History (History of Science and Medicine & Economic and Social History)

Full-time DPhil students are expected to submit their thesis three, or at most four, years from the date of admission. Part-time DPhil students are expected to submit their thesis six, or at most eight, years from the date of admission.

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

You will be expected to attend and to contribute to the wide range of research seminars, conferences and workshops organised by the faculty. You will also have access to specialist training courses offered by the Bodleian Library and IT Services.

The faculty is able to offer the programme in full-time as well as part-time mode of attendance. Please note that any published statistics as regards acceptance rates are not an indication of applicants having a better chance of acceptance in part-time mode. All DPhil applications are assessed together and compared with each other, irrespective of the mode of study.

The faculty's research degrees are not available by distance learning. Although there will be no requirement to reside in Oxford, part-time research students must attend the University on a regular basis (particularly in term-time: October and November, mid-January to mid-March, and late April to mid-June) for supervision, study, research seminars and skills training.

The faculty appreciates that part-time research students will have non-standard attendance and work patterns. To ensure a comprehensive integration into the faculty's and University's research culture and with their full-time peer groups a pattern of attendance at training events and research seminars would form part of the general part-time study agreement as well as the individualised arrangements between supervisor and student. If you need a visa to study in the UK you cannot register for the part-time course.

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. Under some circumstances a supervisor outside the Faculty of History may be nominated.

An Oxford academic’s pre-application indication of willingness to supervise an enquiring applicant is not a guarantee that the applicant will be offered a place, or that the supervisor in question has capacity in that particular year.

A survey of the destinations of doctoral students who completed theses in 2001 shows that about half are in academic posts in nine countries; some are working in museums, or as freelance historians; others are primarily in higher administrative positions: in the civil service, university administration, banking, occasionally in publishing or law.

A preliminary survey of those who completed their doctorate in 2011 shows that around 40% are currently in academic teaching or research positions on collaborative projects or as Junior Research Fellows.

Students in specialised streams such as the history of science, history of medicine, and economic history are more likely than others to find employment in museums, medical schools or finance.

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. 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 sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on 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

Economic and Social History MPhil

Economic and Social History MSc

Global and Imperial History MSt

History DPhil

History MSt

History MPhil

History (History of Science and Medicine & Economic and Social History) DPhil

History of Art DPhil

History of Art and Visual Culture MSt

History of Science, Medicine and Technology MPhil

History of Science, Medicine and Technology MSc

Late Antique and Byzantine Studies MSt

Late Antique and Byzantine Studies MPhil

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Entry requirements