Empire and postcolonial studies

Qualifications	Duration	Start dates	Application period
PhD (MPhil also available)	Full time: 3–4 years Part time: 6–8 years	October	January

Qualifications
PhD (MPhil also available)

Duration
Full time: 3–4 years
Part time: 6–8 years

Start dates
October

Application period
January

The History Department, in cooperation with the cross-faculty Ferguson Centre for African and Asian Studies, covers a wide range of history. Areas of particular interest include the British Empire, colonial India, relationships between the West and the postcolonial world, empire in Asian port cities, and heritage. Research into imperial conflicts, including policing and counterinsurgency, is a particular strength, and overlaps with the Department’s Crime and Policing Research Centre. We have particular regional expertise covering Asia (India, SE Asia, the coast of China) and Africa.

We welcome applications in areas that correspond with current staff research interests. We look for detailed proposals which set out specific research questions and outline the originality of your topic or approach. We strongly encourage you to contact us to discuss your ideas informally before submitting an application.

Entry requirements

Most successful applicants to the PhD programme have a masters degree in history or a related discipline, and/or a first class history degree with a substantial original-source dissertation. However, applicants can still be considered they demonstrate evidence of the ability to pursue research and write at a high level in some historical field.