项目介绍

2021年7月30日

About the course

The DPhil in History (History of Science and Medicine and Economic and Social History) is an advanced research degree, awarded on the basis of successful completion of an individual research thesis and an oral examination. You will focus on one aspect – either History of Science and Medicine or  Economic and Social History, not both.

If studying full-time, you are expected to submit your thesis three, or at most four, years from the date of admission. If studying part-time, you are expected to submit your thesis six, or at most eight, years from the date of admission.

You will be expected to attend and to contribute to the wide range of research seminars, conferences and workshops organised by the division and faculty. You will also have access to specialist training courses offered by the Bodleian Libraries and IT Services. Your supervisor will advise you on what seminars will be more beneficial for your chosen research area. You can attend any lectures, across the University, that you wish to (subject to any specific restrictions), and we encourage students to take advantage of this and explore areas outside of their specific research topic.

Further information about studying part time

The faculty is able to offer the DPhil in History 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 as you will not be able to meet the Tier 4 visa requirements

Supervision

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.

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 your progression through the transfer and confirmation stages of the degree, and you will be able to draw on the expertise of scholars and colleagues throughout the faculty and University.

Please note that if you have contacted a potential supervisor prior to submitting your application, any indication made by an academic that they may be willing to supervise a potential project, is not a guarantee that you will be offered a place or that the supervisor in question has capacity to supervise you in that particular year. It will be up to you and your supervisor to decide on the frequency of meetings, though generally speaking in the first year you should plan to meet them at least every few weeks during term time, and keep in frequent contact. As you become more engaged with your research, you may meet your supervisor less frequently, but we do encourage you to maintain regular contact with them.

Assessment

Your thesis will be based on extensive original research and engagement with current scholarship. You will be expected to pass Transfer of Status by the end of your first year on the course, and Confirmation of Status in your third year (these deadlines are doubled for part-time students). These milestones are designed to ensure that you have identified a sound research topic and timeline for completion, as well as giving you the opportunity to receive feedback from academics in your field. They will also help prepare you for your viva voce examination when you have submitted your thesis.

Graduate destinations

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. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, 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 illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

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