviews, and audio-visual footage to create a cohesive and thoughtful project taught me how to create public facing work. Being a part of  Food Fight  exhibit at the MSU Museum showed me what it looks like to expand projects beyond the classroom and into spaces that encourage engagement from those interested and curious in the work. I hope to continue learning how to work across languages, time zones, and cultures.”

Click on this link to visit the palm oil project website:  https://storymaps.com/stories/efea02be4abf4222b4499b848b27bbdc

You Might Also Like

Mandela Washington Fellowship returns to Michigan State University in Summer 2024 

Palm Oil Pitfalls, March 20-22, 2024

International Advocacy for Racial Equity an Intrinsic Part of Professor’s Research and Teaching