DPhil in History

Themes of this course include: 

• British and European History 1700-1850
• British History, 1850 onwards
• Early Modern History 1500-1700
• European History, 1850 onwards
• Global and Imperial History
• History of Science, Medicine, and Technology
• History of War
• Intellectual History
• Late Antique and Byzantine Studies
• Medieval History
• South Asian History
• US History
• Women's, Gender, and Queer History.

Recently completed thesis titles include: 

Early Modern History: 

•    William Perkins’s Anti-Popery and Its Underlying Worldview in Historical Context 
•    The Transformation of the Aristocratic Horse, 1600-1700 
•    Reforming royal worship: the English Chapel Royal, 1558-1625. 
•    A curious collection: Oxford’s du Bois Herbarium as an archive of early eighteenth-century science and empire 
•    The Art of Judgement: Thinking and Writing in Sixteenth Century France 
•    Landscapes of the Witches' Sabbath: Space, Place, and Fantasy in Early Modern Europe, 1500-1750. 

Global and Imperial and South Asian History: 

•    Reimagining the Middle East: Turkish Foreign Policy, 1945-2016 
•    The Overseas Club: Mobility, Race, and Material Culture in Rudyard Kipling’s World, 1880-1936 
•    Fa’i Pasifika: Agricultural Development and a Changing Pacific (1915-1975). 
•    Hope, Horror, and Humanitarianism in the Congo Basin, c. 1880-1908 
•    Born into the Struggle: The Children of South Africa’s Early Anti-Apartheid Activists 

History of Science, Medicine and Technology: 

•    From Hybridity to Heteroglossia: Indigenous Medicine and Embodiment in British Colonial Punjab, circa 1898-1948 
•    Navigating the past: Digitising 18th and 19th century public transport networks 
•    The Political Downplay of Evolved Psychology in the United States: 1980-2010 

History of War: 

•    Reinventing Space and Self: Stories of Habitation through the Adaptation of the Modern British Military and Religious Material Past 
•    'The Matrix of Honour: Martial Culture and Military Values in Spanish and English Armies, 1521-1609' 
•    A Forerunner to Post-War Special Forces Counter-Gangs? A Comparison of Orde Wingate’s Special Night Squads and British Post-War Special Forces Counter-Gang Conduct in Colonial Irregular Warfare and Counterinsurgency 
•    Knowledge Production, its Uses and Limits in Central Asia under Russian Rule, 1865-1908 
Intellectual: 
•    The world of Christianity and Islam: Edward Gibbon on Empire and Religion in the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 
•    Transatlantic Theology & the Reimagining of New England, 1830-1880 
•    Mahatma Gandhi and Simone Weil: The Hidden Dialectic 
•    The Making of the ‘Dismal Science’: The Convergence and Divergence of Aesthetics and Political Economy, 1750 – 1840 

Late Antiquity and Byzantine: 

•    Justinian the Jurist 
•    Anastasius of Sinai and the Fate of the Chalcedonian Church under the Umayyad Caliphate 
•    Panspermía and the Romaíoi: Performative Ethnicity and the Weaponization of Space in Byzantium’s post-Imperial Networks 1200-1230. 
•    History, Philosophy, and Poetry in the Histories of Agathias of Myrina 

Medieval History: 

•    Holy Couples: Sainthood, Marriages, and Gender, c. 1100-1500 
•    Pagans and Christians in Early Medieval Wessex, c. 400-800. 
•    Penitential Exile and Ecclesial Banishment in Britain and Ireland, A.D. 500-800 
•    Domesday after Domesday: The Use and Re-Use of the Domesday Archive, 1086-1100 
•    Central Asian Christians in the era of Islamisation. ca. 900-1430 

Modern British History: 

•    The Politics of Jewish Migration in Britain and America, 1881-1915 
•    The Road to 'The Last Crusade': The Church of England and European Fascisms, 1922-1945 
•    Why did the privatisation of British Rail fail? Five lessons from UK Public Policy 1985-1997 
•    Escaping the 'Sealed Tomb': A History of the Labour Left, 1985-2015 

Modern European History: 

•    Living Modernity through Time: Bohemia from Revolution to Republic, c. 1848-1918 
•    War and Gender in Provincial France: the case of the Quercy and Armagnac regions of South-West France 1940-44. 
•    Authors of the Deed: Political Assassination and Selfhood in Weimar Germany and Fascist Italy. 
•    Credit for Reconstruction: Austria, Germany and the Interwar Evolution of the Markets for Multilateral Sovereign Debt, 1922-1938 
•    Disruptions to Diplomacy: The Eastern Question in the Concert of Europe, 1814-1856 

US History: 

•    'To Clasp Hands...Across the Ocean': American Woman Suffragists in the Pacific World, 1893 – 1928 
•    Matamoros: Exploring The Relationship Between the Civil War and North American Borderlands in the American Southwest 
•    The Age of Tech: Silicon Valley and the Transformation of Democratic Politics, 1974 - 2000 
•    Cultures of Power: Electrification, Politics, and Visibility in Greater Los Angeles 
•    Asymmetrical Solidarities: Reconfiguring Black Internationalism Through the New York–East Africa Urban Axis
 
Women’s Gender and Queer History: 

•    Emancipation and the Gendering of Black 'Flesh' in the Anglo-Caribbeans 
•    AIDS in Rural Wales: An Oral History Investigation into Sexuality, Rurality, and Identity in 1980s/1990s Britain. 
•    Nightlife as Community Care: A Queer History of UK Fundraising Through Nightlife 
•    Growing Up Queer: 1790-1918 
•    Queer Body Politics in Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine: Reconsidering Identity Formation and Post-Soviet Transition 
 

Information on faculty research and academic and research staff can be found on the faculty's website.

Official course title

Doctor of Philosophy in History

Award

Course code

Full time: RD_HY2

Part time: RD_HY9P2

The full-time programme is studied over three to four years. The part-time programme has the same requirements, but is studied over six to eight years. If studying full-time, you are expected to submit your thesis three, or at most four, years from the date of admission. If studying part-time, you are expected to submit your thesis six, or at most eight, years from the date of admission.

Although there will be no requirement to live in Oxford, part-time research students must attend the University on a regular basis in term-time for supervision, study, research seminars and skills training, to ensure a comprehensive integration into the faculty's and University's research culture and with their full-time peer groups. You must be able to devote two to three days a week to your research. The faculty appreciates that part-time research students will have non-standard attendance and work patterns, and research may be concentrated into certain periods rather then spread out evenly. The dates of attendance will be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor.

Students offered a place on the full-time DPhil can switch to part-time study before the course starts, or after they have enrolled, but cannot switch back to full-time.

The faculty's research is organised around historical periods, research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects, and graduates are key participants in the wide range of seminars, workshops and conferences run by the faculty. There is a large number of academic experts with interest in these fields across the collegiate University and you will benefit from a variety of interdisciplinary resources, including weekly seminars.

In the field of history of science, medicine, and technology, the study environment is particularly enhanced by the Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, the Museum of the History of Science, and the Centre for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology. 

The Bodleian Libraries’ Special Collections Department attracts scholars from all over the world. Further strengths include the countless databases and digital resources currently offered by the Bodleian and being developed through Oxford’s Digital Humanities programme.

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

The allocation of graduate supervision 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.

DPhil students usually have one or two supervisors. One supervisor must be a permanent member of the history faculty; co-supervisors can be appointed from a different department if specialist knowledge is required. In exceptional circumstances, a co-supervisor from outside the university may be appointed. You do not need to contact potential supervisors before applying, but all applicants are strongly advised to make sure that full supervision is available before applying.

As a doctoral student you will be driving your own research, identifying sources and framing questions. Your supervisor(s) is there to provide advice, guidance, and support as you develop these skills throughout your DPhil.  From an early stage you can expect to be in command of your own research. Your supervisor(s) will engage you in discussion and offer suggestions rather than directly tutoring. 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. It is up to you and your supervisor to decide on the frequency of future meetings. In the first year, you should arrange to meet your supervisor at least twice a term, and keep in frequent contact. As you become more engaged with your research, you may meet your supervisor less frequently, but you should maintain regular contact with them.

You will also have the opportunity to benefit from the advice and support of other members of the faculty in a variety of settings, including at relevant research seminars and workshops, and directly from those involved in your progression through the transfer and confirmation stages of the degree. You can also draw on the expertise of scholars and colleagues in cognate fields throughout the wider university. 

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a full-time PRS student, or eight terms as a part-time PRS student, you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. This application is normally made by the second term for full-time students and by the fifth term for part-time students.

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require the submission of a thesis outline and a piece of written work. Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status to show that your work continues to be on track. This will need to done within nine terms of admission for full-time students and eighteen terms of admission for part-time students.

Both milestones normally involve an interview with one or two assessors (other than your supervisor) and therefore provide and important experience for the final oral examination.

Full-time students will be expected to submit a substantial thesis of not more than 100,000 words after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. If you are studying part-time, you will be required to submit your thesis after six or, at most, eight years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in History you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

Approximately half of students who complete their doctoral thesis go on to further academic posts worldwide. Some work in museums, or as freelance historians; others are in professional administrative positions in areas such as the civil service, university administration, banking, and publishing.

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
• Contact details

*Three-year average (applications for entry in 2024-25 to 2026-27)

• a master's degree with a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation); and
• an undergraduate degree with a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation); in history or cognate disciplines.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent. 

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

Applicants are expected to have a masters in a historical subject and must have experience of graduate-level historical research. If you decide to apply without a prior master's degree in history, please ensure that you link your proposed thesis topic with your previous expertise when you present it in your research proposal. You should also show that you have already carried out a considerable amount of background research into the topic. Your submitted written work should show that you have the necessary skills for historical research and writing.

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.

Further guidance

When assessors judge that a formally qualified and otherwise promising applicant requires strictly limited further training to embark on a doctoral programme, a doctoral place may be offered but only on the stipulation that the student successfully complete relevant elements of one of the faculty's master's courses before attempting 'transfer' to full doctoral status, meaning that the student may be asked to attend seminars or classes intended for master’s students.

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.

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

Full-time study

Part-time study

Full-time study

Part-time study

Full time

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:

• Balliol College
• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Corpus Christi College
• Exeter College
• Harris Manchester College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Mansfield College
• Merton College
• New College
• Nuffield College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• Regent's Park College
• Reuben College
• Somerville College
• St Anne's College
• St Antony's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St Hugh's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• The Queen's College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

Part time

The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:

• Balliol College
• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Exeter College
• Harris Manchester College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Mansfield College
• New College
• Nuffield College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• Regent's Park College
• Somerville College
• St Anne's College
• St Antony's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Hilda's College
• St Peter's College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

You do not need to contact anyone in the faculty before you apply. 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.

You are welcome to contact potential supervisors (with an abstract of your research proposal) before you apply, but it is not necessary. Please note that if you have contacted 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.

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.

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.

References should 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.

Your research proposal must be written in English. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count, though any footnotes (including references) are included.

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 (0)1865 615000