One of the oldest, most prestigious academic programs of its kind in the United States, History of Science, Medicine, and Technology (HSMT) draws together faculty members in History and in Medical History and Bioethics. Collectively, we offer broad coverage of the field, with expertise that spans Europe, the United States, Africa, and the Caribbean, stretches from the Middle Ages to the recent past, and ranges across the physical, biological, and social sciences to medicine and technology.
Our degree program in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology is designed to meet the needs of the PhD. candidate, and we offer funding only to students who intend to pursue the PhD. However, we also welcome applications from students who wish to earn only the MA if they have external funding or are self-funded. Students with doctoral training in one of the health professions may earn an MA in History of Medicine. It is also possible to earn a combined MD/PhD degree through the School of Medicine and Public Health’s Medical Scientist Training Program and the HSMT degree program.
History of Science, Medicine, and Technology at UW–Madison is known for the strength and diversity of its areas of study and its warm, collegial environment. All historical aspects of science, medicine, and technology receive attention—from their internal development to their broader institutional, philosophical, religious, and literary contexts, as well as their relationships with print culture, visual culture, and material culture. Students and faculty regularly participate in the program’s weekly Brown Bag and monthly colloquium series, both of which provide opportunities to present work, discuss professional issues, and engage with a wide range of on-campus and outside speakers.
Graduate students come to the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology degree program from a variety of backgrounds in the sciences and humanities and with diverse professional goals. The program maintains a policy of maximum flexibility and, insofar as possible, tailors the work required for the degree to fit the individual. Students are encouraged to undertake work in related programs such as history, philosophy, science, and technology studies and the various sciences.
Admissions
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 1 |
| Spring Deadline | This program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | This program does not admit in the summer. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required. |
| English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must provide an English proficiency test score earned within two years of the anticipated term of enrollment. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241. |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
Application Materials
To apply, applicants must submit or declare the following in the online application:
History Supplemental Application
This section of the application asks you to provide information about your research interests, declare your preferred faculty advisors, and outline your prior language preparation (if any).
Writing Sample
Provide a sample that best illustrates the quality of your written work (optimally no more than 50 pages, double-spaced; maximum file size 6 MB).
Transcripts
Upload an unofficial copy of your transcript from all institutions attended, showing any undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded. If accepted, the Graduate School will ask for official transcripts from each institution.
CV or Resumé
This should highlight your accomplishments and qualifications including academic honors or distinctions; professional, research, and/or teaching experience; and any publications.
Letters of Recommendation
Provide contact information for the three individuals who will furnish recommendations on your behalf (they will receive an upload link by email). Your letter writers need not be historians, but they should be able to speak to your academic preparation to pursue historical studies at the graduate level.
Statement of Purpose
The statement of purpose (2–3 pages, double-spaced) explains your reasons for graduate study. It may be the hardest part of the application to write, but it is also the most important. While you will likely include some autobiographical information, its primary purpose is to acquaint us with how your mind works. We want to know, for example, what kinds of intellectual problems and issues interest you, whose stories intrigue you, what sorts of analytical or narrative approaches you like to pursue, which historical writings you admire—and your reasons for these various preferences. Please help us understand your decision to enter the historical profession, especially at a time when the academic job market is in decline, and how you see your own role in it. There is no single right way to approach this part of the application, but we suggest that you bear in mind the usual cautions for personal writing: speak straightforwardly, in your own voice, and write as well as you know how.
International Applicants
All international applicants must also meet the English Proficiency requirements set forth by the Graduate School.
For additional detail about the admissions process, please visit the Prospective Student pages on our website.
Funding
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
We offer funding only to students who intend to pursue the PhD—an application for admission to our PhD program, therefore, is an application for funding. We also welcome applications from students who have external funding or are self-funded, including those pursuing the MA only.*
Multi-year funding package
If you apply to the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology (HSMT) PhD degree program without external or self-funding and are accepted, you will be offered a multi-year support package, which begins in your first year. The details of our support guarantees may vary by funding source, field of study, and other circumstances, and the guarantee is, of course, contingent on satisfactory progress and performance. Most of our support packages offer five years of support and begin with a fellowship year from the UW–Madison Graduate School, generously funded by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. Our most distinguished packages include two years of fellowships:
- Graduate Research Scholar fellowships for underrepresented students or first-generation college students—offered annually
- John A. Neu Fellowship in the History of Science, Medicine, and Technology—offered as endowment income permits
Additional years of guaranteed funding will come from employment as teaching assistants or project assistants or additional fellowships.
Competing for additional support
All students in good standing can apply for writing prizes, conference travel awards, and supplements to external awards. Once graduate students have passed their preliminary examination and advanced to candidacy, they may apply for various departmental fellowships and research travel funding.
Further funding opportunities are available to students who have reached the advanced stages of dissertation writing. Our advanced dissertators may apply for teaching fellowships that give them the opportunity to design and teach an undergraduate course—the Merle Curti Teaching Fellowship (open field), the George L. Mosse Teaching Fellowship in European History, and the William J. Courtenay Teaching Fellowship in ancient, medieval, or early modern European history. The William Coleman Dissertation Fellowship in the History of Science supports one semester of advanced dissertation writing, as does the David and Greta Lindberg Distinguished Graduate Fellowship. (These fellowships are offered as often as endowment income permits.) Thanks to funding provided by the Doris G. Quinn Foundation, we are also pleased to offer a dissertator fellowship, which supports the final year of dissertation writing in any field.
In addition, UW–Madison offers a wealth of other opportunities to compete for funding offered, for example, by the International Division, the Institute for Research in the Humanities, and the UW Graduate School (research and conference travel awards).
More details on our funding for current/continuing students are available here.
* If you wish to apply only for the HSMT MA (also known as the terminal MA) or for the MA in History of Medicine for Health Professionals, please describe your sources of support on the History Supplemental Application. For information on the cost of graduate study at UW–Madison, see this link.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Major Requirements
Mode of Instruction
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 30 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | MA: 18 credits MA with history of medicine specialization: 24 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 22 credits must be completed in graduate-level coursework in the HSMT graduate program. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 (3.25 after 4th semester of full-time study). |
| Other Grade Requirements | n/a |
| Assessments and Examinations | In order to receive the master's degree, students must pass the Second-Year Review (SYR). A passing review requires that students: complete a article-length research paper, fulfill one language requirement, clear all incompletes, fulfill any additional requirements for their specific field of study, submit a list of prelim fields along with a timeline for completing prelims, and receive a positive endorsement from the three faculty members on the review committee. |
| Language Requirements | MA: Demonstrate, at a minimum, reading knowledge of at least one language other than English. MA with history of medicine specialization: No foreign language requirement. |
Required Courses
MA Course Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| HISTORY 701 | History in a Global Perspective | 1 |
| HIST SCI 720 | Proseminar: Historiography and Methods | 3 |
| HISTORY 800 | Research Seminar in History (or an equivalent research seminar) | 3 |
| Six Distribution Areas: Students must complete coursework in each of the following distribution areas. Courses may count towards more than one distribution area. | 12 | |
| Temporal | ||
1. Pre 1800 | ||
2. 1800 to the Present | ||
| Topical | ||
3. Science/Technology | ||
4. Medicine/Public Health | ||
| Geographic | ||
5. Global/Non-Western | ||
6. Euro-American | ||
| Electives | 11 | |
| Work with your advisors to complete additional elective credits in courses numbered greater than 700. | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Distribution Area Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Temporal Distribution Areas | ||
1. Pre 1800 | ||
| HIST SCI/HISTORY 323 & HIST SCI 623 | The Scientific Revolution: From Copernicus to Newton and Studies in Early Modern Science | 4 |
| HIST SCI/S&A PHM 401 | History of Pharmacy | 2 |
| HIST SCI 903 | Seminar: Medieval, Renaissance, and 17th Century Science (Early Modern Translation) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 911 | Seminar-Eighteenth Century Science (Early Modern Translation) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Flesh and Metal: A History of Bodies, Race, Labor, and Capital) | 3 |
2. 1800 to the Present | ||
| HIST SCI 404 | A History of Disease | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/HISTORY/MED HIST 508 | Health, Disease and Healing II | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/AFROAMER/MED HIST 523 | Race, American Medicine and Public Health | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS/MED HIST 531 | Women and Health in American History | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS/MED HIST 532 | The History of the (American) Body | 3 |
| HIST SCI/HISTORY/MED HIST 564 | Disease, Medicine and Public Health in the History of Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 509 | The Development of Public Health in America | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/POP HLTH 553 & MED HIST 753 | International Health and Global Society and International Health and Global Society | 4 |
| HIST SCI 555 | Undergraduate Seminar in History of Science (Digital Capitalism) | 3 |
| PHARMACY 563 | Drug History: Dangerous Drugs and Magic Bullets | 2 |
| PHARMACY 564 | Psychedelic History: Sacred Plants, Science & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| HIST SCI 907 | Seminar: History of Technology (Technology, Power, and Democracy) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Life and Death in American History) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Foucault for Historians) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science from the South) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science and Empire) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science, Race and Nature) | 3 |
| Topical Distribution Areas | ||
3. Science/Technology | ||
| HIST SCI/HISTORY 323 & HIST SCI 623 | The Scientific Revolution: From Copernicus to Newton and Studies in Early Modern Science | 4 |
| HIST SCI 555 | Undergraduate Seminar in History of Science | 3 |
| PHARMACY 564 | Psychedelic History: Sacred Plants, Science & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| HIST SCI 903 | Seminar: Medieval, Renaissance, and 17th Century Science (Early Modern Translation) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 911 | Seminar-Eighteenth Century Science (Early Modern Translation) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 907 | Seminar: History of Technology (Technology, Power, and Democracy) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science and Empire) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science from the South) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science, Race, and Nature) | 3 |
4. Medicine/Public Health | ||
| HIST SCI/S&A PHM 401 | History of Pharmacy | 2 |
| HIST SCI 404 | A History of Disease | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/HISTORY/MED HIST 508 | Health, Disease and Healing II | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 509 | The Development of Public Health in America | 3 |
| HIST SCI/AFROAMER/MED HIST 523 | Race, American Medicine and Public Health | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS/MED HIST 531 | Women and Health in American History | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS/MED HIST 532 | The History of the (American) Body | 3 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/POP HLTH 553 & MED HIST 753 | International Health and Global Society and International Health and Global Society | 4 |
| PHARMACY 563 | Drug History: Dangerous Drugs and Magic Bullets | 2 |
| HIST SCI/HISTORY/MED HIST 564 | Disease, Medicine and Public Health in the History of Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Life and Death in American History) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Flesh and Metal: A History of Bodies, Race, Labor, and Capital) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Foucault for Historians) | 3 |
| Geographic Distribution Areas | ||
5. Global/Non-Western | ||
| HIST SCI/HISTORY 323 & HIST SCI 623 | The Scientific Revolution: From Copernicus to Newton and Studies in Early Modern Science | 4 |
| HIST SCI/S&A PHM 401 | History of Pharmacy | 2 |
| MED HIST/HIST SCI/POP HLTH 553 & MED HIST 753 | International Health and Global Society and International Health and Global Society | 4 |
| HIST SCI/HISTORY/MED HIST 564 | Disease, Medicine and Public Health in the History of Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| HIST SCI 903 | Seminar: Medieval, Renaissance, and 17th Century Science (Early Modern Translation) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 911 | Seminar-Eighteenth Century Science (Early Modern Translation) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Flesh and Metal: A History of Bodies, Race, Labor, and Capital) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science from the South) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science and Empire) | 3 |
| HIST SCI 921 | Seminar-Special Topics (Science, Race, and Nature) | 3 |
6. Euro-American | ||
| HIST SCI 404 | A History of Disease | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/HISTORY/MED HIST 508 | Health, Disease and Healing II | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 509 | The Development of Public Health in America | 3 |
| HIST SCI/AFROAMER/MED HIST 523 | Race, American Medicine and Public Health | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS/MED HIST 531 | Women and Health in American History | 3 |
| HIST SCI/GEN&WS/MED HIST 532 | The History of the (American) Body | 3 |
| HIST SCI 555 | Undergraduate Seminar in History of Science | 3 |
| PHARMACY 563 | Drug History: Dangerous Drugs and Magic Bullets | 2 |
| PHARMACY 564 | Psychedelic History: Sacred Plants, Science & Psychotherapy | 3 |
| HIST SCI 907 | Seminar: History of Technology (Technology, Power, and Democracy) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Life and Death in American History) | 3 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 919 | Graduate Studies in Medical History (Foucault for Historians) | 3 |
History of Medicine Pathway1
This pathway within the MA is intended for students with doctoral training in one of the health professions who wish to pursue a master's degree in the history of medicine.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| HIST SCI 720 | Proseminar: Historiography and Methods | 3 |
| HIST SCI/HISTORY/MED HIST 507 | Health, Disease and Healing I | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/HISTORY/MED HIST 508 | Health, Disease and Healing II | 3-4 |
| HIST SCI/MED HIST 509 | The Development of Public Health in America | 3 |
| STS 901 | Science, Technology and Medicine in Society | 3 |
| Additional History of Medicine course | 3 | |
| Additional History of Science course (numbered 300-600 or above) | 3 | |
| Electives | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
These pathways are internal to the program and represent different pathways a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathways names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Major-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions
MA: Total credits transferred for the MA degree may not exceed 12 credits. No credits earned more than five years before admission to the MA program may be used. No credits with a grade below B may be applied toward graduate credit requirements.
MA with history of medicine specialization1: Students can apply up to 6 credits from previous professional advanced degree work in one of the health professions toward the MA degree. No credits earned more than ten years before admission to the MA program may be used. No credits carrying a grade below B are transferable.
Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison
No credits from a previous undergraduate degree are allowed to transfer.
Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison
MA: With program approval, students may transfer up to 9 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above taken as a UW–Madison University Special student. Coursework earned ten or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements. No credits with a grade below B are transferable.
MA with history of medicine specialization1: No credits taken as a UW–Madison University Special student are allowed to transfer.
- 1
These tracks are internal to the program and represent different pathways a student can follow to earn this degree. Track names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.
Probation
Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.
Advisor / Committee
Refer to the Graduate School: Advisor and Graduate School: Committees (Doctoral/Master’s/MFA) policies.
Credits Per Term Allowed
15 credits
Time Limits
Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Students should contact the department chair or program director with questions about grievances. They may also contact the L&S Academic Divisional Associate Deans, the L&S Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning Administration, or the L&S Director of Human Resources.
Other
Part time enrollment is permitted, full time preferred.
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Program Resources
The Department of History is committed to training our students to develop skills required for a variety of careers both in and outside the academy. Although a large network of our alumni teach at colleges and universities in the U.S. and across the world, a number of our PhDs have enjoyed considerable success outside the academy. They include recent graduates who are currently a museum curator, teachers at prestigious preparatory academies, a historian with the U.S. Secretary of Defense's POW/Missing Persons Agency, a CEO of an investment firm, an analyst for a defense contractor, an editor at a small press, and consultants working with non-profits in the human services, education, and public policy fields. In recent years we have undertaken a number of initiatives, detailed below, to broaden the training of our students for a wide array of careers.
Much of the preparation for the job market occurs informally and over the course of the student's graduate career—in the mentoring relationship between faculty advisor and student, in the presentation of student research in department venues, in the student's participation in professional conferences, and in early forms of professional publication. Coursework, such as for the minor requirement or certificates, can be an avenue to expanded competencies. The Center for Humanities, for example, offers a Public Humanities certificate. Be sure to explore the Graduate School's resources such as "The Versatile PhD" and its Professional Development pages.
Whatever career paths interest you, we encourage you to plan ahead and discuss your options—early and often—with your faculty advisor(s), with the Director of Graduate Studies, or with the Graduate Coordinator.
Professional Development Seminars
Professional Development Events
Preliminary Examination Workshop
This offers a discussion of the various requirements for preliminary examinations: how to assemble committees, compiling reading lists, Graduate School requirements, and more.
Curriculum Vitae Workshops
These workshops are designed for students at all levels, ranging from first-year students writing CVs for campus positions to advanced dissertators on the job market.
Mock Interviews
The Graduate Program offers a series of opportunities to practice with a committee of our faculty for AHA interviews and on-campus job talks. They are open to a limited number of students who expect to be actively on the job market in the fall.
Careers in History Workshops
Our program is committed to helping its graduates seek and secure employment following the completion of their PhDs. Since the financial crisis in 2008, the academic job market has softened markedly. While the Graduate Program continues to provide outstanding preparation for academic jobs, we also encourage our students to think more broadly about their career prospects and the transferability of their skills. As funds permit, we occasionally bring to campus History graduates who are working in the non-profit, private, or public sector to meet with current graduate students and share their experiences. We also offer opportunities to learn best practices for post-doctoral fellowship applications.
Learning Outcomes
- Articulates, critiques, or elaborates the theories, research methods, and approaches to inquiry in HSMT.
- Identifies sources and assembles evidence pertaining to questions or problems in HSMT.
- Demonstrates understanding of science, medicine, and technology in a range of historical, social, cultural, and global contexts.
- Chooses the most appropriate methodologies and practices for a chosen research project.
- Demonstrates the ability to situate a historical question in relation to the existing literature, and to evaluate and synthesize information pertaining to questions or problems in HSMT.
- Is able to construct a persuasive historical argument that makes an original contribution to historical knowledge.
- Communicates clearly, in both written and oral form.
- Recognizes and applies established principles of ethical and professional conduct.
People
See the History department webpage for a full directory of faculty.
Also see our faculty affiliate and teaching associate profiles.