History

Program Overview

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Introduction

The first principal of King’s College – Hector Boece – was a historian, and today’s History Department has been thriving since its foundation in 1898.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Degree Qualification: PhD

Related Information

• September and January start dates available

Our Research

Aberdeen historians research and supervise in concentrations of research activity embedded within and across the following research centres:

• Centre for Polish-Lithuanian Studies
• Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies
• Centre for Early Modern Studies
• Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society, and Rule of Law
• Centre for Global Security and Governance
• Centre for Scandinavian Studies
• Centre for History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Medicine

Research Interests

History of Science, Technology and Medicine, History of Literature and Science

• Cultural history of science, technology and medicine in Britain from the eighteenth century to the present; history of science and literature.
• Supervisors: Dr Ben Marsden and Professor Ralph O’Connor

Food History

• Cultural history of food and foodways from the seventeenth century to the present day; historical approaches to culinary writing, technologies of food production, and patterns of consumption.
• Supervisor: Dr Ben Marsden

Irish and Scottish Enlightenment, Global Diaspora and Catholicism

• Eighteenth-century British and Irish political identity and the development of nationalism; the Enlightenment in the British Isles; intellectual history of eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century Scottish Enlightenment; Scottish philosophical and literary societies; Scottish intellectual, moral and philosophical culture in the age of revolution; intellectual currents of Scottish and Irish global diaspora; the ‘First’ British Empire; aspects of political, social, religious and intellectual history of Ireland; the history of Catholicism in Scotland since 1707; and the political history of Britain in the Victorian era.
• Supervisors: Professor Michael Brown and Dr Bradford Bow

Northern Europe in the Later Middle Ages

• Scottish and English politics and landed society (thirteenth to sixteenth centuries); aspects of medieval and early modern nobility, rulership, law, and towns (including Aberdeen); Anglo-Scottish relations; medieval and early modern frontiers, borderlands and peripheries; medieval warfare; religious history and the history of women; aspects of law, legal culture, courts and litigation; medieval demography.
• Supervisors: Professor Jackson Armstrong, Dr Marie-Luise Ehrenschwendtner and Dr Aly Macdonald

Early Modern Scotland and Europe

• European and/or Scottish histories of witchcraft, medicine, sexuality, law and crime; Calvinism and Reformed Protestantism (especially with regard to social control) in the broad period c. 1450-c. 1700; aspects of urban and noble society; aspects of military history; aspects of the history of women, and early modern Scottish church history.
• Supervisors: Professor William Naphy, Professor Jackson Armstrong , Dr Aly Macdonald and Dr Marie-Luise Ehrenschwendtner

The History of Poland-Lithuania

• Military, social, political, religious and intellectual history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and its successor states (Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, German-Polish borderlands)
• Supervisors: Professor Karin Friedrich and Professor Robert Frost

Early Modern and Nineteenth-Century Germany

• Political, cultural, religious and social history of the Holy Roman Empire, Thirty Years War, German Enlightenment, the history of noble elites and cities in Germany and Central Europe, the development of modern Germany during the nineteenth century.
• Supervisors: Professor Karin Friedrich and Professor Robert Frost

Global Empires and Emigration. Modern Scotland, Britain and the Commonwealth

• Emigration within the British empire since the eighteenth century; Modern Scottish History; Oral History; Medicine and Migration; History of the British empire and the Commonwealth in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including the impact of the empire on Britain; economics and business histories of the empire, the politics of the Commonwealth, history of settler societies. Africa and the African diaspora in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; slavery and abolition.
• Supervisors: Professor Marjory Harper, Dr Andrew Dilley and Dr Richard Anderson

Modern Russian and Soviet History, Transport History

• Any aspect of Modern Russian and Soviet history (particularly c.1900–c.1930), and also transport history, particularly in relation to the role of railway transport in warfare in Britain and Europe; British railway history.
• Supervisors: Professor Anthony Heywood

Early Scandinavian, Icelandic and Irish Literature, Culture and Society

• The medieval North, particularly Old Norse-Icelandic literature, language, culture, and society; Old Norse poetry, and literary-legal connections in medieval Iceland, riddles, Norse mythology, and translation; the Sagas of Icelanders, legendary sagas and chivalric sagas, including comparisons with medieval Irish literature; aspects of Norse-Icelandic literature.
• Supervisors: Professor Ralph O’Connor and Dr Hannah Burrows

History of Modern European Nobilities and Monarchies, Gender and Emotions

• Especially French history post-1789; aspects of social history; private archives of noble families, archival theory and practices; aspects of modern European history, especially political cultural history, military and media history as well as the history of the monarchy in the long nineteenth century.
• Supervisor: Dr Heidi Mehrkens

Global Political History and International Affairs. Modern Europe and the Middle East

• International and global political history and a wide array of modern European history; history of international affairs; Jewish
  on-Jewish relations and historical methodology; modern social, political and cultural histories of the Middle East, including wider conflict between national and religious groups; aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
• Supervisors: Professor Thomas Weber and Dr Alessandra Cecolin

Entry Requirements

• Normally, the minimum entrance requirement for admission to the PhD is a degree with Second Class Honours (Upper Division) in an appropriate field, or equivalent.
• It is preferable that you hold a Masters in the chosen area of study as well.

Documents Required for Application

• Copies of your undergraduate and graduate degree certificates
• Academic transcripts for your undergraduate and graduate degrees
• Two academic references
• Your research proposal

International Applicants

• Additional details for international applicants, including information specific to your country or territory, are available.

Fees and Funding

• View the tuition fee rates

Scholarships

• Eligible self-funded international Postgraduate Research Masters' students starting in September 2025 will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship.

Careers

• Historians' skills are needed for any profession that values quick and critical thinking, detailed analysis, close reading, the art of comparison and testing concepts through practical case studies.
• History graduates have made careers in politics, become prime ministers (Gordon Brown) and chancellors (Alastair Darling), but also gone into banking, the law, journalism and media.

Related Postgraduate Taught Degrees

• Medieval and Early Modern Studies
• Modern History
• Museum Studies
• Scottish Heritage
• Viking and Medieval Nordic Studies

Program Outline

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PhD in History

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Degree Overview:

The PhD in History program at the University of Aberdeen provides students with the opportunity to conduct advanced research in a supportive and stimulating environment.

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Objectives:

• Develop independent research skills
• Gain advanced knowledge of a chosen historical field
• Produce a significant piece of original research in the form of a dissertation
• Prepare for a career in academia, research, or other related fields

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Description:

The program is typically completed over a period of three years, with the option to extend for a fourth year. Students work closely with a supervisor to develop their research proposal and dissertation. The program also includes a variety of coursework, workshops, and seminars that provide students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their research.

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Outline:

The PhD in History program is structured around a combination of coursework, research, and independent study.

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Coursework:

Students are required to complete a minimum of 180 credits of coursework, which typically includes:

• Core courses in historical research methods and historiography
• Elective courses in specific areas of historical interest
• Dissertation seminar

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Research:

The majority of the program is dedicated to independent research. Students are expected to:

• Develop a research proposal
• Conduct original research
• Write a dissertation of approximately 80,000 words

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Independent Study:

Students are also expected to engage in independent study, which may include:

• Attending conferences and workshops
• Publishing their research in academic journals
• Presenting their research at conferences

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Assessment:

The PhD in History program is assessed through a variety of methods, including:

• Coursework assignments
• Exams
• Dissertation defense

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Teaching:

The PhD in History program is taught by a team of experienced and internationally recognized historians. The program uses a variety of teaching methods, including:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• One-on-one supervision

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Careers:

Graduates of the PhD in History program have gone on to successful careers in a variety of fields, including:

• Academia
• Research
• Archives
• Museums
• Government
• Journalism
• Law

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Other:

• The program is open to students from all over the world.
• The program is based in the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy.
• The program has a strong research culture and is committed to providing students with the opportunity to conduct world-class research.
• The program is well-funded and offers a variety of scholarships and bursaries to support students.
• The program is located in the historic city of Aberdeen, which offers a vibrant and stimulating environment for postgraduate study.