History at UEA

The School of History is a vibrant learning community of staff and students. We cover a wide range of periods and regions, from Medieval to Modern, from Britain, Russia and Europe to America, from Eastern Europe to the Middle East and Asia. 93% of research within the School of History is internationally recognised as either ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ according to the Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), a major Government analysis of university research quality. Additionally, History at UEA ranked third overall for research quality in the UK, ranking higher than institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge in the Times Higher Education REF 2021 History Subject rankings.

Postgraduate research is at the heart of the School of History. We represent one of the largest concentrations of historians in the UK. As a diverse community of scholars, we welcome applications for advanced study in our many areas of interest, which range from the Middle Ages until almost the present day. Most postgraduate research (PGR) students in our School are pursuing a PhD, though we offer MA by Research and MPhil degrees as well. 

PGR students in History benefit from the resources of a research university, the intimate and interdisciplinary community of our campus, and the scope and flexibility of the CHASE consortium, which allows us to pool strength and expertise from across southeast England. PGR students run a successful seminar series and contribute to our wider intellectual life. We support research travel and the development of the research skills you need.

There is no typical UEA History PhD student. Our students are full-time and part-time. Our graduates pursue careers in academia, in the heritage sector, and in a wide variety of other fields; some come to us after having had careers. Our School’s origins were untraditional and interdisciplinary, and this continues to shape our outlook: we are justly proud of our local links and the role of our researchers and students in our region, but we are international scholars, committed to global partnerships and perspectives.

Research Expertise

The most important thing for a prospective PhD candidate is to find an appropriate supervisor. For more information on our research and on the areas in which we are happy to offer research supervision, please see our research page.

Enquiries and How to Apply

We encourage enquiries from prospective students. Please contact your potential supervisor and/or the School's Postgraduate Research Director, Dr Oren Margolis (O.Margolis@uea.ac.uk), to discuss your proposal.

Studentship Funding

Applicants to our PhD programmes are eligible to apply for AHRC-funded CHASE studentships, and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities also offers eight PGR studentships each year. For information about these please consult the Arts and Humanities Graduate School page, which also outlines the training and support that PGRs receive as members of the Graduate School.

Key Information

Website page: https://www.uea.ac.uk/history/research-degrees

Humanities Graduate School: https://www.uea.ac.uk/arts-humanities/graduate-school

Email: pgr.enquiries.admiss@uea.ac.uk

Deadlines for 2022 entry

The deadline for funded studentships in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities PhD Studentships is usually January for October starts.

We welcome applications from students with their own funding all year - please enquire by emailing pgr.enquiries.admiss@uea.ac.uk for further information.

Deadlines for application are listed on our information pages, where you will also find details of fees and funding .