Research degrees

Why study a research degree in the Department of History?

• You'll join a large and committed postgraduate community that actively contributes to our research profile. We provide excellent research training and careful supervision based on excellent staff-student relationships.
• You can get involved in our regular programme of seminars and conferences that allow you to broaden your experience beyond your study and to contribute to ongoing debates in our department. Our students also organise our annual postgraduate and early career historians conference which attracts speakers from across the UK and abroad and provides opportunities for you to present your research.
• The Albert Sloman Library has excellent collections in British and European modern history, and its holdings in the areas of Latin America, Russia and the US are of national importance.
• You will gain access to our special collections in history, including the Essex Society for Archaeology and History Library, the Harsnett Collection, the Hervey Benham Oral History Sound Archive, the Bensusan Collection, and the Colchester Medical Society Library.

• You can enjoy using resources from the History Data Service, a national service provider of digital resources for historians, is based in the UK Data Archive at our Colchester campus.

• Our University's Proficio scheme helps to develop your skills and knowledge and increase your employability potential for careers in academia and industry by providing funding for specialist training across a range of areas, including researching and managing your PhD, presenting your work and getting published.
• The University of Essex is one of the 8 world-leading institutions that are a member of The Consortium for Humanities and the Arts South-East England (CHASE), which is an AHRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership. Find out more information on how to apply for a studentship, and be in with a chance of having access to fantastic funding and training opportunities.
• We'll give you a loyalty discount of up to 33% on the tuition fee for your first year of postgraduate study at Essex if you're one of our graduates, studied abroad with us, or have a spouse or partner studying here as a full-time international student paying overseas fees. Learn more about the postgraduate funding opportunities at the University.
• There may also be funding opportunities through our department. Visit our scholarships and funding page for more information.