PhD at the Institute of Historical Research
London, United Kingdom
DURATION
3 up to 6 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Request earliest startdate
TUITION FEES
GBP 6,130 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* home, full-time | £15500: international, full-time. fees vary depending on mode of study and fee status. please visit our website for updated fees
Introduction
Undertaking doctoral research allows you to develop in-depth knowledge while making a meaningful contribution to your chosen field.
With guidance from our expert supervisors, you'll carry out extensive independent research culminating in a thesis of up to 100,000 words.
This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. On completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.
The Institute of Historical Research has a broad remit to cover the history of the world from the fourth to the twenty-first century but has particular strengths in British and European history.
The Institute of Historical Research
The Institute of Historical Research was founded in 1921 to address the limited opportunities for historical research and training in the UK.
The IHR was significant in its aim to place the UK historical profession in a global context, bringing international scholars together in a variety of fora. It was designed to provide historically informed research to the government, to serve as a repository of bibliographic information, to be a testing ground for new historical ideas and methods, and a meeting place for historians of all nationalities.
The School of Advanced Study
The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national center for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Our students fund their studies in a variety of ways including scholarships, bursaries, and fellowships, as well as government loans and postgraduate loans.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that you don't need to pay back and are awarded based on personal circumstances or academic achievement. Funding at the postgraduate level is competitive so it’s a good idea to plan financially before starting your course.
- The London Arts and Humanities Partnership Studentship
- University of London Scholars Awards
- Yusuf Ali Scholarship offered by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies
- Stefania Barichello International Travel Bursary
- JB Trapp Scholarship offered by the Warburg Institute
- Rubinstein Scholarship offered by the Warburg Institute
Curriculum
The Institute of Historical Research offers doctoral research supervision in the following broad areas:
- Medieval British history
- Modern British history
- Local, regional, and community histories of the British Isles
- Place and Identity
- Early medieval Northumbria and the North
- Later medieval armies and warfare
- Urban and metropolitan history (especially London), including comparative approaches across Europe and elsewhere
- Late medieval and early modern urban history
- Digital History and Historical GIS
- History of propaganda in the twentieth century
- History of the First and Second World Wars
- History of emotions in modern Britain
- The everyday lives of ‘ordinary’ people
- Architecture, planning, and the built environment in Britain from the twentieth century onward
- The British Commonwealth and British decolonisation
- History and policy
- Medievalism and other usages of the past
Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of the Institute's academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal.
Course structure
The degree can be taken full-time over three years (or a maximum of four) or part-time over six years (or a maximum of eight), with entry in January or October. You'll initially be registered for our MPhil and, providing your progress has been satisfactory, will then be upgraded to our Ph.D. program.
The primary activity of the Ph.D. program is the writing of a thesis of up to 100,000 words. There is no formal coursework, but you will be expected to participate in a Work in Progress seminar each term and to present at that seminar from your second year onward.
You're also encouraged to participate in the regular seminars held at the Institute during the academic year. After submission of the thesis, you will attend an oral examination conducted by an internal examiner, from the University of London, and an external examiner, normally from another British university.
Distance Learning
The School of Advanced Study will offer students with an appropriate topic and level of local resources the opportunity to undertake a Ph.D. by distance learning. These students are required to attend our London campus at set intervals to complete an intensive research training module, for upgrade, and for the viva but will otherwise study at their location. This option is available to UK, EU, and international students on the same basis as our on-campus PhD programs (three years full-time, six years part-time). Fees are the same as for our on-campus Ph.D. programs. Please note that not all institutes and supervisors offer this option and that some topics are not appropriate to be studied this way.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
You'll have access to the world-renowned Wohl library, with over 200,000 history books and periodicals, and to the Institute’s digital and online resources. You can also take advantage of free access to the University of London’s Senate House Library with over a million books, and other unique collections such as the Institute of Classical Studies Library and the Warburg Institute Library.
The Institute is at the center of academic history and has partnerships with numerous nationally and internationally renowned libraries and art collections, as well as links with the cultural and heritage sector, professional bodies, Guilds and Livery Companies, Archives, the City of London, and higher education institutions in the UK and internationally.
You'll be welcomed to the wide range of history seminars and specialist research training programs, as well as benefitting from the Institute’s network of Senior, Honorary, Research, and Associate fellows. There are opportunities to work alongside the established research centers in History – the Centre for the History of People, Place and Community and the History & Policy Unit.
As part of the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London, you'll also benefit from a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment. You’ll learn from leading specialists in your field; hone your research skills in our highly regarded training programs; expand your knowledge through an extensive calendar of events, conferences, and seminars, and become part of a worldwide network of humanities scholars. You will also have access to training opportunities from across the University of London’s colleges through the Bloomsbury Learning Exchange (BLE) and Bloomsbury Postgraduate Skills Network (BPSN).