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2 years ago in PhD Admission Interview By Aarthi S

For a PhD interview in a Humanities field like History, how does the questioning differ from a STEM interview?

My friends in science had very technical interviews. For History, will it be more about my interpretation of sources, my theoretical framework, or my writing plan? I'm not sure what to prioritize in my preparation.

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By Mary Answered 1 year ago

In my experience, Humanities interviews are conversations about interpretation, not technical proofs. Expect deep discussion on: 1) Historiography: Be prepared to position your topic within existing scholarly debates—whose arguments are you extending or challenging? 2) Source Criticism: They may present a primary source excerpt and ask how you'd analyze it. 3) Theoretical Framework: Why choose post-colonial theory vs. social history? Justify your lens. 4) Writing & Structure: They'll probe the narrative arc of your proposed chapters. The goal is to assess your analytical voice, writing potential, and ability to sustain a complex argument over 80,000 words. Prepare by practicing articulate, nuanced discussions of books and theories, not equations.

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