The Institute of Historical Research has a broad remit to cover the history of the world from the fourth to the twentyfirst century, with particular strengths in British and European history.

The Institute of Historical Research offers doctoral research supervision in the following broad areas:

Medieval British history
Modern British history
Local, regional and community histories of the British Isles
Place and Identity
Early medieval Northumbria and the north
Later medieval armies and warfare
Urban and metropolitan history (especially London), including comparative approaches across Europe and elsewhere
Late medieval and early modern urban history
Digital history and Historical GIS
History of propaganda in the twentieth century
History of the First and Second World Wars
History of emotions in modern Britain
The everyday lives of ‘ordinary’ people
Architecture, planning and the built environment in Britain from the twentieth century onward
The British Commonwealth and British decolonisation
History and policy
Medievalism and other usages of the past.

Distance learning

Students are required to attend our London campus at set intervals to complete an intensive research training module, for upgrade, and for the viva but will otherwise study at their own location. This option is available to UK, EU and international students on the same basis as our on-campus PhD programmes (three years full time, six years part time). Fees are the same as for our on-campus PhD programmes. Please note that not all institutes and supervisors offer this option, and that some topics are not appropriate to be studied this way.

This programme is also available to be studied on campus in London. Visit the School of Advanced Study website(Opens in new window) to find out more about potential supervisors and subject areas, as well as details about available funding opportunities and more information about distance learning research degrees.