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Washington State University
History | Guide to Graduate Fields of Study & Major Professors

Preferred Fields of Study forms

The following information is designed to help applicants complete the Preferred Fields of Study Form (for MA and for PhD), which must be submitted with the application materials. Please use the form to advise the Graduate Studies Committee as to your preference(s) regarding primary fields, secondary fields, and major professors.

Primary Fields

An individual professor will serve as a major professor of a PhD student in a primary field. The professor will be responsible for the student’s preliminary examination in the primary field and will mentor the student’s doctoral dissertation.

Field of StudyFaculty Member(s)
Colonial and Early Republic Lawrence B.A. Hatter
19th Century U.S.Peter Boag
L Heidenreich
Jennifer Thigpen
Modern U.S.Robert Bauman (TC)
Peter Boag
Marlene Gaynair
L Heidenreich
Rob McCoy
Laurie Mercier (V)
Jeff Sanders
Matt Sutton
U.S. Foreign RelationsNoriko Kawamura
U.S. Women and GenderPeter Boag
L Heidenreich
Laurie Mercier (V)
Jennifer Thigpen
U.S. EnvironmentPeter Boag
Jeff Sanders
U.S. West / BorderlandsRobert Bauman (TC)
Peter Boag
Lawrence Hatter
L Heidenreich
Rob McCoy
Laurie Mercier (V)
Jeff Sanders
U.S. Race and EthnicityRobert Bauman (TC)
Marlene Gaynair
L Heidenreich
Rob McCoy
Laurie Mercier (V)
Atlantic WorldMarlene Gaynair
Lawrence Hatter
Alan Malfavon
Sue Peabody (V)
Reformation EuropeJesse Spohnholz
18th Century EuropeSue Peabody (V)
Modern BritainAshley Wright
Modern FranceSteven Kale
Modern GermanyRay Sun
Modern JapanW. Puck Brecher
Modern Russia/Soviet Union/Post-SovietBrigit Farley (TC)
Modern ChinaXiuyu Wang (V)
Colonial Latin AmericaAlan Malfavon
Modern Latin AmericaAndra Chastain (V)
Sabrina González (TC)
Alan Malfavon

(V) = Vancouver Campus
(TC) = Tri Cities Campus

General Fields

Each field will have a coordinator, who will be responsible for coordinating 1) the field’s preliminary examination and 2) the initial mentor screening of graduate applications (MA and PhD) for the field. The coordinator will also serve on the Graduate Studies Committee.

Field of StudyFaculty Member(s)
U.S.Robert Bauman (TC)
Peter Boag
Marlene Gaynair
Lawrence Hatter
Noriko Kawamura
Rob McCoy
Laurie Mercier (V)
Jeff Sanders
Matt Sutton
Jennifer Thigpen
Early Modern EuropeSue Peabody (V)
Jesse Spohnholz
Modern EuropeBrigit Farley (TC)
Ray Sun
Ashley Wright
PublicRobert Bauman (TC)
Marlene Gaynair
Rob McCoy
Laurie Mercier (V)
East AsiaWilliam Puck Brecher
Xiuyu Wang (V)
WorldAndra Chastain (V)
Marlene Gaynair
Alan Malfavon
Sue Peabody (V)
Xiuyu Wang (V)
Ashley Wright

(V) = Vancouver Campus
(TC) = Tri-Cities Campus

World/Comparative Field (Ph.D. students only)

All PhD students must take 9 credits of graduate courses to fulfill the requirements of World/Comparative Field. The World/Comparative Field will have dual purposes of (1) providing opportunities that allow students to learn and explore global and comparative perspectives of students’ research subjects, and (2) offering credible training in world history as a teaching field.  No preliminary examination is required for the World/Comparative Field. Students must pass all three courses with a minimum grade of B+.   All students (except those who take World History as their General field*) are required to take 570, 571, and one more field course (either 571, a graduate field course outside their General Field, or a 400- or 500-level course outside History.

*Students who pursue World History as their General Field must define a comparative field in consultation with their major professor, and take at least 9 credits of graduate field courses that will focus on specific geographic areas outside their Primary Field, or 6 credits of those courses and one course outside the discipline of history.