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Doing the dissertation: tips for researching and writing an undergraduate history dissertation.

Researching and writing a dissertation at the end of an undergraduate degree can be an exciting experience.  It’s the first and possibly the only time you’ll get to tailor a research project to your own interests from start to finish, providing an opportunity to venture beyond the course modules and to test the skills you’ve picked up over the last couple of years.  Yet it may also seem an incredibly daunting prospect with the summer and third year still stretching ahead!

Along with the university’s dissertation handbook – a must-read for any student before embarking on the process of putting a dissertation together – below you’ll find some tips from this year’s graduands regarding how to make the process slightly easier on yourself; to maximise productivity and minimise stress!  

Kirstin Barnard

‘Children in Crisis: Parents’ Roles and Community Involvement in High Medieval Miracle Narratives’

• It is very important to choose a topic or area of research that interests you, and that will interest you throughout the year. Having said that I also found it very valuable exploring a subject that was closely related to the work of a member of the History department. I found my dissertation supervisor’s student hours very useful as they were able to help with the relevant historiography for my work as well as discuss with me the issues I was looking at in depth.
• It’s also important to keep a sense of time throughout the year. I was given the good advice of setting aside specific time/days during the week to devote to dissertation to keep the ball rolling during term time. A whole day is valuable as it allows you to really concentrate on the subject you are studying and make progress without having to constantly remember what stage you’re at. The Christmas holidays are also a valuable time to start writing. Make sure you take advantage of the 3,000 word draft, rather than submitting a small rough section, to get as much feedback as you can for direction for your final dissertation.

Victoria Bettney

‘“Fear No Longer Dictates.” An Assessment of the Impact of the Good Friday Agreement Upon Northern Irish Society, 1998-2014.’

• Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of primary material there may be on the subject. This is particularly true if, like me, you cover a modern dissertation topic; my primary source of primary material, the Conflict Archive on the Internet, has millions of words within its pages — it simply wasn’t feasible to include every single speech made on any particular theme. Be selective: as long as you can justify why you’ve ignored or circumvented certain sources (or types of source), it’s absolutely fine.
• Make the most of audio-visual sources, if there are any! Just because you can only find a speech that’s, say, a BBC recording, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use it! It’s also something which can help make your primary source bank a little bit more original.
• Make a writing timetable, spanning the period of time you’re planning on writing your dissertation. This is something which is highly personal and depends on the way that you work the best. This is an example of the one that I created for myself for the month run-up to hand-in, colour coded every day as to how productive I was!
• Choose a topic that you’re interested in! It’s a piece of work that you’re spending time on for more than a year – if you’re bored, it’s going to be really, really difficult to motivate yourself to write a good piece of work.

George de Cintra.

‘A Comparison of how Three Medieval Miracle Story Authors Presented Disability’.

• Don’t be afraid to be creative with your analysis of the primary material. It is fine to go against the established historiographical consensus on a particular topic, providing the sources fit your argument! It also makes the dissertation process more enjoyable when you’re working on something that feels original and inventive. The 3000-word procedural work for the dissertation, which you’ll complete during the Christmas holidays, is a particularly good time to try out these new ideas on your supervisor.
• Remember that the dissertation is written very differently to the 2000-word essays that you’ve been writing up until now. Unlike those essays, which are about navigating the scholarship on a particular topic, the dissertation is structured primarily around your own analysis of primary material. I made the mistake of thinking that the dissertation was written like any other essay, leading to lots of rewrites after my supervisor informed me of my error!
• Proof read your dissertation multiple times after you have finished writing it. Grammatical and spelling mistakes are an easy way of making your work look unprofessional.

Laura Flannigan

‘Politics and morality in the early sixteenth century: Edmund Dudley’s Tree of Commonwealth , 1509-10.’

• Consider keeping an annotated bibliography. Essentially an annotated bibliography is a normal bibliography of your secondary reading but with an evaluative outline of each piece itself, including details about the argument, sources used, where it sits within certain debates, and (crucially) whether there is anything you disagree with. Keeping your reading notes like this is a chore in itself, but helpful for a number of reasons – it’s searchable, for when you can’t remember who made a particular argument, it’s a useful way to access the majority of your research in one place, and it saves you running around for publication details right before the deadline! As long as you remember to save it regularly and in multiple locations it can become a really helpful tool for the dissertation and any further work.
• If you’re worried about going over the 10,000-word limit (which is easier to do than you might expect), one suggestion might be to set word limits for each chapter and then write them up in individually saved documents before editing them together later. If you’re particularly verbose this can help make sure you avoid the often-inevitable dilemma of not having enough words left for a conclusion at the end!
• Read sections of your writing aloud. Again this stands as general essay-writing advice but can be particularly helpful for dissertation, where the extended length means you have the space to be more expressive. Reading aloud a particular section you’re worried about to a housemate/course-mate/partner or even to yourself is useful for checking grammar and sentence structure as well as the general tone of your work.

Enya Holland

‘Anomalies in the Colony’: Continuity and Change in English Perceptions of Irish Catholics between Britain and the West Indies during the Seventeenth Century.

• Make sure to read the dissertation handbook in full before starting your final draft, especially the sections on writing and formatting. This is especially important if your department requires you to seek permission for exemption of certain sections from the word count, such as an appendix, by a set deadline. If you don’t read the relevant sections at least a few weeks before submission you run the risk of missing these deadlines. It will also mean you won’t have to go back to correct any formatting errors, such as superscript references in the incorrect place.
• Ensure that you keep detailed information about the primary sources you have used or intend to use, including the publication date. This is particularly important for sources that have been published in multiple editions, as page numbers may be different or sections may have been altered or translated in a different way. Early English Books Online (EEBO) and many other online archival resources also provide the option to copy a durable URL, which you could add to your annotated bibliography for quick access to the correct version of the source.
• When using an online archival source such as EEBO, using the ‘find’ function in your internet browser is a useful way to search for keywords. You can then navigate directly between each instance of a particular word or key term within the source without having to return to the main search engine page of the archival resource. This is particularly useful for finding key passages in very long documents that would otherwise be very time consuming to read in detail.

Useful links

The University of York History Department dissertation handbooks (2015-17):

Part 1(Selecting a Topic and Preparation)

Part 2 (Researching and Writing Up)

“Ten things I wish I’d known before starting my dissertation.” The Guardian , April 2014. (for general tips, though the article refers to History dissertations specifically too).

York Digital Library (YODL) (you can use YODL to search for and view past first-class dissertations, which can be useful as examples for formatting and structure).

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Thesis Content and Style

Thesis formatting (university).

The University has detailed guidance about the style, formatting and sequence of material standards for your thesis. Further information about how to format your thesis can be found linked below.

Since 2019, the University of York has required its PhD postgraduate researchers to submit an e-thesis, rather than a hard copy, printed thesis. This means that you should take particular care to ensure that your thesis is accessible and easy for anyone to read. Guidance on making your thesis accessible has also been created by the Postgraduate Research Administration (PGRA) and can also be found below.

University Guidelines for formatting your thesis

PGRA guidance on making your e-Thesis accessible: Google Document

In addition to online guidance on preparing and formatting your thesis, the University also offers courses to help you through Information Services and through BRIC.

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Department of History

Yale history dissertations.

During the late 1800’s, only a trickle of dissertations were submitted annually, but today, the department averages about 25 per year. See who some of those intrepid scholars were and what they wrote about by clicking on any of the years listed below.

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History: writing a history dissertation.

• Writing a History Dissertation
• Referencing and Style Guide
• Literature Search Plan

Starting a Literature Search

Conducting a literature search is a great way to find a viable topic and plan your research. It will also give you the opportunity to look for primary and secondary resources that can support the arguments you make in your dissertation. 

Starting your literature search early will help you plan your dissertation and give you an overview of all the resources you might want to consult. Below are examples of how you can start this process and how they can help.

Dissertation Books

Define your Topic

Start your search by identifying a broad subject area, such as a country, period, theme or person. You might do this by looking at reference works, such as a Very Short Introduction , Cambridge Histories , or Oxford Handbooks . These books will give you an insight into the many areas you can investigate in greater depth and they will also provide references to peer-reviewed material on more defined topics. 

Next , look at material which focuses more on the area you have identified from reference works. These might be books, chapters or articles which focus on a more defined area of the subject you have identified. Use these to formulate questions that you can answer in your research.

Then ,  read resources that will help you form your argument and answer the questions you have set. This material should focus on the topic you have chosen and help you explain what has been written on this area before.

Search for Secondary Resources

In order to successfully search for resources relevant to your study, you will need to use search-terms which will retrieve the best results. The tips below will help you do this:

Terms you have found in your reading

Keep a note of terms you have seen when you have been identifying your topic. This could be anything relevant your topic, including: places, people, jobs, religions, institutions, objects, periods, or events. Also, take note of terms that are related to your topic and had an impact on the area you are studying. Write down all the terms which relate to your topic and note which ones provide the most relevant results.

It can also be useful to keep a note of what you are not looking at so that you stay focused on your topic and do not retrieve too many results.

Authors who are written about the topic

You will start to notice that some authors are mentioned as specialists on the topic you are researching. Search a variety of catalogues to find what they have written on the subject in different formats. They might have contributed to edited works, written articles, given presentations to conferences or annotated works. They also might lead you to others who have written about your topic or research groups which are relevant to your studies.

Use subject searches

Most secondary resources have been indexed according to their subject. Through using these subject terms you can search catalogues more efficiently and find relevant resources without just searching the title or author. 

If you find a useful resources, try looking at its catalogue record. See if any of the subject headings look useful and note what terminology they use as this will be consistent across most databases. When you have found a useful term, copy and paste it into a subject search (or select the link) and see what other resources are available.

You can also use an online thesaurus to find search terms. The most commonly used terms are the Library of Congress Subject Headings  which provide uniform terms across international databases.

Use databases

The University subscribes to many databases that focus on different countries and topics. These will provide a comprehensive guide to what has been written in your area and may use different subject headings. Reference databases and bibliographies can be especially useful for finding citations of everything that has been written on a certain area of history. Biographical databases can also help find information about individuals and institutions. For a complete list of all the databases the University subscribes to, look at the A-Z of databases . 

Search for Primary Resources

There are plenty of primary resources that can be used in your dissertation. The University subscribes to many databases that provide access to primary resources and some of our libraries hold special collections which can be used in your research. Below are some examples:

The University subscribes to many newspapers from the past and present. They can be a really useful tool for finding contemporary accounts of events and provide more than just articles (including: advertisements, illustrations, family notices, sports, arts, court cases). Many newspaper databases will also include related content, such as pamphlets and newsbooks.

The University Library has a collection of print newspapers which can be consulted on site. The University also subscribes to electronic databases of national and local newspapers across the world. More information about the newspaper databases we subscribe to is available on our  dedicated website .

Special Collection Material

Many libraries and archives provide access to rare, unique and specialised collections of books and manuscripts. The University Library, for example, provides access to Manuscripts and Rare Books Departments , as do some of the colleges. Some of the more frequently used and important material is also available as part of an online library, such as Cambridge's CUDL .

Official Publications (Government Documents)

Documents produced by governmental and intergovernmental bodies can provide an insight into their decision making and governance. Several libraries in Cambridge have received official publications material and a lot of material is now available online. More information about the official material in Cambridge libraries is available on our Official Publications LibGuide .

Data and Statistics

Figures can be used to help illustrate a point and provide evidence as you answer the central question in your dissertation. You might chose to refer to census data, crime statistics, trade figures, or any other data set that relates to your area of history. This sort of information can be found in databases and replicated in secondary resources. 

Private Papers

If you are researching an individual (or someone who played a prominent role in the area you are focusing on) it is a good idea to see if they have deposited private papers in an archive. These might includes diaries, letters, draft works, or anything else that was kept and not published. These works are normally kept in an archive, so a good starting point is to look at a catalogue that might show where relevant papers are held (such as Archives Hub )

These can include maps, cartoons, paintings and photographs. Images are available both in print and online, but you need to be cautious of the copyright restrictions of images before you use them (check the information given by the source). Some databases will allow you to search images, like ARTstor , so use them as a good starting point for your search. 

Audio-Visual

Similarly to images, the University provides access to a variety of audio-visual resources, including interviews, recordings, radio and films. If there is a particular DVD you would like to use, try searching the title in iDiscover. For example, " Interviews with Historians " will take you to a comprehensive collection of DVDs available at the Seeley. Many films are also available online, such as British Pathe .

Organise and Save Your Research

You will be able to do a comprehensive and efficient literature search if you keep a record of what you have read, where you read it and what each item means to your research. The best way to achieve this is to:

1. Record the key ideas, themes and quotes from what you have read. Try to find a uniform way to do this as it will make it easier to find information when you come to write your dissertation. Some formats are freely available on the internet, such as the Cornell Note Taking System .

2. Save citations you have looked at so you do not struggle to find them again. Also, this will help you when you come to do your references. There are many reference managers available to help you store this information and create a fully formatted bibliography.

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Theses & dissertations.

Theses and dissertations are extended scholarly essays that incorporate original research on a specific topic. They are usually written as part of the requirements for a graduate degree (e.g. MA or PhD).

Finding a York University thesis or dissertation Most doctoral dissertations and Master's theses completed at York University are available through the Libraries. Law dissertations are held in the Law Library; most others are held in Scott Library. Please note that the library does not normally hold copies of Major Research Papers (MRPs); for these, please check with the appropriate York University department or faculty.

For York dissertations and theses written from 1967 to 2012: Start by searching the Dissertations and Theses @ York University database. You can search by keyword, title, adviser or school. The full-text of most York theses and dissertations submitted between 1967 and 2012 can be downloaded for free.

This service is only available to registered York students and faculty. For York dissertations and theses written between 1967 and the present that were never microfilmed or have some form of embargo restricting access:

• Search the library catalogue . You can search by title, author, or keyword. When you find the entry, note the call number and location. A quick location guide is provided below.

For dissertations and theses written from 2013 to the present, search the library catalogue (NOT the classic catalogue) by title, author, or keyword.

Finding theses from other universities

• Proquest Digital Dissertations and Theses This database contains citations and abstracts of doctoral dissertations and some masters theses from colleges and universities in North America and Europe. Citations are available from 1861 to the present. Abstracts are available for dissertations from 1980 to the present and for masters theses from 1988 to the present. From 1997, sometimes earlier, the full-text of some dissertations and theses may be downloaded for free in PDF format. Please note that this service is only available to registered York students and faculty.
• Theses Canada Portal The Theses Canada Portal provides free access to the full text electronic versions of Canadian theses and dissertations that were published from the beginning of 1998 to the present.
• Index to theses (Great Britain and Ireland) An index to theses accepted in the Universities of Great Britain and Ireland. Covers 1716 – present.
• EThOS (Great Britain) Launched in 2008, the Electronic Theses Online System (EThOS) offers free access to full text versions of British theses. New theses are digitized and added to the database in response to requests from researchers.

Many other periodical indexes and databases include references to dissertations.

Note : Theses and dissertations not available in the Libraries or online can be requested through the Resource Sharing Department.

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How to organise a history essay or dissertation

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Sachiko Kusukawa

There are many ways of writing history and no fixed formula for a 'good' essay or dissertation. Before you start, you may find it helpful to have a look at some sample dissertations and essays from the past: ask at the Whipple Library.

Some people have a clear idea already of what they are going to write about; others find it more difficult to choose or focus on a topic. It may be obvious, but it is worth pointing out that you should choose a topic you find interesting and engaging. Ask a potential supervisor for a list of appropriate readings, chase up any further sources that look interesting or promising from the footnotes, or seek further help. Try to define your topic as specifically as possible as soon as possible. Sometimes, it helps to formulate a question (in the spirit of a Tripos question), which could then be developed, refined, or re-formulated. A good topic should allow you to engage closely with a primary source (text, image, object, etc.) and develop a historiographical point – e.g. adding to, or qualifying historians' current debates or received opinion on the topic. Specific controversies (either historically or historiographically) are often a great place to start looking. Many dissertations and essays turn out to be overambitious in scope, but underambition is a rare defect!

Both essays and dissertations have an introduction and a conclusion . Between the introduction and the conclusion there is an argument or narrative (or mixture of argument and narrative).

An introduction introduces your topic, giving reasons why it is interesting and anticipating (in order) the steps of your argument. Hence many find that it is a good idea to write the introduction last. A conclusion summarises your arguments and claims. This is also the place to draw out the implications of your claims; and remember that it is often appropriate to indicate in your conclusion further profitable lines of research, inquiry, speculation, etc.

An argument or narrative should be coherent and presented in order. Divide your text into paragraphs which make clear points. Paragraphs should be ordered so that they are easy to follow. Always give reasons for your assertions and assessments: simply stating that something or somebody is right or wrong does not constitute an argument. When you describe or narrate an event, spell out why it is important for your overall argument. Put in chapter or section headings whenever you make a major new step in your argument of narrative.

It is a very good idea to include relevant pictures and diagrams . These should be captioned, and their relevance should be fully explained. If images are taken from a source, this should be included in the captions or list of illustrations.

The extent to which it is appropriate to use direct quotations varies according to topic and approach. Always make it clear why each quotation is pertinent to your argument. If you quote from non-English sources say if the translation is your own; if it isn't give the source. At least in the case of primary sources include the original in a note if it is your own translation, or if the precise details of wording are important. Check your quotations for accuracy. If there is archaic spelling make sure it isn't eliminated by a spell-check. Don't use words without knowing what they mean.

An essay or a dissertation has three components: the main text , the notes , and the bibliography .

The main text is where you put in the substance of your argument, and is meant to be longer than the notes. For quotes from elsewhere, up to about thirty words, use quotation marks ("...", or '...'). If you quote anything longer, it is better to indent the whole quotation without quotation marks.

Notes may either be at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or at the end of the main text, but before the bibliography (endnotes). Use notes for references and other supplementary material which does not constitute the substance of your argument. Whenever you quote directly from other works, you must give the exact reference in your notes. A reference means the exact location in a book or article which you have read , so that others can find it also – it should include author, title of the book, place and date of publication, page number. (There are many different ways to refer to scholarly works: see below.) . If you cite a primary source from a secondary source and you yourself have not read or checked the primary source, you must acknowledge the secondary source from which the citation was taken. Whenever you paraphrase material from somebody else's work, you must acknowledge that fact. There is no excuse for plagiarism. It is important to note that generous and full acknowledgement of the work of others does not undermine your originality.

Your bibliography must contain all the books and articles you have referred to (do not include works that you did not use). It lists works alphabetically by the last name of the author. There are different conventions to set out a bibliography, but at the very least a bibliographic entry should include for a book the last name and initials/first name of the author, the title of the book in italics or underlined, and the place, (publisher optional) and date of publication; or, for an article, the last name and initials/first name of the author, the title in inverted commas, and the name of the journal in italics or underlined, followed by volume number, date of publication, and page numbers. Names of editors of volumes of collected articles and names of translators should also be included, whenever applicable.

• M. MacDonald, Mystical Bedlam: Madness, Anxiety, and Healing in Seventeenth-Century England , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981.
• William Clark, 'Narratology and the History of Science', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 26 (1995), 1–72.
• M. F. Burnyeat, 'The Sceptic in His Place and Time', in R. Rorty, J. B. Schneewind and Q. Skinner (eds), Philosophy in History , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984, pp. 225–54.

Alternatively, if you have many works to refer to, it may be easier to use an author-date system in notes, e.g.:

• MacDonald [1981], p. 89; Clark [1995a], p. 65; Clark [1995b], pp. 19–99.

In this case your bibliography should also start with the author-date, e.g.:

• MacDonald, Michael [1981], Mystical Bedlam: Madness, Anxiety, and Healing in Seventeenth-Century England , Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Clark, William [1995a], 'Narratology and the History of Science', Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 26, 1–72.

This system has the advantage of making your foot- or endnotes shorter, and many choose it to save words (the bibliography is not included in the word limit). It is the system commonly used in scientific publications. Many feel however that something is historically amiss when you find in a footnote something like 'Plato [1996b]' or 'Locke [1975]'. In some fields of research there are standard systems of reference: you will find that this is the case if, for example, you write an essay/dissertation on classical history or philosophy of science. In such cases it is a good idea to take a standard secondary source as your model (e.g. in the case of classics, see G.E.R. Lloyd's The Revolutions of Wisdom: Studies in the Claims and Practices of Ancient Greek Science , Berkeley 1987).

Whatever system you decide to follow for your footnotes, what matters most is that the end-product is consistent.

Keep accurate records of all the relevant bibliographic information as you do your reading for your essay/dissertation. (If you don't you may waste days trying to trace references when you are close to submission deadlines.)

Consistency of style throughout the essay/dissertation is encouraged. There are many professional guides to thesis writing which give you more information on the style and format of theses – for example the MLS handbook (British) and the Chicago Manual of Style (American), both in the Whipple, and a booklet, H. Teitelbaum, How to Write a Thesis: A Guide to the Research Paper , 3rd ed., 126 pp., New York: Macmillan (& Arco), 1994 (in the UL: 1996.8.2620). But don't try to follow everything they say!

Every now and then you should read through a printout of your whole essay/dissertation, to ensure that your argument flows throughout the piece: otherwise there is a danger that your arguments become compartmentalised to the size of the screen. When reading drafts, ask yourself if it would be comprehensible to an intelligent reader who was not an expert on the specific topic.

It is imperative that you save your work on disk regularly – never be caught out without a back-up.

Before you submit:

• remember to run a spell-check (and remember that a spell check will not notice if you have written, for example, 'pheasant' instead of 'peasant', or, even trickier, 'for' instead of 'from', 'it' instead of 'is', etc.);
• prepare a table of contents, with titles for each chapter of your essay/dissertation, page numbers and all;
• prepare a cover page with the title, your name and college;
• prepare a page with the required statement about length, originality etc.

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Research output

• 747 Article
• 492 Book/Film/Article review
• 479 Chapter
• 111 Chapter (peer-reviewed)
• 50 Other contribution
• 41 Conference contribution
• 41 Special issue
• 28 Entry for encyclopedia/dictionary
• 11 Literature review
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• 9 Editorial
• 8 Foreword/postscript
• 8 Comment/debate
• 7 Other chapter contribution
• 7 Web publication/site
• 6 Anthology
• 6 Other report
• 6 Doctoral Thesis
• 4 Scholarly edition
• 3 Commissioned report
• 2 Conference article
• 2 Working paper
• 1 Featured article
• 1 Exhibition
• 1 Master's Thesis

Research output per year

• 1 - 50 out of 2,353 results
• Publication Year, Title (ascending)

Search results

(re)capturing the emotional geography of lost music venues: a case study of the willow community digital archive.

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Āl-e Ahmad’s Faustian Bargain? Antonio Gramsci, the ‘Progressive Clergy’, and the Search for Hegemony in Late Pahlavi Iran

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Animals as Commodities: The Case of the Pacific Fur Seal

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Caliphs and the hajj after Hārūn al-Rashīd

Research output : Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Confronting a chequered past

Research output : Contribution to specialist publication › Article

'Down pythons’ throats we thrust live goats': snakes, zoos and animal welfare in nineteenth-century Britain

Effects of a novel, brief psychological therapy (managing unusual sensory experiences) for hallucinations in first episode psychosis (muse fep): findings from an exploratory randomised controlled trial, exemplary lives in the making of a world religion, exotic tv ‘vikings’: reading depictions of the past through an orientalist paradigm, foetor judaicus et distillation des préjugés: racisme et essence-tialisme, from the archives of politics to the politics of the archive, historiae oculus geographia: how to write a global history of the jesuits according to daniello bartoli sj, introduction, iran: dictatorship and development: new expanded edition.

Research output : Book/Report › Book

Islamic Jerusalems? Conflicting memories of the holy city in the eighth/fourteenth century

Joined-up governance for more complementary interactions between expanding artisanal small-scale gold mining and agriculture: insights from ghana, making mass tourism sustainable environment and resort tourism in negril, jamaica, 1970s-2002, monkey business.

Research output : Contribution to journal › Article

Ordinary Politics in Late-Medieval Europe

Our place: a diy digital-archiving toolkit for music venues.

Research output : Non-textual form › Web publication/site

Penance, Murder, and the Sanctity of Close Kinship in Early Medieval England and Francia

Plebeian consumers: global connections, local trade and foreign goods in nineteenth-century colombia, popular consumers, foreign goods, and political recognition in mid-nineteenth century colombia, reading, gender and identity in early modern england, reckoning and economic life in late-medieval england, reducing barriers to the consumption of traditional fruits and vegetables by migrant communities in johannesburg: recommendations for urban policy and planning.

Research output : Other contribution

St Stephen's Chapel and the Palace of Westminster

The boundaries of popular control in late medieval english towns, the changes in health service utilisation in malawi during the covid-19 pandemic, the prophet's tomb and the history of pilgrimage to medina (up to the mamluk period), the role of traditional food systems in rapid urbanization: scope, methods and high-level findings, the role of traditional food systems in rapid urbanization: improving the maintenance of indigenous knowledge around the significance of consumption and preparation of traditional fruit and vegetable, the role of traditional food systems in rapid urbanization: facilitating enterprise development around the production and/or supply of traditional fruit and vegetables, the seigneurial life of things: lordship and material culture in england after the black death, transdisciplinary research as a means of protecting human health, ecosystems and climate by engaging people to act on air pollution, translation, revolutionary praxis, and the enigma of manuchehr hezarkhani, a courtier is always in danger: jean de bueil and the perils of the court, acoustics, audibility and political culture in the house of commons, 1800-34, an acoustic reconstruction of the house of commons, c. 1820-1834, appropriation and agency in the making of roman catholicism as a world religion, avitus, gundobad, and social networks: downscaling the social relationship, bbc history extra podcast: history's greatest cities ‘york’.

Research output : Non-textual form › Digital or Visual Products

Bloomsbury Cultural History of Slavery and Human Trafficking

Bodies in the belfry: gender, sociability and urban space in early eighteenth-century london, conspicuous absences in late-antique gallic funerary texts, vi-vii centuries ce: errors, erasures, or inscribing uncertainty, drugs and the politics of consumption in japan, eadi roundtable: re-casting development studies in times of multiple crises, enmity and violence in early modern europe, extensive ephemera: perfumer's trade cards in eighteenth-century england, feeding the community: urban farming in johannesburg.

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Health and wellbeing, work, volunteering and career planning, study and work abroad, accommodation, it and online services, student life in york, if things go wrong, history dissertation - his00048h.

« Back to module search

Department : History Module co-ordinator : Dr. Sophie Weeks Credit value : 40 credits Credit level : H Academic year of delivery : 2021-22 See module specification for other years: 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25

Module summary

This module gives students the chance to work as active and independent scholars, rather than responding to the requirements of a taught module. Having designed their own research project during their second year, and researched the primary materials needed during the summer between their second and third years, they now organise and reflect on the material they have gathered, plan the structure of their arguments and interpretations, draft a chapter and outline to submit for feedback, and then write and submit their 10,000-word dissertation. This work will spread across the whole academic year. Full details about the various stages of the process, the tasks to be completed, and the relevant deadlines, are provided on the Dissertation VLE. This guidance also provides much advice and information to help and support students as they work on their dissertations.

Module will run

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

• To enable students to undertake an independently chosen, designed and managed project;
• To provide the opportunity to work extensively with original historical material;
• To allow students to explore a chosen aspect of the past at length; and
• To engage with opinions and debates around a specific topic using original research.

Module learning outcomes

Students who complete this module successfully will:

• Have gained experience of designing and managing a large scale project to completion;
• Have gained experience of exploring and explaining a specific research topic at length;
• Have acquired skills and understanding from extended research into original material; and
• Have learned to situate their specific research results among the debates and views of others.

Module content

Teaching Programme: Students are undertaking an independently researched project and not a taught module. They will continue, however, to have support, advice, and feedback from their dissertation advisor as they work to produce their dissertation. They will have a meeting with their advisor in the autumn term at which they will discuss the progress of their research and confirm plans to develop an interpretation or argument about their research question as they reflect on the evidence and ideas which they have acquired form primary research and secondary reading. Students have the opportunity to write a draft chapter and thesis outline for submission to their advisor at the start of the Spring Term. They will have a meeting with their advisor later that term at which they will receive feedback and advice which will help them towards the completion of the whole dissertation.

Special assessment rules

Additional assessment information.

Students have the opportunity to submit up to 3,000 words of draft dissertation work for feedback in week 2 of the spring term. A 10,000-word dissertation written and presented according to our requirements and conventions (set out on the Dissertation VLE) is then to be submitted in week 1 of the summer term.

Reassessment

Module feedback.

Students will receive written feedback from the Monday of week 8 of the summer term, after which their dissertation supervisor will be available during student hours for follow-up guidance if necessary. For more information, see the Statement of Assessment .

Indicative reading

There are no key texts for this module.

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Finding Dissertations

• Finding NYU Dissertations
• Finding Dissertations from Other Institutions
• International Resources

NYU Dissertations Online

All dissertations completed at NYU are indexed in the online database  Dissertations and Theses Global. Users who wish to access NYU dissertations, especially dissertations completed since 1997, would be best served by searching this database. Many (but not all) dissertations will be available in full-text.

Dissertation Search Tip:

When searching the database, you can use the Advanced Search functions to limit your results to only dissertations completed at NYU or you can leave the "institution" field blank to search dissertations completed anywhere. 

Why can't I see the full-text? 

When dissertation authors submit their work to Dissertations and Theses Global , they have the option to  embargo the full-text for up to two years from that point. Authors may choose to embargo their dissertations for several reasons, for example, if they are planning to publish the dissertation (or a version of it) as a book. There are currently no options for NYU students to access the full-text of a dissertation if the author has chosen to embargo.  In some cases, the author can extend the embargo beyond 2 years. It is estimated that approximately 50% of dissertation authors at NYU choose to embargo.

Dissertations that have been embargoed will appear with the note, " At the request of the author, this graduate work is not available to view or purchase" in the upper right-hand corner of record.

• Dissertations & Theses Global This link opens in a new window Dissertations and Theses Global contains indexes, dissertations and some theses. Full-text is available for many dissertations and theses, including those from NYU.

NYU Dissertations in Hard Copy

NYU dissertations completed before 2007 are available in both print and microform at Bobst.

Bobst Library does not keep copies of any dissertations from the following programs:

• The Medical School and the Dental School maintain separate collections of their own dissertations
• Master's theses are not kept by Bobst Library. Check with the corresponding department or school to explore whether such theses are held.

Bound copies of dissertations are held offsite and must be requested through the catalog for delivery to the library.

Call number ranges for NYU dissertations (Dissertations from Tisch and Courant are under GSAS):

• LD 3907 .E3 - School of Education
• LD 3907 .G5 - Wagner School of Public Administration
• LD 3907 .G6 - Stern School of Business
• LD 3907 .G7 - Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS)
• LD 3907 .S3 - School of Social Work

Dissertations published before 2008 at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Wagner School of Public Administration, Stern School of Business, Silver School of Social Work, and Steinhardt School of Education are available on microform .

Using the Library Catalog to Find NYU Dissertations

If you already know the author or the title of the dissertation, you can search the Library Catalog with that information to locate our copy and either recall it from offsite storage or find it in the Microforms Center.

Search tip:

For those wishing to search Library Catalog for dissertations on certain subjects, perform an Advanced Search using the words "Dissertation" AND "[desired subject]."

• Search Library Catalog

Please note: NYU dissertations in the Proquest Dissertations & Global Theses database are indexed in Library Catalog regardless of whether or not they have been embargoed. Just because a dissertation record appears in the Library Catalog does not mean that it is available in full-text. 

Dissertations completed at NYU through 2007 are available on microform. Microform copies are located in the Microforms Center on LL2 of Bobst Library. These are arranged chronologically by school. Some of the older rolls of film contain more than one dissertation. These copies are each given a thesis number in chronological, alphabetical order. The thesis numbers are listed on each roll, corresponding to the cataloged location in the Library Catalog.

What are microforms?

Microforms are pieces of film that contain reproductions of magazines, journals, and other materials. Because newsprint and other types of paper often decay, microforms are used as a method of preserving content.  Microforms come in 2 formats: microfilm (on reels) and microfiche (sheets).

Where are the microforms?

Microforms are located on LL2 in the Microforms Reading Room.

Can I get help?

The Microforms Reading Room is staffed. In addition, notebooks with instructions are available.

Can I make copies?

All microform machines have printing capabilities; some machines also allow you to make PDFs.

Offsite Materials

Some of our materials are stored in an offsite facility. 

To get an item that is marked as offsite:

• Search for the item in the Library Catalog
• Click on the Title
• Click on the Availability Status/Call number link
• Click Request

Offsite materials usually arrive within 2 business days. You'll be notified once the item has arrived, and you can pick it up at the Circulation Desk.

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• Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 1:48 PM
• URL: https://guides.nyu.edu/dissertations

150 Strong History Dissertation Topics to Write about

Writing a dissertation is one of the most challenging and exciting moments of an academic career. Such work usually takes a great deal of time, courage, and intellectual effort to complete. That’s why every step in your work process is essential.

It all starts with finding a good topic, which can be a challenge of its own. It especially matters when it comes to liberal arts subjects. In social studies, literature, or world history options are practically endless.

Coming up with history dissertation ideas, you need to think of historical events that interest you. We get it, choosing one is tough. There can be too much to wrap your head around. That’s why IvyPanda experts prepare some dissertation topics in history ready for you.

• How to Choose a Topic?
• Ancient History
• Medieval History
• Modern History
• Cold War Topics
• American History
• European History
• Indian History
• African History
• Performing Arts
• Visual Arts
• How to Structure

🧐 How to Choose a History Dissertation Topic?

Before examining our ideas for dissertation topics in history, you should get ready for this. You have to understand how to pick a history dissertation topic, which will ensure your academic success. Keep in mind that this is a vital step in your career.

So, check some tips on picking what to write about:

• Make sure that the topic fits in your field of study. You have to understand what you’re writing about. Basing your paper on existing knowledge and experience is a part of any dissertation. Working on an overly complicated idea can sound impressive but lead to failure. It will become a nightmare already on the stage of writing a dissertation proposal. How can you write the entire thing without comprehending it?
• Estimate whether you’re interested in the topic you intend to write on. Although this might seem obvious, yes. However, being actually invested makes a massive difference for your further work. There are plenty of students who settle for “easy but boring” topics and end up struggling twice as much.
• Ensure that your topic is specific enough. Your idea should have the potential for fruitful research. Narrowing down your area of study is essential for writing a good dissertation. It helps you to find the direction of your examination and enough sources to work with. Moreover, this way, you’ll be able to explore your topic in its entirety.
• Do some prior research. It will give you an understanding of how much literature on your topic is out there. Take notes of the materials for the reference list and your analysis. Checking history essay samples is a good idea, too.
• Don’t be shy to ask your dissertation advisor for some assistance. After all, they are here to help and guide you through the process. Besides, you have to see what ideas they consider relevant and appropriate.

👍 Good Dissertation Topics in History: Time Period

History is a subject as ancient and vast as the humankind itself. It’s only rational to study it according to a particular timeline. Here are some good history dissertation topics for different periods.

🏺 Ancient History Dissertation Topics

• Ancient Civilizations: The Maya Empire . The Maya was an incredibly powerful Empire with its prime around six century A.D., excelling in mathematics, calendar-making, astrology, and writing. It faced the decline of its city-states in nine century A.D., leaving a rich cultural heritage to the studies of subsequent generations.
• Women’s Roles and Gender relations in the Ancient World
• Greek City-States . Ancient Greece is the place where the first city-states were formed. How did the first governments in the ancient history timeline develop? How did people’s attitudes towards leadership change in that context?

• Ancient Near-Eastern Thought and the Old Testament
• The Inca Empire as a Great Civilization of Pre-Columbian America
• The Impact of Mongol Invasion in Ancient Arab
• The personality of Julius Caesar and His Effect on Rome
• The Role of Poets and the place of Poetry in Ancient Greece
• Mesopotamian Civilization . This was a fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It has been home to some of the world’s wealthiest and most advanced ancient cities. It can also make an excellent archaeology dissertation topic. There are plenty of fascinating sites that could be studied.
• History: Ancient Greek Olympics . Started in 776 BC, the Olympic Games were the most important cultural event in Ancient Greece. They were held in honor of Zeus every four years. Besides, the Olympics were representative of the triumph of physical and spiritual power.
• Warfare and Violence in Ancient Times. Try to do a comparative analysis of warfare techniques used by different ancient civilizations. It could be a great dissertation topic.
• Burial Rituals in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece: a comparison
• Plutarch’s Vision on Alexander the Great
• Dissolution of the Roman Empire . The Empire sprawled from the coast of North Africa to the territories of the modern UK and Armenia. Once, it was the most powerful political entity in the entire Mediterranean. The empire, however, collapsed in 476 CE. What were the reasons for its eventual decline?

• How Geography Has Impacted the Development of Ancient Cultures
• Cause and Effect of Art on Classical Societies
• The Invention of Papyrus and its impact on the World
• Chichen Itza Archaeological Site . Chichen Itza is a great pre-Columbian archaeological site, home to the Maya civilization. It is a fascinating study case in many aspects. Consider the origins and Maya history. Analyze the cultural preservation issues that it faces nowadays.
• Egyptian Pyramid’s Importance in Egypt’s society
• The Stone Age Period and its Evolution

🛡 Medieval History Dissertation Ideas

• Cultural Exchanges in the Medieval Period . In the aftermath of the Roman Empire’s fall, new geopolitical conditions formed. The early Middle Ages period already marked the appearance of new trade routes. It fostered cultural exchange between nations.
• Rome in the Middle Ages and its cultural transformation
• The Development of Feudalism and Manorialism in the Middle Ages
• The Catholic Church and the Black Death in the 14th Century . During the high Middle Ages, the plague epidemic terrorized Europe. It was a dreadful challenge to medicine, religious institutions, and the social apparatus of the time. How did the Catholic Church deal with such a complex and disastrous medical phenomenon?
• Jews and Muslims in Medieval Spain . Christian, Islamic, and Jewish communities shared the Iberian peninsula in the early Middle Ages. It formed a vibrant cultural environment.
• London during the Roman Age: A Critical Overview
• Causes of the First Crusade of 1095-1099
• Twelfth-Century Renaissance, how Franciscans reacted to it and benefited from its development
• Business and Empire, the British ideal of an Orderly World
• The Black Death, Late Medieval Demographic crisis, and the Standard of Living controversies
• The Role of the Church in the life of the Middle Ages

• Medieval Siege Warfare . Exploring methods of defense used during the Middle Ages might be an interesting research project.
• The Conditions of Hindu and Islamic women in Medieval India
• Why the Crusades Failed
• The Mechanical Water clock of Ibn Al-Haytham, his philosophy of the rise and fall of empires
• The Renaissance and its Cultural, Political and Economic Influence
• The Dark Ages as the Golden Ages of European History . Plenty of facts demonstrate civilization’s decline during the Middle Ages. It was, nevertheless, the time of significant scientific, literary, and technological progress. For some interested in writing a medieval literature dissertation: think of Dante’s Divine Comedy . Da Vinci made his groundbreaking study projects during the Middle Ages. It was the time when first universities, such as Cambridge and Oxford, were founded. Overall, this period has a lot to offer!
• Japan’s Development Under Edo/Tokugawa Shogunate
• Historical and Theological Context of Byzantine Iconoclasm
• Medieval Convivencia: Document Analysis

🕰 Modern History Dissertation Topics

• World History: Enlightenment in Society and its Impact on Global Culture
• Nationalism and its 19th Century History
• Why Mussolini and the Fascists Were Able to Seize Power in Italy
• Religious Symbolism in Renaissance paintings . Renaissance is well-known as a period when fine arts were thriving. It was an early modern birthplace of many technological and cultural advancements. Religion, however, was still a central topic in visual art.
• Industrial Revolution and its Impact on Western Civilizations
• Principles of Liberalism and Its Connection to Enlightenment and Conservatism
• “History and Topography of Ireland” by Gerald of Wales . Looking for an incredible Irish history dissertation topic? Then this document might be an interesting prompt. Its somewhat controversial tone of describing contemporary Irish culture, history, and traditions can be subject to a comprehensive analysis.
• Moral treatment of Mental Illness . Over the 19th and 20th centuries, psychology has changed. Moving from a scientific periphery, it became one of the central subjects of scholarly discussions. Mental illnesses were highly disregarded in earlier centuries. People even considered them to be manifestations of demonic possession. How did this attitude change? Why did people rethink psychology as a scholarly discipline?
• A History of the Cuban Revolution

• Abraham Lincoln’s Historical Influence
• Role of Women During the Spanish Civil War
• Conquest and Colonization of America by European Countries . Colonization of America is one of the grandest enterprises in the world’s political history. What were its driving forces?
• Origins and Trajectory of the French Revolution
• Major Impacts of Consumerism in contemporary world history
• Coco Chanel Fashion: History of Costume . Probably not the first topic for a history dissertation that comes to mind. Chanel is truly an iconic figure in modern history, though. She revolutionized the fashion industry concerning gender as well.
• Causes of the Breakup of the Former Yugoslavia
• The Russian Working Class Movement . Before 1861, the agriculture and peasant-owning system were the foundation of the Russian Empire’s economy. Serfs made up a significant part of the population, accounting for over 60% in some regions. Then the serfdom abolition happened. A lot has changed in the economic and social life of the country.
• Segregation During the 1960s
• Historical Development of Feminism and Patriarchy
• Monetary and Fiscal Policy during the Great Depression

🔔 History Dissertation Topics on Cold War

• The Role of Cold War in Shaping Transatlantic Relations in the Period from 1945 to 1970
• The showdown between the United States and the USSR . Cold Was was essentially the power struggle between the US and the Soviet Union. It unleashed in the aftermath of World War II. This political precedent came to an end with the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, the answer to the “Who won the Cold War?” question may be unclear.
• The Cuban Missile Crisis , its causes, and effects
• US Foreign Policy during the Cold War. Cold War, as a phenomenon, has many layers to it. Yet the one crucial is the contest of two ideologies: democracy and communism. How did the US shape its foreign policy and pursue its interests abroad? And how did the cultural and political setup within the country adjust to it?
• To what extent did the Cold War shape the US relations with Latin America?
• What was the importance of Berlin in the Cold War?
• Japan’s role since the end of the Cold War
• Cold War Politics, Culture, and War . Exploring the Cold War causes and effects can be quite a challenge. It is such a multifaceted phenomenon. It was a war led on many fronts. Both USSR and the US pursued their interests using a variety of methods.

• How did Cold War propaganda influence the film industry?
• What were the challenges in the post-cold war world?

🗺 History Dissertation Topics: Geographical Regions

Every country has its historical course, and so does every continent. Geography has always been an important factor when talking about history. It shapes historical trajectory in varied, unique ways.

Look at a dissertation topics history list based on geographical regions:

🦅 American History Dissertation Topics

• History of Hollywood, California . Oh, Hollywood. A place where American movie history was born. What about Hollywood’s history? Although a less traditional American history dissertation topic, it is still a fascinating one. Explore the way technological advancements in filmmaking were introduced over the decades. How did they influence the film’s general style?
• History: Migration into the United States . How did migration influence the economy of the time?
• The Relationships between the Settlers and Native Americans
• Literary works’ Views on Slavery in the United States
• Causes of the Civil War in America
• What is the real meaning of a cowboy?
• The United States military experience through the eyes of films
• Attack on Pearl Harbor: Effects of Foreign policy
• Causes of Depression in the 1890s
• Has President Obama’s Presidency changed the US?
• The role of Founding Fathers in American Society and Religion
• Post-Civil War reconstruction . Consider the way America’s economy, trade, and finance transformed in the aftermath of the Civil War.
• Principal causes and consequences of the Spanish-American War
• Why was the Declaration of Independence written?
• The Significance of the Frontier in American History
• How is a “new racial narrative” in the U.S.A created?
• American Revolution and the Crisis of the Constitution of the U.S.A. Rethink the origins of the American constitution, as well as the following events. It could be an exciting thesis idea for an American history dissertation.

• Growth and Development of San Francisco and Los Angeles after the Gold Rush
• The Role of Racism in American Art
• Drug Use and Abuse in America: Historical Analysis

🏰 European History Dissertation Topics

• Age of Discovery in Europe. The Age of Exploration in Europe lasted from the 15th to the 17th century. Over this period, Europe actively engaged with other territories and continents. Discoverers formed new international relations and expanded geographical knowledge. This topic could also make an excellent cultural history dissertation.
• Analyzing the Impact of British Colonization
• Nationalism in World War II
• Effects of the Industrial Revolution concerning World War I
• The Rise and Fall of Napoleon and the Cause of Revolution . Napoleon is one of the most prominent figures in French history. What has shaped his career as a political leader?
• History of Hitler’s Nazi Propaganda . Consider a brief history of Germany. Undoubtedly, the rule of Hitler and the Third Reich was its most devastating chapter. The “art” of propaganda flourished during the nazi regime. It penetrated the cultural, political, and social life of the country.
• Evolution of the IRA
• Napoleon’s Strategy and Tactics in his Invasion of Russia . For someone interested in writing a military history dissertation.
• Industrial Revolution Impact on Gender Roles
• Witchcraft in Europe (1450-1750) . Witch hunts took place as early as the Middle Ages in Europe. Held by the Church in most cases, witch hunts targeted those who were suspected of practicing black magic. Examine this both astonishing and problematic phenomenon.

• French Revolution: Liberal and Radical Portions
• West European Studies: Columbus’s Journey
• History of Feudalism . Feudalism dominated the European way of life during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. What were its distinctive features as a system? Why did it eventually fade away?
• Europe’s perception of Islam in the Early and Middle centuries
• Cold War Consequences for European Countries
• Mutated Medical Professionals in the Third Reich: Third Reich Doctors
• Was the Holocaust the Failure or the Product of Modernity?
• How did the use of print change the lives of early modern Europeans ?
• Early Modern England: a Social History
• Jewish Insight of Holocaust

⛰ Indian History Dissertation Topics

• History of the Indian Castes. The Indian Caste system is a complex and unique example of social stratification.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s Leadership . Gandhi is, for sure, among the greatest human rights advocates in the world’s history. His one of a kind leadership style is subject to many studies. While practicing a peaceful form of civil protest, he fought for equality, independence, and compassion.
• Political conflicts in India in the XVII century
• Impacts of the First World War on British Policies in India
• Movement Against the British rule in India. Led by Mahatma Gandhi, with the support of the National Congress, the movement took place in 1920-22. It sought to fight for the freedom of Indians.
• The Origin and Course of the Indian revolt of 1857
• The Issues of the Partitioning of India in 1947
• India Since 1900 . India is a region rich with unique traditions. Its spiritual and cultural heritage goes back to antiquity. The country’s authentic art and architecture, music, and cuisine have served as an inspiration worldwide. A considerable part of its history is, however, affected by British rule.

• Women in Hinduism and Buddhism
• The British East India Company

🌍 African History Dissertation Topics

• Ancient Societies in Mesopotamia and Ancient Societies in Africa: a comparison . Egypt is one of the most ancient African civilizations. Its origins go back to the third millennium B.C. Back then, the cultural exchange between Egypt and Mesopotamia was flourishing. What were the significant differences between the two civilizations? What did they have to offer to one another?
• Political Violence in South Africa between 1985 and 1989
• Did History of Modern South Africa begin with the Discovery of Diamonds and Gold?
• Nelson Mandela: “Freedom in Africa.” Nelson Mandela is, without a doubt, one of the central figures in African history. His devotion and tireless effort in fighting against apartheid were remarkable. Thanks to him, many sub-Saharan countries enjoy the freedoms and advances of a democratic society.
• The Cult of the Dead in West Africa: The Kongo People . African tribal rituals and traditions are unique and specific to their region. Cult of the Dead is prevalent in Western African culture. It can be notoriously known as the origin place of voodoo and other black magic practices. There is yet much more to this culture. Dismantling some prejudices could make an excellent African history thesis.
• Christianity, Slavery, and Colonialism: the paradox
• The Colonial War in Southwest Africa
• African-Europe Relations between 1800 and 2000
• Impacts of Slavery and Slave Trade in Africa
• African Communities in America

🎨 Art History Dissertation Topics

Art comes in all shapes and forms. To grasp it better, we can explore each kind separately. Here’s a list of art history dissertation ideas:

🎶 Topics on Performing Arts

• History and Development of Ballet . Ballet is an art form with a long history. Initially, a specific dance originated in Medieval Italy. It was later brought to France and Great Britain. Ballet thrived in the 20th century Russia, where Russian choreographers brought it to the highest level of mastery.
• The Life and Work of William Shakespeare: His Contribution to The Contemporary Theater
• Jazz Music in American Culture . Jazz is one of the most complex and exciting music genres of all time. It was born in the 20’s century black communities of New Orleans and quickly spread across America and then the world. The genre, however, will always be an integral part of African-American identity.
• The Instrumental Music of Baroque: Forms and Evolution
• Rock Music of the 1970s
• Michael Jackson’s Life as a Musician and Choreographer
• Development of the Symphony Orchestra in the 19th and 20th Century
• Woodstock Music Festival . This massive music festival that first took place in 1969 was the epitome of hippie culture. It has a rich history that once again underscores the importance of performing arts in Western culture.
• The History of Modern Chinese Music
• The Renaissance Theater Development. The era in which both visual and performing arts were thriving. It has a lot to offer for proper dissertation research.

🖼Topics on Visual Arts

• Art Period Comparison: Classicism and Middle Age
• Vincent Van Gogh: Changes in the Technique
• The Ambiguity of Mona Lisa Painting

• Orientalism in Western Art . It’s commonly associated with romanticism and some 20th-century artworks. Orientalism is a Western term that speculates the aesthetics of the Orient. Consider this concept as a prism through which Westerners viewed the Eastern world.
• Classical Art and Cubism: History and Comparison
• Postmodern and Modern Art . The 20th and 21st centuries have been a breeding ground for many forms of fine art to emerge and flourish. Some art movements presented their philosophy in the form of manifestos. These texts can be nothing but a pure treasure for someone writing an art history dissertation.
• Female Figures in Ancient Greek Sculpture
• Andy Warhol’s Career . Pioneer of pop-art, creator of Studio 54, and a style icon.
• Filippo Brunelleschi and Religious Architecture
• The Photographic Approaches Towards American Culture of Robert Frank and Garry Winogrand

📋 How to Structure Your Dissertation?

An adequately structured history dissertation can immensely help students. It ensures that they present their ideas and thoughts logically. Sticking to a particular dissertation structure is an essential element of such work.

The general plan of any dissertation type is the following:

• Title Page. A title page should only contain essential information about your work. It usually shows your name, type of the document (thesis, research paper, dissertation), and the title itself. A good history dissertation title is crucial! It’s the first thing a reader will see.
• Acknowledgments. Do you wish to give credit to someone for supporting you during the tiresome months of your work? This is the right part to do so, be it your family, friends, or professors. It is an excellent form to express gratitude to those who proofread your drafts. Or those who brought you another cup of coffee when you needed it.
• Declaration. This section is your written confirmation. You declare that all the research and writing is entirely original and was conducted by you. If someone intellectually contributed to your project, state it in the acknowledgments.
• Table of Contents. Essentially, it’s a brief structure of your dissertation. List every section that you’ve included in your academic paper here.
• Abstract. This is the section where you write a brief summary of your dissertation. It should describe the issue, summarize your core message and essential points. List your research methods and what you’ve done. Remember to make it short, as the abstract shouldn’t exceed 300 words or so. Finish the part with a few essential keywords so that others can find your work.
• Introduction. A dissertation introduction presents the subject to the reader. You can talk about the format of your work. Explain what you plan to contribute to the field with your research.
• Literature Review. The chapter reviews and analyzes pieces of scholarly work (literature) that have been made on the subject of your research. The sources should present relevant theories and support your thesis. Be sure to discuss the weaknesses and strengths of the selected area of study and highlight possible gaps in this research.
• a code of conduct;
• research limitations;
• research philosophy;
• research design;
• ethical consideration;
• data collection methods;
• data analysis strategy.
• Findings and Results. Restate everything you have found in your research. However, do not interpret the data or make any conclusions yet.
• Discussion and Conclusion. In this chapter, you should personally interpret all of the data and make conclusions based on your research. It is essential to establish a logical link between the results and evidence. Finally, conclude the overall study. You can add final judgments, opinions, and comments.
• References. This section contains a list of references to all the sources that you used. Write down every material, which you quoted, mentioned, or paraphrased in your work. Check your educational institution’s guidelines to see how to do so correctly.
• Bibliography. Similar to the reference section, a bibliography is a list of sources you used in your dissertation. The only difference is that it should contain even the sources you don’t directly mention in your writing. Whatever helped you with the research, you state here.
• Appendices. The section may include any supplementary information that explains and complement the arguments. Add pictures, diagrams, and graphs that serve as examples for your research subject.

Writing a dissertation is the right challenge for those with ambitions and lots of determination. It is a lot like a marathon, and it starts with choosing the right topic. We hope that you will find one for yourself on this list. Good luck! Share the article to help those who may need a piece of advice or some history dissertation topics.

🔗 References

• How To Write A Dissertation: Department of Computer Science, West Lafayette, Purdue University
• Ph.D. Thesis Research, Where Do I Start: Don Davis, Columbia University
• Writing with Power: Elbow P., Oxford University
• Writing a Thesis or Dissertation – A Guide to Resources: Gricel Dominguez
• The Elements of Style: Strunk, W. Jr., White, E.B., Angell, R.
• A Collection Of Dissertation Topics In American History: asqauditconference.org
• Yale History Dissertations: Department of History, Yale University
• Dissertation Outline: School of Education, Duquesne University
• Developing a Thesis Statement: The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
• Writing an Abstract: The Writing Center, George Mason University
• Formatting Additional Pages: University of Missouri Graduate School
• Reference List vs. Bibliography: OWLL, Massey University
• How to Write Your Dissertation: Goldsmiths University for The Guardian
• Tips on Grammar, Punctuation and Style: Kim Cooper, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
• Acknowledgments, Thesis and Dissertation: Research Guides at Sam Houston State University
• Thesis Formatting, Writing up your Research: Subject Guides at University of Canterbury
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Home > Dissertations, Theses & Capstones Projects by Program > Art History Dissertations

Art History Dissertations

Dissertations from 2024 2024.

A Municipal Modernity: Women, Architecture, and Public Health in Working-Class New York, 1913–1950 , Jessica Fletcher

Without Us There Is No Britain: Black British Photography and Film Networks, 1950-1989 , Maria T. Quinata

Dissertations from 2023 2023

The Gilded Tropics: Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent in Florida, 1886-1917 , Theodore W. Barrow

Flamboyant Abundance: Performing Queer Maximalism, 1960–1990 , Jack Owen Crawford

"A Decorator in the Best Sense": Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Lilly Reich, the Fabric Curtain Partition, and the Articulation of the German Modern Interior , Marianne E. Eggler-Gerozissis

From Allegory to Revolution: The Inca Empire in the Eighteenth-Century French Imagination , Agnieszka A. Ficek

“Delicious Libation”: The Art of the Coffee Trade from Brazil to the United States, 1797-1888 , Caroline L. Gillaspie

Fifteenth-Century Sienese Art in Its International Setting: A Case Study of Cross-Cultural Exchange in Italy and Beyond , Maria Lucca

Creative Figures: Portraiture and the Making of the Modern American Artist, 1918-1930 , Sasha Nicholas

Raphael Montañez Ortiz and Alternative Art Spaces, 1966–1971: From Repulsion to Exaltation , Ana Cristina Perry

Styling Sweatshops: Seamstress Imagery, Industrial Capitalism, and Nationalist Agendas in Nineteenth-Century Europe and the United States , Alice J. Walkiewicz

Dissertations from 2022 2022

Pop/Art: The Birth of Underground Music and the British Art School, 1960–1980 , Andrew Cappetta

After the Renaissance: Art and Harlem in the 1960s , Maya Harakawa

Cultural Predicaments: Neorealism in The Netherlands, 1927–1945 , Stephanie Huber

Hellenikotita — Greekness: Constructing Greek Genre Painting, Visualizing National Identity, 1850–1900 , Olga Zaferatos Karras

Contextualizing Britain’s Holocaust Memorial and Museums: Form, Content, and Politics , Rebecca D. Pollack

The Beehive, the Favela, the Castle, and the Ministry: Race and Modern Architecture in Rio de Janeiro, 1811–1945 , Luisa Valle

Globalism and Identity in Taiwanese Contemporary Art, 1978–2009 , Chu-Chiun Wei

Dissertations from 2021 2021

Europ: Expanded Cinema, Projection and the Film Co-op in Western Europe, 1966–1979 , Drew E. Bucilla

Inevitable Associations: Art, Institution, and Cultural Intersection in Los Angeles, 1973–1988 , Liz Hirsch

Xanthus Smith: Marine Painting and Nationhood , Eva C. McGraw

Art After Dark: Economies of Performance, New York City 1978–1988 , Meredith Mowder

The Integration of Art, Architecture, and Identity: Alfred Kastner, Louis Kahn, and Ben Shahn at Jersey Homesteads , Daniel S. Palmer

The Making of Transpacific Video Art, 1966–1988 , Haeyun Park

The U.S.–Mexican War: Visualizing Contested Spaces from Parlor to Battlefield , Erika Pazian

After Abstract Expressionism: Reconsidering the “Death of Painting” at Midcentury , Natasha Roje

The Painter and His Poets: Paul Gauguin and Interartistic Exchange , Aaron Slodounik

Compromised Values: Charlotte Posenenske, 1966–Present , Ian Wallace

Dissertations from 2020 2020

Traditions and Transformations in the Work of Adál: Surrealism, El sainete , and Spanglish , Margarita J. Aguilar

Norman Lewis: Linearity, Politics, and Pedagogy in His Abstract Expressionism, 1946–1964 , Andrianna T. Campbell-LaFleur

The Art of Opacity: Guy de Cointet in L.A. , Media Farzin

Northwest Coast Native Art Beyond Revival, 1962–1992 , Christopher T. Green

Staging the Modern, Building the Nation: Exhibiting Israeli Art, 1939–1965 , Chelsea Haines

Labor and the Picturesque: Photography, Propaganda, and the Tea Trade in Colonial India and Sri Lanka, 1880–1914 , Leila Anne Harris

The International Rise of Afro-Brazilian Modernism in the Age of African Decolonization and Black Power , Abigail Lapin Dardashti

Accomplices in Art: The Expansion of Authorship in the 1970s and '80s , Sydney Stutterheim

The “Olympiad of Photography”: FIAP and the Global Photo-Club Culture, 1950–1965 , Alise Tifentale

Dissertations from 2019 2019

A Series of Acts that Disappear: The Valparaíso School’s Ephemeral Architectures, 1952–1982 , Elizabeth Rose Donato

Added Interpretive Centers at U.S. War Memorials and the Reframing of National History , Jennifer K. Favorite

Stills of Passage: Photography and Migration in the US-Mexico Borderlands, 1978-1992 , Nadiah Rivera Fellah

Arts et Métiers PHOTO- Graphiques : The Quest for Identity in French Photography between the Two World Wars , Yusuke Isotani

Crossing the Atlantic: Italians in Argentina and the Making of a National Culture, 1880–1930 , Lauren A. Kaplan

The Evolution of the Centaur in Italian Renaissance Art: Monster, Healer, Mentor, and Constellation , Trinity Martinez

Weaving Modern Forms: Fiber Design in the United States, 1939–1959 , Sarah Mills

The "I" of the Artist-Curator , Natalie Musteata

Ray Johnson: Collage as Networked "Correspondance" , Gillian Pistell

Mechanical Kingdoms: Sound Technologies and the Avant-Garde, 1928–1933 , Lauren Rosati

Minor Forms, Dismantled Norms: Mediums of Modernism in Pakistan , Gemma Sharpe

Gendered Subjectivity and Resistance: Brazilian Women’s Performance-for-Camera, 1973–1982 , Gillian Sneed

Framing the City: Photography and the Construction of São Paulo, 1930–1955 , Danielle J. Stewart

Between the Cracks: From Squatting to Tactical Media Art in the Netherlands, 1979–1993 , Amanda S. Wasielewski

Dissertations from 2018 2018

Writing with Light: Cameraless Photography and Its Narrative in the 1920s , Karen K. Barber

Bloomsbury's Byzantium and the Writing of Modern Art , Elizabeth Sarah Berkowitz

The Labyrinth and the Cave: Archaic Forms in Art and Architecture of Europe, 1952–1972 , Paula Burleigh

The South Korean “Meta-Avant-Garde,” 1961–1993: Subterfuge as Radical Agency , Sooran Choi

Creating 1968: Art, Architecture, and the Afterlives of the Mexican Student Movement , Mya B. Dosch

Cellist, Catalyst, Collaborator: The Work of Charlotte Moorman , Saisha Grayson

Modern Arts and Pueblo Traditions in Santa Fe, 1909–1931 , Elizabeth S. Hawley

Women’s Suffrage in American Art: Recovering Forgotten Contexts, 1900-1920 , Elsie Y. Heung

Rising Above the Faithful: Monumental Ceiling Crosses in Byzantine Cappadocia , Alice Lynn McMichael

Visualizing Knowledge in the Illuminated Manuscripts of the Breviari d’amor , Joy Partridge

Lauretta Vinciarelli in Context: Transatlantic Dialogues in Architecture, Art, Pedagogy, and Theory, 1968-2007 , Rebecca Siefert

Prints on Display: Exhibitions of Etching and Engraving in England, 1770s-1858 , Nicole Simpson

Dissertations from 2017 2017

Open Works: Between the Programmed and the Free, Art in Italy 1962 to 1972 , Lindsay A. Caplan

I. M. Pei, William Zeckendorf, and the Architecture of Urban Renewal , Marci M. Clark

Posthumanist Animals in Art: France and Belgium, 1972-87 , Arnaud Gerspacher

On London Ground: The Landscape Paintings of Frank Auerbach and Leon Kossoff , Lee Hallman

Joseph Beuys and Social Sculpture in the United States , Cara M. Jordan

Claude III Audran: Ornemaniste of the Rococo Style , Barbara Laux

Exhibitions of Outsider Art Since 1947 , Christina McCollum

Mónica Mayer: Translocality and the Development of Feminist Art in Contemporary Mexico , Alberto McKelligan Hernandez

Merchandise, Promotion, and Accessibility: Keith Haring’s Pop Shop , Amy L. Raffel

Ludic Conceptualism: Art and Play in the Netherlands, 1959 to 1975 , Janna Therese Schoenberger

Communicationists and Un-Artists: Pedagogical Experiments in California, 1966-1974 , Hallie Rose Scott

Foreign-Born Artists Making “American” Pictures: The Immigrant Experience and the Art of the United States, 1819–1893 , Whitney Thompson

Left and Right: Politics and Images of Motherhood in Weimar Germany , Michelle L. Vangen

From Design to Completion: The Transformation of U.S. War Memorials on the National Mall , Sara Jane Weintraub

Dissertations from 2016 2016

Export / Import: The Promotion of Contemporary Italian Art in the United States, 1935–1969 , Raffaele Bedarida

The Emergence of the Bird in Andean Paracas Art. c. 900 BCE - 200 CE , Mary B. Brown

The Moving Image in Public Art: U.S. and U.K., 1980–Present , Annie Dell'Aria

Modernism with a Human Face: Synthesis of Art and Architecture in Eastern Europe, 1954-1958 , Nikolaos Drosos

Building in Public: Critical Reconstruction and the Rebuilding of Berlin after 1990 , Naraelle Hohensee

The Bauhaus Wall Painting Workshop: Mural Painting to Wallpapering, Art to Product , Morgan Ridler

Provisional Capital: National and Urban Identity in the Architecture and Planning of Bonn, 1949-1979 , Samuel L. Sadow

Developing Italy: Photography and National Identity during the Risorgimento, 1839-1859 , Beth Saunders

The Photographic Universe: Vilém Flusser’s Theories of Photography, Media, and Digital Culture , Martha Schwendener

Finish Fetish: Art, Artists, and Alter Egos in Los Angeles of the 1960s , Monica Steinberg

Nature and Nostalgia in the Art of Mary Nimmo Moran (1842-1899) , Shannon Vittoria

Dissertations from 2015 2015

A Merchant-Banker's Ascent by Design: Bartolomeo Bettini's Cycle of Paintings by Michelangelo, Pontormo, and Bronzino for His Florentine Camera , Richard Aste

On the Fringe of Italian Fascism: An Examination of the Relationship between Vinicio Paladini and the Soviet Avant-Garde , Christina Brungardt

Let The Record Show: Mapping Queer Art and Activism in New York City, 1986-1995 , Tara Jean-Kelly Burk

Maude I. Kerns: Overlapping Interpretations of Art and Pedagogy in the Northwest and Along the Pacific Coast, 1890–1932 , Mary Helen Burnham

Contemporary Art and Internationalism at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1952–1988 , Rachel Chatalbash

Los Grupos and the Art of Intervention in 1960s and 1970s Mexico , Arden Decker

The Hall of Fame for Great Americans: The Evolution of a Forgotten Memorial , Sheila Gerami

Mobilizing The Collective: Helhesten And The Danish Avant-Garde, 1934-1946 , Kerry Greaves

Death and Photography in East Asia: Funerary Use of Portrait Photography , Jeehey Kim

Native American Chic: The Marketing Of Native Americans In New York Between The World Wars , Emily Schuchardt Navratil

The Print Portfolio and the Bourgeoisie in Fin-de-Siècle Paris , Britany Lane Salsbury

A Light in the Darkness: Argentinian Photography During the Military Dictatorship (1976-1983) , Ana Tallone

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Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe of New York Yankees Continue to Chase History

Brady farkas | jun 7, 2024.

• New York Yankees

The New York Yankees finished off a sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Thursday night. The 8-5 win moved the Yankees to 45-19 on the season, which is the best record in the American League. The Twins are now 33-29 and remain in third place in the American League Central.

In the win, Yankees' leadoff man Anthony Volpe went 1-for-5 with a run scored. Aaron Judge went 0-for-3 but scored two runs after drawing two walks.

By getting on base yet again, Volpe and Judge moved even closer to the top of a prestigious list in teammate history.

Per Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

most consecutive games reaching base safely, teammates in games played together (Expansion Era, 1961): 1998 Cal Ripken, Eric Davis: 36 2001 Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez: 35 2003 Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal: 34 2024 Anthony Volpe, Aaron Judge: 32 *active 1988 Mike Greenwell, Wade Boggs: 32 h/t @EliasSports

most consecutive games reaching base safely, teammates in games played together (Expansion Era, 1961): 1998 Cal Ripken, Eric Davis: 36 2001 Ichiro Suzuki, Edgar Martinez: 35 2003 Andruw Jones, Rafael Furcal: 34 2024 Anthony Volpe, Aaron Judge: 32 *active 1988 Mike Greenwell,… — Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 7, 2024

Volpe is hitting .288 this season while Judge is hitting .289. With Juan Soto sandwiched between them in the order, the Yankees have one of the best top-thirds of a lineup of any team in baseball.

Both Judge and Soto each have OPS's over 1.000 at this point.

The Yankees will start a big-time series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. First pitch from Yankee Stadium will come at 7:05 p.m. ET.

It will mark the first visit for Shohei Ohtani to Yankee Stadium as a member of the Dodgers.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will pitch for Los Angeles. He'll be opposed by Cody Poteet, who is making his third start for the Yankees.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on  Facebook  and by following us on Twitter  @FastballFN .

BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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France Dispatch

For the First French Town Liberated on D-Day, History Is Personal

Some aging residents of Ste.-Mère-Église in Normandy can still recall the American paratroopers who dropped into their backyard. It’s been a love affair ever since.

A parade of the military vehicles used during the American landing in 1944 in Ste.-Mère-Église, France, on Monday. Credit...

Supported by

By Catherine Porter

Photographs by Andrea Mantovani

Reporting from Ste.-Mère-Église, France

• June 7, 2024

American soldiers in uniforms spill out from the bars and cafes all around June 6 Square, drinking beer and smoking cigarettes.

Phil Collins blares from loudspeakers. American flags flutter from chimneys and windows, on overhead lines and even from around the neck of a golden retriever trotting by with her owner.

Is this really France?

“This is the 53rd state,” Philippe Nekrassoff, a local deputy mayor, said as he made his way across the square, with its Roman milestone and medieval church, while U.S. paratroopers wearing maroon berets played soccer with a group of local teenagers. “Americans are at home here.”

Here is Ste.-Mère-Église, a slip of a town in northwest Normandy with one main street. About 3,000 residents live in the town and its surrounding region, with its fields of cows and towering hedges.

Hundreds of U.S. paratroopers landed in the immediate area in the early hours of June 6, 1944. Four hours later — even before the world’s largest armada arrived to the nearby Normandy beaches — one of those soldiers hauled down the Nazi flag and hoisted an American one up over city hall.

English Channel

Ste.-Mère-Église

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Former CIA Officer Joshua Adam Schulte Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For Espionage And Child Pornography Crimes

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that JOSHUA ADAM SCHULTE was sentenced to 40 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman for crimes of espionage, computer hacking, contempt of Court, making false statements to the FBI, and child pornography.  SCHULTE’s theft is the largest data breach in the history of the CIA, and his transmission of that stolen information to WikiLeaks is one of the largest unauthorized disclosures of classified information in the history of the U.S.  Today’s sentencing followed SCHULTE’s convictions at trials that concluded on March 9, 2020, July 13, 2022, and September 13, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Joshua Schulte betrayed his country by committing some of the most brazen, heinous crimes of espionage in American history.  He caused untold damage to our national security in his quest for revenge against the CIA for its response to Schulte’s security breaches while employed there.  When the FBI caught him, Schulte doubled down and tried to cause even more harm to this nation by waging what he described as an ‘information war’ of publishing top secret information from behind bars.  And all the while, Schulte collected thousands upon thousands of videos and images of children being subjected to sickening abuse for his own personal gratification.  The outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the career prosecutors in this Office unmasked Schulte for the traitor and predator that he is and made sure that he will spend 40 years behind bars – right where he belongs.”

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “Mr. Schulte severely harmed U.S. national security and directly risked the lives of CIA personnel, persisting in his efforts even after his arrest.  As today’s sentence reaffirms, the Department of Justice is committed to investigating, prosecuting, and holding accountable those who would violate their constitutional oath and betray the trust of the American people they pledged to protect.”

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Today, Joshua Schulte was rightly punished not only for his betrayal of our country, but for his substantial possession of horrific child pornographic material.  The severity of his actions is evident, and the sentence imposed reflects the magnitude of the disturbing and harmful threat posed by his criminal conduct.  The FBI will not yield in our efforts to bring to justice anyone who endangers innocent children or threatens our national security.”

According to court documents and evidence at trial:

From 2012 to 2016, SCHULTE was employed as a software developer in the Center for Cyber Intelligence (“CCI”), which conducts offensive cyber operations: cyber espionage relating to terrorist organizations and foreign governments.  SCHULTE and other CCI developers worked on tools that were used in, among other things, human-enabled operations: cyber operations that involved a person with access to the computer network being targeted by the cyber tool.  In addition to being a developer, SCHULTE was also temporarily one of the administrators of one of the servers and suite of development programs used to build cyber tools.

In March 2016, SCHULTE was moved within branches of CCI as a result of personnel disputes between SCHULTE and another developer.  Following that transfer, in April 2016, SCHULTE abused his administrator powers to grant himself administrator privileges over a development project from which he had been removed as a result of the branch change.  SCHULTE’s abuse of administrator privileges was detected, and CCI leadership directed that administrator privileges would immediately be transferred from developers, including SCHULTE, to another division.  SCHULTE was also given a warning about self-granting administrator privileges that had previously been revoked. 

SCHULTE had, however, secretly opened an administrator session on one of the servers before his privileges were removed.  On April 20, 2016, after other developers had left the CCI office, SCHULTE used his secret server administrator session to execute a series of cyber-maneuvers on the CIA network to restore his revoked privileges, break in to the backups, steal copies of the entire CCI tool development archives (the “Stolen CIA Files”), revert the network back to its prior state, and delete hundreds of log files in an attempt to cover his tracks.  SCHULTE’s theft of the Stolen CIA Files is the largest data breach in CIA history.

From his home computer, SCHULTE then transmitted the Stolen CIA Files to WikiLeaks, using anonymizing tools recommended by WikiLeaks to potential leakers, such as the Tails operating system and the Tor browser.  On May 5, 2016, having transmitted the Stolen CIA Files to WikiLeaks, SCHULTE wiped and reformatted his home computer’s internal hard drives.

On March 7, 2017, WikiLeaks began publishing classified data from the Stolen CIA Files.  Between March and November 2017, there were a total of 26 disclosures of classified data from the Stolen CIA Files that WikiLeaks denominated as Vault 7 and Vault 8 (the “WikiLeaks Disclosures”).  The WikiLeaks Disclosures were one of the largest unauthorized disclosures of classified information in the history of the U.S., and SCHULTE’s theft and disclosure immediately and profoundly damaged the CIA’s ability to collect foreign intelligence against America’s adversaries; placed CIA personnel, programs, and assets directly at risk; and cost the CIA hundreds of millions of dollars.  The effect was described at trial by the former CIA Deputy Director of Digital Innovation as a “digital Pearl Harbor,” and the disclosure caused exceptionally grave harm to the national security of the U.S.   

Following the WikiLeaks Disclosures, SCHULTE was voluntarily interviewed on multiple occasions by the FBI in March 2017.  During those interviews, SCHULTE repeatedly lied, including denying being responsible for the theft of the Stolen CIA Files or for the WikiLeaks Disclosures and spinning fake narratives about ways the Stolen CIA Files could have been obtained from CIA computers, in the hope of deflecting suspicion away from SCHULTE and diverting law enforcement resources to false leads. 

In March 2017, the FBI searched SCHULTE’s apartment in New York pursuant to a search warrant and recovered, among other things, multiple computers, servers, and other electronic storage devices, including SCHULTE’s personal desktop computer (the “Desktop Computer”), which SCHULTE built while living in Virginia and then transported to New York in November 2016.  On the Desktop Computer, FBI agents found layers of encryption hiding tens of thousands of videos and images of child sexual abuse materials, including approximately 3,400 images and videos of disturbing and horrific child pornography and the rape and sexual abuse of children as young as two years old, as well as images of bestiality and sadomasochism.  SCHULTE collected some of these files during his employment with the CIA and continued to stockpile child pornography from the dark web and Russian websites after moving to New York.

While detained pending trial, in approximately April 2018, SCHULTE sent a copy of the affidavit in support of the warrant to search his apartment, which a protective order entered by the Court prohibiting SCHULTE from disseminating, to reporters from two different newspapers, and SCHULTE acknowledged in recorded phone calls that he knew he was prohibited from sharing protected material like the affidavit.

Despite being warned by the Court not to violate the protective order further, in the summer and fall of 2018, SCHULTE made plans to wage what he proclaimed to be an “information war” against the U.S. government.  To pursue these ends, SCHULTE obtained access to contraband cellphones while in jail that he used to create anonymous, encrypted email and social media accounts.  SCHULTE also attempted to use the contraband cellphones to transmit protected discovery materials to WikiLeaks and planned to use the anonymous email and social media accounts to publish a manifesto and various other postings containing classified information about CIA cyber techniques and cyber tools.  In a journal, SCHULTE wrote that he planned to “breakup diplomatic relationships, close embassies, [and] end U.S. occupation across the world[.]”  SCHULTE successfully sent emails containing classified information about the CCI development network and the number of employees in particular CIA cyber intelligence groups to a reporter. 

As a result of this conduct, on March 9, 2020, SCHULTE was found guilty at trial of contempt of court and making material false statements.  On July 13, 2022, SCHULTE was found guilty at trial of eight counts: illegal gathering and transmission of national defense information in connection with his theft and dissemination of the Stolen CIA Files, illegal transmission and attempted transmission of national defense information, unauthorized access to a computer to obtain classified information and information from a department or agency of the U.S. in connection with his theft of the Stolen CIA Files, and two counts of causing transmission of harmful computer commands in connection with his theft of the Stolen CIA Files.  Finally, on September 13, 2023, SCHULTE was found guilty at trial on charges of receiving, possessing, and transporting child pornography.

*                *                *

In addition to the prison term, SCHULTE, 35, of New York, New York, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the Counterintelligence Division and the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force of the FBI’s New York Field Office, as well as the extraordinary work of FBI computer scientists from the Cyber Action Team.  Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI Washington Field Office, the CIA Office of General Counsel, and the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Denton Jr., Michael D. Lockard, and Nicholas S. Bradley are in charge of the prosecution.

Nicholas Biase, Lauren Scarff (212) 637-2600

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How Donald Trump's criminal conviction is already rewriting American history

A single word uttered 34 times in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday afternoon changed American history.

That was the outcome delivered from a 12-person New York jury that found former President Donald Trump culpable on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to commit or conceal another crime. The criminal case centered around allegations that he attempted to cover up a $130,000 hush-money payment to an adult film actress so that it wouldn't hurt his prospects in the 2016 presidential election.

Trump is now the first former U.S. president convicted of a crime . He’s also the first person convicted of a felony who is on track to become a major party presidential nominee. Experts told USA TODAY the event is a triumph for the rule of law − for now − regardless of whether it affects the outcome of the next election.

It’s hardly the first time Trump has made history. He was the first president without government or military experience , the first president to refuse to commit to a peaceful transfer of power and the first president impeached twice . This latest first will forever mark his legacy.

While political scientists and historians were divided over whether the verdict would influence the 2024 presidential election in any measurable way, they did agree on one immutable fact – the verdict will rewrite history books.  

The biggest takeaway?

“In a nation ruled by laws, not men, no one is above the rule of law,” said Jennifer Mercieca, a professor at Texas A&M University. “Not even a president.” 

No moment like this 

Other former U.S. presidents have been enmeshed in high-profile legal problems, litigation and congressional investigation stemming from a political scandal. Trump's New York hush money case has drawn comparisons to the Watergate scandal that ended Richard Nixon’s presidency and then-President Bill Clinton's impeachment in 1998 during his second term in office. 

But Susan Liebell, a political science professor at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, said those events aren't equivalent to Trump’s 34 felony convictions because Nixon and Clinton weren't convicted of a crime. And Liebell said she’s “deeply suspicious” of anyone who says they know what impact the New York verdict will have on American politics based on those prior examples. 

“No American president has ever been convicted in a criminal proceeding,” Liebell said. “There are no historical precedents.”

Unlike Trump, Nixon never faced trial. He was pre-emptively pardoned by his successor, Gerald Ford, before he could be criminally prosecuted for his role in the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and subsequent coverup. Nixon resigned from office two years into his second term in 1974 as momentum grew in Congress for his impeachment, and the Republican president never again ran for public office. 

Trump, meanwhile, has only served one term in the White House and is now the presumptive GOP nominee for president − and he has shown no plans of ending his latest bid for president as a result of Thursday’s verdict. Trump remained defiant and unremorseful throughout the trial, saying he "didn’t do anything wrong."

Jeffrey Engel, director of presidential history projects at Southern Methodist University, argued that while “Nixon is not typically whom historians turn to for examples of exalted presidential behavior,” the former president “knew the job, and the country, was bigger than himself.”

“To date, Donald Trump does not,” Engel said. 

Engel and Shannon O’Brien, a professor and self-described "presidency nerd" at the University of Texas at Austin, also pushed back on comparisons to Clinton’s 1998 House impeachment for lying to investigators and obstruction of justice tied to a sexual affair with intern Monica Lewinsky .

While Trump and Clinton’s cases both “involved sexual issues,” O’Brien said “that's about where the close comparisons end.”

The Senate acquitted Clinton after his House impeachment, and the Justice Department didn't pursue federal criminal penalties against the Democrat due to a policy dating to Nixon's time that sitting presidents cannot be charged with crimes while in office. Clinton also reached an agreement with the Justice Department on his final full day in the White House to avoid post-presidential prosecution on a related matter in exchange for paying a fine, a 5-year suspension of his law license and a public admission of unprofessional conduct.

By comparison, Trump was found guilty on Thursday on 34 state felony counts by a 12-person jury. He also still faces criminal charges in three other jurisdictions − two federal cases and a state case in Georgia − tied to allegations he tried to overturn the 2020 presidential election that he lost and kept classified materials in his possession after leaving the White House and then obstructing the investigation into the matter. The former president has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

President Clinton's career as an elected official ended after his two terms in the White House. However, Engel suggested that the Democratic president's scandals undercut then-Vice President Al Gore’s 2000 White House campaign that concluded with a razor-thin loss to George W. Bush.

“If Trump loses, we will say that the lesson of Clinton, and then of all presidents, is that there are places the electorate won’t go to support a candidate,” Engel said.  “Right now, the line is at felony conviction. That line may well move by November.”

A constitutional victory

Historians USA TODAY spoke with described the verdict in Trump’s trial as a win for some of the most heralded legal principles in the country, chief among those being the phrase “equal justice under the law" that is inscribed at the top of the U.S. Supreme Court building.

Engel argued that the “men who wrote the Constitution would be pleased” that the political system they designed did not buckle. Instead, as intended, he argued, a former commander-in-chief received the same treatment in the justice system as any other American citizen. 

A New York grand jury last year found that there was sufficient evidence to bring a case against Trump for the hush money payments. After listening to that evidence in a Manhattan courtroom over the past six weeks, the 12-person jury of Trump’s peers found the ex-president guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

“He was not convicted by President Biden or his political enemies but unanimously and quickly by a jury of 12 ordinary Americans,” said Allan Lichtman , a professor of history at American University.

Engel and Lichtman, however, expressed concern that Trump’s response to the verdict could erode trust in U.S. institutions that allowed for the former president’s trial to take place.

“They will say New Yorkers are too biased to be fair; that a jury can be persuaded by a reckless prosecutor or a manic judge; that the entire trial was political,” Engel said of Trump and his allies. 

Indeed, minutes after the jury read out its decision, Trump described his New York verdict as “a disgrace” and vowed to fight his felony convictions. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., similarly framed the case as a “ weaponization of our justice system ” by Democrats to prevent Trump from retaking the presidency. 

O’Brien argued that Trump and his supporters were making unfounded allegations of bias from the New York courts because accepting its legitimacy would harm their side's political prospects.

“He cannot respect a system that holds him accountable,” O’Brien said. “He has to tear it down because he is out of other options.”

Trump also will be making a bid to get his conviction overturned on an appeal, something he and his lawyers have said they plan to do by claiming that the judge in the case acted unfairly and that there were flaws in the testimony of key witnesses, including former Trump Organization lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen. Some legal experts who have long been on Trump's side in the wider political debate have suggested that there could be validity to such an appeal.

Jonathan Turley, a professor at the George Washington University Law School, argued in a recent op-ed in The Hill that Trump's trial is "a target-rich environment for an appeal, with multiple layers of reversible error."

Turley, who testified in Trump's two impeachment trials, questioned the validity of the judge's instructions to the jury before their deliberations.

"The court largely used standard instructions in a case that was anything but standard. However, the instruction also allowed for doubt as to what the jury would ultimately find," Turley said.

Merchan told jurors that they needed to unanimously find that Trump engaged in a criminal conspiracy to falsify business records with intent to commit another crime. But the jurors did not need to agree on what the other crime was. They could choose from three other crimes the prosecution laid out, including violation of federal election laws, violation of tax laws or falsification of other business records.

An uncertain future

Shortly after the trial's conclusion on Thursday, Trump argued that the “real verdict” on his innocence will come on Election Day .

The latest RealClearPolitics Average of national polls shows Trump and President Joe Biden stuck in a dead heat, with Trump holding a marginal lead. 

The experts responding to USA TODAY said they were split over how Trump’s felony conviction will affect his chances of victory . They noted that Trump’s campaign is expected to use the verdict to drum up support and fundraising among his base. What’s more unknown, however, is the way it will influence swing voters . 

“We have no idea how voters will react,” Liebell said. “The question is how it affects independent voters and Republicans who may agree with conservative policies but have concerns about corruption and integrity.”

She pointed to an Ipsos poll from April that found roughly 40% of Republicans and two-thirds of independents considered the hush money charges to be serious. Of those who said they would vote for Trump if the election was held at that moment, 13% said they wouldn’t vote for him if he was convicted of a felony by a jury. An additional 25% said they wouldn’t support him if he was serving a prison sentence at the time of the election.

Given the tight margins in the presidential race, Lichtman suggested that a small defection of moderate voters away from Trump could be enough to hamper the Republican's chances of victory. 

Litchman has correctly forecast the winner of most presidential elections since 1984, with the exception of the race in 2000. While he hasn’t made a final prediction this year, he said “a lot would have to go wrong for Biden to lose reelection.”