PhD in History (Institute of Historical Research)

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. The Institute 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 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 pas

This degree presents the opportunity to gain expertise in your area of interest while also honing a range of transferable skills. By completing this course, you'll be well prepared for specialist career paths both within academia and beyond.