History

With its wide-ranging expertise, covering almost all areas of historical scholarship, and proximity to institutions such as the British Library and the Institute of Historical Research, UCL History offers unique opportunities for graduate students. Our staff and student body are extremely cosmopolitan and the department attracts students from all over the world. Students take advantage of our vast academic expertise, the plethora of networking opportunities available and the chance to get involved in hosting events. We offer individual research supervision from world-leading historians and are committed to offering a PhD programme that reflects our students' diverse needs.

Why study this degree at UCL?

With its wide-ranging expertise, covering almost all areas of historical scholarship, and its proximity to institutions such as the British Library, the Institute of Historical Research and the Warburg Institute, among others, UCL offers unique conditions for doctoral research in history. At any one time the History Department contains between 50 and 70 postgraduate research students - working on topics that range chronologically from the ancient Near East to twentieth-century Europe and the Americas. Our staff, as well as our student body, are extremely cosmopolitan, and we attract students from all over the world.

In addition to the department's regular training sessions, most doctoral students participate in the seminars of the Institute of Historical Research and take modules at the UCL Graduate School. Our research students regularly organise their own workshops, conferences and seminars.

Research areas

• American and Latin American history
• Ancient history (in particular, Greek, Roman and the ancient Near East)
• Medieval history
• Early modern and modern history of Britain and Europe
• Intellectual history
• Transnational history
• Medieval history
• Transnational history
• History of medicine

The department currently hosts a number of UK Research Council-funded projects including 'Women in the Miners' Strike', 'The Nahrein Network: New Ancient History Research for Education in Iraq and its Neighbours', and 'Democracy, Autocracy, and Sovereign Debt'.

Entry requirements

You should normally have a first- or upper second-class honours degree or an equivalent qualification and have performed well in your MA degree programme. In normal circumstances, we do not accept candidates without an MA degree. Those applying from overseas should have achieved high grades, especially in the modules or subjects relevant to their research, and should attach a certified official transcript to their application.

Students whose first language is not English will need to provide evidence of their capacity to research and write in English. You are expected to have what is termed 'Advanced' level English.

Identify a suitable supervisor

In order to study at UCL History you will need to identify a suitable supervisor for your proposed research. Your first step should be to review the list of academic staff members given on the People section of this website. You will notice that staff are listed by geographical area and by the historical period on which they work. Every staff profile page includes information on the types of PhD projects that the academic is willing to supervise. Take time to look carefully and identify the person whose research interests match most closely with your own.

Once you have identified your preferred supervisor, we recommend that you contact them directly. Tell them a little bit about yourself and give them an outline of your proposed research (this should be between 300 - 500 words in length). Ask them whether they would be willing to supervise your work.

Please do not contact potential supervisors unless you have a relatively clear idea in mind of the work that you wish to do. 

Drafting your research proposal

You should have a short draft of your research proposal in hand before you contact your preferred supervisor. This should be approximately 300 - 500 words long. Your formal application will include a longer proposal of 1,000 - 1,500 words.

The quality of your final research proposal is essential to a successful application, particularly if you wish to be considered for funding. As such it is strongly recommended that you contact your potential supervisor early in the academic year in order to obtain their advice on your proposal so that you can refine it before you submit your application. In most cases, your proposal will go through several drafts. You should discuss it with your academic advisors at your home institution as well as your chosen supervisor here at UCL and identify the problems that your thesis might be able to solve.

Application

In addition to your formal research proposal of 1,000-1,500 words, your application must include two academic references, from people able to comment on your suitability to undertake the research you propose. You will also be asked to supply certified transcripts of your undergraduate and MA grades (if complete).

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

Want to improve your English level for admission?

Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• ✔️ Flexible study schedule
• ✔️ Experienced teachers
• ✔️ Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

• Carol Chattaway scholarship

Recent graduates have taken up academic posts at the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, Kent and St Andrews, whilst others have entered careers in the civil service and the cultural sector, working as archivists and curators in institutions such as the Tower of London.

Employability

As part of the degree, students are given training designed especially to help enhance their employability. The department runs a bi-weekly Research Training Seminar which includes sessions that focus specifically on skills needed for academics as well as guidance on careers outside of academia. There is also a wide variety of courses available to students via the Skills Development programme, including languages, academic writing for non-native English speakers, sessions on professional and career development, getting published and research and analysis methods. The department maintains strong links with UCL's careers service and delivers specialist sessions for research students.