The University of Edinburgh home

  • Schools & departments

phd in history edinburgh

PhD in History

The PhD in History offers you the opportunity to study history at an advanced level through independent research.

The PhD is our principal research degree. The size of Edinburgh’s history department, and the breadth of expertise available from our staff, means that we can offer supervision for research projects in a wide array of fields. We have strong research concentrations in Scottish history, American history, global and transnational history, Irish history, intellectual history, and medieval history, and colleagues who can supervise topics spanning two millennia and five continents. Members of the history department have strong links with colleagues elsewhere in the University with research expertise in related disciplines, from Classics, Archaeology and History of Art to Politics and Economics.

The breadth of research expertise in the School and in the wider University makes it possible for us to supervise a very wide range of topics. Each student is allocated at least two supervisors, allowing us to combine thematic, chronological and, if appropriate, disciplinary expertise in the supervisory team. We also have close links with external organisations, such as the National Museums of Scotland, and may be able to include external partners in supervisory teams.

Details of PhD projects currently being undertaken in the School can be found on our list of research student web profiles .

Read an  interview  with a PhD student in History.

Programme structure

The PhD is a substantial piece of independent research which makes a contribution to the state of existing knowledge in the field. The PhD programme is designed to take three years full-time or six years part time. The PhD is examined by submission of a thesis of up to 100,000 words and by oral examination.

PhD students work closely with their supervisors, who are recognised experts in the field of study. All PhD students pursue an individually tailored programme of research training agreed with their supervisors. The PhD programmes in History provide core training in the research skills necessary to flourish at doctoral level and beyond, through a core course in semester one, Professional Skills for Historians , and a day-long annual conference for PhD students in semester two.  All PhD students in the School also benefit from School and University-wide training in research and professional skills.

PhD students are encouraged to share their research with other postgraduate students through workshops and seminars, and to take an active part in the research life of the history subject area, the School and the University through our research groups and centres and through student-led workshops and seminars. Current research groups include Intellectual History ; History of Science, Medicine and Technology ; Political History ; Irish History ; and Late Antique and Byzantine Studies . We also have three research centres: The Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary History ;  Medieval and Renaissance Studies ; and the Edinburgh Centre for Global History .

You must  contact a potential supervisor  to discuss your research project before making a formal application.

If you have any questions about the programme, please contact the Programme Director.

Dr Meha Priyadarshini

Programme Director

phd in history edinburgh

Contact details

Apply for this programme

  • Fees and funding
  • School guidance on  applying (link to 5 step guide)
  • If you require a visa we advise that you apply as early as possible.
  • All candidates who want apply for funding must submit their application for a place at the University in advance of the relevant funding deadline (in December and January typically - details can be found on the  funding website ).
  • The final deadline for which the School will consider applications for the programme is 1 July 2024.

Apply through our Degree Finder now

  • If you are hoping to study for this degree by distance please read further details and entry requirements here - PhD by Distance

This article was published on 2024-08-01




Degree Programme Table: History (PhD) - (Full-time) (PRPHDHISTY1F)

Year 1 academic year: 2022/23, starting in: september.

There are no compulsory courses in this year of this programme.

Year 2 Academic year: 2022/23, Starting in: September

Year 3 academic year: 2022/23, starting in: september, year 4 academic year: 2022/23, starting in: september.

  • EN Action Another action
  • Free Counselling

Thanks for visiting TopUniversities.com today! So that we can show you the most relevant information, please select the option that most closely relates to you.

  • Looking for undergraduate studies
  • Looking for postgraduate studies
  • Student but not looking for further education at the moment
  • Parent or Guardian
  • University administrator
  • Professional

phd in history edinburgh

Thanks for sending your response.

Your input will help us improve your experience. You can close this popup to continue using the website or choose an option below to register in or login.

Already have an account? Sign in

The University of Edinburgh Logo

History PhD

Central campus, edinburgh, united kingdom, # 22 qs subject rankings, 36 months program duration, yes scholarships, history main subject area, program overview, main subject, study level.

Research interests within History are extremely wide-ranging and include medieval culture, religion, gender, and law; historical theory; early modern witchcraft and the occult; the Italian Renaissance; North America from the colonial era; intellectual history from Machiavelli to Marx; genocide; Nazi and post-war Germany; Russia and the Soviet Union; the Cold War; and political, social, and cultural aspects of the history of China, Japan, Africa, India, Latin America and the Caribbean in the modern era.

In particular, we host expertise in:

  • Medieval history: our research interests lie in the social, political, religious and cultural history of Britain, Europe and the Mediterranean – from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance, with particular emphasis on gender, saints, medicine, and crusades.
  • Modern British and Irish history: we have particular interests in early modern religion, belief and intellectual history (including the Scottish Enlightenment); social and political history; Second World War Studies, relations between Britain and Ireland; and international relations.
  • Modern European history: specialisms include 18th-century political and intellectual history; genocide; France; Germany; Russia and the Soviet Union; and Spain.
  • American history: our expertise includes revolutionary and early national America; the Civil War; US diplomatic history in the 19th and 20th centuries; politics in the 20th century; African-American history and the civil rights movement.
  • Global and Transnational history: we research African history; Caribbean and Latin American history; the history of the British Empire and Commonwealth; modern India, Pakistan, and China and Japan from the early modern period to the contemporary world, and the history of global connections and the movement of people, objects, images and ideas

Admission requirements

Important dates, tuition fee and scholarships, scholarships.

One of the important factors when considering a master's degree is the cost of study. Luckily, there are many options available to help students fund their master's programme. Download your copy of the Scholarship Guide to find out which scholarships from around the world could be available to you, and how to apply for them.

In this guide you will find:

Where to look for scholarship opportunities

How to apply to scholarships relevant to you

A list of available scholarships around the world

A scholarship application checklist

QS WUR Ranking By Subject

More programs from the university, bachelor ug.

Undergraduate programmes at the University of Edinburgh

We offer almost 400 degrees across 60 different subject areas . Many of these are joint honours degrees, offering the potential for innovative cross-disciplinary subject combinations. Some of our degrees let you study a single subject in depth, developing a deep understanding of one area. Others feature an open and flexible structure with options to tailor your own studies. This lets you choose whether to experience a wide range of topics before you specialise, or sample multiple subjects in a broader degree.  Our global links offer you possibilities for fieldwork, industry placements and study abroad opportunities, and our research-led, industry-informed teaching incorporates the latest developments in your field. Your options 

As one of Scotland’s four ‘ancient’ universities, many of our full-time degrees in the humanities and social sciences are undergraduate masters qualifications that require four years of study. In science and engineering we offer four-year bachelors degrees or five-year integrated masters. We also offer a smaller number of other qualifications including LLB Law, as well as a few degrees with shorter or longer full-time study durations. These range from three to five or even six years (MBChB Medicine). Depending on your qualifications, you may have the option to start in the second year of some of our science, engineering, biomedical sciences and medical sciences, and art and design degrees. We also offer an expanding range of options for students progressing from a Higher National Certificate or Diploma.

Supporting you and your studies

We provide a range of support services to help not only with your academic needs, but also your personal needs.

Your first point of contact for teaching, academic advice and guidance will be within the School in which you study. You will be supported by a combination of academic and dedicated student experience and administrative staff who will be able to provide you with or direct you to appropriate support for challenges that may occur during your studies, whether this is directly related to your learning and teaching skills or rising from life situations. You will also have access to a variety of peer-to-peer learning networks as well as student societies. Funding and scholarships We appreciate studying here is a significant financial commitment. We awarded more than £10m in undergraduate financial support in 2022/23, and are dedicated to helping students of all ages and social backgrounds enter higher education, regardless of your financial situation. Check our scholarships and student funding pages for more details and to explore your options.

Arts and Humanities (6)

Ba animation, ba fine art, ba graphic design, ba illustration, ba interior design, ba jewellery and silversmithing, ba performance costume, ba product design, ba textiles, ba/ma architecture, bsc acoustics and music technology, bsc geography, ma ancient history, ma ancient history and greek, ma ancient history and latin, ma ancient mediterranean civilisations, ma ancient and medieval history, ma arabic and ancient greek, ma arabic and business, ma arabic and french, ma arabic and history, ma arabic and persian, ma arabic and politics, ma arabic and social anthropology, ma arabic and spanish, ma arabic with islamic and middle eastern studies, ma archaeology, ma archaeology and ancient history, ma archaeology and social anthropology, ma architectural history and archaeology, ma architectural history and heritage, ma celtic and archaeology, ma celtic and english language, ma celtic and english literature, ma celtic and french, ma celtic and linguistics, ma celtic and scandinavian studies, ma celtic and scottish history, ma celtic and scottish literature, ma chinese and french, ma chinese and german, ma chinese and history, ma chinese and linguistics, ma chinese and russian studies, ma chinese and spanish, ma classical archaeology and ancient history, ma classical archaeology and greek, ma classical archaeology and latin, ma classical studies, ma classics, ma classics and english language, ma classics and linguistics, ma english language, ma english language and literature, ma english literature, ma english literature and classics, ma english literature and history, ma english and scottish literature, ma fine art (5-year programme), ma french and business, ma french and classics, ma french and english language, ma french and english literature, ma french and german, ma french and history, ma french and history of art, ma french and italian, ma french and linguistics, ma french and philosophy, ma french and politics, ma french and portuguese, ma french and russian studies, ma french and scandinavian studies, ma french and social policy, ma french and spanish, ma geography, ma german and business, ma german and classics, ma german and english language, ma german and english literature, ma german and history, ma german and history of art, ma german and linguistics, ma german and philosophy, ma german and politics, ma german and portuguese, ma german and russian studies, ma german and scandinavian studies, ma german and social policy, ma german and spanish, ma greek studies, ma history and archaeology, ma history and classics, ma history and economics, ma history and history of art, ma history and politics, ma history and scottish history, ma history of art, ma history of art and architectural history, ma history of art and chinese studies, ma history of art and english literature, ma history of art and history of music, ma history of art and scottish literature, ma islamic studies, ma italian and classics, ma italian and english language, ma italian and english literature, ma italian and history, ma italian and history of art, ma italian and linguistics, ma italian and philosophy, ma italian and politics, ma italian and spanish, ma japanese, ma japanese and linguistics, ma landscape architecture, ma latin studies, ma linguistics, ma linguistics and english language, ma linguistics and social anthropology, ma persian studies, ma persian and english literature, ma persian and middle eastern studies, ma persian and social anthropology, ma philosophy, ma philosophy and economics, ma philosophy and english language, ma philosophy and english literature, ma philosophy and greek, ma philosophy and linguistics, ma philosophy and mathematics, ma philosophy and politics, ma philosophy and psychology, ma philosophy and scottish literature, ma philosophy and theology, ma portuguese, ma portuguese and english language, ma portuguese and english literature, ma portuguese and linguistics, ma portuguese and philosophy, ma portuguese and scottish literature, ma russian studies, ma russian studies and classics, ma russian studies and english language, ma russian studies and english literature, ma russian studies and history, ma russian studies and history of art, ma russian studies and linguistics, ma russian studies and philosophy, ma russian studies and politics, ma russian studies and scandinavian studies, ma russian studies and social policy, ma russian studies and spanish, ma scandinavian studies (danish, norwegian, swedish), ma scandinavian studies and classics, ma scandinavian studies and english language, ma scandinavian studies and english literature, ma scandinavian studies and history, ma scandinavian studies and linguistics, ma scandinavian studies and philosophy, ma scandinavian studies and politics, ma scandinavian studies and social policy, ma scandinavian studies and spanish, ma scottish ethnology, ma scottish ethnology and archaeology, ma scottish ethnology and celtic, ma scottish ethnology and english language, ma scottish ethnology and english literature, ma scottish ethnology and scandinavian studies, ma scottish ethnology and scottish history, ma scottish literature, ma scottish literature and classics, ma scottish literature and history, ma scottish literature and scottish history, ma scottish studies, ma spanish and business, ma spanish and classics, ma spanish and english literature, ma spanish and history, ma spanish and history of art, ma spanish and linguistics, ma spanish and philosophy, ma spanish and politics, ma spanish and portuguese, business and management (6), ma accounting and business, ma accounting and finance, ma business management, ma business and economics, ma business and law, ma business with decision analytics, ma business with enterprise and innovation, ma business with human resource management, ma business with marketing, ma business with strategic economics, ma finance and business, ma international business, ma international business with chinese, ma international business with french, ma international business with german, ma international business with italian, ma international business with japanese, ma international business with spanish, engineering and technology (6), beng chemical engineering, beng civil engineering, beng computer science, beng electrical and mechanical engineering, beng electronics and computer science, beng electronics and electrical engineering, beng mechanical engineering, beng software engineering, beng structural engineering with architecture, beng structural and fire safety engineering, beng/meng engineering, bsc artificial intelligence, bsc artificial intelligence and computer science, bsc cognitive science, bsc computer science, bsc computer science and management science, bsc computer science and mathematics, bsc computer science and physics, ma cognitive science (humanities), meng chemical engineering, meng civil engineering, meng electrical and mechanical engineering, meng electronics and computer science, meng electronics and electrical engineering, meng mechanical engineering, meng structural engineering with architecture, meng structural and fire safety engineering, minf informatics (5-year undergraduate masters programme), mphys computational physics, life sciences and medicine (6), bn nursing studies, bsc anatomy and development, bsc biological sciences, bsc biological sciences (biochemistry), bsc biological sciences (biotechnology), bsc biological sciences (cell biology), bsc biological sciences (development, regeneration and stem cells), bsc biological sciences (ecology), bsc biological sciences (evolutionary biology), bsc biological sciences (genetics), bsc biological sciences (immunology), bsc biological sciences (molecular biology), bsc biological sciences (molecular genetics), bsc biological sciences (plant science), bsc biological sciences (zoology), bsc biological sciences with management, bsc biomedical informatics (based in china), bsc biomedical sciences, bsc infectious diseases, bsc integrative biomedical sciences (based in china), bsc medical sciences, bsc neuroscience, bsc oral health sciences, bsc pharmacology, bsc physiology, bsc psychology, bsc reproductive biology, bvm&s veterinary medicine (5-year programme), bvm&s veterinary medicine (graduate entry programme - 4-year programme), ma psychology and business, ma psychology and economics, ma psychology and linguistics, mbchb hcp-med for healthcare professionals, mbchb medicine (6-year programme), mbiol biological sciences, natural sciences (6), bsc applied mathematics, bsc astrophysics, bsc chemical physics, bsc chemistry, bsc computational physics, bsc earth science and physical geography, bsc earth sciences, bsc ecological and environmental sciences, bsc ecological and environmental sciences with management, bsc environmental geoscience, bsc geophysics, bsc geophysics and geology, bsc geophysics and meteorology, bsc mathematical physics, bsc mathematics, bsc mathematics and business, bsc mathematics and music, bsc mathematics and physics, bsc mathematics and statistics, bsc medicinal and biological chemistry, bsc physics, bsc physics with meteorology, bsc theoretical physics, ma mathematics, mchem chemistry, mchem medicinal and biological chemistry, mchemphys chemical physics, mearthphys geophysics, mearthphys geophysics and geology, mearthphys geophysics and geology with professional placement, mearthphys geophysics and meteorology, mearthphys geophysics and meteorology with professional placement, mearthphys geophysics with professional placement, mearthsci earth science and physical geography, mearthsci earth sciences, mmath applied mathematics, mmath mathematics, mphys astrophysics, mphys mathematical physics, mphys physics, mphys physics with meteorology, mphys physics with a year abroad, mphys theoretical physics, social sciences and management (6), ba childhood practice, ba film and television, bd divinity, bsc applied sport science, bsc social work, bsc sport management, llb global law, llb law (graduate entry), llb law (ordinary and honours), llb law and accountancy, llb law and business, llb law and celtic, llb law and french, llb law and german, llb law and history, llb law and international relations, llb law and politics, llb law and social anthropology, llb law and social policy, llb law and sociology, llb law and spanish, ma divinity and classics, ma economics, ma economics and accounting, ma economics and mathematics, ma economics and politics, ma economics and statistics, ma economics with finance, ma economics with management science, ma government, policy and society, ma government, policy and society with quantitative methods, ma health in social science, ma interdisciplinary futures, ma international relations, ma international relations with quantitative methods, ma learning in communities, ma middle eastern studies, ma physical education, ma politics, ma politics with quantitative methods, ma politics, philosophy and economics, ma primary education with gaelic (fluent speakers), ma primary education with gaelic (learners), ma religious studies, ma religious studies and english literature, ma religious studies and scottish literature, ma social anthropology, ma social anthropology and politics, ma social anthropology and social policy, ma social anthropology with development, ma social policy and economics, ma social policy and law, ma social policy and politics, ma social policy and sociology, ma social policy with quantitative methods, ma sociology, ma sociology and politics, ma sociology and psychology, ma sociology and social anthropology, ma sociology with quantitative methods, ma sustainable development, ma theology, mdiv divinity - graduate entry.

Postgraduate programmes at the University of Edinburgh

We offer over 300 taught masters courses and 135 research areas . Study with us and you will enjoy expert teaching from leading academics, at a university respected globally for its innovation and research excellence. We also offer first-class facilities and support, in a city steeped in history and culture.

Quality teaching and research

The 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) rated 90% of our research activity as world-leading or internationally excellent, ranking us fourth in the UK based on the quality and breadth of our research.

All our postgraduates benefit from this inspiring research culture. The academics involved in your teaching and learning are leaders in their fields, and the University is dedicated to delivering high-quality, innovative teaching. The latest report from the Quality Assurance Agency awarded us the highest rating possible for the quality of the student learning experience. 

We offer a range of ways to study, from on-campus taught programmes to online part-time study. We are the largest provider of online distance learning in the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities, and offer more than 70 online programmes .

Industry links and innovation

Edinburgh was one of the first UK universities to develop commercial links with industry, government and the professions. Our commercialisation office, Edinburgh Innovations , has helped to launch more than 500 companies since 1967. They can help you take your first step to market, whether its’s through collaborative research, licencing technology or providing consultancy services.

Funding and scholarships

Postgraduate study can be a significant financial commitment; however, the range of funding sources available may surprise you. We offer several postgraduate scholarships and studentships to outstanding candidates. Check our scholarships pages for details. 

Acoustics and Music Technology MSc

Advanced sustainable design msc, american history msc, ancient history msc, ancient worlds (archaeology and classics) (online learning) msc, applied linguistics msc, archaeology msc, archaeology mscr, architectural conservation msc, architectural and urban design msc, architecture mscr, architecture, landscape and environment msc, architecture, master of (arb/riba part 2) march arb pt 2, chinese mscr, classical art and archaeology msc, classics msc, classics mscr, collections and curating practices mscr, comparative literature msc, composition mmus, contemporary art practice ma, contemporary art theory ma, contemporary history msc, creative industries msc, creative writing msc, cultural studies mscr, design and digital media msc, design for change ma, developmental linguistics msc, digital media design (online learning) msc, east asian relations msc, english language msc, english language mscr, english literature mscr, english literature: literature and modernity: 1900 to the present msc, english literature: literature and society: enlightenment, romantic and victorian msc, european archaeology msc, european masters in landscape architecture, evolution of language and cognition msc, film directing ma, film studies msc, film, exhibition and curation msc, french mscr, geographical information science msc, german mscr, global premodern art: history, heritage and curation msc, graphic design ma, history (online learning) msc, history msc, history mscr, history of art mscr, history of art, theory and display, human geography mscr, human osteoarchaeology msc, illustration ma, intellectual history msc, interior, architectural and spatial design ma, intermediality: literature, film and the arts in dialogue msc, italian mscr, japanese mscr, korean studies mscr, landscape architecture mla, landscape and wellbeing msc, late antique, islamic and byzantine studies msc, linguistics msc, linguistics mscr, medieval history msc, medieval studies mscr, mediterranean archaeology msc, mind, language and embodied cognition msc, modern and contemporary art: history, curating and criticism msc, musicology mmus, narrative futures: art, data, society (online learning) msc, narrative futures: art, data, society msc, palaeontology and geobiology mscr, philosophy msc, philosophy mscr, philosophy, science and religion (online learning) msc, phonetics msc, playwriting msc, russian mscr, scottish ethnology mscr, scottish history msc, scottish history mscr, sound design msc, sound design mscr, speech and language processing msc, sustainable lands and cities msc, translation studies msc, urban strategies and design msc, accounting and finance msc, banking innovation and risk analytics msc, business analytics msc, climate change finance and investment msc, data science msc, data and decision analytics (online learning) msc, data, inequality and society (online learning) msc, data, inequality and society msc, design informatics ma (eca), design informatics msc, entrepreneurship and innovation msc, finance msc, finance, technology and policy msc, financial modelling and optimization msc, future governance (online learning) msc, future governance msc, global strategy & sustainability msc, management msc, management mscr, management of bioeconomy, innovation and governance msc, marketing msc, service management and design (online learning) msc, service management and design msc, advanced chemical engineering msc, advanced power engineering msc, advanced technology for financial computing msc, artificial intelligence msc, bioengineering mscr, cognitive science msc, computer science msc, cyber security, privacy and trust msc, data and artificial intelligence ethics (online learning) msc, data and artificial intelligence ethics msc, digital communications mscr, digital design and manufacture msc, electrical power engineering msc, electronics msc, energy systems mscr, fire engineering science msc, high performance computing (online learning) msc, high performance computing msc, high performance computing with data science (online learning) msc, high performance computing with data science msc, infrastructure and the environment mscr, integrated micro and nano systems (imns) mscr, international master of science in fire safety engineering msc, materials and processes mscr, sensor and imaging systems msc, signal processing and communications msc, sustainable energy systems msc, advanced clinical practice (online learning) mvetsci, advanced nursing (online learning) msc, advanced nursing msc, anatomical sciences (online learning), animal breeding and genetics msc, applied animal behaviour and animal welfare msc, applied conservation genetics with wildlife forensics (online learning) msc, applied medical image analysis (online learning), applied poultry science (online learning) msc, applied psychology (healthcare) for children and young people msc, biochemistry msc, biodiversity and taxonomy of plants msc, biodiversity, wildlife and ecosystem health (online learning) msc, bioinformatics msc, biomedical sciences (life sciences) mscr, biotechnology msc, cancer biology and precision oncology (online learning) msc, cardiovascular biology mscr, clinical anatomy msc, clinical animal behaviour (online learning) msc, clinical education (online learning) msc, clinical management of pain (online learning) msc, clinical microbiology and infectious diseases (online learning) msc, clinical ophthalmology (online learning) chm, clinical trials (online learning) msc, conservation medicine (online learning) mvetsci, counselling (interpersonal dialogue) mcouns, counselling mcouns, counselling studies msc, counselling studies mscr, critical care (online learning) msc, data science for biology msc, data science for health and social care (online learning) msc, developmental science msc, doctor of medicine md, drug discovery and translational biology msc, ecology, evolution and biodiversity msc, endodontology dclindent, epidemiology (online learning) msc, epistemology, ethics and mind (online learning) msc, equine science (online learning) msc, evolutionary genetics msc, family medicine (online learning) mfm, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (fasd) (online learning), general surgery (online learning) chm, global health challenges (online learning), global health policy msc, global health studies (online learning), global health and infectious diseases (online learning) msc, global mental health and society msc, health humanities and arts mscr, human anatomy msc, human cognitive neuropsychology msc, human complex trait genetics msc, imaging (online learning) msc, infectious diseases mscr, integrative biomedical sciences (based in china) mscr, internal medicine (online learning) msc, international animal health (online learning) msc, international animal welfare, ethics and law (online learning) msc, medical sciences mmedsci by research, mental health in children and young people: psychological approaches (online learning) msc, mental health in children and young people: psychological approaches msc, neuroimaging for research (online learning) msc, neurological rehabilitation and care (online learning), neuroscience (integrative neuroscience) mscr, nursing with pre-registration (adult) mn(t), one health (online learning) msc, orthodontics dclindent, pet-mr principles and applications (online learning), paediatric emergency medicine (online learning) msc, patient safety and clinical human factors (online learning) msc, physical activity for health msc, primary care ophthalmology (online learning) msc, psychological research msc, psychological therapies msc, psychology mscr, psychology of individual differences msc, psychology of language msc, psychology of mental health (conversion) msc, quantitative genetics and genome analysis msc, rcvs certificate in advanced veterinary practice (online learning), regenerative medicine and tissue repair mscr, reproductive sciences mscr, restorative dentistry (online learning) msc, science communication and public engagement (online learning) msc, science communication and public engagement msc, simulation based clinical education, social anthropology msc, social psychology msc, stem cells and translational neurology (online learning) msc, surgical sciences (online learning) msc, surgical writing and evidence based practice (online learning), synthetic biology and biotechnology msc, systems and synthetic biology msc, trauma and orthopaedics (online learning) chm, urology (online learning) chm, vascular and endovascular surgery (online learning) chm, veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia (online learning) msc, analytical chemistry msc, applied environmental hydrogeology msc, astrobiology and planetary sciences msc, carbon management (online learning) msc, carbon management msc, circular economy (online learning) msc, circular economy msc, computational applied mathematics msc, computational mathematical finance msc, earth observation and geoinformation management msc, ecological economics msc, energy, society and sustainability msc, environment and development msc, environment, culture and society msc, environmental protection and management msc, environmental sustainability msc, food safety (online learning) msc, food security msc, future infrastructure, sustainability and climate change (online learning) msc, future infrastructure, sustainability and climate change msc, geosciences (individual project - taught pathway) mscr, geosciences (individual project) mscr, geoenergy msc, global food security and nutrition (online learning) msc, marine systems and policies msc, materials chemistry msc, mathematical physics msc, medicinal and biological chemistry msc, particle and nuclear physics msc, planetary health (online learning) msc, planetary health msc, soils and sustainability msc, sustainable lands and cities (online learning) msc, theoretical physics msc, advanced social work studies (mental health officer award), africa and international development msc, biblical studies mth, celtic studies mscr, child protection data futures (online learning) msc, child protection data futures msc, commercial law llm, comparative education and international development (ceid) msc, comparative public policy msc, comparative and european private law llm, conflict, security and development msc, corporate law llm, criminal law and criminal justice llm, criminology and criminal justice msc, cultural heritage futures (online learning) msc, cultural heritage futures msc, dance science and education msc, digital education (online learning) msc, digital sociology msc, economic and social history mscr, economics / economics (econometrics) / economics (finance) msc, education futures (online learning) msc, education futures msc, education msc, education mscr, european law llm, global challenges (online learning) msc, global crime, justice and security msc, global development challenges (online learning), global environment challenges (online learning), global environment and climate change law llm, global environment, politics and society msc, globalised muslim world, the msc, human resource management msc, human rights llm, inclusive education msc, information technology law (online learning) llm, innovation, technology and the law (online learning) llm, innovation, technology and the law llm, intellectual property law llm, international banking law and finance llm, international commercial law and practice (online learning) llm, international development (online learning) msc, international development msc, international economic law llm, international human resource management msc, international law llm, international relations msc, international and european politics msc, islam and christian-muslim relations msc, islamic and middle eastern studies (imes) mscr, islamic and middle eastern studies msc, language education msc, language and intercultural communication msc, law (online learning) llm, law (online learning) pgcert, law llm by research, leadership and learning med, mathematical economics and econometrics msc, medical anthropology msc, medical law and ethics (online learning) llm, medical law and ethics llm, nationalism in global perspective msc, operational research msc, operational research with computational optimization msc, operational research with data science msc, operational research with risk msc, outdoor education msc, outdoor environmental and sustainability education msc, performance coaching and development (online learning) msc, performance psychology msc, professional graduate diploma in education (primary), professional graduate diploma in education (secondary), professional legal practice, public health (part-time) (online learning) mph, public health, master of mph, public policy msc, religion and literature mth, religious studies msc, scandinavian studies mscr, science and religion msc, science and technology in society msc, social justice and community action (online learning) msc, social research msc, social work, master of msw, social and political science mscr, sociology and global change msc, spanish, portuguese & latin american studies (hispanic studies) mscr, sport policy, management and international development msc, sport, physical education and health sciences mscr, statistics and operational research msc, statistics with data science msc, strength and conditioning msc, teaching english to speakers of other languages (tesol) msc, the middle east in global politics msc, theology and religious studies mth by research, theology in history mth, transformative learning and teaching msc, world christianity mth, executive mba (3), executive master of business administration mba, full-time mba (3), business administration, master of mba, online/distance mba (3), business administration, master of (online learning) mba, archaeology phd, architectural history phd, architecture phd, architecture by design phd, chinese phd, classics phd, comparative literature phd, creative music practice phd, creative writing phd, cultural studies phd, east asian studies phd, english literature phd, european theatre phd, film studies phd, history of art phd, human geography and environmental sciences phd, intermediality phd, italian phd, japanese phd, korean studies phd, landscape architecture phd, linguistics and english language phd, medieval studies phd, musical composition phd, philosophy phd, russian phd, scottish history phd, translation studies phd, accounting phd, business economics phd, finance phd, financial technology phd, management phd, management science and analytics phd, advanced care phd with integrated study, cyber security, privacy and trust phd, epcc: high performance computing, computational & data science, software engineering phd, engineering phd, engineering with integrated study phd, informatics: aiai: foundations and applications of artificial intelligence, automated reasoning, agents, data intensive research phd, informatics: anc: machine learning, computational neuroscience, computational biology phd, informatics: icsa: computer architecture, compilation and system software, networks and communication phd, informatics: ilcc: language processing, speech technology, information retrieval, cognition phd, informatics: ipab: robotics, computer vision, computer graphics and animation phd, informatics: lfcs: theory and foundations of computer science, databases, software and systems modelling phd, offshore renewable energy (industrial doctorate centre) engd, agriculture and food security phd, anatomical sciences (biomedical sciences) phd, biological sciences (with internship) phd, biological sciences phd, biomedical sciences (based in china) phd, cancer (edinburgh cancer research centre) phd, cardiovascular science phd, child life and health phd, clinical brain sciences phd, clinical education phd, clinical psychology dclinpsychol, clinical veterinary sciences phd, clinical and health psychology phd, counselling studies phd, dentistry phd, doctor of dental surgery dds, doctor of veterinary medicine dvetmed, functional genetics and development phd, genetics and genomics phd, genetics and molecular medicine (mrc human genetics unit) phd, genomics and experimental medicine phd, geriatric medicine phd, global health phd, global health policy phd, health in social science phd, infection medicine phd, infection and immunity phd, inflammation phd, integrative biomedical sciences (based in china) phd, integrative physiology (biomedical sciences - centre for discovery brain sciences) phd, medical informatics phd, neuroscience (biomedical sciences - centre for discovery brain sciences) phd, nursing studies phd, orthopaedic and trauma medicine phd, paediatric dentistry dclindent, pathology phd, population health sciences phd, precision medicine phd, prosthodontics dclindent, psychiatry phd, psychology phd, psychotherapy and counselling dpsychotherapy, regenerative medicine phd, reproductive health phd, respiratory medicine phd, social anthropology phd, surgery phd, translational neuroscience phd, algebra phd, analysis phd, applied and computational mathematics phd, astrophysics phd, atmospheric and environmental sciences phd, chemistry phd, condensed matter phd, geology and geophysics phd, geometry and topology phd, mathematical modelling, analysis and computation phd, mathematical physics phd, mathematics education phd, nuclear physics phd, particle physics phd, probability and stochastic analysis phd, wind and marine energy systems and structures phd, african studies phd, celtic studies and scottish studies phd, economic and social history phd, economics phd with integrated study, education phd, ethics and practical theology phd, hebrew and old testament studies phd, history of christianity phd, international development phd, islamic studies and christian-muslim relations phd, islamic and middle eastern studies (imes) phd, new testament and christian origins phd, optimization and operational research phd, politics phd, religious studies phd, scandinavian studies phd, science and religion phd, science and technology studies phd, social policy phd, social work phd, social and political science phd, socio-cultural studies phd, sociology phd, south asian studies phd, spanish, portuguese & latin american studies (hispanic studies) phd, sport, physical education and health sciences phd, statistics phd, systematic theology phd, world christianity phd.

Introduction

About the school.

  • Ask a Question

The University of Edinburgh - The School of History, Classics & Archaeology

PhD in History

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

3 up to 6 Years

Full time, Part time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Request application deadline

EARLIEST START DATE

Request earliest startdate

TUITION FEES

GBP 19,000 / per year *

STUDY FORMAT

* Full-time studies: Overseas £19,000 per year. Additional fees may apply

Scholarships

Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies.

The PhD in History offers you the opportunity to study history at an advanced level through independent research.

The PhD is our principal research degree. The size of Edinburgh’s history department and the breadth of expertise available from our staff means that we can offer supervision for research projects in a wide array of fields. We have strong research concentrations in Scottish history, American history, global and transnational history, Irish history, intellectual history, and medieval history, and colleagues who can supervise topics spanning two millennia and five continents. Members of the history department have strong links with colleagues elsewhere in the University with research expertise in related disciplines, from Classics, Archaeology and History of Art to Politics and Economics.

The breadth of research expertise in the School and in the wider University makes it possible for us to supervise a very wide range of topics. Each student is allocated at least two supervisors, allowing us to combine thematic, chronological and, if appropriate, disciplinary expertise in the supervisory team. We also have close links with external organisations, such as the National Museums of Scotland, and may be able to include external partners in supervisory teams.

Programme structure

The PhD is a substantial piece of independent research which makes a contribution to the state of existing knowledge in the field. The PhD programme is designed to take three years full-time or six years part-time. The PhD is examined by submission of a thesis of up to 100,000 words and by oral examination.

PhD students work closely with their supervisors, who are recognised experts in the field of study. All PhD students pursue an individually tailored programme of research training agreed with their supervisors. The PhD programmes in History provide core training in the research skills necessary to flourish at the doctoral level and beyond, through a core course in semester one, Professional Skills for Historians, and a day-long annual conference for PhD students in semester two. All PhD students in the School also benefit from School and University-wide training in research and professional skills.

PhD students are encouraged to share their research with other postgraduate students through workshops and seminars, and to take an active part in the research life of the history subject area, the School and the University through our research groups and centres and through student-led workshops and seminars. Current research groups include Digital Humanities; Intellectual History; Material Culture; Global and Transnational History; History of Science, Medicine and Technology; Economic and Social History; Political History; Irish History; and Late Antique and Byzantine Studies. We also have three research centres: The Centre for the Study of Modern and Contemporary History; Medieval and Renaissance Studies; and the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies.

Similar Courses

Ma in history.

  • Belfast, United Kingdom

MA in Public History

Phd history and archeology.

  • Riga, Latvia

Edinburgh Research Archive

University of Edinburgh homecrest

  •   ERA Home
  • History, Classics and Archaeology, School of

History and Classics PhD thesis collection

phd in history edinburgh

By Issue Date Authors Titles Subjects Publication Type Sponsor Supervisors

Search within this Collection:

Recent Submissions

Invincible weapons: christian relics in late roman and byzantine war (ad 310-1204) , imagining peripheries: english images of patagonia (1527-1694) , healing arts: an examination of madness, creativity and experience in british asylum culture, c.1840-1914 , pleuritis and peripneumonia in ancient medicine: a study of two lung diseases from the 5th century bce to the 7th century ce , inscribing the galatians: greek responses to the galatian migration (3rd-2nd centuries bc) , island polities: local government, constitutional change and political identities in orkney, shetland and the western isles, c. 1965-1990 , enterprise unionism and strategies of the autonomous labour movement: a contemporary history of taiwanese trade unions , strategies of cooperation: cultural memory in olbia in the early centuries ad , greek slavery and social mobility, 800 - 300 bc , postcolonial culture in nairobi's margins 1963-c.1982 , understanding edward bruce in john barbour's the bruce: an exploration of chivalry, kingship, community and providence in fourteenth-century historical writing , monasticism in late byzantine constantinople (1261–1453): urban, social, and institutional history , witchcraft in scotland: emotions and strategy , after the persians: memories of the persian wars in the hellenistic period , “keep this unwritten history”: mapping african american family histories in “information wanted” advertisements, 1880-1900 , 'they are ultimately to feel the benefit of change': enslaved healthcare and amelioration in trinidad and british guiana, 1780-1834 , reception of isaac newton in the scottish enlightenment: causation, gravitation, and the transformation of natural philosophy , 'from partition to decriminalisation': homosexuality in northern ireland, 1921-1982 , itinerancy of health: jewish migrant encounters with health and medicine in britain, 1880-1914 , ‘the spanish are a wonderful people’: the international brigades and their cross-cultural encounters with civil-war spain, 1936-1939 .

phd in history edinburgh

We have 307 PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in Edinburgh

All disciplines

Edinburgh  United Kingdom

Institution

All Institutions

All PhD Types

All Funding

PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in Edinburgh

phd in history edinburgh

University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.

Edinburgh Law School

Funded phd programme (students worldwide).

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. Applications for this programme are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full programme details for further information.

Law Research Programme

Law Research Programmes present a range of research opportunities, shaped by a university’s particular expertise, facilities and resources. You will usually identify a suitable topic for your PhD and propose your own project. Additional training and development opportunities may also be offered as part of your programme.

Geotechnical Seismic Isolation Technology for Global Earthquake Resilience and Environmental Sustainability

Phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Self-Funded PhD Students Only

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Study History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh - funding opportunities available

Humanities research programme.

Humanities Research Programmes present a range of research opportunities, shaped by a university’s particular expertise, facilities and resources. You will usually identify a suitable topic for your PhD and propose your own project. Additional training and development opportunities may also be offered as part of your programme.

Choose from 20 PhDs in literatures, languages and cultures at Edinburgh

Social sciences research programme.

Social Sciences Research Programmes present a range of research opportunities, shaped by a university’s particular expertise, facilities and resources. You will usually identify a suitable topic for your PhD and propose your own project. Additional training and development opportunities may also be offered as part of your programme.

Barocaloric organic ionic plastic crystals and prototype development

Competition funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project is in competition for funding with other projects. Usually the project which receives the best applicant will be successful. Unsuccessful projects may still go ahead as self-funded opportunities. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but potential funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Combined experimental and computational study of high-pressure order-disorder transitions in soft crystalline materials

Funded phd project (uk students only).

This research project has funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Unlocking Organic Chemical Reaction Prediction with Limited-Data Machine Learning

New approaches to the turnover of main-group catalysts for a circular chemical economy, the dr david summers trust scholarship in scottish literary culture, synergistic experimental and data-driven catalyst development for sustainable synthesis, modular power electronics for mega-pto, funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Spatial decision support analysis for sustainable mobility policies

Make your phd extraordinary, phd opportunities.

PhD Opportunities highlight some of the specific PhD projects, programmes or other information currently available from a university.

Elucidating molecular transport mechanisms through atomistic simulations

Awaiting funding decision/possible external funding.

This supervisor does not yet know if funding is available for this project, or they intend to apply for external funding once a suitable candidate is selected. Applications are welcome - please see project details for further information.

Design of microflyers for environmental monitoring

Funded phd project (european/uk students only).

This project has funding attached for UK and EU students, though the amount may depend on your nationality. Non-EU students may still be able to apply for the project provided they can find separate funding. You should check the project and department details for more information.

FindAPhD. Copyright 2005-2024 All rights reserved.

Unknown    ( change )

Have you got time to answer some quick questions about PhD study?

Select your nearest city

You haven’t completed your profile yet. To get the most out of FindAPhD, finish your profile and receive these benefits:

  • Monthly chance to win one of ten £10 Amazon vouchers ; winners will be notified every month.*
  • The latest PhD projects delivered straight to your inbox
  • Access to our £6,000 scholarship competition
  • Weekly newsletter with funding opportunities, research proposal tips and much more
  • Early access to our physical and virtual postgraduate study fairs

Or begin browsing FindAPhD.com

or begin browsing FindAPhD.com

*Offer only available for the duration of your active subscription, and subject to change. You MUST claim your prize within 72 hours, if not we will redraw.

phd in history edinburgh

Create your account

Looking to list your PhD opportunities? Log in here .

Filtering Results

Our cookies

We use cookies for three reasons: to give you the best experience on PGS, to make sure the PGS ads you see on other sites are relevant , and to measure website usage. Some of these cookies are necessary to help the site work properly and can’t be switched off. Cookies also support us to provide our services for free, and by click on “Accept” below, you are agreeing to our use of cookies .You can manage your preferences now or at any time.

Privacy overview

We use cookies, which are small text files placed on your computer, to allow the site to work for you, improve your user experience, to provide us with information about how our site is used, and to deliver personalised ads which help fund our work and deliver our service to you for free.

The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalised web experience.

You can accept all, or else manage cookies individually. However, blocking some types of cookies may affect your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

You can change your cookies preference at any time by visiting our Cookies Notice page. Please remember to clear your browsing data and cookies when you change your cookies preferences. This will remove all cookies previously placed on your browser.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, or how to clear your browser cookies data see our Cookies Notice

Manage consent preferences

Strictly necessary cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems.

They are essential for you to browse the website and use its features.

You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. We can’t identify you from these cookies.

Functional cookies

These help us personalise our sites for you by remembering your preferences and settings. They may be set by us or by third party providers, whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies, then these services may not function properly.

Performance cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and see where our traffic comes from, so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are popular and see how visitors move around the site. The cookies cannot directly identify any individual users.

If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to improve its performance for you.

Marketing cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by social media services or our advertising partners. Social media cookies enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They can track your browser across other sites and build up a profile of your interests. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to see or use the content sharing tools.

Advertising cookies may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but work by uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will still see ads, but they won’t be tailored to your interests.

Course type

Qualification, university name, doctorate history in edinburgh.

5 degrees at 1 university in Edinburgh.

Customise your search

Select the start date, qualification, and how you want to study

left arrow

Related subjects:

  • Doctorate History
  • Doctorate British History
  • Doctorate British History: Specific Areas
  • Doctorate Early Medieval History
  • Doctorate Economic and Political History
  • Doctorate History of Medicine
  • Doctorate History of Specific Periods
  • Doctorate Scottish History
  • Doctorate Social History

left arrow

  • Course title (A-Z)
  • Course title (Z-A)
  • Price: high - low
  • Price: low - high

History PhD

The university of edinburgh.

Research interests within History are extremely wide-ranging and include medieval culture, religion, gender, and law; historical theory; Read more...

  • 3 years Distance without attendance degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
  • 6 years Distance without attendance degree: £2,393 per year (UK)
  • 3 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK)
  • 6 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK)

Economic and Social History PhD

We host one of the largest economic and social history research groupings in the UK. Staff research interests are wide-ranging, including Read more...

History of Christianity PhD, Mphi

If you would like to undertake research in the History of Christianity, you will find excellent specialist supervision and library Read more...

Scottish History PhD

Here in the nation’s capital, Scottish history is taught by a strong and distinguished team, comprising seven core academic staff members, Read more...

Medieval Studies PhD

Doctorate-level study is an opportunity to expand upon your interests and expertise in a community that really values research and to make Read more...

Course type:

  • Distance learning Doctorate
  • Full time Doctorate
  • Part time Doctorate

Qualification:

Related subjects:.

The History Faculty building with clock against a blue sky

MPhil in History (Women's, Gender and Queer History)

  • Entry Requirements
  • Funding and Costs

College preference

  • How to Apply

About the course

The MPhil in History (Women's, Gender and Queer History) was established in 2021 to explore the different strengths of each of these approaches and provide a foundation for independent research into any aspect of these histories.

The MPhil has a sustained period devoted to archival research and writing, and is designed to give you a thorough training in historical research, improve your ability to conceptualise and engage with historical problems, and enlarge your understanding of the historical and historiographical context in which your own research is set. The course can serve as either a free-standing graduate qualification, or as a springboard to doctoral study. Students wishing to proceed to doctoral study will be encouraged to develop their doctoral proposals during the first few months of the second year. Skills training and option-choice are flexible and open-ended, to allow you to gain the knowledge and training needed to complete your research project. 

About one-third of the faculty have research interests in women’s, gender, and queer history. This means that you can combine your particular interests in women’s, gender or queer history with the specialist training you need in the history of any geographical area, period of time, or methodological approach. Women’s, gender, and queer history is integral to many of Oxford’s history seminars, with the Faculty also holding specialist seminars and discussion groups. There is also an Annual Lecture in Women’s History given by an international speaker as well as interdisciplinary groups. Oxford is home to the Hillary Rodham Clinton Chair of Women’s History (established in 2020) and the Jonathan Cooper Chair in the History of Sexuality (established 2023). Further information about WGQ History research and activities can be found through the Faculty website. All graduate students are encouraged to engage with the faculty’s lively research culture of seminars, workshops, and discussions groups . There’s something happening nearly every day of the week and sessions often involve leading international scholars. The faculty also runs the Oxford History Graduate Network , which fosters conversation and collaboration between graduate students. Interdisciplinary activities are available through The Oxford Centre for Research in the Humanities (TORCH) .

Course structure

You will take three compulsory core papers and two optional papers, as well as undertake an original research project. There is also a research masterclass, which is not assessed. This structure gives access to a wide range of both general and specialised training within the field of history.

Core courses

1. Sources and Historiography

This is a weekly 1.5 hour seminar in Michaelmas term of the first year. The Sources and Historiography core course creates a community of students who will together explore how we have reached today’s intellectually exciting moment in the study of women’s, gender and queer history. By reading in all three literatures, and considering the intellectual influence each has generated, you will develop the critical analytical tools that this coming generation of scholars of women’s, gender and queer history will need. 2. Theory and Methods

The format is a 1.5 hour weekly seminar in Michaelmas term of the first year. It will cover current methodological and theoretical approaches. Students and course tutors will choose six of these from a syllabus of nine. 

3. Writing History

This is a weekly class in Trinity term of the first year exclusively for MPhil students, with all MPhil students taught in one or two classes. The classes range widely across history and involve critical reading and thinking about published work.

4. Research Master Class

Taught in weekly classes in Michaelmas term of the second year, during which students present and receive feedback on their work. 

Optional subject course

A free choice of the options on offer taught in six weekly classes during Hilary term of the first and second year.  Options of particular interest to Women's, Gender and Queer history include:

  • Selfhood in History: 1500 to the present
  • Youth Culture, Generational Revolt and Sexual Politics in Britain and Europe since 1945
  • Black Women in the Anglo-American Atlantic World, 1600-1850
  • Approaches to Queer and Trans Histories
  • Saints and Sanctity in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
  • The Enlightenment, c.1680-1800: Ideas and the Public Sphere
  • Off-Script and Off-Piste: Gender, Travel Writing, and Mobility, c.1880-1950.

More information on options is available through the faculty website. Not every optional subject listed may be on offer every year.

Research Project

You will work on original research project throughout both years, under the guidance of your supervisor. You are expected to commit the summer vacation between the two years and the Michaelmas term of the second year to archival research.

Recent topics of MSt and MPhil research have included:

  • Subjective experiences of male cross-dressing and gender non-conformity in interwar Britain
  • Women Writing History: Female Subjectivity and the Political Use of Memory in Women’s Accounts of the Easter Rising
  • Entitled to Freedom: Black Women in the Mississippi Southern Claims Commission
  • Virgin-Mothers and Chaste Wives: Conflicting Ideals of Womanhood in Anglo-Saxon England, 500 to 900
  • Philanthropy and Women’s Experiences of Public Life in Early Third Republic France
  • The activist subjectivities of Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp in the 1990s
  • Offences relating to men who had sexual relations with other men in Berkshire in the period 1861-1919
  • Ladies and Letters: The Political Activity of Three Aristocratic Women from 1678 to 1689
  • Anglo-Jewish Women’s Everyday Experiences in London during the Second World War and the Formation of Wartime Identity
  • The Bright Young People: Effeminacy, Queerness and Performativity in Interwar Britain
  • The gender of martyrdom in early medieval England
  • Constructing the Girl Citizen in England, 1870-1910
  • The Censorship of Queer Culture in Inter-war Britain and Weimar Germany, 1918-1933
  • The Churching of Women in Early Modern Denmark
  • The ‘Third Sex’ on the British Home Front? Understanding Female Same-sex Sexuality during the First World War

More details of core and optional papers are available on the course webpage of the faculty's website (see the Further information and enquiries section for further details). 

Skills Provision

Additional lectures, classes, and tutorials take place in Michaelmas and Hilary terms to provide general and specific training. You will discuss what training you need to undertake your research project with your supervisor. Training available includes document and object handling, palaeography, oral history, text analysis software, GIS software, and statistical analysis.  Language training is also available, with the Faculty organising special courses for historians in French, German, Spanish, and Italian. Other modern language courses are available through the University’s Language Centre. Courses in Latin and other medieval languages are also available. Further details on language learning can be found on the faculty website.

The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.

Resources to support your study

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.

The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.

The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.

You will be able to draw on the specialist resources offered by the Bodleian History Faculty Library which provides dedicated support and training courses for all graduates. You can also access the many college libraries and college archives which house significant collections of personal papers as well as institutional records dating back to the middle ages.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of History and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available.

It is usual practice that MPhil students have one supervisor, but a co-supervisor will be appointed if additional specialist knowledge is required. One supervisor must be a member of the Faculty of History, but a co-supervisor can be appointed from a different department.

Your supervisor(s) is there to provide advice, guidance, and support throughout. You should arrange to meet your supervisor(s) early in your first term to establish a clear framework for your research and writing, and identify any skills training needed to undertake your research. There is no set timetable for the frequency of future meetings, but it is recommended that you arrange to meet your supervisor several times each term, to discuss progress of your research and writing. You should also agree a timetable for the submission and return of drafts of your dissertation.

If you contact a potential supervisor prior to submitting your application, any indication made by an academic that they may be willing to supervise a potential project, is not a guarantee that you will be offered a place, or that the supervisor in question has capacity to supervise you in that particular year.

The Sources and Historiography and the Theory and Methods core courses are examined by an assessed essay submitted at the end of Michaelmas term of year one. You must also submit an annotated bibliography and dissertation proposal at this time. The optional subjects will be examined according to the regulations governing the course, which could be by assessed essay or by examination, at the end of Hilary term in years one and two. The Writing History core course is examined by an assessed essay submitted at the end of Trinity term of year one.  The research project is examined by a 30,000-word dissertation that is submitted in week six of Trinity term of year two.

Graduate destinations

About a quarter of master’s students proceed to doctoral work at Oxford; others continue academic study at other institutions. Other career destinations are as diverse as, but broadly in line with, undergraduate history career destinations: law, finance, management consultancy, civil service etc.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26

Proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

  • a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation) in a relevant discipline in the humanities or social sciences.

For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0. However, successful candidates normally have a GPA of 3.75 or higher.

Applicants are not expected to have a previous degree in history, but are expected to have experience of working historically. You will need to ensure that you link your proposed dissertation topic with your previous expertise, explain why you want to switch to study history, and show that you have already done some background research. Your submitted written work should show your writing and research skills in their best light, as it will be important to show that you have the necessary skills required for historical research.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

  • In the case of mature students/intended career changes professional experience in cognate areas may compensate for shortcomings in the formal academic record.
  • Publications are not required.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

Minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level requirement
TestMinimum overall scoreMinimum score per component
IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) 7.57.0

TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition'

(Institution code: 0490)

110Listening: 22
Reading: 24
Speaking: 25
Writing: 24
C1 Advanced*191185
C2 Proficiency 191185

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

Assessors may get in touch with an applicant by email in case of any queries, but this is very rare.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

  • the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
  • the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
  • minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

History in Oxford stretches from c 300 to the present, and embraces in addition to its British and European heritage an exceptionally broad range of World history. It comprises an active research community of up to 800 senior academics and graduate students, all contributing to a range of research seminars, lectures, academic societies, and personal contacts.

Research in the faculty is organised around historical periods and research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects, and you will always be welcome at seminars, workshops and conferences across all periods and themes.

You will be encouraged to make use of these opportunities as widely as possible without endangering your own degree work. Striking the right balance between intellectual curiosity and temptation and intellectual discipline, and remaining focused without becoming blinkered, should be an integral part of a successful graduate career. The Oxford environment provides all the ingredients for this.

View all courses   View taught courses View research courses

For entry in the 2025-26 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.

If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.

To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible,  use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool  to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including  a range of external funding ,  loan schemes for postgraduate study  and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on  our fees, funding and scholarship search tool .

Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:

Select from the list:

Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.

For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.

Further information about funding opportunities  for this course can be found on the faculty's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2025-26

Home£16,900
Overseas£41,250

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs. However, as part of your course requirements, you may need to choose a dissertation, a project or a thesis topic. Please note that, depending on your choice of topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

Living costs for full-time study

For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the  costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).

Further information about living costs

The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs , which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . 

If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide. 

The following colleges accept students for the MPhil in History (Women's, Gender and Queer History):

  • Blackfriars
  • Brasenose College
  • Christ Church
  • Corpus Christi College
  • Lady Margaret Hall
  • Linacre College
  • Lincoln College
  • Magdalen College
  • Mansfield College
  • Oriel College
  • Pembroke College
  • The Queen's College
  • Regent's Park College
  • Reuben College
  • St Catherine's College
  • St Cross College
  • St Hilda's College
  • St Hugh's College
  • St John's College
  • Somerville College
  • University College
  • Wadham College
  • Wolfson College
  • Worcester College
  • Wycliffe Hall

Before you apply

Our  guide to getting started  provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the  information about deadlines and when to apply  in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

  • applicants from low-income countries;
  • refugees and displaced persons; 
  • UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
  • applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to contact anyone in the faculty before you apply and you are not responsible for finding your own supervisor. However, you are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with the  research expertise within the faculty  when preparing your research proposal, to make sure that there is a supervisor available in the same area as your proposed project. Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available. The faculty determines supervision arrangements, taking due account of the workload and commitments of its academics. If you are made an offer, a supervisor will be assigned to you, and identified in the offer letter.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.

You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).

Proposed supervisor

It is not necessary for you to identify a potential supervisor in your application.

However, please check that a supervisor with expertise in your proposed area of research is available before applying. Details can be found on the faculty website. You are free to consult a specialist in your field for advice on your project, if you think that would be helpful.

Referees: Three overall, academic preferred

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

References should generally be academic, though if you are returning to study after extended periods of non-academic employment then you are welcome to nominate professional referees where it would be impractical to call on your previous university tutors.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in both a group environment and sustained individual and self-motivated investigation.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Statement of purpose and research proposal: A minimum of 500 to a maximum of 1,000 words in total

The statement of purpose and research proposal should be written as one combined piece.

You should convince the faculty that you have the right intellectual qualities, academic knowledge and skills to undertake the course, focusing on how you see the course as building upon your previous study

You should discuss what kinds of problems and issues you hope to engage with; what the current state of your knowledge and understanding of these is, and how you hope to advance that.

You should include a preliminary research proposal and title for your intended dissertation. This should supply a research question identifying the central issue or problem with which you intend to grapple, some account of the current state of scholarship in this area and an indication of the kinds of sources you hope to use.

You may also include what you hope to do with the qualification you gain.

Your statement and research proposal must be written in English. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count, though any footnotes should be included.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

It is anticipated that your ideas will change and develop once you have begun the course and have been exposed to new approaches, sources and methods. However, students applying to this course are expected to have a clear sense of the kind of research they wish to undertake.

This will be assessed for:

  • your reasons for applying
  • evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
  • the coherence of the proposal, the ability to present a reasoned case in English
  • commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
  • reasoning ability
  • ability to absorb new ideas, often presented abstractly, at a rapid pace.

Written work: An academic writing sample of no more than 4,000 words in total length

Written work should be from your most recent completed qualification, but does not need to relate closely to your proposed area of study. Extracts from a longer piece of work are welcome, but please include a preface which puts the work in context.

The work will be assessed for your:

  • understanding of problems in the area
  • ability to construct and defend an argument
  • powers of analysis
  • powers of expression.

It must be submitted in English (if this work has been translated, you must indicate if the translations are your own, or what assistance you had in producing the English text).

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document. Any footnotes should be included in the word count. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice .

Apply Continue application

After you've submitted your application

Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will  not  be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can  find out more about our shortlisting and selection process  in our detailed guide to what happens next.

Find out how to manage your application after submission , using our Applicant Self-Service tool.

ADMISSION STATUS

Open to applications for entry in 2025-26

12:00 midday UK time on:

Tuesday 7 January 2025

Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2025-26

Key facts
 Full Time Only
Course code TP_HY6I1
Expected length21 months
Places in 2025-26 c. 11
Applications/year*6
Expected start
English language

† Combined figure for all History MPhil courses, except for TP_HN1, TP_HS1 and TP_LVBY1 *Three-year average (applications for entry in 2022-23 to 2024-25)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Faculty of History

  • Course page on the faculty's website
  • Funding information from the faculty
  • Academic and research staff
  • Faculty research
  • Humanities Division
  • Residence requirements for full-time courses
  • Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0) 1865 615000

Application-process enquiries

Application guide

The University of Edinburgh home

  • Schools & departments

Postgraduate study

Economic and Social History PhD

Awards: PhD

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Economic and Social History

Introduction to Postgraduate Study at the University of Edinburgh

Join us online on 25 September to learn more about Scotland, the city of Edinburgh and postgraduate study at the University.

Find out more and register

Research profile

We host one of the largest economic and social history research groupings in the UK.

Staff research interests are wide-ranging, including the study of:

  • economic development
  • financial history
  • energy policy
  • globalisation
  • urban history
  • consumption
  • material culture
  • museums and collecting
  • religious belief
  • popular culture
  • medicine and disease

The diversity of our research means we can support students’ economic and social history study in a vast range of time periods and geographical regions and from the early modern period to the present day.

Particular areas of expertise available for research are:

  • Culture and society in early modern Britain
  • slavery in the Atlantic world since 1700
  • the material culture of gender in 18th-century Britain
  • urban society and civil society in historical context
  • clothing cultures in comparative historical contexts
  • cinema and society in modern Britain
  • gender, crime and deviancy: Britain 1860–1960; energy policy in Britain since 1920
  • the economic history of China in the 20th century
  • the history of health and medicine in Britain since 1750

The University’s economic and social historians host three research groups: material and visual cultures of the past; enlightenment and popular culture; and economic and social history.

Training and support

You will have at least two supervisors who will provide expert academic guidance on your chosen research topic. Please see the entry requirements below on how to identify and contact a supervisor at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology before applying.

You will meet regularly to discuss your progress and research plans, as well as drafts of your thesis/dissertation chapters, conference papers and potential articles.

In addition to individual supervision, all our PhD students pursue an individually tailored programme of research and professional skills training agreed with their supervisors.

Please note, the University of Edinburgh does not sponsor students to study part-time using a Tier 4 / Student visa.

For on-campus students our building offers you a range of facilities, resources and study spaces in a stunning location.

Our postgraduate students have access to:

  • A dedicated study space with printing, copying and scanning facilities overlooking the Meadows, one of the city’s best-loved green spaces.
  • Two research rooms, shared with undergraduates, housing some of our impressive book collections and a small selection of computing facilities.
  • A large common room overlooking the Meadows, shared by graduate students and staff.
  • Our PhD study room. Subject to available desk space, you may apply after your first year.
  • A number of small-scale teaching rooms, well-equipped with facilities such as data projection and smart boards.
  • Exhibition areas, filled with artefacts and artwork from our collections.

All of our facilities are in addition to the multiple libraries and computer labs provided across the University’s estate. Many of our rooms overlook the Meadows.

Our location, right in the heart of Edinburgh, means you will be based close to the city’s cultural attractions and facilities, including a wealth of libraries, archives, museums and galleries, which provide uniquely rich support for the disciplines we teach.

Career opportunities

Our PhD students develop a highly valued set of research and professional skills which enable them to go on to a wide variety of careers.

Many of our PhD students wish to pursue an academic career, and we have an excellent record of helping our students obtain research and teaching posts in universities in the UK and overseas.

PhD students also develop a portfolio of skills which are highly desirable across a wide range of sectors, from museums and heritage to the civil service, banking and the law.

PhD by Distance option

The PhD by Distance allows students who do not wish to commit to basing themselves in Edinburgh to study for a PhD in Economic and Social History. It is available to all suitably qualified applicants in the same areas as our on-campus programmes.

There is no expectation that students studying for a PhD in Economic and Social History by distance should visit Edinburgh during their period of study, though they are encouraged to visit and meet their supervisors in person if this is convenient.

An additional form needs to be submitted for PhD by Distance applications; for further information on the PhD by Distance and to access the form, please see the School of History, Classics and Archaeology website:

  • School of History, Classics & Archaeology - PhD by Distance

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

We require the following (with further details below):

  • Provisional supervision agreement between you and a primary supervisor, in writing

Research proposal

  • Qualifications at undergraduate and Masters level

Entry interview

  • PhD by Distance - additional application form
  • Evidence of English language competency

Provisional supervision agreement

You must name a member of staff who has provisionally agreed, in writing, to supervise you in order for your application to be taken forward. Please ensure that the relevant correspondence is uploaded to your admissions application. This statement of support is provisional, pending assessment of your application and your performance at an interview. If you haven’t approached a member of our academic staff yet, please use the following staff list to help you find a supervisor in the subject area of your interest.

  • About our staff

You must submit a research proposal (in a Word or PDF document) demonstrating your knowledge of your field of research. This will be closely scrutinised as part of the decision making process. Guidance on writing a research proposal can be found online:

  • Guidance on writing a research proposal

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree in a relevant discipline and a relevant Masters degree with an overall mark of at least 65%, or international equivalents.

We may also consider your application if you have relevant professional experience; please check with your potential supervisor before you apply.

You will need to submit both your undergraduate and postgraduate degree certificates and transcripts in order to be considered for PhD admission. For instructions on how to upload any additional documents after you have submitted your application, please follow the support guidance:

  • Guidance on document uploading

You must submit two references with your application.

If you meet all of the entry requirements, you will need to attend an online interview with potential supervisors. The interview should last 20-30 minutes. Please note that an offer to study is subject to a successful interview.

PhD by Distance

For PhD by Distance students please see the ""PhD by Distance option"" section for further requirements, including an additional application form.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

  • Entry requirements by country
  • English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

  • UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

  • Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

  • Fees and costs

Read our general information on tuition fees and studying costs:

Scholarships and funding

Featured funding.

  • UK students: School of History, Classics & Archaeology funding opportunities
  • International students: School of History, Classics & Archaeology funding schemes

Please note that the funding applications have their own separate timelines and you will need to be conscious of this when applying for funding.

When you submit your PhD study application in the application portal a deadline is generated automatically. This deadline will differ from any funding deadlines. Scholarship application deadlines should be followed if applying for funding.

Please also note that not all of the scholarships listed will be open to the PhD by Distance option of study.

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

  • UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Search for funding

Further information

  • Graduate School Office,
  • Phone: +44 (0)131 650 3772
  • Contact: [email protected]
  • Programme Director, Dr Meha Priyadarshini
  • Contact: [email protected]
  • School of History, Classics & Archaeology
  • William Robertson Wing
  • Teviot Place
  • Central Campus
  • Programme: Economic and Social History
  • School: History, Classics & Archaeology
  • College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

Start date: September

Application deadlines

If you are applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

  • How to apply

You must submit a research proposal demonstrating your knowledge of your field of research as outlined under the entry requirements.

Two supervisors (sometimes more) will be appointed to work with you on the project. You must contact a prospective primary supervisor before applying: they will be required to provide a brief statement of provisional support, which should be included with your documents.

Start dates outwith September and January might be available but only in exceptional circumstances. Please begin your application using the closest date and contact the Graduate School to discuss the matter.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

IMAGES

  1. PhD in History

    phd in history edinburgh

  2. Gemma

    phd in history edinburgh

  3. Research Students' Graduation, Centre for Legal History 23 November

    phd in history edinburgh

  4. PhD Funding: The University of Edinburgh Programmes in History

    phd in history edinburgh

  5. PhD in Scottish History

    phd in history edinburgh

  6. Justin Arbuthnott PhD Scholarship in Modern Irish History, Edinburgh

    phd in history edinburgh

VIDEO

  1. EDINBURGH PHD SCHOLARSHIPS IN THE UK

  2. Study International History (M.Phil.) at Trinity College Dublin

  3. An introduction to MSc History

  4. Edinburgh Napier University

  5. Edinburgh Castle Scotland || #aminuteskalinfacts

  6. Castle #edinburgh #edinburghcastle #scottishhistory #williamwallace #braveheart #travelvlog

COMMENTS

  1. History PhD

    Scholarships and funding. Study PhD in History at the University of Edinburgh. Our postgraduate degree programme looks at areas including pre-modern and early-modern history, modern British and Irish history, American history and global and transnational history. Find out more here.

  2. PhD in Scottish History

    The PhD in Scottish History offers you the opportunity to explore Scotland's past at an advanced level through independent research. The University of Edinburgh has one of the largest concentrations of scholars interested in the Scottish past. Our research expertise in Scottish history within the School ranges from late medieval kingship and ...

  3. Our PhD programmes

    The PhD in History offers you the opportunity to study history at an advanced level through independent research. ... The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, and is ...

  4. PhD in History

    PhD in History. The PhD in History offers you the opportunity to study history at an advanced level through independent research. The PhD is our principal research degree. The size of Edinburgh's history department, and the breadth of expertise available from our staff, means that we can offer supervision for research projects in a wide array ...

  5. DPT: History (PhD)

    THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2022/2023 Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change. ... DPTs : School of History, Classics and Archaeology DPTs. Degree Programme Table: History (PhD) - (Full-time) (PRPHDHISTY1F) Jump to: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4 Year 1 Academic year: 2022/ ...

  6. History PhD Program By The University of Edinburgh |Top Universities

    Learn more about History PhD Program including the program highlights, fees, scholarships, events and further course information. ... Postgraduate programmes at the University of Edinburgh. We offer over 300 taught masters courses and 135 research areas. Study with us and you will enjoy expert teaching from leading academics, at a university ...

  7. History PhD at The University of Edinburgh

    Modern European history: specialisms include 18th-century political and intellectual history; genocide; France; Germany; Russia and the Soviet Union; and Spain. Career opportunities. Our PhD students develop a highly valued set of research and professional skills which enable them to go on to a wide variety of careers.

  8. History Program By The University of Edinburgh |Top Universities

    Learn more about History Program including the program highlights, fees, scholarships, ... The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50*, and placed 15th in the 2023 QS World University Rankings. Our entrepreneurial and cross-disciplinary culture attracts students and staff from ...

  9. Scottish History PhD at The University of Edinburgh

    The subject has been taught at the University of Edinburgh since the prestigious Sir William Fraser Chair of Scottish History and Palaeography was established in 1901. The post is currently held by Professor Ewen Cameron.

  10. Scottish History, Ph.D.

    Students in Scottish History programme at The University of Edinburgh develop a highly valued set of research and professional skills which enable them to go on to a wide variety of careers. Many of our PhD students wish to pursue an academic career, and we have an excellent record of helping our students obtain research and teaching posts in ...

  11. The University of Edinburgh

    Are you interested in studying PhD in History? Find out more about the course from The University of Edinburgh - The School of History, Classics & Archaeology on educations.com now! ... The University of Edinburgh - The School of History, Classics & Archaeology PhD in History. Edinburgh, United Kingdom. DURATION. 3 Years.

  12. PhD Degrees in History, Scotland UK

    University of Glasgow. (4.2) History at Glasgow brings together world-leading expertise in a diverse range of topics. Topics in which we would welcome postgraduate Read more... 3 years Full time degree: £4,786 per year (UK) 5 years Part time degree: £2,393 per year (UK) Apply now Visit website Request info. View 21 additional courses.

  13. History and Classics PhD thesis collection

    Campbell, Jessica (The University of Edinburgh, 2024-08-19) This thesis offers fresh insight into a dynamic and overlooked aspect of nineteenth-century British asylum treatment, culture and everyday life: the arts. Drawing upon a wide range of sources - new and familiar - it examines ...

  14. PhDs in History

    Studying a PhD in History is a rigorous and intellectually stimulating experience. As a doctoral student, you will have the opportunity to conduct original research, contribute to historical scholarship, and engage in critical analysis of primary and secondary sources. You will work closely with your supervisor, who will guide and support you ...

  15. Scottish History PhD

    Scholarships and funding. Study PhD in Scottish History at the University of Edinburgh. Our postgraduate doctorate degree programme offer expertise in all periods of study, from early medieval Scottish history to the present day, with specialty including the Reformation, early medieval Scottish battles, and the witch hunt. Find out more here.

  16. University of Edinburgh PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

    After the Single Use project PhD Studentship: Eliminating single-use plastics in Scottish healthcare. The University of Edinburgh is offering a 3.5 year funded studentship to pursue a PhD. The PhD awardee will carry out a Scotland-based case study as part of the international After the Single Use team. Read more.

  17. History, Ph.D.

    designed by experts to get you the results you need. Postgraduate students at this History degree at The University of Edinburgh have access to: A dedicated study and computing lab with printing, copying and scanning facilities, overlooking the Meadows, one of the city's best-loved green spaces. Two research rooms, shared with undergraduates ...

  18. PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships in Edinburgh

    University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Law School. Edinburgh Law School was established in 1707. Renowned for our international and interdisciplinary outlook, we have been at the heart of legal education and research for more than 300 years. Read more. Funded PhD Programme (Students Worldwide) Law Research Programme. More Details.

  19. Doctorate Degrees in History, Edinburgh UK

    Find Doctorate Degrees in History using the UK's most comprehensive search engine for postgrads.

  20. PhD in Economic and Social History

    The PhD programme is designed to take three years full-time or six years part time. The PhD is examined by submission of a thesis of up to 100,000 words and by oral examination. PhD students work closely with their supervisors, who are recognised experts in the field of study. All PhD students pursue an individually tailored programme of ...

  21. PhDs

    PhDs. Depending on the field of study you are interested in, you may be able to apply for a pre-defined PhD project, or you may need to develop your own research idea. Research in the fields of medicine, science and engineering tend to require you to: compete for a place on a partially or fully funded programme (often with competitive ...

  22. MPhil in History (Women's, Gender and Queer History)

    As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.. The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries.

  23. History of Art, Ph. D.

    The MPhil and PhD in History of Art at The University of Edinburgh are both major pieces of independent research, preparing you for a future in academic scholarship. These degrees are obtained by research and presentation of a thesis of up to 60,000 words (MPhil) or 80,000-100,000 words (PhD). The first year of a PhD is probationary, meaning ...

  24. Economic and Social History PhD

    Scholarships and funding. Study PhD in Economic & Social History at the University of Edinburgh. Our postgraduate degree programme study interests include; economic development, energy policy, globalisation, urban history, material culture, museums and collecting, religion, popular culture, gender, and sexuality.