The Yale Department of History performed a study on employment and placement data on graduates of its history doctoral program between 2010 and 2019.
The data includes 216 completed PhDs in History as well as combined programs, such as students in History and African American Studies. The data does not include graduates of the Program in History of Science and the History of Medicine. The data also does not include the employment or placement of students who did not complete their PhDs and graduate from the program.
The numerical data should be considered to have a 5-10% margin of error. Alumni employment data is difficult and time-consuming to track since people move, change jobs, and fall out of touch. This report captures information as of August 2019. The department will continue its ongoing efforts to track the employment record of its graduates, but the study is necessarily provisional and the data will necessarily change with the passing of time.
The data shows the varied placement results of the doctoral program. Approximately 50% of Ph.D. graduates over the 2010-2019 period are in tenure-track or tenured positions. Other recent graduates presently employed as postdoctoral fellows or in lecturer/visiting positions may join their ranks.
Approximately 50% of graduates are working off the tenure track in other positions. These positions include nonprofits, business, government, and academic administration, as well as non-tenure track teaching and research positions (postdocs, lecturers, secondary school teachers, researchers, curators/archivists).
We hope that this report will provide useful information to Yale faculty and graduate students as well as those considering application and matriculation to Yale History. Click the items below to expand for more information.
