What is a Doctor of Arts
degree?
It is a doctoral degree with a strong pedagogical component. Our
D.A. program is not as narrowly
focused as most Ph.D. programs, but rather pairs the highest
quality of scholarship in a broad area
with courses in the teaching of history, as well as student
teaching.
The Doctor of Arts in Modern World History is a liberal arts
program designed for teachers in
four-year colleges, community colleges, and secondary schools. It
provides an interdisciplinary
approach to the study of modern world history, focusing upon
modernization and encouraging
global awareness in teaching.
The degree emerged as a result of problems encountered by higher
education in the late 1960s,
in particular the dissatisfaction with the training received by
college teachers. A doctoral program
with a different orientation was sought as an alternative for those
who teach or planned to teach.
As it evolved in the 1970s, the Doctor of Arts stressed teaching
competence in a broad subject
area. It includes a research component which has practical
applicability in the classroom with
either academic or professional competence or both.
This Doctor of Arts in Modern World History is solidly grounded in
history and integrated with
a diversity of disciplines, including anthropology, economics,
geography, philosophy, political
science, religious studies and sociology.
What does the program specifically offer
teachers and those who plan to go into teaching?
In addition to providing the global perspective that today's
teachers need, this program gives
students pedagogical training in an intellectually rigorous
environment. The doctoral research
essay, required for completion of the degree, must have a
pedagogical dimension. Thus, our
students are trained to teach.
What does the program offer those who do
not plan to go into teaching?
This program also has a great deal to offer those involved in
global business, diplomacy, media and
communications, and government, as well as other professions with a
global outlook. The program
provides a framework for understanding global issues, but also
gives training in the history and
culture of specific countries and regions, based on the in-depth
knowledge and expertise of our
faculty.
Do I need an M.A. to enter the D.A.
program?
No. We admit qualified students who have completed the
Bachelor’s Degree. However, most
students entering the program must have successfully completed a
bachelor's degree, with at least
18 credits in history or other coursework with a strong historical
component as well as nine credits
in related fields.