Overview
Our PhD research programmes will allow you to join one of our research projects or explore your own interests in History, supported by the expertise of our staff.
Supervision and support
Our permanent supervisory staff are recognised as international experts in their fields, and have produced a large number of influential books, journal articles and edited collections, and won funding for a number of prestigious research projects. Our history expertise includes:
Dr Jon Davis: Russian and Soviet history; British labour and socialist history.
Dr Sean Lang: history of the British Empire; social history of empire; imperialism in popular and children's literature; decolonisation.
Dr Rohan McWilliam: social and political history; popular politics and popular culture in the modern period; Victorian studies; the history of London (especially the West End).
Dr Joseph Harley: social and cultural British history c. 1500-1950; poverty; welfare; consumption; material culture; industrial revolution; human-animal relations; everyday life
Dr Richard Carr: modern British history, the British Conservative Party c. 1867 onwards, impacts of the First World War, eugenics and fascism in Britain between the wars, the British Labour Party after 1918.
Dr Lucy Bland: late nineteenth- and twentieth-century British gender history.
Where you'll research
Your department and faculty
At the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, we believe in thinking critically about the past, present and future to challenge perceptions and better understand communities and people.
With expertise from gender issues to literary analysis to exploring how the past has shaped our modern world, all our staff members are active researchers. This is reflected in our teaching, allowing us to support our students with the latest theories and practices, as well as essential employability advice.
Where can I study?
Cambridge
Our campus is close to the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.
Specialist facilities
You’ll have access to the University of Cambridge Library, our own campus library and other local archives. You can also make use of our Faculty’s PhD room, where all our doctoral students can meet up to work and take an active part in our postgraduate student community.
Fees & funding
Course fees
UK students, 2024/25 (per year)
£4,786
UK students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year)
£2,392
International students, 2024/25 (per year)
£15,900
International students, 2024/25 (part-time, per year)
£7,950
Bench fees
In some cases extra costs known as bench fees will be charged for a postgraduate research degree. These are to cover additional/exceptional costs directly related to a specific research project.
Some examples of these costs are (the list is not exhaustive): equipment hire, access costs to specialist equipment/workshops, volunteer expenses, specialist tissue/cell culture, specialist reagents or materials, specialist software, access to specialist databases, data collection costs, specialist media, recording or digital storage needs.
We charge bench fees in bands. They may apply for every year of your course. These bands are the same for full- and part-time students.
If you have to pay bench fees this will be made clear at your interview, and stated in your offer letter.
For 2024/25 the bench fee bands are:
- £500
- £1,200
- £2,200
- £4,500
- £8,900
PhD by Published Work
Initial registration: £1,500
Full registration: £4,500
Writing up fees 2024/25
£1,200
How do I pay my fees?
You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in instalments – though you won't need to pay until you've accepted an offer to study with us. Find out more about paying your fees.
Funding
For advice on the Doctoral Loan and other sources of funding, including ARU scholarships, visit our finance guide for postgraduate researchers.
You might also find The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding helpful.
ARU research
ARU's academic excellence was recognised in 2021, as part of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), an exercise which assesses the quality of academic research. Sixteen areas of our work were classed as generating world-leading research. The results showed that we're making a significant impact on the societies we live in.
Careers
We’ll provide you with many opportunities for career development and training, in areas like writing up a paper for publication, placing an academic article, giving a conference paper, the doctoral writing style, updates on research methods and literature searches, internet training, editing skills for doctoral research, subsequent monograph publication and working with agents and publishers. You might also be able to take on teaching responsibilities in the department, or organise research events.
In conjunction with the University’s research support, you can request specific support for writing-up, conference papers, general research methods and other research skills if you need it.
Contact details
If you're interested in finding out more about research study opportunities, please email [email protected]
Entry requirements
MPhil or PhD with progression from MPhil: You’ll need a Bachelors degree or equivalent with first or upper second class honours, in a related subject area.
PhD: You’ll need a Masters degree or equivalent in a related subject area.
Please note we consider candidates for PhD with progression from MPhil in the first instance. If you want to be considered for direct entry to the PhD route then this can be discussed at interview if you are shortlisted. Please note you’ll also need to provide academic justification for this request.
If English is not your first language, you'll require a minimum IELTS score of 6.5, with a minimum of 5.5 in each component (or equivalent test). If you don't meet our English language requirements, we offer a range of courses which could help you achieve the level required for entry.
Important additional notes
Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the programme as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements. Contact our postgraduate research degree team for more information about studying a PhD, MPhil or Professional Doctorate at ARU.
You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your research programme.
