The past is present
While most graduate students focus on the labor of reading for comps, compiling the reading lists themselves takes time and reflection. Be strategic and minimize your workload, but also be aspirational by considering the themes you want your future dissertation to explore.
When you’re getting ready to draft your dissertation prospectus, your comprehensive exams can be a helpful tool. Here’s some advice on how to use your comps for a great prospectus.
Comprehensive exams are less about recalling every detail of every book than about building a durable system of arguments, interventions, and stakes. Read with precision, take structured notes, test your memory, and lean on community—the process is as much formation as it is evaluation.
Comprehensive Exams, or 'Comps,' can be confusing and intimidating for graduate students, but the first step to conquering Comps, and the fear they elicit, is to understand what they are, what they are designed to test, and how they work.
Embarking on a PhD in history can be incredibly rewarding, but before you apply, it's best to have a clear-eyed view of academia as a whole (including the various types of universities where you might study and work), the life (and limits) of being a PhD student, and the realities of the academic job market.
Considering an MA or PhD in history? This guide helps students figure out what about grad school appeals to them, what degrees they actually need to do the things they love, and whether they're in the right place to start grad school now.
The academic year is packed with work, meetings, readings, and teaching, but the summers can feel empty and hard to navigate. Here is some advice on how to find the summer employment opportunity that best fits your needs.
It's important to take the time to rest after a busy semester of graduate work. Here are some ways to ensure a restorative and productive semester break.
Navigating grad school as an international student can be challenging due to language barriers, cultural differences, and unfamiliar academic systems, but seeking out support from academic and social networks can enhance your experience and lead to success.
Any history dissertation requires support, particularly financial support. This resource list includes dissertation research grants, dissertation completion fellowships, and dissertation prizes that are available in a variety of regional and thematic subfields.
Clio and the Contemporary 