Program Overview

Introduction to the Doctoral Program in History

The Doctoral Program in History at the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) is a research-oriented program that aims to provide students with advanced training in historical research and methodology. The program is designed to prepare students for a career in academia, research, or other fields related to history.

Program Structure

The program is structured into two stages. The first stage, which lasts for one academic year, involves the preparation of a research project and participation in a minimum of five formative activities. The second stage, which lasts for three years, is dedicated to the development of the research project under the supervision of a thesis director.

Research Areas

The program offers a wide range of research areas, including:

• Archeology of prehistoric economies: exploitation, transformation, and use of natural resources
• Archeology, Prehistory, and History of the Ancient Mediterranean (I): Phoenician and Greek archeology, cultural contacts, diasporas, and colonial systems in the ancient Mediterranean
• Archeology, Prehistory, and History of the Ancient Mediterranean (II): archeology of everyday life, studies of women, family, and gender
• Archeology, Prehistory, and History of the Ancient Mediterranean (III): social archeology, identities, communities, and rituals
• Medieval History (I): history of the Catalan counties in Carolingian Europe
• Medieval History (II): history of the Crown of Aragon
• Medieval and Modern History (III): an approach to the history of the world and comparative history of famine and subsistence crises
• Comparative History of the Spanish Empire (I): colonization and decolonization in European, American, African, and Asian scenarios (15th-20th centuries)
• Comparative History of the Spanish Empire (II): colonial history of Iberian America and the formation of Latin American states (16th-19th centuries)
• Comparative History of the Spanish Empire (III): history of modern and contemporary empires (conflicts, contacts, and transfers with the Spanish Empire)
• History of Latin America (19th and 20th centuries)
• Catalonia and Spain in Modern Europe (I): political and institutional history of modern Catalonia (16th-18th centuries)
• Catalonia and Spain in Modern Europe (II): modern Spain in the European context (17th and 18th centuries)
• Catalonia and Spain in Modern Europe (III): work, corporation, and profession in modern Europe
• History of Catalonia, Spain, and Contemporary Europe (I): political, social, economic, and cultural history of Catalonia and Spain (19th and 20th centuries)
• History of Catalonia, Spain, and Contemporary Europe (II): comparative history of nationalisms, federalism, confederalism, and concepts of sovereignty in a comparative perspective
• History of Catalonia, Spain, and Contemporary Europe (III): history of contemporary Europe and its relations with Catalonia and Spain, war, revolution, and counter-revolution in Europe and Spain (19th and 20th centuries), history of Germany and Spanish-German relations (19th and 20th centuries)
• History of Modern and Contemporary Asia (I): history of China, history of Sino-European relations, and history of Chinese diasporas
• History of Modern and Contemporary Asia (II): history of the Philippines and the Spanish Empire in Asia (16th-20th centuries)
• History of Modern and Contemporary Asia (III): comparative history of modern empires in Asia, imperial transitions, Asian decolonization, and new global balances (19th-21st centuries)
• Historical Research from Academic Interdisciplinarity (I): history of science and global history
• Historical Research from Academic Interdisciplinarity (II): history of law and comparative history
• Historical Research from Academic Interdisciplinarity (III): history of art and cultural history

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the Doctoral Program in History, candidates must:

• Hold an official university degree in a relevant field (or equivalent)
• Hold an official master's degree (or equivalent) with a minimum of 60 ECTS credits
• Have completed a minimum of 300 ECTS credits
• Provide a letter of recommendation
• Present a research project that corresponds to one of the program's research areas
• Provide a curriculum vitae
• Provide a national identity document or passport

Master's Programs that Precede this Doctorate

The Master's Program in History of the World is a preceding program to this doctorate.