economic history research proposal

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Course info, instructors.

• Prof. Esther Duflo
• Prof. Benjamin Olken

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As taught in.

• Developmental Economics
• Microeconomics

Learning Resource Types

Development economics, research proposal.

The maximum length of the write-up should be 3 pages single-spaced (but less is fine). The goal of this research proposal is to give you a “jump start” on working on a topic that you could (ideally) work on for your second-year paper (or a future paper for your dissertation). If you are in the second year, it is okay for you to talk about the topic that you will be working on for your second-year paper. It should be development though… (but as you know development is a big tent). 

You can co-author the proposal with any student(s) in the program. However, we would like to  see as many proposals as people in the class. 

Note that the deadline is the last possible date that we are allowed to accept assignments under end  of term regulations, so we will not be able to provide extensions. Please therefore budget your time wisely. 

The proposal should include 

•  A clear statement of your research question       
• Brief motivation of your research question       a. Why is this question important?        b. What is the policy implication?        c. What (if any) economic theory it is testing? 
• (Short) Review of the relevant theoretical and/or empirical literature. 
• Description of your proposed empirical strategy and proposed (realistic) data sources.        a. You can propose an RCT where you’d collect the data, as long as it is realistic for a PhD student (not necessarily in the scope of a second year paper).        b. If you project is empirical, write-out clearly and in detail what are the proposed        regression specifications.  
• Clear discussion of your contribution to the prior literature.       
• Clear discussion of what challenges you expect to encounter. 

Think of this project as the shell of a research paper that contains everything but your findings: you will motivate the question; place it in the literature; and lay out your data sources (if any) and your research design. We do not expect to see any preliminary results (for empirical papers) or fully fledged model (for theory paper).

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School of Economics

Writing a research proposal.

Developing a research proposal is a necessary part of the application process it:

• provides a basis for decision-making;
• helps to make sure that you get the most appropriate supervisor for your research.

Your research proposal does not commit you to researching in a specific area if your application is successful. 

Following a successful application, you need to provide a more comprehensive proposal which will be useful reference as your research develops.

How to write a research proposal

Organise your proposal should around a small set of ideas or hypotheses that you would like to investigate. Provide some evidence of relevant background reading if possible.

A typical research proposal might look something like this:

• Rationale for the research project, including: a description of the phenomenon of interest, and the context(s) and situation in which you think the research will take place; an explanation of why the topic is of interest to the author; and an outline of the reasons why the topic should be of interest to research and/ or practice (the 'so what?' question); a statement of how the research fits in with that of potential supervisor(s) in the School of Economics.
• Issues and initial research question. Within the phenomenon of interest: what issue(s) do you intend to investigate? (This may be quite imprecise at the application stage); what might be some of the key literatures that might inform the issues (again, indicative at the application stage); and, as precisely as you can, what is the question you are trying to answer?
• Intended methodology: How do you think you might go about answering the question? Do you have a preference for using quantitative methods such as survey based research, or for qualitative methods such as interviews and observation?
• Expected outcomes: how do you think the research might add to existing knowledge; what might it enable organisations or interested parties to do differently?
• Timetable: What is your initial estimation of the timetable of the dissertation? When will each of the key stages start and finish (refining proposal; literature review; developing research methods; fieldwork; analysis; writing the draft; final submission). There are likely to overlaps between the stages.

An initial research proposal that forms part of a PhD application should be between 600 and 1,000 words in length.

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• Working Papers

Research - PhD Programme

We offer our PhD students a vibrant and supportive environment in a world-class centre for economic history research.

Professor Tirthankar Roy

The Department of Economic History is committed to an individualised and contextual review of each application to the MPhil/PhD Economic History programme.

As one of the largest Economic History departments in the world we offer unusually broad teaching and research expertise to our doctoral students. We invite applications from those wishing to carry out research within the wide spectrum of economic history. Our faculty's own research interests range from the medieval period to the current century, from Latin America to China via Africa and Europe, from questions about social well-being to ones on technology and finance, and from the history of economic ideas to the measurement of past human development and explanations for global trade patterns.

The major academic goal of a research student in the department is, of course, the researching and writing of a thesis, but members of our doctoral programme achieve much more than this. During the programme students participate in departmental workshops and other seminars held within the University of London and later at conferences and seminars at other universities.

We expect our students to gain a broad knowledge of the subject from graduate level course-work in the first year which complements the deeper knowledge gained from intense thesis research. Many of our research students also take the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience on undergraduate courses . Graduates go into a wide variety of careers, including university teaching and research posts, as well as jobs at international economic agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.  

Methodological training

First year research students are required to take EH520 Approaches to Economic History , and are strongly advised to attend the induction programme provided by the Methodology Institute. Students are also required to take EH401 and EH402 , the core modules for MSc Economic History (Research) unless they have already taken this MSc. Supervisors may require students in their first or subsequent  years of study to take other relevant methodological courses (including quantitative methods) provided by the Methodology Institute , the Institute of Historical Research , or other skills training courses as required for their thesis topic.   

Research Clusters in the Department of Economic History

Members of the Economic History department pursue research in all areas of the discipline with particular strength in thems such as demography; labour and living standards; historical economic geography; and firms and finance.  You can explore these, and other, themes here .

The Department participates in the School's series of online sessions for prospective students.  Full information for students thinking of applying for entry in 2024 can be found here .

The presentation slides for the 2023 Open Day are available here , or you can watch the recording here .

Programme requirements

Entrants to our graduate research programme have usually completed a Master's degree in economic history, but we also accept applications from those with a background in a related subject, for example, history or one of the social sciences.

Students who did not follow the MSc Economic History (Research) in the Department will usually be required to take EH401 and EH402 , alongside any other Master's level course as recommended by their supervisor, in their first-year.

Students are initially registered for the MPhil, but in the second year, subject to successful completion of all target objectives, are upgraded to PhD status.  Full information on progression and upgrade requirements can be found in the PhD Handbook (pp. 12-14).

Full details of the MPhil/PhD programme regulations can be found here .

We also welcome applicants from other universities wishing to join us for from one term to one academic year.  See Visiting Research Student for more information, paying particular attention to deadlines.

Programme and School Regulations

 See the LSE Calendar for full information.

Further information

How to apply

MPhil/PhD FAQs  

General information for prospective students

Guidelines for submitting Research Proposal

An application for entry to the MPhil/PhD in Economic History should include a research proposal, along with other required information.  Please note: a separate sample of written work is also required.

Your research proposal should be submitted, along with your application form and other required supporting documents, via the LSE online application system .

Definition of a research proposal You should state your research topic as accurately as possible. Your research proposal should address the following questions:

i) what is your general topic? ii) what questions do you want to answer? iii) what is the key literature and its limitations? iv) what are the main hypotheses of the work? v) what methodology do you intend to use? vi) what are your case studies, if any, and what are your case selection criteria?

MPhil/PhD applications that are received without a research proposal that addresses these questions will not be considered.

Financial Information

Costs and Financial Aid

Financial Support Office

Job Opportunities

Class Teaching Opportunities: Class teaching opportunities are available during the course of research degrees. They represent useful professional training and can be a valuable and important experience. More information can be found here .

PhD Job Market: Towards the completion of a research degree, the Department organises several workshops for prospective job market candidates, and offers advice as well as a platform for candidates to present their experience and research.  Please see  Job Market for our current job market candidates.

Contact Details

Staff: Deputy Head of Department (Research) - Professor Eric Schneider MPhil/PhD Programme Director/PhD Placement Officer - Professor Tirthankar Roy Deputy Head of Department (Teaching) - Professor Neil Cummins MPhil/PhD Programme Manager - Tracy Keefe

You can find more information about the profiles of faculty, teaching fellows and graduate teaching assistants in the People section of our webpages.

Quick Links

Research courses MSc courses Office hours (accessed through the People page) LSE Calendar : regulations for research students PhD Academy LSE For You (login and password required) Moodle (login and password required)

Virtual Graduate Open Events 2023

PhD Economic History Admissions FAQs

PhD Offer Holders Information for new students

PhD Job Market Meet our job-ready students

PhD Academy A hub for doctoral students at LSE

Professor Tirthankar Roy +44 (0)20 7955 6248

Ms Tracy Keefe +44 (0)20 7955 7860

Professor Tirthankar Roy, Doctoral Programme Director [email protected]

Tracy Keefe, PhD Programme Manager [email protected]

Department of Economic History, London School of Economics

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• Knowledge Base
• Starting the research process
• How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

How to Write a Research Proposal | Examples & Templates

Published on October 12, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Tegan George. Revised on September 5, 2024.

A research proposal describes what you will investigate, why it’s important, and how you will conduct your research.

The format of a research proposal varies between fields, but most proposals will contain at least these elements:

Introduction

Literature review.

• Research design

Reference list

While the sections may vary, the overall objective is always the same. A research proposal serves as a blueprint and guide for your research plan, helping you get organized and feel confident in the path forward you choose to take.

Table of contents

Research proposal purpose, research proposal examples, research design and methods, contribution to knowledge, research schedule, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research proposals.

Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application , or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation .

In addition to helping you figure out what your research can look like, a proposal can also serve to demonstrate why your project is worth pursuing to a funder, educational institution, or supervisor.

Research proposal length

The length of a research proposal can vary quite a bit. A bachelor’s or master’s thesis proposal can be just a few pages, while proposals for PhD dissertations or research funding are usually much longer and more detailed. Your supervisor can help you determine the best length for your work.

One trick to get started is to think of your proposal’s structure as a shorter version of your thesis or dissertation , only without the results , conclusion and discussion sections.

Download our research proposal template

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Writing a research proposal can be quite challenging, but a good starting point could be to look at some examples. We’ve included a few for you below.

• Example research proposal #1: “A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management”
• Example research proposal #2: “Medical Students as Mediators of Change in Tobacco Use”

Like your dissertation or thesis, the proposal will usually have a title page that includes:

• The proposed title of your project
• Your supervisor’s name
• Your institution and department

The first part of your proposal is the initial pitch for your project. Make sure it succinctly explains what you want to do and why.

Your introduction should:

• Introduce your topic
• Give necessary background and context
• Outline your  problem statement  and research questions

To guide your introduction , include information about:

• Who could have an interest in the topic (e.g., scientists, policymakers)
• How much is already known about the topic
• What is missing from this current knowledge
• What new insights your research will contribute
• Why you believe this research is worth doing

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As you get started, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re familiar with the most important research on your topic. A strong literature review  shows your reader that your project has a solid foundation in existing knowledge or theory. It also shows that you’re not simply repeating what other people have already done or said, but rather using existing research as a jumping-off point for your own.

In this section, share exactly how your project will contribute to ongoing conversations in the field by:

• Comparing and contrasting the main theories, methods, and debates
• Examining the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches
• Explaining how will you build on, challenge, or synthesize prior scholarship

Following the literature review, restate your main  objectives . This brings the focus back to your own project. Next, your research design or methodology section will describe your overall approach, and the practical steps you will take to answer your research questions.

To finish your proposal on a strong note, explore the potential implications of your research for your field. Emphasize again what you aim to contribute and why it matters.

For example, your results might have implications for:

• Improving best practices
• Informing policymaking decisions
• Strengthening a theory or model
• Challenging popular or scientific beliefs
• Creating a basis for future research

Last but not least, your research proposal must include correct citations for every source you have used, compiled in a reference list . To create citations quickly and easily, you can use our free APA citation generator .

Some institutions or funders require a detailed timeline of the project, asking you to forecast what you will do at each stage and how long it may take. While not always required, be sure to check the requirements of your project.

Here’s an example schedule to help you get started. You can also download a template at the button below.

Download our research schedule template

If you are applying for research funding, chances are you will have to include a detailed budget. This shows your estimates of how much each part of your project will cost.

Make sure to check what type of costs the funding body will agree to cover. For each item, include:

• Cost : exactly how much money do you need?
• Justification : why is this cost necessary to complete the research?
• Source : how did you calculate the amount?

To determine your budget, think about:

• Travel costs : do you need to go somewhere to collect your data? How will you get there, and how much time will you need? What will you do there (e.g., interviews, archival research)?
• Materials : do you need access to any tools or technologies?
• Help : do you need to hire any research assistants for the project? What will they do, and how much will you pay them?

If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

Once you’ve decided on your research objectives , you need to explain them in your paper, at the end of your problem statement .

Keep your research objectives clear and concise, and use appropriate verbs to accurately convey the work that you will carry out for each one.

I will compare …

A research aim is a broad statement indicating the general purpose of your research project. It should appear in your introduction at the end of your problem statement , before your research objectives.

Research objectives are more specific than your research aim. They indicate the specific ways you’ll address the overarching aim.

A PhD, which is short for philosophiae doctor (doctor of philosophy in Latin), is the highest university degree that can be obtained. In a PhD, students spend 3–5 years writing a dissertation , which aims to make a significant, original contribution to current knowledge.

A PhD is intended to prepare students for a career as a researcher, whether that be in academia, the public sector, or the private sector.

A master’s is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers.

All master’s involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master’s thesis . Others focus on professional training for a specific career.

Critical thinking refers to the ability to evaluate information and to be aware of biases or assumptions, including your own.

Like information literacy , it involves evaluating arguments, identifying and solving problems in an objective and systematic way, and clearly communicating your ideas.

The best way to remember the difference between a research plan and a research proposal is that they have fundamentally different audiences. A research plan helps you, the researcher, organize your thoughts. On the other hand, a dissertation proposal or research proposal aims to convince others (e.g., a supervisor, a funding body, or a dissertation committee) that your research topic is relevant and worthy of being conducted.

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MPhil in Economic and Social History

Charles Booth, Life and labour of the people. Credit: Wellcome Collection

Economic and social history has always formed an important part of the teaching and research in the Cambridge History Faculty, which is widely regarded as one of the best in the world. Much pioneering work in the ‘new’ social history of communities, demographic history, business history and the history of economic thought has been done here. The MPhil in Economic and Social History provides an extremely thorough training in statistical and social science methodology, while building on other strengths such as an emphasis on researching economic relations and institutions as cultural phenomena.

There are approximately 20 members of academic staff associated with the MPhil, ranging in specialisation from early modern economic history to modern Asian history. The course teachers are also associated with two major research institutions: the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure and the Centre for History and Economics.

Past and current topics for dissertations include: ‘The Evolution of Ownership and Control in British IPOs before WWI’; ‘Consumer protection in Britain from austerity to affluence, 1945-65’; ‘Plague of Poverty: The World Health Organization, Tuberculosis, and International Development c.1945-1980’; ‘Encouraging Emigration: An analysis of the Estado Novo regime’s approach to emigration in the early 1960s in Portugal’.

In addition to the course seminars there are also 16 faculty research seminars and around 320 other graduate students doing MPhils and PhDs. Combined with the excellent resources found in the University library, this provides one of the most vibrant historical research cultures in the world.

At a glance

All students will submit a thesis of 15,000–20,000 words, worth 70 per cent toward the final degree.

Students also produce three 3,000–4,000-word essays, two in Michaelmas term and another in Lent term; each essay is worth 10% of the final degree grade.

All students admitted to the MPhil in Economic and Social History will be assigned a supervisor to work with them throughout the course, but crucially on the dissertation. Students will meet regularly with their supervisor for one-on-one supervisions throughout the course.

Students can expect to receive:

• regular oral feedback from their supervisor, as well as termly online feedback reports;
• written feedback on essays and assessments and an opportunity to present their work;
• oral feedback from peers during graduate workshops and seminars;
• written and oral feedback on dissertation proposal essay to be discussed with their supervisor; and
• formal written feedback from two examiners after examination of a dissertation.

If you have any questions, drop us a line on  [email protected]

The course is composed of two formally assessed parts, as well as a number of ancillary non-assessed components designed to help students integrate into the Cambridge research environment.

Introduction to Research Seminars

These three classes in Michaelmas term are designed to introduce students to an essential part of academic research – attending, engaging critically with, and presenting research at seminars. As well as helping new postgraduate students to get the most out of attending seminars, these classes provide training in four main areas: the evaluation of research methods; the critique of historians’ arguments; presentation skills; and the examination – broadly and comparatively – of what economic and social historians do.

Core Course: Central Concepts in Economic and Social History

This course consists of a series of seminars/classes in two main areas:

• Economic theory and economic history
• Social theory and social history

Social Science Research Methods Course

These are a set of research training courses in the social sciences organised on an interdepartmental basis. They provide research students with a broad range of quantitative and qualitative research methods skills that are relevant across the social sciences. The programme offered by the SSRMC consists of a series of core modules and open access seminars. The core modules are grouped in three categories: Foundations in Statistics, Advanced Statistics, and Qualitative Methods. They focus on giving students basic IT skills and introducing them to statistical, quantitative and qualitative research design, providing the foundations for a research career in the social sciences.

Students doing the MPhil in Economic and Social History must take a number of SSRMC options, to be published at the beginning of the year, and may choose to take additional modules. 

Students are advised to check with their supervisors whether it would be advisable to attend other modules within The Social Science Research Methods Course relevant to their research, and they are encouraged to take as many modules as they wish beyond those required for the MPhil.

Option courses in 2023-24

British industrialisation in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries (dr leigh shaw-taylor).

Until around 1800 economic growth was the exception not the rule and all economies were very poor by today’s standards. Malthusian pressures were the norm and increases in population were normally accompanied by declines in living standards. The Industrial Revolution saw the British economy escape from Malthusian constraints and marks the world’s first transition to modern economic growth. The course considers the processes by which Britain became the first nation to 13 overcome growth constraints and embark on a path of sustained expansion of per capita income. It looks at the roles played by structural change, new sources of energy and raw materials, agricultural improvement, high wages, new technology, changes in labour supply and much else. The course covers key debates both on the causes of industrialisation and the consequences for the people who lived through it.

Money, Trade and Politics (Dr Duncan Needham)

This course introduces the theory and practice of the various institutions that have facilitated international trade and wealth creation since the nineteenth century. Some of these emerged organically, others were planned responses to economic collapse and global conflagration. All relied upon some level of credibility and cooperation between competing nation states. We look at the emergence of the classical Gold Standard that underpinned globalisation in the late nineteenth century. The First World War shattered the intricate web of international trade and, despite the attempt to reconstitute the pre-war Gold Standard, the global economy collapsed with the competitive devaluations and protectionism of the 1930s. At Bretton Woods in 1944, the planners of the post-war international economy sought to combine the discipline of the Gold Standard with the flexibility of adjustable exchange rates. Over the next quarter-century, the world enjoyed unprecedented economic growth as international trade returned to levels not witnessed since before the First World War. However, the Bretton Woods Gold Exchange Standard contained the seeds of its own destruction, and its collapse in the early 1970s marked the abrupt end of the Golden Age of Capitalism. The leading European nations used the ensuing period of economic improvisation to develop the European Monetary System that ultimately gave birth to the European single currency. The course finishes by examining how the flaws within this system led to the Euro crisis. It places the crisis in historical perspective by showing today’s policy makers wrestling with essentially the same theoretical and practical issues as their predecessors over the past century.

Economic Growth, Politics and Health in Britain since 1750 (Professor Simon Szreter)

Most developed countries have experienced dramatic increases in health during the last two centuries, associated with the economic growth of the modern period. This paper examines more closely the relationship between economic growth and health according to the detailed historical record. The richly-documented British case will provide a central focus but comparative material will also be considered. The course will explore the complexities of the relationship between economic growth, urbanization and health; and the need to understand the crucial role of social institutions and political conflict in determining health outcomes for populations participating in rapid economic change. Students will be encouraged to pursue contemporary implications and policy relevance.

History of Economic Thought (Dr Massimo Asta)

Economic thought has undergone extensive transformations since the 18 th century. It emerged both as an empirical language for government purposes and a set of arguments over the natural order of economic life. It became a domain of abstract principles about value, a subversive theory of capitalist mode of production, a subjectivist conceptualization centred on the analysis of choice and the behaviour of an economic agent dealing with scarce means, and a mathematical science. At first, it aspired to universal knowledge, later aimed for exactness on a par with hard sciences. It was nevertheless, and still is, uncommonly marked by internal deep disagreements and bitter epistemological conflicts. It has established itself as a highly formalised academic science but has not ceased to also constitute a source of popular and radical writing.

This option course explores the nature, the significance, and the multiple meanings of this in some respects unique discipline by drawing on intellectual history and history of social science. We will place economic ideas in their economic, political, and social context, to understand how theoretical constructions intertwined with other ways of thinking, such as political thought and psychology, but also ideology, moral feelings, and sentiments. By discussing the recent methodological developments, we will bring how economists thought and worked to light. We will analyse both canonical texts and archives and adopt different approaches and dimensions: biography and prosopography, teaching, business journalism, national tradition and transnational circulation, academic controversy, public discourse, and relationship of economic ideas to policy. The course is chronologically organised. Thematic focuses on subjects such as wealth, value, distribution, markets, labour, money, and power will allow us to cross references between authors of different periods. The aim is to introduce students to the thoughts of some of the most prominent economists of the last three centuries. Their views were at the heart of the important political and social debates of the times and have contributed to shape our understanding of human beings and society.

Histories of Capitalism (Dr Regina Grafe)

In this seminar we will examine debates and methodologies that have shaped the History of Capitalism field over the past two decades. We explore the different ways in which historians of the 16th to 19th centuries have approached the question of what capitalism is, and when capitalism became the dominant mode of socio-economic organization. We will discuss the role that European colonialism, commodity production, and enslavement played in shaping capitalism, and ask if there are different capitalisms at a global scale? We will debate key concepts such as commercial capitalism, financialisation, and the corporation. Finally, the seminar will interrogate the relationship between capitalism as we know it today and the history of financial, commercial and technological innovations and ideas about the economy.

Environmental Arguments, c. 1850-present (Professor Paul Warde)

This course will introduce students to major themes in environmental politics and understanding as it has developed over the past one hundred and seventy years, predominantly but not exclusively in the anglophone world. Each week will develop a major theme around which arguments and positions have coalesced in environmental politics, drawing on sources from different time periods within each theme. This will allow students to assess and debate genealogies of environmental argument, but also to consider sources in their own context, and how issues have been understood over time.

Students will consider questions such as: Were there key ‘foundational’ moments in environmental politics that have shaped different debates over the long-term? Is there a danger in overstating continuities in environmental thought and making false analogies between different moments of crisis and contestation? How much has environmental understanding been influenced by developments in science? How has environmental thought been incorporated – or ignored – in different strands of economics? Are environmental problems themselves caused by particular historical moments, technologies, ideologies, economic developments or governmental action? Is it helpful to frame environmental history as a search for ‘origins’ which both identifies the causes of modern environmental problems and imagines alternatives through the historical actors who contested change at the point of origin? Is it possible or desirable to develop an environmental history that is not framed by political and ethical judgements on the present? How important were ideas about history themselves to actors who made environmental arguments at particular points in time?

The course will consist of eight two-hour classes with a focus on primary sources. As well as introducing students to a range of primary sources covering leading environmental thinkers (and their opponents) the course aims where appropriate to introduce students to the core theoretical and technical techniques employed in studying the environment in environmental and ecological economics.

The History of Global Commodities, 1750-2023 (Professor Jeremy Adelman)

• Michaelmas Oct - Dec
• Lent Jan - Mar
• Easter Apr - Jun

The MPhil in Economic and Social History combines taught and research elements over a 11-month full-time programme.  The outline in this section is illustrative of a typical course.

• Two-hour seminar per week over eight weeks
• Assessment: 3–4,000 word essay (10% of the overall mark)

Social Sciences Research Methods Course

• Assigned modules; pass/fail by attendance and completion of assessments
• Usually one option per term
• Two-hour weekly discussion seminars over eight weeks; attendance is compulsory

Preparatory dissertation work

Other options

• At the discretion of the MPhil Director and Course Convener, students may be able to take options from the Faculty's other MPhil courses in place of an option on their home MPhil, or they may be able to audit additional classes. 

The MPhil in Economic and Social History combines taught and research elements over a 9-month full-time programme.

  Dissertation (15-20,000 words) to submit in mid-August

• Independent research and supervision meetings
• Dissertation proposal presentations and essay - a 3-4,000 word essay submitted early in the Easter term         
• The essay is assessed on a Pass/ Fail basis with feedback (see more in the Assessment section below)

Applying to the course

To apply to the MPhil in Economic and Social History, you will need to consult the relevant pages on the Postgraduate Admissions website (click below).

Since applications are considered on a rolling basis, you are strongly advised to apply as early in the cycle as possible.

On the Postgraduate Admissions website, you will find an overview of the course structure and requirements, a funding calculator and a link to the online Applicant Portal. Your application will need to include two academic references, a transcript, a CV/ resume, evidence of competence in English, a personal development questionnaire, two samples of work and a  research proposal .

Research proposals are 600–1,000 words in length and should include the following: a simple and descriptive title for the proposed research; a rationale for the research; a brief historiographic context; and an indication of the sources likely to be used. The document should be entitled ‘Statement of Intended Research’. Applicants are encouraged to nominate a preferred supervisor, and are invited to contact members of the Faculty in advance of submitting their application to discuss their project (see our Academic Directory:  https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/directory/academic-staff ).

Below are some anonymised examples of research proposals, submitted by successful applicants to the MPhil in Economic and Social History. You may use these to inform the structure of your submission. Please note that they are purely for guidance and not a strict representation of what is required.

Economic and Social History - Research Proposal 1

Economic and Social History - Research Proposal 2

Economic and Social History - Research Proposal 3

Assessment & Dissertation

Each of three modules in Michaelmas and Lent (one Compulsory Core, and two Options) will require a 3,000-4,000 words essay (or equivalent), which may be under timed conditions.

Each will count toward 10% of the final degree mark, for a total of 30%.  Taken together, these are Part I, and students must receive passing marks in order to move to Part II.

Students will also prepare a 4,000-word dissertation proposal essay due early in the Easter Term. This is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis but where a student fails the essay it must be compensated with a mark of at least 63% in the dissertation. Students will meet with their Supervisor to discuss the essay and get feedback in preparation for the dissertation.

The thesis is Part II of the MPhil in Economic and Social History.

All students will submit a thesis of 15,000-20,000 words in mid-August, worth 70% of the overall mark.

At the discretion of the Examiners the examination may include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.

Practical assessment

All students will present their work at least once during the academic year and will receive feedback from academics and peers on their work-in-progress. This is not an assessed element of the course but is a valuable feedback tool for the dissertation.

Students are also required to pass the Social Sciences Research Methods courses, and may be required to take a practical assessment as part of these courses.

The Dissertation

The formation and execution of the dissertation project on a subject in economic and/or social history is the largest and most important part of the student’s work in the MPhil in Economic and Social History. It is expected that it accounts for approximately 60 percent of the student’s time over the eleven months of the course.

Candidates are required to design, research and write up a dissertation on a subject in the fields of economic and/or social history that has been approved by the Faculty of History. The dissertation must be between 15,000 and 20,000 words in length, inclusive of tables and appendices, and exclusive of footnotes and bibliography.

Candidates must demonstrate that they can present a coherent historical argument based upon a secure knowledge and understanding of primary sources and they will be expected to place their research findings within the existing historiography of the field within which their subject lies.  The dissertation must represent a contribution to knowledge, considering what may be reasonably expected of a capable and diligent student after eleven months of MPhil level study.

Researchers and seminars in this area

Economic, Social and Cultural History

Core seminar in economic and social history Everybody welcome Michaelmas Term  

African Economic History Lent Term  

Global Economic History Michaelmas Term  

Quantitative History Easter Term  

The Young Economist’s Short Guide to Writing Economic Research

Attributes of writing economics.

• The discourse is often mathematical, with lots of formulas, lemmas, and proofs.
• Writing styles vary widely. Some authors are very dry and technical while a few are quite eloquent.

Economics writing is different from many other types of writing. It is essentially technical, and the primary goal is to achieve clarity. A clear presentation will allow the strength of your underlying analysis and the quality of your research to shine through.

Unlike prose writing in other disciplines, economics research takes time. Successful papers are not cranked out the night before a due date.

General Guidelines for Quality Research

Getting started.

The hardest part of any writing assignment is starting. Economics research usually begins with a strong understanding of literature, and papers require a section that summarizes and applies previous literature to what the paper at hand. This is the best way to start.

Your writing will demonstrate that you understand the findings that relate to the topic.

Economists use the first few paragraphs to set up research questions and the model and data they use to think about it. Sure, it can be dry, but this format ensures the write and reader have strong grasp on the subject and structure of the work that follows.

Clear and Concise Work

Clarity is hard to achieve, but revising and reworking a paper ensures it is easy to read

• Organize your ideas into an argument with the help of an outline.
• Define the important terms you will use
• State your hypothesis and proceed deductively to reach your conclusions
• Avoid excess verbiage
• Edit yourself, remove what is not needed, and keep revising until you get down to a simple, efficient way of communicating
• Use the active voice
• Put statements in positive form
• Omit needless words (concise writing is clear writing)
• In summaries, generally stick to one tense

Time Management

Poor time management can wreck the best-planned papers. Deadlines are key to successful research papers.

• Start the project by finding your topic
• Begin your research
• Start and outline
• Write a draft
• Revise and polish

The Language of Economic Analysis

Economic theory has become very mathematical. Most PhD students are mathematicians, not simply economics majors. This means most quality economic research requires a strong use of mathematical language. Economic analysis is characterized by the use of models, simplified representations of how economic phenomena work. A model’s predictions about the future or the past are essentially empirical hypotheses. Since economics is not easily tested in controlled experiments, research requires data from the real world (census reports, balance sheets), and statistical methods (regressions and econometrics) to test the predictive power of models and hypotheses based on those models.

The Writing Process

Finding a topic.

There are a million ways to find a topic. It may be that you are writing for a specific subfield of economics, so topics are limited and thus easier to pick. However, must research starts organically, from passive reading or striking news articles. Make sure to find something that interests you. Be sure to find a niche and make a contribution to the subfield.

You will also need a project that can be done within the parameters of the assignment (length, due date, access to research materials). A profoundly interesting topic may not be manageable given the time and other constraints you face. The key is to just be practical.

Be sure to start your research as soon as possible. Your topic will evolve along the way, and the question you begin with may become less interesting as new information draws you in other directions. It is perfectly fine to shape your topic based on available data, but don’t get caught up in endlessly revising topics.

Finding and Using Sources

There are two types of economic sources: empirical data (information that is or can be easily translated into numerical form), and academic literature (books and articles that help you organize your ideas).

Economic data is compiled into a number of useful secondary sources:

• Economic Report of the President
• Statistical Abstract of the United States
• National Longitudinal Survey
• Census data
• Academic journals

The Outline

A good outline acts as an agenda for the things you want to accomplish:

• Introduction: Pose an interesting question or problem
• Literature Review: Survey the literature on your topic
• Methods/Data: Formulate your hypothesis and describe your data
• Results: Present your results with the help of graphs and charts
• Discussion: Critique your method and/or discuss any policy implications
• Conclusions: Summarize what you have done; pose questions for further research

Writing a Literature Review

The literature review demonstrates your familiarity with scholarly work on your topic and lays the foundations for your paper. The particular issues you intent to raise, the terms you will employ, and the approach you will take should be defined with reference to previous scholarly works.

Presenting a Hypothesis

Formulate a question, problem or conjecture, and describe the approach you will take to answer, solve, or test it. In presenting your hypothesis, you need to discuss the data set you are using and the type of regression you will run. You should say where you found the data, and use a table, graph, or simple statistics to summarize them. In term papers, it may not be possible to reach conclusive results. Don’t be afraid to state this clearly and accurately. It is okay to have an inconclusive paper, but it is not okay to make overly broad and unsupported statements.

Presenting Results

There are essentially two decisions to make: (1) How many empirical results should be presented, and (2) How should these results be described in the text?

• Focus only on what is important and be as clear as possible. Both smart and dumb readers will appreciate you pointing things out directly and clearly.
• Less is usually more: Reporting a small group of relevant results is better than covering every possible statistical analysis that could be made on the data.
• Clearly and precisely describe your tables, graphs, and figures in the text of your results section. The first and last sentence in a paragraph describing a result should be “big picture” statements, describing how the results in the table, graph or figure fit into the overall theme of the paper.

Discussing Results

The key to discussing results is to stay clear of making value judgments, and rely instead on economic facts and analyses. It is not the job of an economist to draw policy conclusions, even if the research supports strong evidence in a particular direction.

Referencing Sources

As with any research paper, source referencing depends on the will of a professor a discourse community. However, economists generally use soft references in the literature review section and then cite sources in conventional formats at the end of papers.

This guide was made possible by the excellent work of Robert Neugeboren and Mireille Jacobson of Harvard University and Paul Dudenhefer of Duke University.

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Economic and Social History PhD

Awards: PhD

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Economic and Social History

Introduction to Postgraduate Study at the University of Edinburgh

Join us online on 25 September to learn more about Scotland, the city of Edinburgh and postgraduate study at the University.

Find out more and register

Research profile

We host one of the largest economic and social history research groupings in the UK.

Staff research interests are wide-ranging, including the study of:

• economic development
• financial history
• energy policy
• globalisation
• urban history
• consumption
• material culture
• museums and collecting
• religious belief
• popular culture
• medicine and disease

The diversity of our research means we can support students’ economic and social history study in a vast range of time periods and geographical regions and from the early modern period to the present day.

Particular areas of expertise available for research are:

• Culture and society in early modern Britain
• slavery in the Atlantic world since 1700
• the material culture of gender in 18th-century Britain
• urban society and civil society in historical context
• clothing cultures in comparative historical contexts
• cinema and society in modern Britain
• gender, crime and deviancy: Britain 1860–1960; energy policy in Britain since 1920
• the economic history of China in the 20th century
• the history of health and medicine in Britain since 1750

The University’s economic and social historians host three research groups: material and visual cultures of the past; enlightenment and popular culture; and economic and social history.

Training and support

You will have at least two supervisors who will provide expert academic guidance on your chosen research topic. Please see the entry requirements below on how to identify and contact a supervisor at the School of History, Classics and Archaeology before applying.

You will meet regularly to discuss your progress and research plans, as well as drafts of your thesis/dissertation chapters, conference papers and potential articles.

In addition to individual supervision, all our PhD students pursue an individually tailored programme of research and professional skills training agreed with their supervisors.

Please note, the University of Edinburgh does not sponsor students to study part-time using a Tier 4 / Student visa.

For on-campus students our building offers you a range of facilities, resources and study spaces in a stunning location.

Our postgraduate students have access to:

• A dedicated study space with printing, copying and scanning facilities overlooking the Meadows, one of the city’s best-loved green spaces.
• Two research rooms, shared with undergraduates, housing some of our impressive book collections and a small selection of computing facilities.
• A large common room overlooking the Meadows, shared by graduate students and staff.
• Our PhD study room. Subject to available desk space, you may apply after your first year.
• A number of small-scale teaching rooms, well-equipped with facilities such as data projection and smart boards.
• Exhibition areas, filled with artefacts and artwork from our collections.

All of our facilities are in addition to the multiple libraries and computer labs provided across the University’s estate. Many of our rooms overlook the Meadows.

Our location, right in the heart of Edinburgh, means you will be based close to the city’s cultural attractions and facilities, including a wealth of libraries, archives, museums and galleries, which provide uniquely rich support for the disciplines we teach.

Career opportunities

Our PhD students develop a highly valued set of research and professional skills which enable them to go on to a wide variety of careers.

Many of our PhD students wish to pursue an academic career, and we have an excellent record of helping our students obtain research and teaching posts in universities in the UK and overseas.

PhD students also develop a portfolio of skills which are highly desirable across a wide range of sectors, from museums and heritage to the civil service, banking and the law.

PhD by Distance option

The PhD by Distance allows students who do not wish to commit to basing themselves in Edinburgh to study for a PhD in Economic and Social History. It is available to all suitably qualified applicants in the same areas as our on-campus programmes.

There is no expectation that students studying for a PhD in Economic and Social History by distance should visit Edinburgh during their period of study, though they are encouraged to visit and meet their supervisors in person if this is convenient.

An additional form needs to be submitted for PhD by Distance applications; for further information on the PhD by Distance and to access the form, please see the School of History, Classics and Archaeology website:

• School of History, Classics & Archaeology - PhD by Distance

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

We require the following (with further details below):

• Provisional supervision agreement between you and a primary supervisor, in writing

Research proposal

• Qualifications at undergraduate and Masters level

Entry interview

• PhD by Distance - additional application form
• Evidence of English language competency

Provisional supervision agreement

You must name a member of staff who has provisionally agreed, in writing, to supervise you in order for your application to be taken forward. Please ensure that the relevant correspondence is uploaded to your admissions application. This statement of support is provisional, pending assessment of your application and your performance at an interview. If you haven’t approached a member of our academic staff yet, please use the following staff list to help you find a supervisor in the subject area of your interest.

• About our staff

You must submit a research proposal (in a Word or PDF document) demonstrating your knowledge of your field of research. This will be closely scrutinised as part of the decision making process. Guidance on writing a research proposal can be found online:

• Guidance on writing a research proposal

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree in a relevant discipline and a relevant Masters degree with an overall mark of at least 65%, or international equivalents.

We may also consider your application if you have relevant professional experience; please check with your potential supervisor before you apply.

You will need to submit both your undergraduate and postgraduate degree certificates and transcripts in order to be considered for PhD admission. For instructions on how to upload any additional documents after you have submitted your application, please follow the support guidance:

• Guidance on document uploading

You must submit two references with your application.

If you meet all of the entry requirements, you will need to attend an online interview with potential supervisors. The interview should last 20-30 minutes. Please note that an offer to study is subject to a successful interview.

PhD by Distance

For PhD by Distance students please see the ""PhD by Distance option"" section for further requirements, including an additional application form.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

• Fees and costs

Read our general information on tuition fees and studying costs:

Scholarships and funding

Featured funding.

• UK students: School of History, Classics & Archaeology funding opportunities
• International students: School of History, Classics & Archaeology funding schemes

Please note that the funding applications have their own separate timelines and you will need to be conscious of this when applying for funding.

When you submit your PhD study application in the application portal a deadline is generated automatically. This deadline will differ from any funding deadlines. Scholarship application deadlines should be followed if applying for funding.

Please also note that not all of the scholarships listed will be open to the PhD by Distance option of study.

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Graduate School Office,
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 3772
• Contact: [email protected]
• Programme Director, Dr Meha Priyadarshini
• Contact: [email protected]
• School of History, Classics & Archaeology
• William Robertson Wing
• Teviot Place
• Central Campus
• Programme: Economic and Social History
• School: History, Classics & Archaeology
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This programme is not currently accepting applications. Applications for the next intake usually open in October.

Start date: September

Application deadlines

If you are applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit a research proposal demonstrating your knowledge of your field of research as outlined under the entry requirements.

Two supervisors (sometimes more) will be appointed to work with you on the project. You must contact a prospective primary supervisor before applying: they will be required to provide a brief statement of provisional support, which should be included with your documents.

Start dates outwith September and January might be available but only in exceptional circumstances. Please begin your application using the closest date and contact the Graduate School to discuss the matter.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Research in Economic History

• Recent Chapters

All books in this series (18 titles)

Recent chapters in this series (17 titles)

• Early Fertility Decline in the United States: Tests of Alternative Hypotheses Using New Complete-Count Census Microdata and Enhanced County-Level Data
• Pieter Stadnitski Sharpens the Axe: A Revolutionary Research Report on American Sovereign Finance, 1787
• Private Banking and Financial Networks in the Crown of Aragon during the Fourteenth Century
• The Parliamentary Subsidy on Knights' Fees and Incomes of 1431: A Study on the Fiscal Administration of an Abortive English Tax Experiment
• When the Race between Education and Technology Goes Backward: The Postbellum Decline of White School Attendance in the Southern US
• Improving Deflators for Estimating Canadian Economic Growth, 1870–1900
• Specializations in Switzerland in the Nineteenth Century: Evolution of Trade Patterns and Growth Model
• The Antebellum Slave Trade: Numbers and Impact on the Balance of Payments
• The Past's Long Shadow: A Systematic Review and Network Analysis of Economic History
• The Political Economy of State-chartered Banks in Early Twentieth-century Texas
• Trends and Institutional Sources of Financing Russia's Human Capital Formation (Late Nineteenth–Early Twenty-first Centuries)
• Banque de France ’s Shareholders (1800–1945): Passive Petit-Rentiers
• Business Week , the Great Depression, and the Coming of Keynesianism to America ☆
• Household-level Deflation Inequality in Denmark during the Great Depression
• Populists at the Polls: Economic Factors in the US Presidential Election of 1896
• Scattered Land, Scattered Risks? Harvest Variations on Open Fields and Enclosed Land in Southern Sweden C. 1750–1850
• Theory and Diagnostics for Selection Biases in Historical Height Samples
• Carl Kitchens
• Shawn Kantor

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MPhil in Economic and Social History

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Economic and social history has always formed an important part of the teaching and research within the University of Cambridge's History Faculty. It is widely regarded as one of the best in the world with much pioneering work in social history, demographic history, financial history and the history of economic thought being done here. The MPhil in Economic and Social History provides extremely thorough training in statistical and social science methodology while building on other strengths such as an emphasis on researching economic relations and institutions as cultural phenomena.

The MPhil in Economic and Social History combines taught and research elements over an 11-month full-time programme which includes taught modules, training in social science research methods encompassing quantitative and qualitative analytical tools, and a long piece of independent research (15,000–20,000 words).

Throughout the course, students will be supervised by a dedicated member of staff, who will guide their research towards the completion of an original historical subject chosen and developed by them. In addition, students will benefit from Cambridge’s vibrant research environment, attending and participating in seminars, workshops and other events throughout the year.

The course is designed for those who have completed degrees in which history is the main or at least a substantial component and who want to consolidate their knowledge of economic and social history. It is particularly appropriate for those who may wish to continue on to a PhD, at Cambridge or elsewhere, but it is also well-suited for those who seek simply to explore economic and social history at a deeper level. It is expected that this will be the normal means by which those without an appropriate master’s degree from elsewhere will prepare for the PhD degree in Economic and Social History at Cambridge.

Learning Outcomes

Students on the MPhil in Economic and Social History will be provided with an in-depth study of some of the key areas of research in economic and social history and all students will have a supervisor who will guide them through the requirements of the course and, most crucially, the dissertation.

In this manner, all students are provided with the historiographical knowledge and analytical skills necessary to understand and evaluate existing research and to pursue research in their own fields of intellectual interest. Through individual supervisions and group classes, students are introduced to the more specialised and intensive nature of research required at a postgraduate level.

By the end of the course, students will have developed:

• a deeper understanding of their chosen area of social and economic history and the critical debates within it;
• a conceptual and technical understanding that enables the evaluation of current research and methodologies; and
• the ability to situate their own research within current and past methodological and interpretative developments in the field.

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 PhD.

Students wishing to continue to the PhD are normally 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 Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

For more information on Economic and Social history at Cambridge visit: https://www.econsoc.hist.cam.ac.uk

Key Information

11 months full-time, study mode : taught, master of philosophy, faculty of history, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, michaelmas 2025.

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Funding Deadlines

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2025, Lent 2026 and Easter 2026.

Similar Courses

• History MSt
• History (edX) MSt
• History PhD
• Modern European History MPhil
• Economics PhD

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MPhil/PhD Economic History

• Graduate research
• Department of Economic History
• Application code V3ZE
• Starting 2024
• Home full-time: Closed
• Overseas full-time: Closed
• Location: Houghton Street, London

The MPhil/PhD is an advanced research degree. You will begin on the MPhil, and will need to meet certain requirements to be upgraded to PhD status. The main objective of this programme is the elaboration of a substantial piece of work that is worthy of publication and which makes an original contribution to the field of economic history.

The Department is home to by far the largest group of researchers in economic history in the UK and one of the largest in the world. This is a pluralistic Department which encourages different approaches to the discipline: quantitative economic history; global history; history of economic thought; historical demography; historical economic geography; international economic history; business history; financial and monetary history; and social history. We also offer a wide chronological and geographical coverage of economic history, with specialists in almost every continent and any historical period from the medieval age onwards. For this reason, the Department is able to supervise a wide range of topics, in line with the research interests of the teaching staff.

We particularly value a comparative outlook on research, and the fruits of our research have been used by international agencies, such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, government departments and local communities. Our faculty have included among their research commitments the editorship of The European Review of Economic History and Economic History of Developing Regions .

All our students are expected to gain a broad knowledge of the subject from graduate level course-work in the first year which complements the deeper knowledge gained from intense thesis research. In addition, many of our research students take the opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience on undergraduate courses.

Programme details

For more information about tuition fees and entry requirements, see the fees and funding and assessing your application sections.

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for mphil/phd economic history.

Merit in LSE’s MSc Economic History (Research) with a minimum of 65% overall, and at least 75% in the dissertation component.  Direct entry for applicants with an equivalent score in economic history or a similar field (economics, history, and so on) will also be considered, but we expect students to have a completed a dissertation worth at least 20% of the final grade. Students are also accepted for the so-called 1+3 programme, a one year  MSc in Economic History (Research)  followed by a three year research programme. 

If you have studied or are studying outside of the UK then have a look at our  Information for International Students  to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.

Assessing your application

We welcome applications for research programmes that complement the academic interests of members of staff at the School, and we recommend that you investigate  staff research interests  before applying.

We carefully consider each application on an individual basis, taking into account all the information presented on your application form, including your:

- academic achievement (including existing and pending qualifications) - statement of academic purpose - references - CV - outline research proposal - sample of written work.

See further information on supporting documents

You may also have to provide evidence of your English proficiency. You do not need to provide this at the time of your application to LSE, but we recommend that you do.

See our English language requirements  for further information.

When to apply

The application deadline for this programme is 25 April 2024 . However to be considered for any LSE funding opportunity, you must have submitted your application and all supporting documents by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section for more details.

Fees and funding

Every research student is charged a fee in line with the fee structure for their programme. The fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It does not cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.

Tuition fees 2024/25 for MPhil/PhD Economic History

Home students: £4,786 for the first year Overseas students: £22,632 for the first year

The fee is likely to rise over subsequent years of the programme. The School charges home research students in line with the level of fee that the Research Councils recommend. The fees for overseas students are likely to rise in line with the assumed percentage increase in pay costs (ie, 4 per cent per annum).

The Table of Fees shows the latest tuition amounts for all programmes offered by the School.

The amount of tuition fees you will need to pay, and any financial support you are eligible for, will depend on whether you are classified as a home or overseas student, otherwise known as your fee status. LSE assesses your fee status based on guidelines provided by the Department of Education.

Further information about fee status classification.

Scholarships, studentships and other funding

The School recognises that the  cost of living in London  may be higher than in your home town or country, and we provide generous scholarships each year to home and overseas students.

This programme is eligible for  LSE PhD Studentships , and  Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funding . Selection for the PhD Studentships and ESRC funding is based on receipt of an application for a place – including all ancillary documents, before the funding deadline.  

Funding deadline for first round of LSE PhD Studentships and ESRC funding: 15 January 2024 Funding deadline for the second round of LSE PhD Studentships: 25 April 2024

In addition to our needs-based awards, LSE also makes available scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for students studying specific subject areas.  Find out more about financial support.

External funding 

There may be other funding opportunities available through other organisations or governments and we recommend you investigate these options as well.

Further information

Fees and funding opportunities

Information for international students

LSE is an international community, with over 140 nationalities represented amongst its student body. We celebrate this diversity through everything we do.  

If you are applying to LSE from outside of the UK then take a look at our Information for International students . 

1) Take a note of the UK qualifications we require for your programme of interest (found in the ‘Entry requirements’ section of this page). 

2) Go to the International Students section of our website. 

3) Select your country. 

4) Select ‘Graduate entry requirements’ and scroll until you arrive at the information about your local/national qualification. Compare the stated UK entry requirements listed on this page with the local/national entry requirement listed on your country specific page.

Programme structure and courses

During the programme, we expect participation in departmental workshops and other seminars held within the University of London and, later, at conferences and seminars at other universities. In addition to progressing with your research, you will also be expected to take the listed training and transferable skills courses.

Training courses Compulsory (examined)

Approaches to Economic and Social History

Historical Analysis of Economic Change And Research Design and  Quantitative Methods in Economic History * * Unless already taken as part of the master's degree, and, where appropriate, a pre-sessional statistics course

Optional (not examined) Supervisors may require you to take other relevant economic history courses, methodological courses provided by the Department of Methodology or the Institute of Historical Research or skills training courses as required for your thesis topic.

Transferable skills courses Compulsory (not examined)   Thesis Workshop in Economic History

Training courses Compulsory (not examined)   Thesis Workshop in Economic History

Training courses

Compulsory (not examined)  Thesis Workshop in Economic History

Compulsory (not examined)    Thesis Workshop in Economic History

For the most up-to-date list of optional courses please visit the relevant School Calendar page.

You must note, however, that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.  

You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s  Calendar , or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the  updated graduate course and programme information page.

Supervision, progression and assessment

Supervision .

You will be assigned a lead supervisor (and a second supervisor/adviser) who is a specialist in your chosen research field, though not necessarily in your topic. Lead supervisors guide you through your studies.

Progression and assessment

You will need to meet certain criteria to progress to PhD registration. 

Please refer to the PhD Handbook  (pp. 13-16) for full details of progression requirements.

Your final award will be determined by the completion of an original research thesis and a viva oral examination.

More about progression requirements

Student support and resources

We’re here to help and support you throughout your time at LSE, whether you need help with your academic studies, support with your welfare and wellbeing or simply to develop on a personal and professional level.

Whatever your query, big or small, there are a range of people you can speak to who will be happy to help.  

Department librarians   – they will be able to help you navigate the library and maximise its resources during your studies. 

Accommodation service  – they can offer advice on living in halls and offer guidance on private accommodation related queries.

Class teachers and seminar leaders  – they will be able to assist with queries relating to specific courses. 

Disability and Wellbeing Service  – they are experts in long-term health conditions, sensory impairments, mental health and specific learning difficulties. They offer confidential and free services such as  student counselling,  a  peer support scheme  and arranging  exam adjustments.  They run groups and workshops.  

IT help  – support is available 24 hours a day to assist with all your technology queries.   

LSE Faith Centre  – this is home to LSE's diverse religious activities and transformational interfaith leadership programmes, as well as a space for worship, prayer and quiet reflection. It includes Islamic prayer rooms and a main space for worship. It is also a space for wellbeing classes on campus and is open to all students and staff from all faiths and none.   

Language Centre  – the Centre specialises in offering language courses targeted to the needs of students and practitioners in the social sciences. We offer pre-course English for Academic Purposes programmes; English language support during your studies; modern language courses in nine languages; proofreading, translation and document authentication; and language learning community activities.

LSE Careers  ­ – with the help of LSE Careers, you can make the most of the opportunities that London has to offer. Whatever your career plans, LSE Careers will work with you, connecting you to opportunities and experiences from internships and volunteering to networking events and employer and alumni insights. 

LSE Library   –   founded in 1896, the British Library of Political and Economic Science is the major international library of the social sciences. It stays open late, has lots of excellent resources and is a great place to study. As an LSE student, you’ll have access to a number of other academic libraries in Greater London and nationwide. 

LSE LIFE  – this is where you should go to develop skills you’ll use as a student and beyond. The centre runs talks and workshops on skills you’ll find useful in the classroom; offers one-to-one sessions with study advisers who can help you with reading, making notes, writing, research and exam revision; and provides drop-in sessions for academic and personal support. (See ‘Teaching and assessment’). 

LSE Students’ Union (LSESU)  – they offer academic, personal and financial advice and funding.  

PhD Academy   – this is available for PhD students, wherever they are, to take part in interdisciplinary events and other professional development activities and access all the services related to their registration. 

Sardinia House Dental Practice   – this   offers discounted private dental services to LSE students.  

St Philips Medical Centre  – based in Pethwick-Lawrence House, the Centre provides NHS Primary Care services to registered patients.

Student Services Centre  – our staff here can answer general queries and can point you in the direction of other LSE services.  

Student advisers   – we have a  Deputy Head of Student Services (Advice and Policy)  and an  Adviser to Women Students  who can help with academic and pastoral matters.

Student life

As a student at LSE you’ll be based at our central London campus. Find out what our campus and London have to offer you on academic, social and career perspective. 

Student societies and activities

Your time at LSE is not just about studying, there are plenty of ways to get involved in  extracurricular activities . From joining one of over 200 societies, or starting your own society, to volunteering for a local charity, or attending a public lecture by a world-leading figure, there is a lot to choose from. 

The campus 

LSE is based on one  campus  in the centre of London. Despite the busy feel of the surrounding area, many of the streets around campus are pedestrianised, meaning the campus feels like a real community. 

Life in London 

London is an exciting, vibrant and colourful city. It's also an academic city, with more than 400,000 university students. Whatever your interests or appetite you will find something to suit your palate and pocket in this truly international capital. Make the most of career opportunities and social activities, theatre, museums, music and more. 

Want to find out more? Read why we think  London is a fantastic student city , find out about  key sights, places and experiences for new Londoners . Don't fear, London doesn't have to be super expensive: hear about  London on a budget . 

Preliminary reading

Acemoglu, D. and Robinson, J. (2012), Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty . London: Profile.

Allen, R.C. (2009), The British Industrial Revolution in Global Perspective . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Austin, Gareth M . Markets, Slaves and States in West African History, c.1450 to the present . (Cambridge: CUP 2013)

Austin, Gareth M. & Kaoru Sugihara (eds.) Labour-intensive industrialisation in Global History. (London: Routledge 2013).

Baten, Joerg (2016), A History of the Global Economy . Cambridge.

Broadberry, S. and O’Rourke, K. (eds.) (2010), The Cambridge Economic History of Modern Europe . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Clark, G. (2007), A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World . Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Crafts, N.F.R. and Fearon, P. (2013), The Great Depression of the 1930s: Lessons for Today . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Darwin, J. (2007), After Tamerlane: The Rise and Fall of Global Empires, 1400-2000 . London: Allen Lane.

Engerman, Stanley L. & Kenneth L. Sokoloff, Economic Development in the Americas since 1500: endowments and institutions. (Cambridge: CUP/NBER 2012).

Findlay, R. and O’Rourke, K. (2009), Power and Plenty: Trade, War, and the World Economy in the Second Millennium , (Princeton Economic History of the Western World), Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Floud, Roderick, Fogel, Robert, Harris, Bernard, and Hong, Sok Chul (2011), The Changing Body: health, nutrition, and human development in the western world since 1700 . Cambridge.

Greif, A. (2006) Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade (Political Economy of Institutions and Decisions) . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hatcher, J. and Bailey, M (2001), Modelling the Middle Ages: The History and Theory of England’s Economic Development . Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Herschman, Albert O. (2013), The Passions and the Interests: political arguments for capitalism before its triumph . Princeton.

King, Mervyn (2016), The End of Alchemy: money, banking and the future .  Little, Brown.

Livi-Bacci, Massimo (2012), A Concise History of World Population .  Wiley Blackwell.

Mackenzie, D (2006), An Engine, Not a Camera: How Financial Models Shape Markets . Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.

Morgan, Mary S. (2012), The World in the Model: How Economists Work and Think . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

North, D.C., Wallis, J.J. and Weingast, B. (2009), Violence and Social Orders: A Conceptual framework for Interpreting Recorded Human History . Cambridge; Cambridge University Press.

Parthasarathi, P. (2011), Why Europe Grew Rich and Asia Did Not: Global Divergence, 1600-1850. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Piketty, T. (2014) Capital in the Twenty-First Century. Harvard: Harvard University Press.

Pomeranz, K. (2000), The Great Divergence: China, Europe and the Making of the Modern World Economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Reinhart, C.M. and Rogoff, K.S. (2009), This Time is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Rosenthal, J-L and Wong, R. Bin (2011), Before and Beyond Divergence: The Politics of Economic Change in China and Europe. Harvard University Press.

Roy, T. (2012), India in the World Economy: From Antiquity to the Present (New Approaches to Asian History). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Von Glahn, Richard (2016), The Economic History of China from Antiquity to the Nineteenth Century . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Yun-Casalilla, B. and O’Brien, P. (2011), The Rise of Fiscal States: A Global History, 1500-1914. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Quick Careers Facts for the Department of Economic History

Median salary of our PG students 15 months after graduating: £42,000          

Top 5 sectors our students work in:

• Information, Digital Technology and Data            
• Financial and Professional Services              
• Education, Teaching and Research            
• Accounting and Auditing              
• Consultancy

The data was collected as part of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which is administered by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Graduates from 2020-21 were the fourth group to be asked to respond to Graduate Outcomes. Median salaries are calculated for respondents who are paid in UK pounds sterling and who were working in full-time employment.

Graduates of the programme have gone into a wide variety of careers, including university teaching and research posts, as well as jobs at international economic agencies such as the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.  

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

Matthew Partridge

PhD Economic History, 2011 Senior Writer, MoneyWeek

I chose to do my MSc and PhD at the LSE because I won an ESRC studentship, and because I was impressed by the expertise of the department. Its global reputation was also a major factor in my decision. One of the reasons why I was hired was because of my PhD (the other one was because I had done some financial spread betting). My knowledge of Economic History comes in very useful when I'm looking at issues such as the future of the single currency. I really enjoyed my time at the LSE. However, while I did do a lot of things, both inside and outside the seminar room, there was still a lot more that I could have done.

Support for your career

Many leading organisations give careers presentations at the School during the year, and LSE Careers has a wide range of resources available to assist students in their job search. Find out more about the  support available to students through LSE Careers .

Find out more about LSE

Discover more about being an LSE student - meet us in a city near you, visit our campus or experience LSE from home. 

Experience LSE from home

Webinars, videos, student blogs and student video diaries will help you gain an insight into what it's like to study at LSE for those that aren't able to make it to our campus.  Experience LSE from home . 

Come on a guided campus tour, attend an undergraduate open day, drop into our office or go on a self-guided tour.  Find out about opportunities to visit LSE . 

LSE visits you

Student Marketing, Recruitment and Study Abroad travels throughout the UK and around the world to meet with prospective students. We visit schools, attend education fairs and also hold Destination LSE events: pre-departure events for offer holders.  Find details on LSE's upcoming visits . 

How to apply

Virtual Graduate Open Day

Register your interest

Related programmes, mphil/phd economic geography.

Code(s) L7ZQ

MRes/PhD International Development

Code(s) Y2ZI

MPhil/PhD International History

Code(s) V1ZH

MSc Economic History (Research)

Code(s) V3U2

MSc Economic History

Code(s) V3U1

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DPhil in History (Economic and Social History)

• Entry requirements
• Funding and Costs

College preference

• How to Apply

About the course

The DPhil in History (Economic and Social History) is an advanced research degree, awarded on the basis of successful completion of an individual research thesis and an oral examination.

Economic and social history is the study of economic activities and social organization in the historical past. If you are thinking about applying for a DPhil researching economic and social history, you should consider whether your proposed topic falls within the remit of economic and social history or whether it would be more appropriate to apply for the DPhil in History. Current topics of research for the DPhil History (Economic and Social History) include:

• The Institutional Origins of Chinese Lineages
• Enterprise and Institutions in the early Industrial Revolution
• The Role of Human Capital in Industrialisation
• Central Banking and the International Monetary System in South America’s Southern Cone
• The GDP of the Baltic States 1919 – 2019.

You will be expected to attend and to contribute to two weekly research seminars: the Tuesday Evening Research Seminar and the Wednesday Lunchtime Graduate Student Seminar. You will also be expected to attend the Annual Graduate Workshop in Economic and Social History in the first week of Trinity term, at which MSc and MPhil students present their dissertation projects. You will also be strongly encouraged to participate in the wide range of other research seminars, conferences and workshops organised by the faculty and the division. Your supervisor will advise you on which seminars will be most beneficial for your chosen research area. You will also have access to specialist training courses offered by the Bodleian Libraries and IT Services. You can attend any lectures, across the University, that you wish to (subject to any specific restrictions), and we encourage students to take advantage of this and explore areas outside their specific research topic.

The course can be studied full-time or part-time with both modes requiring attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the  University's Residence requirements.  Part-time students are required to attend course-related activities in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year.

The full-time course is studied over three to four years, the part-time course has the same requirements, but is studied over six to eight years. If studying full-time, you will be expected to submit your dissertation three, or at most four, years from the date of admission. If studying part-time, you will be expected to submit your dissertation six, or at most eight, years from the date of admission. Although there will be no requirement to live in Oxford, part-time research students must attend the University on a regular basis (particularly in term-time) for supervision, study, research seminars and skills training. The dates of attendance will be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor.

Resources to support your study

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.

The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.

The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.

The explicitly interdisciplinary nature of this DPhil means that the faculty collaborates with other divisions and departments within the University, predominantly with the departments of Economics, Politics and International Relations, Sociology and Management Studies within the Social Sciences Division. History in Oxford stretches from around c. 300 to the present, and embraces an exceptionally broad geographical range. It comprises an active research community of up to 800 academics and graduate students. The faculty’s research is organised around historical periods, research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects , and graduates are key participants in the wide range of seminars, workshops and conferences run by the History Faculty. Further opportunities for exchange are provided by the interdisciplinary communities fostered within individual colleges, which also offer dedicated support for graduates by means of personal advisors. The Oxford Centre for Research in the Humanities (TORCH) offers a stimulating range of interdisciplinary activities, as does the Oxford Martin School and the new Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities. History graduates are also encouraged to join the Oxford History Graduate Network (OHGN) , which fosters friendships, conversations and collaboration. The Oxford environment provides a unique opportunity to develop intellectual curiosity whilst remaining focused on your own work without becoming blinkered - an integral part of a successful graduate career.

The University's core research resource in the Humanities are the Bodleian Libraries, whose combined collections contain more than eleven million printed items, in addition to more than 50,000 e-journals and a vast quantity of manuscripts, maps, music and other materials.

The Bodleian Libraries’ Special Collections Department attracts scholars from all over the world. Further strengths include the countless databases and digital resources currently offered by the Bodleian and being developed through Oxford’s Digital Humanities programme. You will also be able to draw on the specialist resources offered by the Bodleian History Faculty Library which provides dedicated support and training courses for all graduates. You also have access to the many college libraries and to college archives which can house significant collections of personal papers as well as institutional records dating back to the middle ages.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of History and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available. 

DPhil students usually have one or two supervisors. For the DPhil in History (Economic and Social History), one supervisor must be a full member of the Faculty of History or the Department of Economics. Co-supervisors can be appointed from a different department if specialist knowledge is required. In exceptional circumstances, a co-supervisor from outside the university may be appointed. You do not need to contact potential supervisors before applying, but all applicants are strongly advised to make sure that full supervision is available before applying.

Your supervisor(s) is there to provide advice, guidance, and support throughout your DPhil. You should arrange to meet your supervisor(s) early in your first term to establish a clear framework for your research and writing, and identify any skills training needed to undertake your research. It is up to you and your supervisor to decide on the frequency of future meetings. In the first year, you should meet your supervisor at least twice a term, and keep in frequent contact. As you become more engaged with your research, you may meet your supervisor less frequently, but you should maintain regular contact with them.

Your supervisor or supervisors will help you develop a programme of research and writing. You will also have the opportunity to benefit from the advice and support of other members of the faculty who will be involved in your progression through the transfer and confirmation stages of the degree, and you will be able to draw on the expertise of scholars and colleagues throughout the faculty and University.

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a full-time PRS student, or eight terms as a part-time PRS student, you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to DPhil status. This application is normally made by the second term for full-time students and by the fifth term for part-time students.

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil status will require the submission of a thesis outline and a piece of written work. Students who are successful at transfer will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status to show that your work continues to be on track. This will need to done within nine terms of admission for full-time students and eighteen terms of admission for part-time students.

Both milestones normally involve an interview with one or two assessors (other than your supervisor) and therefore provide and important experience for the final oral examination.

Full-time students will be expected to submit a substantial thesis of not more than 100,000 words after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. If you are studying part-time, you will be required to submit your thesis after six or, at most, eight years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in History (Economic and Social History) you will need to defend your thesis orally ( viva voce ) in front of two appointed examiners.

Graduate destinations

Approximately half of students who complete their doctoral thesis go on to further academic posts worldwide. Some work as freelance historians, others are in professional administrative positions in areas such as finance, the civil service, university administration, banking, and publishing. Approximately half of students who complete their doctoral thesis go on to further academic posts worldwide. Some work as freelance historians, others are in professional administrative positions in areas such as finance, the civil service, university administration, banking, and publishing.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

All graduate courses offered by the Faculty of History

Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26, proven and potential academic excellence.

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you  evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

We know that factors such as socio-economic circumstances and school performance can make it difficult for students to demonstrate their full potential. This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background. For further details, please refer to the information about improving access to graduate study in the How to apply section of this page.

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. Contextual data may also be used in the assessment of studentships. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• a master's degree with distinction or a high pass (a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation);   and
• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours  (a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation) in history or cognate disciplines.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or equivalent.

For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0, and for those with a master’s degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the masters-level requirement is 3.6 out of 4.0.

However, selection of candidates also depends on other factors in your application and most successful applicants have a GPA of 3.75 or higher for their bachelor and master’s degrees

Applicants without a prior degree in history, economic history or economics should be aware that competition for a place on the DPhil is extremely tough and that even some of Oxford's own master's students are not able to secure a place on the DPhil. You should consider that most of your competitors will have a solid background in the discipline and the appropriate training for academic research in a historical context, with a first class or distinction grade. If you decide to apply without a prior master's degree in history, please ensure that you link your proposed thesis topic with your previous expertise when you present it in your application. You should also show that you have already done a considerable amount of background research into the topic. Your submitted written work should show your writing and research skills in their best light as it will be important to show that you have the necessary skills for historical research and writing.

Professional experience in research, such as holding a research assistantship with an individual researcher or on a research project, may be an appropriate substitute for a master's degree.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

• In the case of mature students/intended career changes, professional experience in cognate areas may compensate for shortcomings in the formal academic record. 
• Publications are not required.

Further guidance

When assessors judge that a formally qualified and otherwise promising applicant requires strictly limited further training to embark on a doctoral degree, a doctoral place may be offered but only on the stipulation that the student successfully complete relevant elements of one of the faculty's master's courses before attempting 'transfer' to full doctoral status, meaning that the student may be asked to attend seminars or classes intended for master’s students.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's  higher level . If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) † Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides  further information about the English language test requirement .

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The  How to apply  section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.

Assessors may get in touch with an applicant by email in case of any queries, but this is very rare.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our ' After you apply ' pages provide more information about offers and conditions . 

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a  Financial Declaration  in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any  relevant, unspent criminal convictions  before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Evidence of ability to study for employed part-time applicants 

If you are applying for part-time study and are currently employed, you may be asked to provide evidence that your employment will not affect your ability to study and that you can commit sufficient time to fulfil all elements outlined in the course description. You may be asked to provide details about your pattern of employment and obtain a statement from your employer confirming their commitment to make time available for you to study, to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

• the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
• the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
• minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

History in Oxford stretches from c 300 to the present, and embraces in addition to its British and European heritage an exceptionally broad range of World history. It comprises an active research community of up to 800 senior academics and graduate students, all contributing to a range of research seminars, lectures, academic societies, and personal contacts.

Research in the faculty is organised around historical periods and research centres, or in collaborative and individual research projects, and you will always be welcome at seminars, workshops and conferences across all periods and themes.

You will be encouraged to make use of these opportunities as widely as possible without endangering your own degree work. Striking the right balance between intellectual curiosity and temptation and intellectual discipline, and remaining focused without becoming blinkered, should be an integral part of a successful graduate career. The Oxford environment provides all the ingredients for this.

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For entry in the 2025-26 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.

If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.

To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible,  use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool  to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including  a range of external funding ,  loan schemes for postgraduate study  and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the January deadline as listed on  our fees, funding and scholarship search tool .

Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:

Select from the list:

Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.

For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the faculty's website.

Annual fees for entry in 2025-26

Full-time study.

Part-time study

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges .

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability , you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding  section of this website provides further information about course fees , including information about fee status and eligibility  and your length of fee liability .

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

Living costs for full-time study

For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the  costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).

Living costs for part-time study

Your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you will still need to cover your cost of living on a full-time basis for the duration of your course, even if you will not be based in Oxford throughout your studies. While the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student living in Oxford is between £1,425 and £2,035 per month, living costs outside Oxford may be different.

Part-time students who are not based in Oxford will need to calculate travel and accommodation costs carefully. Depending on your circumstances and study plans, this may include the  cost of a visitor visa to attend for short blocks of time (assuming that visitor visa eligibility criteria are met).

Further information about living costs

The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs , which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief  introduction to the college system at Oxford  and our  advice about expressing a college preference . 

If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide. 

The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:

• Balliol College
• Blackfriars
• Brasenose College
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Corpus Christi College
• Exeter College
• Green Templeton College
• Hertford College
• Jesus College
• Keble College
• Kellogg College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Lincoln College
• Magdalen College
• Mansfield College
• Merton College
• New College
• Nuffield College
• Oriel College
• Pembroke College
• Regent's Park College
• Reuben College
• St Anne's College
• St Antony's College
• St Catherine's College
• St Cross College
• St Edmund Hall
• St Hilda's College
• St Hugh's College
• St John's College
• St Peter's College
• Somerville College
• Trinity College
• University College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:

Before you apply

Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive .

If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance . Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

• applicants from low-income countries;
• refugees and displaced persons; 
• UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
• applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to  check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver  before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission .

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to contact anyone in the faculty before you apply. You are not responsible for finding your own supervisor. However, you are strongly encouraged to familiarise yourself with the  research expertise within the faculty  when preparing your research proposal, to make sure that there is a supervisor available in the same area as your proposed project. You are welcome to contact potential supervisors (with an abstract of your research proposal) before you apply, but it is not necessary. Please note that if you have contacted a potential supervisor prior to submitting your application, any indication made by an academic that they may be willing to supervise a potential project, is not a guarantee that you will be offered a place, or that the supervisor in question has capacity to supervise you in that particular year.

Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available. The faculty determines supervision arrangements, taking due account of the workload and commitments of its academics. If you are made an offer, a supervisor will be assigned to you, and identified in the offer letter.

Improving access to graduate study

This course is taking part in initiatives to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly. It is taking part in the 'Close the Gap' project which aims to improve access to doctoral study.

Socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used as part of an initiative to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents .

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application .

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.

You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).

Proposed supervisor

It is not necessary for you to identify a potential supervisor in your application.

However, please check that a supervisor with expertise in your proposed area of research is available before applying. Details can be found on the faculty website. You are free to consult a specialist in your field for advice on your project, if you think that would be helpful.

Referees: Three overall, academic preferred

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

References should generally be academic, though if you are returning to study after extended periods of non-academic employment then you are welcome to nominate professional referees where it would be impractical to call on your previous university tutors.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in both a group environment and sustained individual and self-motivated investigation.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Research proposal: A minimum of 500 words to a maximum of 1,000 words

Your research proposal must be written in English. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count, though any footnotes should be included.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

This should be a developed proposal of your individual research project. It will provide crucial evidence of your readiness for doctoral research. Your proposal should cover all of the following:

• a research question: the central issue or problem with which you intend to grapple, and a working title;
• historiography: some account of the current state of scholarship in this area. You may want to explain why you are dissatisfied with existing scholarship: is it limited, dated or unconvincing? What kind of contribution will your work make?
• sources: an indication of the sources you expect to use, where these can be found, how they will contribute to your research, what if any technical skills you will need to work with them (eg language, quantitative, use of specialist software), and whether you already have, or will need to acquire, those skills; and
• method: some discussion of your approach to dealing with sources and constructing your thesis. Some of the following considerations may apply. At what level is your inquiry: micro or local, regional or national, comparative or transnational? Will you be using qualitative or quantitative techniques? Samples or case studies? Will your research draw on a body of theory? Does your approach draw on the agenda or methods of related disciplines such as anthropology, or literary studies?

This will be assessed for:

• your reasons for applying
• the coherence of the proposal
• the originality of the project
• evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
• the ability to present a reasoned case in English
• the feasibility of successfully completing the project within three years
• preliminary knowledge of research techniques
• capacity for sustained and intense work
• the ability to contextualise, and analyse the evidence
• your ability to commit sufficient time to study and fulfil all elements outlined in the course description if you are applying for part-time study. 

Written work: An academic writing sample of no more than 4,000 words in total length

Written work should be from your most recent completed qualification, but does not need to relate closely to your proposed area of study. Extracts from a longer piece of work are welcome, but please include a preface which puts the work in context.

The work will be assessed for your:

• understanding of problems in the area
• ability to construct and defend an argument
• powers of analysis
• powers of expression.

It must be submitted in English (if this work has been translated, you must indicate if the translations are your own, or what assistance you had in producing the English text).

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document. Any footnotes should be included in the word count. A bibliography may also be provided and is not included in the word count.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please  refer to the requirements above  and  consult our Application Guide for advice .

Apply - Full time Apply - Part time Continue application

After you've submitted your application

Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will  not  be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can  find out more about our shortlisting and selection process  in our detailed guide to what happens next.

Find out how to manage your application after submission , using our Applicant Self-Service tool.

ADMISSION STATUS

Open to applications for entry in 2025-26

12:00 midday UK time on:

Tuesday 7 January 2025

Latest deadline for most Oxford scholarships Final application deadline for entry in 2025-26

† Combined figure for full- and part-time study *Two-year average (applications for entry in 2023-24 and 2024-25)

This course has replaced the DPhil in History (History of Science and Economic and Social History)

Further information and enquiries

This course is offered by the Faculty of History

• Course page on the faculty's website
• Funding information from the faculty
• Academic and research staff
• Faculty research
• Humanities Division
• Residence requirements for full-time courses
• Postgraduate applicant privacy policy

Course-related enquiries

Advice about contacting the department can be found in the How to apply section of this page

✉ [email protected] ☎ +44 (0) 1865 615000

Application-process enquiries

Application guide