History of Consciousness

218 Oakes College
(831) 459-2757
http://humwww.ucsc.edu/HistCon/HisCon.html

Program Description

History of consciousness is an interdisciplinary graduate program centered in the humanities, with links to the social sciences, physical and biological sciences, and arts. It is concerned with forms of human expression and social action as they are manifested in specific historical, cultural, and political contexts. The program stresses flexibility and originality. Interest is focused on problems rather than disciplines. Although students are prepared to teach in particular fields, the emphasis is on questions that span a number of different approaches.

Over more than 30 years of existence, the history of consciousness program has become widely recognized as a leader of interdisciplinary scholarship. Program graduates are prolific scholars at prominent universities, and dissertations have been published by major publishing houses and academic presses. Graduates currently find academic employment in a wide range of disciplines, including literature, feminist studies, science studies, anthropology, sociology, American studies, cultural studies, ethnic studies, communications, the study of religion, and philosophy. In addition, history of consciousness graduates work as filmmakers, museum researchers, free-lance writers, postdoctoral researchers, and academic administrators.

Since the curriculum concentrates on methodological and theoretical issues and is concerned with the integration of disciplines, candidates for admission are expected to have a relatively clear idea of the project they wish to pursue. Experience of advanced work in one or more fields is preferred, but not required.

History of consciousness does not have formal tracks. It emphasizes a variety of topics in its seminars and research pursuits, reflecting a concern for social, historical, and cultural theories. These areas of research include studies at the intersection of race, sexuality, and gender; global capitalism and cultural processes; psychoanalytic and semiotic theories of the image; science and technology studies; theories and histories of religion; social movements; and literary studies and poetics. Seminars are regularly offered in these and other areas of ongoing faculty research.

History of consciousness has strong cooperative relations with associated faculty from other campus programs, scholars who offer seminars and participate in advising, qualifying exams, and thesis committees. Within the limits of seminar size and faculty time, cross-disciplinary work in graduate courses offered by other departments is encouraged. The formal list of associated faculty is a nonexhaustive indication of advising possibilities beyond the program's core faculty. Campus research organizations, such as the UCSC Center for Cultural Studies, the Institute for Humanities Research, the Institute of Advanced Feminist Research, and the Chicano/Latino Research Center, also provide venues for collaborative work.

Requirements

Students are required to enroll in a minimum of two courses per quarter until advancement to candidacy (normally achieved no later than the fourth year), after which they need enroll in only one course per quarter to qualify for full-time enrollment.

Incoming students are required to take a minimum of five history of consciousness graduate seminars during the first two years. In the first year, students are required to take the introductory seminar, course 203, Approaches to History of Consciousness. The remainder of the courses taken to fulfill university enrollment requirements may include not only history of consciousness seminars, but also independent study with specific faculty or graduate seminars offered in other departments.

Additional requirements for the Ph.D. vary with individual disciplinary and interdisciplinary needs and are determined in consultation with relevant faculty and the chair of the program.

Advancement to candidacy depends on the general quality of a student's work; demonstration of proficiency in a foreign language relevant to the student's area of work, either by passing a written exam administered by the department or successfully completing a language course approved by the department; success in the qualifying exam; and proposal of an acceptable thesis topic. The qualifying exam is centered on a qualifying essay that demonstrates the candidate's ability to do extended, dissertation-level research and analysis relevant to the proposed thesis topic and dissertation plan. The exam focuses on the student's research project and on the fields of scholarship it presupposes.

After advancement to candidacy, required by the end of the fourth year, students concentrate on the writing of the dissertation. The current normative time to degree limit of seven years means that a student usually has at least three years after advancement to candidacy for completion of the dissertation.

Students also have the option of doing advanced work in a traditional discipline and receiving a parenthetical degree notation of this specialization. In such cases, students must satisfy the appropriate department's criteria. Currently such degree notations may be negotiated with American studies, anthropology, literature, sociology, and feminist studies. Students are expected to complete at least one year of supervised teaching as part of the degree requirements.

Applications

Admissions information and the links to complete an online application or download an application form are available at www.graddiv.ucsc.edu.

Information on sources of support is included in the application materials, which must be postmarked by December 1, 2006. Your completed application must be accompanied by a nonrefundable $60 check, draft, or money order payable to UC Regents. Fee waivers are available for cases of hardship. Funds for waivers are very limited (international applicants are not eligible), but if you feel you qualify for a waiver, you should obtain a Request for Graduate Application Fee Waiver form from the Division of Graduate Studies, or online at www.graddiv.ucsc.edu/admissions/FeeWaiver_2006.pdf to submit with your application for admission.

Applications are invited from students with backgrounds and interests in the humanities and social sciences and are especially encouraged from individuals with a clear idea of the project they wish to undertake. Strong preference is given to applicants working in areas for which the faculty resources in history of consciousness are appropriate and available. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required as is a writing sample of no more than 10 pages. Admission is for the fall quarter only.

It is important to note that in light of California's elimination of affirmative action as an admissions criterion, the history of consciousness department reaffirms its commitment to the principles of affirmative action. These principles mean a commitment to diversity, equal opportunity, and outreach to underrepresented communities. Further, this commitment underlines our understanding that the very fabric and quality of our scholarship depends on the representation and interplay of diverse experience and perspectives. So defined, affirmative action is reflected in every aspect of the history of consciousness program, including scholarship, teaching, admissions, hiring, and the process of departmental governance.