The Department offers multiple levels of advising to graduate students. For MA students, the first ports of call are the Director of Graduate Studies and the Section Heads of the various fields covered by the Department. MA students should meet with either the Director of Graduate Studies and/or the Section Head for their field each semester before selecting classes. Students are also always encouraged to discuss their courses, goals, and aspirations with faculty especially knowledgeable in their particular fields of interest. The Chair of the Department is also always available to advise students. MA students should particularly bear in mind that the courses they take toward the MA should not merely constitute a smorgasbord of classes but a broad education in the entirety of the field of study they are pursuing. Thus, students must remember that they will ultimately take comprehensive examinations in the entirety of Medieval, Early Modern or Modern European, or US History, and should not concentrate their coursework upon any small selection of periods and problems within the field.

On the PhD level, students should consult regularly with the Director of Graduate Studies about the structure of the program and the requirements for degrees. The Director of Graduate Studies can also provide advice on course selection, fellowships, dissertation proposals, and so on. However, for PhD students, the primary advising relationship is with the dissertation director. Students are encouraged to be in regular and frequent contact with their advisers. Advisers can best help you when they know your plans and concerns.

The Department engages in an annual review of the progress of all graduate students every Spring, as explained above. After that meeting, should any concerns about graduate student progress arise, the students will be asked to meet with the Director of Graduate Studies and/or the Chair and their advisers to discuss the issues and how to ameliorate them.