Graduate Studies

The Department of History at Memorial University has a well-established program of Graduate Studies with a broad range of teaching and research interests.

Memorial offers unique opportunities for the study of history.

As the home of the Maritime History Archive, the Folklore and Language Archive, the Centre for Newfoundland Studies, and several other research collections, the St John's campus supports innovative and interdisciplinary research.

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Our faculty are engaged in research in a wide range of topics in fields such as environmental history, social history, cultural history, military history, and many others, and supervise graduate studies covering periods from the ancient world to the twenty-first century, and regions across the globe.

We offer a popular one-year Master's program, as well as a Ph.D.  We currently do not offer the Graduate Diploma as entry option.

  • The Master of Arts (M.A.) program is designed to be completed in 12 months, and normally consists of four (4) semester courses and a major research paper, or, a more rigorous option, of three (3) semester courses and a thesis. Though most MA students have chosen to concentrate on Canadian or Newfoundland history, the department welcomes students interested in aspects of Maritime, United States, British and European history. Faculty also have expertise in thematic areas such as environmental, medical, labour, military, media and gender history.
  • The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) program has normally been offered in the following areas: Canadian history, Maritime history, Newfoundland and Labrador history, Environmental History, and Labour history.  However all subject areas are available for study, provided that a supervisory committee can be formed.  Please speak to the Graduate Coordinator and/or potential supervisor(s) to discuss potential applications.  Students complete two courses, a French language examination, and three reading fields before the comprehensive examination.  A dissertation based on original research follows the formal presentation of a thesis proposal to the department.

    A number of faculty members in the Department of History have been involved in supervising and examining students in Memorial University’s Interdisciplinary Ph.D Program. Applicants interested in an interdisciplinary research project are encouraged to look at the website of the IDPhD.

For more information, please peruse additional areas of our website or contact:

Graduate Coordinator, Department of History
Dr. Neil Kennedy
Email: nkennedy@mun.ca 
Phone: (709) 864-8968