History Research

Course detail Description

We offer MPhil and PhD programmes, both full and part-time, for those wishing to do a research degree. We offer supervision across a wide range of fields, from modern global history to British and European medieval history, from the history of science, technology and medicine to recent British history. For full details of the research expertise of our staff see our staff pages.

About the department
The Department of History at King's has a long and distinguished tradition in world leading, cutting-edge research. Our staff and research students are fully engaged in original historical scholarship, ranging from late antiquity to the present day. Our excellent PhD completion rate is the product of the individual care which we offer to our research students, and the stimulating research culture of which they are part. The department has consistently received very high ratings in the government’s research assessment exercises (RAE), as well as league tables, teaching assessments and National Student Surveys. To keep up with our latest news, we invite you to follow the department on Facebook.

Research culture
With over 80 doctoral students, the Department of History boasts a lively and vibrant research culture. Research students are encouraged to present their work at the regular departmental seminar: presenting a short paper to this seminar is now part of the upgrade process from MPhil to PhD status. Staff and students play a leading role in several of the interdisciplinary research centres at King’s, within our Arts & Humanities Research Institute. They also regularly contribute to a wide range of specialist seminars at the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), many of which are convened by King's academics. We have recently joined forces with UCL and the University of London School of Advanced Study, bringing together our PhD provision within the London Arts & Humanities Partnership. LAHP offers an unrivalled range of training opportunities for research students, and brings together an unrivalled range of scholarly and supervisorial expertise. Up-to-date History MPhil/PhD student profiles, department publications and research projects can be found on our website:

Study in London
London offers unparalleled diversity and richness to historians of all periods, with the largest concentration of libraries and archives in the UK including the major document repositories at the National Archives, National Maritime Museum, Imperial War Museum, British Library, and the valuable library holdings here at King's, at the IHR and at Senate House.

Teaching opportunities
Research students can apply to become Graduate Teaching Assistants (usually from their second year onwards) to assist members of staff in delivering historical outline modules to undergraduate students. Full training is provided to enable students to make the best use of this opportunity to acquire valuable teaching experience.

Joint PhD programme
Exciting opportunities are available to undertake a joint PhD programme either with Hong Kong University (HKU) or the National University of Singapore (NUS). FAQs about joint PhDs can be found on the King’s Worldwide web pages.

All students are allocated two supervisors and are expected to meet with their primary supervisor (or both if jointly supervised) on a regular basis. Shared supervision across the partner institutions in LAHP is encouraged. Monthly supervision reports are filed for all full-time students and supervisors must submit progress reports every six months in consultation with the student. There will be a further review by two members of the department at the end of the student's first and third years. After 9-12 months the student will normally be upgraded from MPhil to PhD status with a transfer to 'writing up' status usually occurring after three years full-time study. Upon submission of the thesis, assessment is by means of an oral examination (viva).

The Department of History offers training in specific research skills, including palaeography and Latin, and the College's Modern Language Centre offers a wide range of language training. The King's Centre for Doctoral Studies runs a Researcher Development Programme of personal, professional and career development activities for all research students. The postgraduate training programmes at King’s, UCL and SAS are currently being brought together within LAHP, greatly expanding the training opportunities available to all. The Institute of Historical Research (IHR), part of SAS, offers a comprehensive programme of short training courses in research skills for historians, which are complemented by the School of Advanced Study's Research Skills Workshops.

Professor Abigail Woods

Postgraduate Admissions, Admissions Office tel: +44 (0) 20 7848 1649 fax: +44 (0) 20 7848 7200

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