The PhD in History is an advanced research degree, awarded on the basis of a thesis and an oral viva voce examination. The primary purpose of the PhD is the preparation and presentation of a substantial piece of independent and original academic research, completed in three-years if studying full-time and five-years if studying part-time.

Every PhD student in the Faculty of History is supported by a supervisor or supervisors.  Supervisors are experts in their field of study and support students throughout the PhD. Students will also benefit from the advice and support of other academic members of the Faculty who will be involved in progression through the various stages of the PhD; from the registration assessment exercise at the end of the first year through to the completion of the thesis.

Most of our PhD students study here full-time but each year we admit a number of students who wish to study on a part-time basis. Part-time study can be ideal for those who are looking to gain a postgraduate qualification without leaving employment and wish to develop their careers while they continue earning; or for those who are home based for whatever reason and wish to develop their skills. However it’s important to note that the part-time PhD at Cambridge is not a distance learning course, part-time students are expected to fully engage with the Faculty, to integrate into the research culture of the University and to attend the University on a regular basis for supervision, study, skills training, research seminars and workshops.

Throughout their time at the Faculty, PhD students are encouraged to attend one or more of the Faculty’s Graduate Workshops in their subject group or area of research. These workshops are spaces for PhD students to share their work and collaborate with visiting speakers, academic and peers.  

Learning Outcomes

The Cambridge PhD is designed as a structured, flexible and individual preparation in becoming a professional researcher. It will help students develop the core skills needed by an Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences professional researcher of the future, which are valued by both academic and non-academic employers.

Continuing

The Faculty’s MPhil programmes provide excellent preparation for doctoral study and many of our MPhil students choose to stay at Cambridge to pursue a Cambridge PhD.

Students wishing to continue to the PhD are expected to achieve an overall mark of 70 in their MPhil with a mark of at least 70 in their dissertation.

Admission to the PhD is always subject to the availability of a suitable supervisor. 

The PhD in History is entirely research based and students are expected to do a lot of independent research. However, the PhD also aims to give students experience of different historiographical methods as well as professional skills relevant to both a career in academia or elsewhere. 

Feedback

Students will receive regular constructive feedback throughout the course of their PhD.

Students can expect to receive:

• Regular oral feedback from his/her Supervisor, as well as termly online feedback reports,
• Oral feedback from peers during graduate workshops and/or seminars

Assessment

Thesis

The primary purpose of PhD study is the preparation and presentation of a substantial piece of original research.  From the very beginning of the PhD course the student focuses primarily on the writing of the doctoral dissertation. 

A successful PhD dissertation in Cambridge must meet the following examination criteria:

• It must represent a significant contribution to learning through the discovery of new knowledge, the connection of previously unrelated facts, the development of a new theory or the revision of older views.
• It must take due account of previously published work on the subject.
• It must be clearly and concisely written and must not exceed a maximum of 80,000 words (excluding footnotes and the bibliography)

The student’s original contribution to knowledge is assessed in the light of what it is reasonable to expect a student to complete within three years, or five years if part time.

Essays

At the end of the first year all PhD students will complete a Registration Assessment Exercise. This involves the preparation of an essay of up to 10,000 words (not including notes or bibliography) and a meeting with your Supervisor and Advisor to discuss your work in progress. 

Students may also complete a second assessment exercise in the third year, on request by either the Supervisor or the Student. 

Practical assessment

All students will defend their PhD thesis in a viva voce examination. 

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• Research Proposal. 600 – 1,000 words 
• Sample of Work. Applicants should provide a sample of written work, in English. This is usually a thesis or one or two long essays. There is no set minimum or maximum word count for the writing sample(s), we simply recommend that students select one or two pieces of work that best represent their writing style. It is sensible (but not obligatory) to choose a piece of work which is at least roughly in the subject area in which you plan to do research.
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