PhD/MPhil/MRes History

Program Overview

This program offers PhD, MRes, and MPhil degrees in History, providing research opportunities in areas such as Scottish, European, science, health, and oral history. The PhD culminates in a thesis of up to 100,000 words, while the MRes and MPhil involve dissertations of 30,000 words completed within one year (or two years part-time). The MRes also offers interdisciplinary research options.

Program Outline

• If you have already gained a Masters qualification, you can apply for a PhD, which culminates in a thesis built on original research up to 100,000 words in length.
• In the course of your research and writing the thesis, you will gain a range of professional skills in research methods, communications, presentation, organisation and other academic specialisms.
• We can offer PhD supervision in a variety of areas, including:
• Scotland and the world
• European and International History
• History of science and technology
• History of health and medicine
• Diplomacy and international security
• Oral history
• Genealogical studies
• MRes and MPhil research degrees
• The MRes (Master of Research) and the MPhil (Master of Philosophy) in History are possible precursors to a PhD.
• Compared to the MSc taught postgraduate programmes in History, MRes and MPhil students take fewer classes and write dissertations that are considerably longer.
• MRes and MPhil students take at least one 20-credit research training class from the following:
• Sources, Skills and Methods for Historians 1
• Sources, Skills and Methods for Historians 2
• Palaeography, c.1500-c.1800
• MRes students can also elect to attend other classes, if their supervisors consider this would be useful.
• MRes and MPhil degrees are suitable for recent graduates and also for those with good writing and research skills who graduated some time ago.
• Both degrees involve a substantial project undertaken over one year (or two years, part-time).
• MRes and MPhil students work closely with two supervisors on a dissertation of 30,000 words.
• You have two years to complete this, but most students submit their dissertation by the end of the calendar year after they commence (ie a student beginning in September might submit the completed dissertation at Christmas the following year).
• In certain circumstances, the MPhil allows direct transfer to a PhD.
• A distinctive feature of the MRes is that it is often interdisciplinary, drawing on two Humanities & Social Sciences subjects for supervision and subject matter, and this sometimes appeals to students with Joint Honours degrees.
• For example, we have close links with colleagues in Modern Languages who could support MPhil topics in European or Latin American history.

Tuition fees are revised annually and may increase in subsequent years of study. Annual increases will generally reflect UK inflation rates and increases to programme delivery costs. 2024/25 Go back Scotland£4,786 England, Wales & Northern Ireland£4,786 International£18,050