The PhD program in the History of Medicine is part of the broader Program on the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology jointly run by the Department of the History of Medicine (SOM) and the Department of the History of Science and Technology (KSAS).
The work of the PhD program extends over all phases and dimensions of the development of medicine and related sciences, the history of disease, and the historical analysis of related conceptual, cultural, and social problems. Students acquire facility in the methods of historical research and gain a wide acquaintance with the available literature in the history of medicine, science, and related fields of history. Departmental offerings are particularly strong in the history of medicine and science in early modern Europe and the Islamic world; medicine, science, and technology in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, including genetics; history of disease and public health; and studies of health and society in Latin America and Africa. The program offers coverage of racism and gender in the history of medicine, how medical and scientific knowledge is created, and medical practices of the body.
Students enter the PhD program with diverse backgrounds including medicine, science, and history. The PhD program prepares students for scholarly careers in teaching, research, and in non-academic fields. For further information, see our website. Students interested in the history of medicine should apply to the Program through the School of Medicine. Those interested in the history of science and technology should apply through the History of Science and Technology Department of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
Students who wish to combine medical training with academic training in the history of medicine may also inquire about the M.D.-PhD program by visiting the MD/PhD admissions website: https://mdphd.johnshopkins.edu/admissions/
Financial Aid
The regular department fellowships include tuition, stipend, research allowance and medical insurance.
Admission Requirements
Candidates must be at the post-baccalaureate level. Preference will be given to applicants with training in some aspect of the health sciences or history. For further information applicants should access the following website for contact information: Contact – Department of the History of Medicine (hopkinshistoryofmedicine.org).
Program Requirements
The student must satisfy the requirements of the University, the School of Medicine, and the Program.
The principal requirement for the PhD degree in the history of medicine is the writing of a dissertation based upon original research and of publishable quality. Prior to embarking on full-time dissertation research, candidates will prepare themselves by a variety of courses, seminars, and guided reading. During the first year of study, students receive a general introduction to historical research and complete a year-long survey in the history of medicine. In their second and third years, candidates prepare three fields of study: one in the Department of the History of Medicine; one in the History Department; and a third field to be determined by the student and the advisor. The specific requirements for such fields are set by the faculty member directing the field, in consultation with the student. These fields entail both broad and intensive reading, and the passing of a comprehensive examination and/or preparation of several historiographic essays. Towards the end of the third year, students must prepare and defend a dissertation prospectus. Candidates must also demonstrate a reading knowledge of two foreign languages before being admitted to formal candidacy for the degree. The final requirement for the PhD degree is completion of a dissertation that is an original contribution to historical knowledge and of a standard suitable for publication. More detailed information can be found on the department website.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ME.150.700 | Ethics for Medical Historians | 1 |
| ME.150.701 | Outline of History of Medicine I: Antiquity to Scientific Revolution | 4 |
| ME.150.702 | The History of Modern Medicine | 4 |
| ME.150.713 | Oral History Theory and Practice | 4 |
| ME.150.738 | The Work of Healing: Medicine and Materiality | 2 |
| ME.150.739 | Medicine, Race, and Colonialism: A Critical History | 3 |
| ME.150.801 | Research in the History of Medicine: Dissertation | 1 - 18 |
| ME.150.814 | Directed Readings | 4 |
| PH.550.605 | History of Public Health | 3 |
| PH.221.605 | History of International Health and Development | 2 |
| PH.550.609 | Life and Death in Charm City: Histories of Public Health in Baltimore, 1750 to the Present | 3 |
| AS.140.601 | Methods in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology | 3 |
| AS.140.614 | Media of Science, Medicine, and Technology | 3 |
| AS.140.616 | Metaphors in Science and Medicine | 3 |
| AS.140.620 | Space and Place in the History of Science, Medicine and Technology | 3 |
| AS.140.641 | Departmental Colloquium | 2 |
| AS.140.685 | Histories of Reproduction | 3 |