Making an application

The Faculty of History welcomes applications from well qualified candidates for postgraduate study. There are currently about 350 graduate students working in the Faculty across a wide range of historical topics. Two degrees are available: the MPhil and the PhD. Candidates who have not obtained a Masters-level qualification before arriving at Cambridge may be required to take an MPhil before they can register for the PhD.

The MPhil degree

The MPhil is awarded on the basis of performance in a taught course that includes a dissertation component or, in the case of the MPhil in Historical Studies, purely on the basis of a dissertation.  Please see the MPhil prospectuses for further details.

Leave to Continue - Reinstatement or Readmission to the PhD

If you are already an MPhil student in the Faculty of History, or have previously completed a Cambridge MPhil degree, and wish to continue to the PhD in History please read the Leave to Continue Guide.  https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/prospective-graduates/leave-to-continue-guide/view

The PhD degree

The PhD is a research degree, awarded on the basis of a dissertation of up to 80,000 words submitted at the end of three years of study. Students work under the direction of a supervisor drawn from among the senior members of the Faculty. Please see the PhD prospectus for further details.

Part-time PhD degree

The Faculty offers a part-time PhD course. Please see the PhD prospectus for further details.

Visiting Graduate Students

Please read the Faculty's Visiting Graduate Student Prospectus and complete the Faculty's Visiting Graduate Student application pack.

Personal Development Questionnaire