phd definition history

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Ph.D. Program

Pursue a doctoral degree.

The mission of our doctoral program in History is to train the next generation of historians to the highest professional standards in our discipline, from which they can pursue careers in academia, information management, public history, and the non-profit sector, among others. Earning a KU Ph.D. in History requires a mastery of research skills, including the ability to contextualize and interpret primary sources, knowledge of the languages relevant to one’s research, and the ability to develop an original historical argument that contributes to the historiography of one’s field. Moreover, a KU Ph.D. in History certifies that students can communicate complex ideas persuasively in writing and orally. It also attests to the readiness of a graduate of our program to teach history and advise undergraduates at the level of the university classroom and to train graduate students. 

Research in Your Field

Our program privileges advanced training in History that prepares and encourages students to research and write “across and between” conventionally-defined historiographical fields. To develop such a research program, students read in geographic, chronological, and thematic fields. Fields may be geographic, chronological, and/or thematic to provide maximum flexibility. Ph.D. students designate one major and two minor fields in consultation with their primary advisor and advisory committee.

Achieve Success

The success of this structure is borne out by the achievements of our students. In their time at KU, current graduate students have won prestigious fellowships from the National Science Foundation, American Council of Learned Societies and Fulbright (among numerous others) and published in international journals including  Diplomatic History, Agricultural History, Environment and History, Western Historical Quarterly, Soviet and Post-Soviet Review,  and  The Americas.  They conduct research in Japan, Brazil, Lithuania, China, the Czech Republic, Mexico, Spain, Korea, Russia, the United Kingdom, and every region of the United States.

Fund Your Research

All students who are admitted into the Ph.D. program for full-time study, except those who have secured guaranteed external institutional funding, are provided with 5 years of funding in the form of a fellowship, teaching, or research position. International students whose native language is not English are eligible to hold a GTA appointment, provided they meet the University's and the Department's standards for written and spoken English. Applicants who indicate that they are seeking Department funding will be considered automatically for nomination for University-wide fellowships and grants for entering graduate students. The Office of Graduate Studies offers a limited number of fellowships and supplemental scholarships for first-year students. Graduate students in African, East Asian, Latin American, and Russian/Eastern European history are strongly urged to apply simultaneously  for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships  from the appropriate KU Area Studies centers. FLAS fellowships provide recipients with tuition remission and a stipend while they pursue their degree program and enroll in formal language study.

Professional historians pursue a variety of careers. Recent Ph.D. graduates of the KU History Department hold tenured or tenure-track positions at research universities, liberal arts colleges, and community colleges; they work in university administration; they take positions for federal, state, and local governments; they work in archives, museums, and think tanks. The changing nature of the academic job market demands that even those graduate students who wish to pursue academic employment are advised to consider non-academic career tracks. Through discussions with faculty, visitors to the campus, and discussions with fellow graduate students and colleagues from other institutions (both academic and non-academic), students become familiar with the variety of career opportunities provided by a Ph.D. in History.

 In this age of declining academic opportunity, KU is especially keen to offer every professional advantage to our graduate students and alumni. Consequently, we work consistently to ensure that our students present the best possible intellectual content and professional performance. Faculty and other graduate students critique and workshop papers, article submissions, research methods, job letters, CVs, public presentations, and job talks at every step of the process, ensuring that when our graduates leave Mount Oread they are prepared to master any professional challenge.

Recent Graduates

Prerequisites

Many students enter the graduate program at the University of Kansas after completing an undergraduate degree in History and, if they are pursuing doctoral work, perhaps, even a Master’s degree. Others have training in related fields. Regardless, applicants are expected to demonstrate competence in the foundational skills of historical thinking, research, and writing. Moreover, students who are applying in fields where the primary research language is not English must also show sufficient capacity in the primary research language in their proposed field in order to demonstrate proficiency in their first year in Department's graduate program.

Under  Department of History rules, applicants must have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale in order to qualify for regular admission. Most successful applicants have undergraduate GPAs significantly above the minimum. Preference in admissions decisions will be given to applicants who do not yet possess the terminal degree in a humanities discipline.

Admissions Process

In History at KU, we privilege high-quality graduate advising and mentorship at every stage of a student’s interaction with our department. As such, our application processes for the M.A. and Ph.D. are geared towards ensuring the best possible fit between faculty and graduate students. Graduate applicants who seek to study at the University of Kansas are  required  to correspond with  at least one  prospective faculty advisor well in advance of the application deadline. On the most basic level, these preliminary contacts with faculty give applicants a sense of whether or not the prospective advisor is currently taking new students. More than this, these conversations offer candidates for admission a better sense of how they might fit into the program at KU. Our admissions process is designed to educate prospective students about what studying at KU would really be like and about the resources the Department and University possess in their areas of interest, as well as offering an opportunity to get to know some of the people they’d be working with during their time here. Moreover, the early establishment of a relationship between prospective faculty and applicant permits students to refine their applications to better articulate the candidate’s fit with our program. The prospective faculty advisor will be able to more effectively advocate for the applicant’s candidacy based upon this correspondence.

Once candidates for admission have established correspondence with at least one prospective advisor, they must complete the online application through the KU Office of Graduate Admission . International or domestic applicants who are non-native speakers of English should carefully review  Graduate Studies’ English Proficiency Requirements . 

The application deadline is December 15 for all applicants.  International applicants please schedule the TOEFL exam with this deadline in mind—scores must be received by the application deadline.

The application comprises the following:

• Suggest a potential direction for your research at KU as concretely as possible;
• Outline how you see a Ph.D. or M.A./Ph.D. in History fitting into your broad career goals ; and
• Identify   specific chronological, geographical, and thematic areas of interest
• Curriculum Vitae
• Writing Sample (maximum twenty-five pages, double-spaced).  The Department is interested in reviewing the best-crafted, most persuasively argued writing sample that applicants are able to provide. Such papers are often derived from an upper-level undergraduate history class in which the student conducted independent research and employed both primary and secondary sources. 
• GRE Scores are not required
• Official Transcript  from  each  institution that has granted you a degree, or at which you are currently enrolled
• Three letters of recommendation  – The letters will be directly uploaded online directly by those who write the recommendations

Please note that documents, including a writing sample and transcripts, should be  uploaded  to the application. Applicants should  not  send hard copies of application materials to the Department of History.

When you submit your online application, it is made available to the Department of History for review, yet it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the Office of Graduate Studies has received  all materials  by the deadline. The Department of History Graduate Office  cannot  process your application and move it forward for consideration by the Graduate Committee until  all  materials have been received. The Department of History reviews applications for completeness, and the Graduate Academic Advisor will contact you if your application is not complete.

Timeline for Applicant

• If your first language is not English, arrange to take the TOEFL.
• Contact your undergraduate or Master's advisor to discuss your interests. Ask them about general application practices and specific universities that specialize in your areas of interest.
• Research the schools your advisor recommended. Take a look at the faculty pages and note professors whose interests align with your own, aiming for two or three professors whose interests overlap with yours. Acquaint yourself with their current research by checking out and reading their most recent published works.
• Familiarize yourself with the admissions process and deadlines for the schools to which you have chosen to apply. Begin gathering the required application materials (GRE/TOEFL scores, academic transcripts, writing sample, etc.)
• Begin writing your statement of purpose. Have GRE/TOEFL scores and academic transcripts sent to your preferred institutions. They will be put on file until your application is complete.
• Email two to three faculty at your preferred institutions working in the areas of your interest. The discussions you begin with faculty are important in admissions decisions, as the department will only admit students whom faculty members believe they can advise well.
• Contact individuals acquainted with your academic work and ask if they would be willing to write letters of recommendation on your behalf.  During the online application you will be asked to submit the names and contact information for your recommenders. You should give your recommenders a minimum of one-month notice before the application deadline.
• Check that your preferred institutions have received the required TOEFL scores and academic transcripts.

November/December

• Complete revisions of all required documents such as your statement of purpose and writing sample
• Contact recommenders to ensure they have submitted recommendations.
• Submit your application in advance of the December 15  deadline.

Check out recent dissertations, apply to the program or contact a Graduate advisor.

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In This Section

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• Five Skills
• Careers for Students of History
• Careers in Public History
• Data on the History Profession
• Resources for Job Candidates and Search Committees
• Why Become a Historian?
• Are You Thinking of a Career in Secondary Schools?
• An Option Worth Pursuing: Teaching Opportunities for History Graduate Students in Secondary Schools
• The Many Careers of History PhDs
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The Many Careers of History PhDs: A Study of Job Outcomes, Spring 2013

A report to the american historical association.

By L. Maren Wood and Robert B. Townsend

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Table of Contents

Introduction • Research Methodology • Careers in the Professoriate • Careers beyond the Professoriate • Evidence of Change in the Job Market • Field Specializations Mark Significant Differences • Key Differences between Programs • Gender • Mobility and the Academic Job Market •  Conclusion

Introduction

Earning a doctoral degree in history presents a range of choices, starting with questions about where and what to study, and how to pay for the effort. Too often those choices have to be made with a significant amount of guesswork as to their potential outcomes. As part of the American Historical Association’s assessment of careers for history PhDs, the authors of this study undertook a detailed analysis of the current employment held by 2,500 history PhDs, all of whom earned their degrees between 1998 and 2009. 1 In brief, we found that:

• The overall employment rate for history PhDs was exceptionally high: only two people in the sample appeared unemployed, and none of them occupied the positions that often serve as punch lines for jokes about humanities PhDs—as baristas or short order cooks.

• Specialists in US history were nearly 25 percent less likely to be employed on the tenure track than were specialists in other fields, but significantly more likely to be employed in history work outside the professoriate.
• Receiving a PhD from a top-ranked institution improved the odds of making it onto the tenure track at a research university.
• Gender played little role in employment patterns across particular professions and industries.
• Nearly two-thirds of the PhDs in academic positions remained in or near the region in which they earned their degrees, but faculty who remained in the same region as their doctoral studies were significantly more likely to be employed off the tenure track.

Our findings can only show a snapshot of employment at one moment in time, clarifying the recent shape of the job market for history PhDs, and providing guidance to doctoral programs, graduate students, and newly minted PhDs pondering their futures.

Research Methodology

To identify the career paths of recent history PhDs, the AHA hired Maren Wood (Lilli Research Group) to track down the current employment of a random sample of 2,500 PhDs culled from a total of 10,976 history dissertations reported to the AHA’s Directory of History Departments and Historical Organizations from May 1998 through August 2009. The AHA’s Directory Editor, Liz Townsend, compared the data to employment information in the AHA Directory—which lists academic faculty—and the Association’s membership lists, and Wood used publicly available information on the Internet. Data was collected during February and March of 2013, and reviewed in June and July. Together, AHA staff and Maren Wood identified current employment or status information, as of spring 2013, on all but 70 members of the sample group.

We located people through digital research using publicly available data, most often gleaning a person’s employment information from university, company, or organization websites and directories. For stay-at-home parents and those who had retired, information was found through volunteer organizations, Facebook, newspaper stories, and personal blogs. We supplemented this data with academic and government conference programs and publications. We made limited use of LinkedIn and departmental newsletters; these are good places to start, but self-titled employment may differ from organization or university categories. For example, an adjunct faculty member identified as a “professor” on LinkedIn may not be employed as full-time, permanent faculty at their institution.

For each person in our sample, we collected an employer name and job title as described by the university, organization, or business, and used this information to categorize people into career sectors used by the AHA in previous studies. For the purposes of identifying the status of history doctorates in relation to society as a whole, it made sense to use place of employment as a primary variable: we wanted to know where history PhDs are working. But we also wanted to know what they are doing, and to get at this dimension, we looked at the titles and functions of people within their organizations.

Three categories may require further explanation:

• Higher education administration includes only those who are primarily administrators; tenured faculty who have taken on additional administrative positions are categorized as tenured faculty; university librarians are categorized under “Library/Museum/Archive.”
• Library/Museum/Archive includes people who work in federal, state, and local government; private museums and archives; and colleges and universities. We tabulated this category separately—regardless of the institution’s placement in other academic or governmental sectors—because it is commonly assumed to be an area where history PhDs can find employment.
• Government includes any person employed in a federal, state, or local government agency. These include program directors, managers, researchers, diplomats, military personnel, and politicians. Excluded from “government” are those working at federal and state libraries, museums, and archives, because we wanted to test the assumption that history PhDs can find employment in these institutions. Thus, we categorized someone working at the National Archives under Library/Museum/Archive.

From the data gathered, we then imputed field specializations for the authors of each dissertation using their titles, advisor’s field of specialization, and area of expertise reported in their current employment. Additional demographic information on each PhD’s doctoral program and academic employer was then added from the National Research Council’s A Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States (2011), and the Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System’s institutional characteristics data file.

A small number of the PhD recipients surveyed (just 1.1 percent of the total sample) had already retired, indicating that they earned the degree as a late-in-life avocational project, in most cases at non-elite public universities. Finally, a small proportion of PhDs (1.2 percent) suffered some form of deep personal misfortune (either death or incarceration).

Next Section

1 . Research for this study was funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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doctor of philosophy

Definition of doctor of philosophy

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1651, in the meaning defined above

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• 12 March 2024

Bring PhD assessment into the twenty-first century

You have full access to this article via your institution.

Innovation in PhD education has not reached how doctoral degrees are assessed. Credit: Dan Dunkley/Science Photo Library

Research and teaching in today’s universities are unrecognizable compared with what they were in the early nineteenth century, when Germany and later France gave the world the modern research doctorate. And yet significant aspects of the process of acquiring and assessing a doctorate have remained remarkably constant. A minimum of three years of independent study mentored by a single individual culminates in the production of the doctoral thesis — often a magisterial, book-length piece of work that is assessed in an oral examination by a few senior academic researchers. In an age in which there is much research-informed innovation in teaching and learning, the assessment of the doctoral thesis represents a curious throwback that is seemingly impervious to meaningful reform.

But reform is needed. Some doctoral candidates perceive the current assessment system to lack transparency, and examiners report concerns of falling standards ( G. Houston A Study of the PhD Examination: Process, Attributes and Outcomes . PhD thesis, Oxford Univ.; 2018 ). Making the qualification more structured would help — and, equally importantly, would bring the assessment of PhD education in line with education across the board. PhD candidates with experience of modern assessment methods will become better researchers, wherever they work. Indeed, most will not be working in universities: the majority of PhD holders find employment outside academia.

Collection: Career resources for PhD students

It’s not that PhD training is completely stuck in the nineteenth century. Today’s doctoral candidates can choose from a range of pathways. Professional doctorates, often used in engineering, are jointly supervised by an employer and an academic, and are aimed at solving industry-based problems. Another innovation is PhD by publication, in which, instead of a final thesis on one or more research questions, the criterion for an award is a minimum number of papers published or accepted for publication. In some countries, doctoral students are increasingly being trained in cohorts, with the aim of providing a less isolating experience than that offered by the conventional supervisor–student relationship. PhD candidates are also encouraged to acquire transferable skills — for example, in data analysis, public engagement, project management or business, economics and finance. The value of such training would be even greater if these skills were to be formally assessed alongside a dissertation rather than seen as optional.

And yet, most PhDs are still assessed after the production of a final dissertation, according to a format that, at its core, has not changed for at least half a century, as speakers and delegates noted at an event in London last month on PhD assessment, organized by the Society for Research in Higher Educatio n. Innovations in assessment that are common at other levels of education are struggling to find their way into the conventional doctoral programme.

Take the concept of learning objectives. Intended to aid consistency, fairness and transparency, learning objectives are a summary of what a student is expected to know and how they will be assessed, and are given at the start of a course of study. Part of the ambition is also to help tutors to keep track of their students’ learning and take remedial action before it is too late.

PhD training is no longer fit for purpose — it needs reform now

Formative assessment is another practice that has yet to find its way into PhD assessment consistently. Here, a tutor evaluates a student’s progress at the mid-point of a course and gives feedback or guidance on what students need to do to improve ahead of their final, or summative, assessment. It is not that these methods are absent from modern PhDs; a conscientious supervisor will not leave candidates to sink or swim until the last day. But at many institutions, such approaches are not required of PhD supervisors.

Part of the difficulty is that PhD training is carried out in research departments by people who do not need to have teaching qualifications or awareness of innovations based on education research. Supervisors shouldn’t just be experts in their field, they should also know how best to convey that subject knowledge — along with knowledge of research methods — to their students.

It is probably not possible for universities to require all doctoral supervisors to have teaching qualifications. But there are smaller changes that can be made. At a minimum, doctoral supervisors should take the time to engage with the research that exists in the field of PhD education, and how it can apply to their interactions with students.

There can be no one-size-fits-all solution to improving how a PhD is assessed, because different subjects often have bespoke needs and practices ( P. Denicolo Qual. Assur. Educ. 11 , 84–91; 2003 ). But supervisors and representatives of individual subject communities must continue to discuss what is most appropriate for their disciplines.

All things considered, there is benefit to adopting a more structured approach to PhD assessment. It is high time that PhD education caught up with changes that are now mainstream at most other levels of education. That must start with a closer partnership between education researchers, PhD supervisors and organizers of doctoral-training programmes in universities. This partnership will benefit everyone — PhD supervisors and doctoral students coming into the research workforce, whether in universities or elsewhere.

Education and training in research has entered many secondary schools, along with undergraduate teaching, which is a good thing. In the spirit of mutual learning, research doctoral supervisors, too, will benefit by going back to school.

Nature 627 , 244 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00718-0

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History (Ph.D.)

https://cola.unh.edu/history/program/phd/history

The Ph.D. is intended to prepare students for professional careers in historical research.  In this department, all Ph.D. students specialize in U.S. history / colonial America.  Students with a particularly strong secondary field outside of U.S. history may write dissertations that involve comparative studies of U.S. history / colonial America.

Before writing any dissertation, Ph.D. students must demonstrate competence in reading a foreign language, then pass a set of written and oral comprehensive examinations.

Degree Requirements

A doctoral student's program, which must be approved by the graduate committee of the department,  shall include each of the following requirements: two research seminars HIST 981 Doctoral Research Seminar in American History (taken twice), in which students will write a research paper in early U.S. History and a research paper in modern U.S. History; two reading seminars, HIST 939 Readings in Early American History and HIST 940 Readings in Modern American History ; a course in historical methods; correction of any deficiencies in the student's previous program; proficiency in one foreign language; HIST 970 Graduate Seminar in Teaching History (applies to all doctoral candidates awarded teaching assistantships); HIST 971 Professionalization for Historians ; preparation through reading and coursework in the entirety of U.S. history, with emphasis upon either early or modern U.S.; preparation through reading and coursework of two subfields outside of U.S. history, one of which may be a cognate field outside of history entirely; qualifying exams; dissertation proposal; and dissertation and successful defense.  

Candidacy is reached after successful completion of the following:

• required coursework listed above and courses to prepare fields or correct any deficiencies in the student's previous preparation;
• demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language;
• pass written and oral qualifying exams.

Note: In the definition of fields above, United States and U.S. are understood to mean the United States and its colonial antecedents.

Please consult the History Department's Graduate Student Handbook for additional details.

Apprenticeship and Degree Regulations

The department considers that graduate work in history, and particularly doctoral work, is professional training. The department recognizes the dual concerns of the historian's life: teaching and research. When feasible, all doctoral students are expected to undertake teaching in the department during a part of their residence. Participation in proseminar and in teaching constitutes an apprenticeship in conjunction with formal study. Doctoral students may choose to pursue the Cognate in College Teaching offered through the Graduate School. All graduate students are reviewed annually by the faculty of the department. A student accumulating two course failures is automatically barred from continuing in any degree program in history, but the department reserves the right to exclude others whose overall performance does not give reasonable assurance of a successful program completion. Students are allowed no more than three attempts to meet any language requirement.

• Students will be able to demonstrate broad knowledge of historical events and periods and their significance
• Students will be able to explain and critique the historical schools of thought that have shaped scholarly understanding of their fields of study
• Students will be able to deploy skills of critical analysis: 1) Formulating persuasive arguments; 2) Evaluating evidence and critiquing claims in the literature; 3) Interpreting a variety of primary sources.
• Students will be able to design and conduct major research projects, deploying these essential skills: )1 Reviewing the state of the field to identify a new topic and locate their work within larger scholarly conversations; 2) Identifying and accessing a sufficient base of primary sources; 3) Producing a high-quality research paper, well-written and meeting professional standards, suitable as the basis for conference presentation or academic publication; 4) Designing and writing a dissertation based on extensive research that makes an original contribution to knowledge
• The skills listed above can lead to positions outside academia, such as in museums, archives, and government service. They also apply to students who seek faculty positions. For the latter group, students will additionally develop teaching skills, such as course design, classroom management, lecturing, leading discussions, and crafting assignments and evaluation methods
• Students will be able to engage in professional dissemination of their work by presenting their research at conferences or submitting manuscripts to academic journals.

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Modern and Contemporary History PhD

The University of Brighton has a thriving research culture for History PhD students, built around its highly-reputed research Centre for Memory, Narrative and Histories . 

Our primary strength as an academic community is in modern history, including global perspectives on the twentieth-century. Our historians use a wide range of interdisciplinary methodologies that draw on social, political and cultural history and investigate the complex interconnections between present and past, evoked by concepts of memory.  

Research expertise for Modern and contemporary history PhD study at the university covers documentary and oral histories, literary and cultural analysis,  political, moral and applied philosophy and contemporary critical theory, as well as exciting interdisciplinary combinations, and we welcome approaches for supervision in any of these areas. 

We have an excellent record in achieving funding for PhD students in modern and contemporary history and related studies.

Together with colleagues from closely related Centres of Research and Enterprise Excellence (COREs), we offer supervision for history focused projects that cross disciplines in the arts, humanities and social sciences and our department thrives on its interdisciplinary interests and the close research culture that stems from it.

Your supervisory team and academic network can draw on expertise in, for example, cultural studies, social anthropology, cultural geography, art and design history, art practices, media and visual studies, performance studies, critical theory, sociology, psycho-social studies, critical heritage studies, narrative theory, archive and museum studies and digital humanities. 

Our graduates have gone on to work in, among other fields, academia and the heritage and museum sectors. We welcome approaches to discuss suitable projects and can provide advice on application, proposals and any suitable funding.

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Key information

Your Modern and contemporary history PhD will be supervised by expert academics who will also guide you towards career decisions and allow your work to draw on and contribute to the wider academic society at Brighton and at partner universities.

As a Modern and contemporary history PhD student, you will

• have a supervisory team comprising two members of academic staff. Depending on your particular area of study you may also have additional supervisors from other research institutions or external partners.
• become part of an active and engaged community of research learning, leading talks, and social events with opportunities to present your work as it progresses and network with other researchers.
• be part of an active and highly supportive research centre, the Centre for Memory, Narrative and Histories , and introductions to other suitable centres and groups. You will also be part of the interdisciplinary School of Humanities and Social Science at the University of Brighton.
• have desk space and access to a computer in a space specifically designed for research students.
• have access to a range of electronic resources via the university’s online library, as well as to physical books and journals at St Peter’s House Library in central Brighton and other campus libraries.

Academic environment

 Our History PhD students enjoy a close-knit and highly supportive academic community that makes optimum use of a range of expertise and can work with your interests whether single-disciplinary, interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary.  

There is a thriving postgraduate and research culture in humanities across the university helping support an understanding of broader contexts as well as the specifics of your PhD project. Our community of experts particularly welcomes projects addressing: 

• concerns around the nature, structure and scope of violent conflict including the social and cultural history of modern warfare, with reference to the total wars of the twentieth century, legacies and memories of warfare, truth, justice and reconciliation in ‘post-conflict’ societies; 
• colonial and postcolonial cultural and social history with reference to the histories and legacies of transatlantic slavery, forms of migration, diasporic identity, the anglophone Caribbean, the Black Atlantic, and twentieth-century US cultural history, especially histories of 'race' and civil rights;
• histories of identity formations such as gender, ‘race’, nation and class and the role of cultural memory in these formations. 

As well as these we will be excited to hear your proposals that align to any of the themes of the Centre for Memory, Narrative and Histories , for example,  

• Social and cultural histories of warfare including post-conflict legacies 
• Gender, race and class 
• Race, Empire and colonialism 
• Cultural memory: theory, politics, history 

You will have an academic home in the School of Humanities and Social Science and in our principal centre dedicated to history, memory and narrative, but we recommend students attend seminars and meet staff working across related centres. Please explore our  Centres of Research Excellence (COREs)  to discover the range of our doctoral student work and staff specialisms. The four COREs below work especially closely together.

Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics  

Centre for Design History

Centre for Memory, Narrative and Histories

Centre for Spatial, Environmental and Cultural Politics

Some of our supervisors

Sue breakell.

Sue is based at the University of Brighton Design Archives and supervises research on archives in theory and practice, particularly in art and design; and on twentieth century British art and design and their contexts, with a particular focus on the mid-century. She supervises Masters and Doctorate projects both at Brighton and elsewhere, and is happy to hear from potential students with interdisciplinary interests that intersect with archives practice or the Design Archives collections.

Dr Christian Hogsbjerg

Christian would be interested in supporting doctoral research in the following areas: Anti-colonialism; Atlantic Studies and maritime history; Black British History; Black Intellectual History; British imperial history; Caribbean history and politics (including Haitian Revolutionary Studies); Labour History; Pan-Africanism; Race, Resistance and Reparative Histories; Slavery, Resistance and Abolition.      

Dr Eugene Michail

I supervise PhDs on a range of modern European history themes, especially on histories and memories of conflict, resistance and refugeedom. I am also interested in innovative projects on the method and challenges of writing the history of today. In our School we have an excellent record in securing funding for applicants that are keen to discuss and shape their ideas in dialogue with us.  

My recent doctoral students are: 

• Mr Yazan Abu Jbara 'Resistance in and through Palestinian Memoirs' (PhD started 2022)
• Mr Irfan Chowdhury 'How systematic were the British Army’s war crimes in Iraq between 2003 and 2011?' (started 2022)
• Mrs Keira Gomez, 'Themes and narrative patterns in conflict-related intergenerational familial storytelling in Northern Ireland: an oral history of the ceasefire generation' (started 2022)
• Amadeusz Lange 'In the shadows, unveiling Polish women’s contributions in clandestine activity, 1939-1945' (started 2022)
• Rosemary Rich, ‘The memory of Second World War conscientious objection since 1945’ (started 2019)
• Vanessa Tautter, ‘Narratives of Victimisation among the Contemporary Right in Austria and Northern Ireland’ (started 2018)
• Oscar Louis Norris-Broughton, 'Guilds at Home and Abroad: A History of Knowledge of Guild Socialism' (PhD awarded 2022 at Freie Universität Berlin)
• Pete Morgan, ‘British representations of the Armenian Genocide, 1915-23’ (awarded 2022 Brighton)
• Kate Newby, ‘Children’s and Transgenerational Memories of violence in Norther Ireland in the 1970s’ (awarded 2020 Brighton)
• Ian Cantoni, ‘Spanish Republican refugee camps in southern France following the Spanish civil war of 1936-1939’ (awarded 2019 Brighton)
• Chris Crook, ‘Empire or Europe? Priorities within British Foreign Policies 1919-1926’ (awarded 2017 Sussex)

Dr Aris Mousoutzanis

My supervisory interests include the study of popular media genres (science fiction, horror); the relations between media, memory and trauma; and media and politics (specifically imperialism, (post)colonialism and globalisation. Interdisciplinary projects on media, literature and culture are most welcome.

A more detailed indicative list of supervisory interests includes the following areas:

• the study of popular media genres (science fiction, horror/Gothic, utopia/dystopia, (post-)apocalyptic fiction).
• the relations between screen media, trauma theory and memory studies - with a more recent interest in nostalgia studies.
• the historical and discursive relations between screen media and imperialism, globalisation and (post)colonialism.

Students with an interest in an interdisciplinary approach that extends across English studies and Film and Television studies are most welcome. I have also researched, taught and published on the late Victorian period ('fin de siecle') and postmodern theory, literature and culture.

Dr Ceren Ozpinar

Dr Ceren Özpınar has supervised one PhD to completion, and currently supervises two PhD students at Brighton and one at IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, who work on subjects in transnational storytelling, lesser-known women artists and designers in the 20th century, feminism in the museum, and textile-based artistic practices. 

Ceren would be interested in supervising PhD projects on feminist and queer approaches to art; transnational art histories; narratives of difference; memory and materiality. She would also welcome proposals interested in researching any aspect of the project of decolonising the history of art and exhibitions, particularly but not exclusively, in the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and North African geographies.

Ceren also hosts visiting doctoral researchers on a regular basis. If you are working on a PhD project at another institution related to her research expertise and would like to be supervised by her at Brighton for a short period (up to a year), feel free to contact her.

Prof Annebella Pollen

Annebella supervises PhD projects in visual and material culture, histories of photography and popular image cultures, Mass Observation, modern British art and design, non-elite design and dress history, everyday / vernacular cultural practices and countercultures. She is supervising ten current doctoral students, has supervised seven PhDs to completion, including a PhD by Publication, and has examined 25 PhD theses, including practice-led doctorates, internationally.

Dr Anita Rupprecht

She has supervised doctoral students since 2008 and would be delighted to support research projects related to the histories and cultures of British transatlantic enslavment and resistance, histories, cultures and representations of 18C and 19C abolitionism, transatlantic enslavement and the archive, Caribbean, diasporic and Black Atlantic literatures, Postcolonial theory, identity and culture, cultural memory and the legacies of transatlantic enslavement, empire and colonialism

Dr Rebecca Searle

Rebecca supervises students researching contemporary British History. She has particular expertise in the history of housing, the politics of twentieth and twenty first century Britain, the history of sexuality and gender, and the impact of war on society. She works with students across social, political, cultural and economic history and with students specialising in politics, sociology or philosophy who want to incorporate historical analysis into their research. 

Dr Aakanksha Virkar

Aakanksha is happy to supervise postgraduate work on late Victorian and modern literature. She has specific interests in literary modernism and would particularly welcome projects exploring literature and the arts (music and visual culture).

Specific areas within literary studies (1850-1950) might include

• Victorian/modern transitions
• philosophy, aesthetics and politics in modern literature
• poetry and poetics
• literature, music and visual culture
• aestheticism, decadence and desire

Dr Julia Winckler

Julia Winckler's interdisciplinary research focuses on working with visual archives and collections. Memory and migration narratives, contested topographies, exile studies, co-production of knowledge and photography & activism are particular areas of interest. 

For PhD applicants:

Winckler currently co-supervises six Phd students at the University of Brighton and one Phd student at the University of Salzburg. Two of these Phd projects are practice-based; one is Techne funded, a second is an AHRC CPD studentship. 

Winckler welcomes Phd inquiries that interact with any of the following: 

Working with Archives and Collections: Photographic archives, Community archives, Museums, Private Collections

Memory Studies: Postmemory, transnational memory, cultural memory, communicative memory, personal memory

Art practice as research: visual, creative and ethnographic research methods/photo voice/photo elicitation/digital media technologies, site-specific interventions

Co-production of knowledge: popular education methodology, participatory methods, oral history, histoire croisée/regards croisés methodologies

Photography and activism: community art practice (global, historical & contemporary) and critical pedagogy

Photographers in Exile in Britain: contributions made by emigrés to the field of Applied Arts

Dr Claire Wintle

Dr Wintle welcomes enquiries about projects on museums, exhibition design, collecting, cultural forms of imperialism, nationalism and decolonisation, especially in Britain, and the material and visual culture of South Asia.

Claire has supervised three PhDs to completion and currently supervises eight AHRC-funded PhD students. She has examined postgraduate theses at SOAS, Leicester University, Royal Holloway, Sheffield Hallam University, the University of Southampton and a further five PhDs at the University of Brighton. Her students focus on themes ranging from British South Asian community engagement with museums to the professional experiences of museum staff working to decolonise practice. She works with colleagues at the British Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, the Horniman Museum and the V&A to supervise Collaborative Doctoral Projects on subjects including the British Museum's relationships with museums in West Africa, South Asian donors to the British Museum, exhibition design at the British Museum and Korean collections at the V&A. She also works with colleagues at Shiv Nagar University in India to supervise a PhD project on Bihar Museum.

 For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit  research staff on our research website.  

Making an application

You will apply to the University of Brighton through our online application portal. When you do, you will require a research proposal, references, a personal statement and a record of your education.

You will be asked whether you have discussed your research proposal and your suitability for doctoral study with a member of the University of Brighton staff. We recommend that all applications are made with the collaboration of at least one potential supervisor. Approaches to potential supervisors can be made directly through the details available online. If you are unsure, please do contact the Doctoral College for advice.

Please visit our How to apply for a PhD page for detailed information.

Sign in to our online application portal to begin.

Fees and funding

 Funding

Undertaking research study will require university fees as well as support for your research activities and plans for subsistence during full or part-time study.

Funding sources include self-funding, funding by an employer or industrial partners; there are competitive funding opportunities available in most disciplines through, for example, our own university studentships or national (UK) research councils. International students may have options from either their home-based research funding organisations or may be eligible for some UK funds.

Learn more about the funding opportunities available to you.

Tuition fees academic year 2023–24

Standard fees are listed below, but may vary depending on subject area. Some subject areas may charge bench fees/consumables; this will be decided as part of any offer made. Fees for UK and international/EU students on full-time and part-time courses are likely to incur a small inflation rise each year of a research programme.

Contact Brighton Doctoral College

To contact the Doctoral College at the University of Brighton we request an email in the first instance. Please visit our contact the Brighton Doctoral College page .

For supervisory contact, please see individual profile pages.

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What is a PhD?

As the highest degree level achievable at university, completing a PhD shows that you've made a meaningful new contribution to your chosen research field

PhDs at a glance

• Involves three or four years of full-time study, or up to seven part time.
• Typically undertaken after achieving a Masters degree.
• Can either be funded or self-funded.
• Assessed through a written thesis and oral exam.
• Many Doctoral graduates choose to pursue an academic or research career.

What is the meaning of PhD?

The term PhD or Doctorate of Philosophy is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase 'philosophiae doctor'.

A PhD degree typically involves students independently conducting original and significant research in a specific field or subject, before producing a publication-worthy thesis.

While some Doctorates include taught components, PhD students are almost always assessed on the quality and originality of the argument presented in their independent research project.

How long is a PhD in the UK?

Full-time PhDs usually last for three or four years, while part-time PhDs can take up to six or seven. However, the thesis deadline can be extended by up to four years at the institution's discretion. Indeed, many students who enrol on three-year PhDs only finish their thesis in their fourth year.

While most PhD studentships begin in September or October, both funded and self-funded PhDs can be undertaken at any point during the year.

If you're planning on studying for a PhD abroad, take a look at our individual country profiles .

Do I need a Masters to do a PhD?

The majority of institutions require PhD candidates to possess a Masters degree , plus a Bachelors degree at 2:1 or above. However, some universities demand only the latter, while self-funded PhD students or those with significant professional experience may also be accepted with lower grades.

You may need to initially register for a one or two-year Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Master of Research (MRes) degree rather than a PhD. If you make sufficient progress, you and your work will then be 'upgraded' to a PhD programme. If not, you may be able to graduate with a Masters degree.

If you need an MPhil or MRes before enrolling on your PhD, search Masters degrees .

What does a PhD involve?

A standard PhD degree is typically split into three stages. A three-year PhD may follow this pattern:

• First year - You'll meet with your supervisor to discuss your research proposal and agree an action plan with deadlines. You'll then complete your literature review, in which you'll evaluate and critique existing works to inform the direction of your project and ensure that your research will be original.
• Second year - Your focus will shift to gathering results and developing your thesis, and potentially begin writing chapters of your thesis. You may also present your results and ideas at academic conferences, gain teaching experience, collaborate with other students on similar projects, communicate the benefits of your research to the general public through workshops, lectures and presentations, or submit work for publication in an academic journal or book.
• Third year - Primarily involves writing your thesis, though your research may still be in progress. After your supervisor gives their approval, you'll submit your thesis before undertaking a one to three-hour oral exam ( viva voce ) in which you'll discuss and defend your thesis in the presence of at least one internal and external examiner.

How do I find a PhD?

As a PhD is different to other degrees, you're committing to more than simply an advanced qualification. You've chosen to engage in a large-scale independent research project and so you'll need to take into account a range of factors that will drive your search.

A methodical approach to the process is required and you'll need to consider the subject you're interested in carrying out research in and the type of Doctorate you're looking for, making sure this is the right project for you. Only when you're fully prepared and have a good idea of your research proposal should you search for PhD opportunities .

What other types of Doctorate are there?

Alternative types of PhD include:

• Higher Doctorate - These are usually granted on the recommendation of a committee of internal and external examiners, which assesses a portfolio of published, peer-reviewed research you've undertaken over the course of many years. This type of Doctorate is usually for those with several years of academic experience. Common award titles include the Doctor of Civil Law (DCL), Doctor of Divinity (DD), Doctor of Literature/Letters (DLit/DLitt/LitD/LittD), Doctor of Music (DMus/MusD), Doctor of Science (DS/SD/DSc/ScD) and Doctor of Law (LLD).
• Integrated/New Route PhD - This four-year PhD course is offered by over 30 universities and involves taking a one-year MRes before studying a three-year PhD. It combines taught elements with independent research, allowing students to learn different methodologies while building their transferable skills.
• Professional Doctorate - Geared towards students of vocational subjects such as medicine, education and engineering, professional Doctorates are focused on teaching and so normally involve smaller research projects and thesis component. They're often favoured by those aiming for a career outside of academia and are usually supported by employers.

How much does a PhD cost?

Tuition fees vary, but usually fall between £3,000 and £6,000 per year for UK students and those from the European Union (EU) with settled status. UK Research Councils pay universities £4,596 per year (from 2022/23) on behalf of each funded PhD student, so this gives a good indication of the average figure.

For EU students looking to pursue a Doctorate in 2022/23, you'll need to have gained settled or pre-settled status to be eligible for student finance - see PhD loans .

Non-EU students may pay considerably more for their tuition fees.

Despite this, many PhD students are now part or fully funded - scholarships and bursaries are widely available, and particular attention should be paid to Research Council grants .

PhD studentships and assistantships involving a mixture of research and teaching are also common, with scientific studentships usually paid at a higher rate.

How do I apply for a PhD?

Some students propose their own research area and apply for funding, while in some cases a supervisor may already have funding for a project and advertise it like a job. When making a PhD application, you'll typically be asked to submit:

• an academic CV
• your academic transcripts
• two or three academic references
• a personal statement
• a research proposal.

International students without settled UK status looking to study certain courses in medicine, mathematics, engineering and material sciences are required to comply with the Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) . This involves undergoing a security clearance process with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. International students may also have to prove their English proficiency.

What can I do next?

Your ability to critically analyse, display intellectual maturity, and research independently and honestly is highly valued within academia and the workplace.

Many students who undertake a PhD get an academic job or become an industry researcher, possibly following the PhD with postdoctoral study, then a fellowship or lectureship.

Other career options will depend on your study area.

Discover what a PhD degree can lead to at your PhD, what next?

Find out more

• Consider your PhD options at 5 routes to getting a Doctorate .
• Get help with choosing your PhD supervisor .
• Explore funding postgraduate study .

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• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of PhD in English

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• associate's degree
• baccalaureate
• bachelor's degree
• first degree
• summa cum laude

Ph.D. | American Dictionary

Translations of phd.

Get a quick, free translation!

Word of the Day

null and void

having no legal force

Sitting on the fence (Newspaper idioms)

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in History, Archaeology, Geography and Indigenous Studies

Undertake a phd in history, archaeology, geography and indigenous studies.

Gain expertise in a specialised area

Pursue an advanced research project in history, archaeology, geography or Indigenous studies and expand our understanding of the cultural, social and political forces that shape and steer the world today.

Research supervisors 

How to apply 

Enquire 

Master of Arts (Research)

Duration: 2 years

Delivery mode: In person

Location: Bedford Park

CRICOS code:  106282D

Annual fees: 2024: $36,300

Further information on fees listed

Doctor of Philosophy (Humanities)

Duration: 4 years

Delivery mode: In Person

CRICOS code:  106266D

Why undertake a PhD in History, Archaeology, Geography and Indigenous Studies

• Gain expertise in a specialised area of history, archaeology, geography or Indigenous studies. You will become an international expert in your topic
• Make a difference to the world. Your research has the potential to improve people’s lives by understanding the near or distant past
• Explore a fascinating research question that no one has answered before. You will have the opportunity to expand current knowledge or answer a previously unresolved issue in the field

Your career

A PhD gained in History, Archaeology, Geography and Indigenous Studies at Flinders provides a wide range of skills valued in all types of organisations and careers. It will enhance your analytical and communication skills, provide you with skills to quickly learn new concepts and adapt to change, and enhance your time management, organisation and resilience skills.

A PhD is a stepping stone to a career as a professional researcher in the public sector, think tanks, charities, universities, and private corporations. Individuals with PhDs in history, archaeology, geography and Indigenous studies are highly sought after for various professions in public and private organisations and have found roles in writing, the law, public service, consulting, advising, teaching and publishing.

Potential occupations include:

• consultant or advisor
• professional researcher.

Potential employers include:

• universities
• think tanks
• public sector
• private corporations.

Potential research supervisors

Flinders History, Archaeology, Geography and Indigenous studies academic staff are recognised as leaders in their fields both in Australia and globally. Our academic supervisors draw on their extensive knowledge and exciting research covering topics related to periods from the pre-historic through to the present, and from the local to international spaces and into outer space.

Associate Professor Wendy Van Duivenvoorde

Learn what to prepare before approaching a potential research supervisor.

Ready to find the perfect supervisor for your research journey?

Explore Research @ Flinders.

Archaeology

Indigenous Studies

Get inspired

Family ties.

When Flinders PhD researcher Yianni Cartledge set out on a journey to discover Greek migration stories, he didn't expect the results to hit so close to home.

Studying in Australia on an international PhD scholarship

After securing an international PhD scholarship, Flinders researcher Meghan McAllister-Hayward moved all the way from Ireland to start her PhD in Geoarchaeology.

How to apply

Review the course rule

Check your eligibility

Find a research supervisor

Find out about scholarships and fees

Prepare your application

Enquire now

If you have a question about how to apply, please review our Frequently Asked Questions before submitting an enquiry.

For all other course enquiries complete the enquiry form.

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PhD in History

The Department of History offers only a PhD. We do not admit students to a terminal master's degree in history; however, students in the PhD program may earn a master’s degree in history the way to their doctorate. We do offer an interdisciplinary MA in heritage studies and public history.

PhD Degree Requirements

For your PhD, you will be expected to meet the following requirements:

• 27 credits in 9 history classes, including Scope and Methods of Historical Studies (8015) in the first semester and a History Research Seminar (8021), which would focus on prospectus writing to be taken in the second or third year, as well as two courses in a chosen comparative area
• 12 credits from outside the history department related to your course of study
• 24 thesis credits
• Reading knowledge in at least one language outside of English before preliminary exams (this requirement may vary depending on your field of study and may include competence in quantitative methods)
• Completion of preliminary written and oral exams
• Completion of the dissertation
• Final oral dissertation defense

Note: If you enter the PhD program with a master’s, you will be expected to complete your coursework and preliminary exams by the end of your second year or the first term of the third year.

Master’s Options

Students interested in completing a Master’s degree while pursuing their PhD may do so. All students who choose to pursue a master’s must complete 30-31 credits of coursework, have a reading knowledge in one foreign language, and can choose to write a thesis or expand upon three seminar papers.

We are now offering an MA in heritage studies and public history in conjunction with several departments, programs, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the College of Design. This MA provides history professionals with broad disciplinary perspectives in several areas including archival research, archaeology, material culture studies, architecture, preservation, or landscape studies.  View more information on the MA in Heritage Studies and Public History .

Graduate Minor in History

Students pursuing graduate degrees in other departments may minor in history. To earn a master’s minor, students will be asked to take two history courses and craft a thesis with a historical dimension. Students wishing to earn a PhD minor will be asked to take four history courses, including Scope and Methods of Historical Studies. Minor students must also take a written and oral examination, which can be incorporated into their home department, as long as a historian sits on the examining committee.

Non-Degree Graduate Credits

Non-degree seeking students can join graduate seminars as well, more information can be found  here .

College Resources for Graduate Students

Visit CLA’s website for graduate students to learn about collegiate funding opportunities, student support, career services, and more.

Student Services      Career Services     Funding & Support

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Definition of PhD noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• to do/have/be a PhD
• Anne Thomas, PhD
• acquire/​get/​lack (an) education/​training/ (British English) (some) qualifications
• receive/​provide somebody with training/​tuition
• develop/​design/​plan a curriculum/ (especially British English) course/ (North American English) program/​syllabus
• give/​go to/​attend a class/​lesson/​lecture/​seminar
• hold/​run/​conduct a class/​seminar/​workshop
• sign up for/​take a course/​classes/​lessons
• go to/​start preschool/​kindergarten/​nursery school
• be in (North American English) the first, second, etc. grade/ (British English) year 1, 2. etc. (at school)
• study/​take/​drop history/​chemistry/​German, etc.
• (British English) leave/​finish/​drop out of/ (North American English) quit school
• (North American English) graduate high school/​college
• be the victim/​target of bullying
• (British English) play truant from/ (both British English, informal) bunk off/​skive off school (= not go to school when you should)
• (both especially North American English) skip/​cut class/​school
• (British English) cheat in/ (North American English) cheat on an exam/​a test
• get/​be given a detention (for doing something)
• be expelled from/​be suspended from school
• do your homework/ (British English) revision/​a project on something
• work on/​write/​do/​submit an essay/​a dissertation/​a thesis/​an assignment/ (North American English) a paper
• finish/​complete your dissertation/​thesis/​studies/​coursework
• hand in/ (North American English) turn in your homework/​essay/​assignment/​paper
• study/​prepare/ (British English) revise/ (North American English) review/ (North American English, informal) cram for a test/​an exam
• take/ (both British English) do/​sit a test/​an exam
• (especially British English) mark/ (especially North American English) grade homework/​a test
• (British English) do well in/ (North American English) do well on/ (especially North American English, informal) ace a test/​an exam
• pass/​fail/ (especially North American English, informal) flunk a test/​an exam/​a class/​a course/​a subject
• apply to/​get into/​go to/​start college/ (British English) university
• leave/​graduate from law school/​college/ (British English) university (with a degree in computer science)
• study for/​take/ (British English) do/​complete a law degree/​a degree in physics
• (both North American English) major/​minor in biology/​philosophy
• earn/​receive/​be awarded/​get/​have/​hold a master’s degree/​a bachelor’s degree/​a PhD in economics
• dissertation

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