PhD History at University of Kent

Programme overview

Research degrees in History at Kent, supervised within the School of History in Canterbury. The MA by Research culminates in a 40,000-word thesis and the PhD in a thesis of up to 100,000 words, with supervision across medieval and early modern, modern, and history of science, technology and medicine.

Department: School of History | Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time | Intake: September, January and April | Study mode: full-time or part-time (Canterbury) | Location: Canterbury, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Independent research towards a thesis under expert supervision, supported by Kent's Researcher Development Programme covering research management, communication, networking and career skills. Supervision areas include medieval and early modern history (c400-c1500), modern history (c1500-present) and the history of science, technology and medicine.

Career pathways

Graduates go on to careers from research within government to teaching, politics, records management, journalism and work in museums and galleries.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

PhD: typical offer 2.1 or above; a first or upper-second class honours degree in a relevant subject (or equivalent) and, normally, a taught MA qualification. English language (international applicants): Good level (CEFR B2); for example IELTS 6.0 with at least 5.5 in each component, or PTE Academic 63 with at least 59 in each sub-test, or a UK degree or a degree from a majority English-speaking country. All applicants are considered individually and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may be taken into account.

Domestic applicants: GBP 5,238 a year (2026/27). Guide only: full-time UK postgraduate research fee for 2026/27; the 2027/28 UK research fee had not yet been set Source

International applicants: GBP 21,950 a year (2027/28). Full-time annual tuition fee from the 2027/28 fee table Source

Intake: September, January and April

Duration: 3 years full-time, 6 years part-time

Apply through the official page: https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply

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