Economic and Social History Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

The PhD in Economic and Social History offers you the opportunity to study economic and social history at an advanced level through independent research.

We host one of the largest economic and social history research groupings in the UK and this enables us to support research in economic and social history across a wide range of time periods and geographical regions, from the early Middle Ages to the present day, and from Britain to the Caribbean. 

Particular areas of expertise available for research are:

* culture and society in early modern Britain

* slavery in the Atlantic world since 1700

* the material culture of gender in 18th-century Britain

* urban society and civil society in historical context

* cinema and society in modern Britain

* gender, crime and deviancy: Britain 1860–1960

* the economic history of China in the 20th century

* the history of health and medicine in Britain since 1750

* economy and society in the Global Middle Ages (c.500-c.1500)

* the origins of capitalism and the modern world-economy

* gender and sexuality in the eastern bloc

Colleagues in the economic and history research group work closely with colleagues with related interests in other Schools, notably the School of Social and Political Science and the School of Economics.

The breadth of research expertise in the School and in the wider University makes it possible for us to supervise a very wide range of topics. 

Staff research interests are wide-ranging, including the study of:

* economic development

* financial history

* globalisation

* slavery

* urban history

* consumption

* material culture

* museums and collecting

* leisure

* religious belief

* popular culture

* medicine and disease

* gender

* sexuality

* the family

* Marxism

* political economy

Each student is allocated at least two supervisors, allowing us to combine thematic, chronological and, if appropriate, disciplinary expertise in the supervisory team. We also have close links with external organisations, such as the National Museums of Scotland, and may be able to include external partners in supervisory teams.

For a three-year PhD (six-year part-time), your proposal must be well defined before you start. Please approach your proposed supervisor far ahead of the application deadline, to give them time to read your thesis proposal and suggest improvements. This will improve your chances of admission and funding.