Department of History

Final Orientation Schedule, August 2009

We have finalized our orientation schedule for incoming students, PhD and MAGIC, which you can download here. Please email Jess Simmon, Assistant to the Director of Graduate Studies, with any questions or concerns. Orientation will run from August 28 (Friday) through September 1 (Tuesday). Classes begin on Wednesday, September 3. We look forward to the arrival of our new graduate students!

For the rest of the academic calendar as published by Georgetown's Registrar's Office, please click here.

On Saturday, August 29, we will be holding our 4th annual department BBQ/picnic to welcome the new graduate students to our program. The BBQ will take place at Virginia Highlands Playground, in Arlington, VA. The park is just a block away from the Pentagon City metro station (blue and yellow lines, details at wmata.com). Details and a map can be found here. Again, please contact Jess Simmon with any questions.

Housing & Transportation Resources

Housing in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is in high demand. Therefore, you should arrange accommodations for the fall as soon as possible; incoming students are advised to begin looking for housing as early as May. Students who have waited until August have often been disappointed as they search for affordable housing in convenient locations. (Be sure to have your deposit ready when looking, but do not feel pressured to sign a lease.) Georgetown does not have on-campus housing for graduate students, but Georgetown's Off-Campus Housing office and those at other nearby universities have some useful information and resources on their web sites.

When choosing where to live, please keep in mind the availability of Metrobus, Metrorail, and GUTS (Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle) routes to Rosslyn, Dupont Circle, and Upper Arlington, as parking in Georgetown is both difficult and expensive. There is no on-campus parking for students at this time, and street parking around the university is generally limited to two hours and is difficult to find.

Incoming students frequently ask where current History graduate students live. The answer is all over, but there are some "popular" places. Many graduate students live in the neighborhoods around the university (Burleith, Glover Park) or areas easily accessible by Metro and GUTS (Rosslyn and North Arlington in Virginia, Dupont Circle in the District), while others commute from outlying suburbs. The transportation resources below should help in acquaint you with the areas and issues involved.

Housing:

 

Georgetown University Off-Campus Housing

Georgetown's searchable database of local housing for rent; the site also contains useful legal information. Until you recieve your NetID, you can login to the service with the following username/password combination: guest, auxhoya

 

American University Off Campus Housing

Another database from American University

 

Washington City Paper

The City Paper's online listings are updated every Tuesday afternoon

 

Washingtonpost.com: Real Estate

The Washington Post's Classifieds (though with the way the real estate classifieds are currently listed online, picking up a copy of the paper is still more helpful)

 

Transportation:

 

GU Office of Transportation Management

Information on parking and transportation, including GUTS bus routes

 

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Metro's homepage and visitor's guide

 

Getting Started at Georgetown:

The following information and links will be helpful for getting your academic life started at Georgetown and in the History Department.

History Department Information:

 

Visiting the Department

If you wish to visit the Department in the spring or summer, contact the Assistant to the Director of Graduate Studies, Jessica Simmon, and the faculty member(s) you wish to visit before coming. The department works half-days during the summer and faculty are often away doing research. (The University provides directions to campus here.)

Listserv Info

The official department list handles department updates and reminders, announcements of job postings, and other information relating to the History Department. As an incoming student, we invite you to join the administrative graduate student list at your earliest convenience. To do so, please send an email request to our Administrative Officer, Kathy Buc Gallagher.

 

Living in Washington:

Now that you have a place to live and have all the information you need to begin your academic career at Georgetown, here are some links to help you get a life in Washington!

 

Utilities:

 

Telephone Service:

DC: (202) 954-6263
MD: (301) 954-6260
VA: (703) 954-6222

 

Electric Service:

DC and MD: PEPCO (202) 833-7500
VA: Dominion Virginia Power (888) 667-3000

 

Gas Service: Washington Gas
Government: State and Local Government Websites:

DC
MD: Montgomery County and Prince George's County
VA: Arlington County, Alexandria, and Fairfax County

 

Voter Registration:

DC, MD, and VA

 

Drivers License and Vehicle Registration:

DC, MD, and VA

 

US Postal Service:

Post Office Locator and Relocation, Moving and Address Changes

 

Grocery Stores:

Giant Food, Safeway, Harris Teeter, and Whole Foods

 

CVS Pharmacy

 

POTOMAC MILLS

A large outlet mall on I-95, including stores like IKEA

Potomac Yard

 

Linens 'n Things

 

Staples

 

Entertainment:

 

TICKETplace

Culture on a graduate student's budget: day-of-show tickets at half-price

 

Graduate Life

The Graduate School's guide to living in Washington

 

Guide to Washington, DC

GU Physics Department's Guide to Having a Life in Washington

 

NBC4's WeatherNet4

Check the local weather to make sure it doesn't spoil your plans