项目介绍

2022年4月25日

Graduate Studies

The History of Science and Medicine Program (HSHM) is a semi-autonomous graduate track within the Department of History. HSHM students are awarded degrees in History with a concentration in the History of Science and Medicine, and they are fully fledged members of the History Department. Most students in the HSHM program are pursuing a PhD, which may be combined with concurrent enrollment in an MD or JD program (at Yale or elsewhere). A one-year MA degree is also available.

The HSHM program allows students to explore topics spanning the full range of the history of science, medicine, and technology, and science and technology studies. Instruction is offered in small seminars, and students receive advice and guidance from faculty advisers throughout their entire period of enrollment. The program incorporates many opportunities for professional development in teaching, research, publication, and presentation, and Yale also offers additional ways for students to explore other skills and fields such as exhibit curation, digital humanities, and public policy.

The methodological training provided by the HSHM program is expansive and interdisciplinary. The faculty have backgrounds in a variety of fields, including history, the natural and the social sciences, and the performing arts, and they have deep commitments in anthropology, indigenous studies, geography, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, material and visual culture, and museum studies. Students work with all kinds of sources—texts,  artifacts, interviews—and incorporate social, cultural, political, geographic, environmental, and economic analysis. Students are also encouraged to draw on other disciplines and they may take classes or work with faculty in other departments. 

There are many advantages to graduate study at Yale. The library system is among the best in the world and includes the Medical Historical Library, which contains renowned collections and rare works in the history of medicine and related sciences. The university also holds a collection of historical scientific instruments, as well as numerous other artifacts, archives, rare books, maps, government documents, and digital databases that could be used for research in the history of science, medicine, and technology. Yale has a vibrant graduate student life, and the university provides full tuition support and a stipend to doctoral students. For more information, please consult the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences website, including info on application fees and waivers.

Students in the History of Science and Medicine come from diverse educational and professional backgrounds, and they pursue a wide range of topics. Successful applicants will sometimes have experience in scientific, artistic, curatorial, or clinical subjects that are not ordinarily part of preparation for graduate study in History. The faculty considers all qualifications when evaluating applicants, and international doctoral students receive the same financial support as U.S. citizens. We welcome applications from individuals of any sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, national or ethnic origin. We do not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. For more information about the application process, please visit the HSHM Admissions page.