At its recent spring commencement ceremonies, Howard University in Washington, D.C. awarded 96 Ph.D. degrees. This year, 16 Ph.D.s were awarded in engineering or the physical sciences. There were 31 Ph.D.s awarded in the arts and humanities, 25 in the biological and life sciences, and 24 in the social sciences. The university states that since 1996 it has awarded more doctoral degrees to on-campus African American students than any other university in the United States.
Howard University awarded its first Ph.D. degree in 1958. The university currently offers 28 Ph.D. programs.