cambridge history phd research proposal

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Applying for postgraduate courses at Cambridge

Help & Guidance - Research

• Postgraduate Study
• Why Cambridge overview
• Chat with our students
• Cambridge explained overview
• The supervision system
• Student life overview
• In and around Cambridge
• Leisure activities
• Student union
• Music awards
• Student support overview
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Disabled students
• Language tuition
• Skills training
• Support for refugees
• Courses overview
• Course Directory
• Department directory
• Qualification types
• Funded studentships
• Part-time study
• Research degrees
• Visiting students
• Finance overview
• Fees overview
• What is my fee status?
• Part-time fees
• Application fee
• Living costs
• Funding overview
• Applying for University funding
• Doctoral training programmes
• External funding and loans
• Colleges overview
• College listing overview
• Accommodation
• Applying overview
• Application deadlines
• Entry requirements
• International qualifications
• English language requirements
• Find a supervisor
• Widening access and participation
• Supporting documents overview
• Writing a research proposal
• Preparing a personal statement
• Application fee overview
• Application fee waiver
• International applications
• Disabled applicants
• AI and postgraduate applications
• Admissions fraud
• How we assess your application
• Outcome of your application overview
• Appeals and complaints
• Your offer overview
• Visas and immigration
• Declaring criminal convictions
• Defer your application
• Prepare to arrive
• Track your application
• International overview
• International events
• International student views overview
• Akhila’s story
• Alex’s story
• Huijie’s story
• Kelsey’s story
• Nilesh’s story
• Get in touch!
• Events overview
• Upcoming events
• Postgraduate Open Days overview
• Discover Cambridge webinars
• Virtual tour
• Research Internships
• How we use participant data
• Postgraduate Newsletter
• Why Cambridge
• International

The information captured in this section is used to aid the assessment of your application and to provide you with a suitable supervisor in the event that you receive and meet the terms of your offer letter.

The requirements of the information needed within the research title and research summary fields vary from course to course. For information on what is required for the course you are applying for, check the Course Directory .

Research title

If your course requires that you upload a research proposal as a part of your supporting documents you must be specific with your research title, unless stated otherwise in the Course Directory .

However, if you are yet to decide on a research title and are not required to be specific as per the information provided in the Course Directory , please indicate the area you are most likely to research, being as specific as you can.

Research summary

This field should be used to provide a summary of your research proposal (if required), not the full research proposal. The information you provide here will be used to ensure that the correct person reviews your application; however, this may also form part of the academic assessment of your application.

If you are not required to upload a full research proposal as per the Course Directory , you should use this question to provide details of the area of study that you are most interested in researching.

If you are required to provide a full research proposal as per the Course Directory , you will be able to upload this as a part of your supporting documentation upon submission of your application via your Self Service account, but you should use this question to summarise your proposal.

If you are yet to decide on a specific research proposal and you are not required to provide specific detail as per the information about your course in the Course Directory , please provide details of the area you are most likely to research with as much detail as possible.

Your research summary can be pasted from an external source, such as Microsoft Word, but must be of your own writing.

If you have pasted text from an external source, please take care to check that your text was not cut off at the end; the character limits found within text boxes in the application form are hard limits, meaning that you cannot enter more characters than noted. If you paste more than this limit, only the maximum amount of characters will be pasted.

You are also given an approximate number of words within the character limit for guidance; please note that this is not a definitive and accurate number of words.

If you paste from an external source, the characters used may differ between the platforms. Character returns count as two characters in the Applicant Portal.

Research supervisor

If you have a specific academic in mind who you would like to be supervised by, use this field to indicate so. If you have multiple preferred supervisors, you may list more than one in this field.

Please note, by indicating a preferred supervisor you are not guaranteeing that they will become your supervisor. Supervisor requests will only be accommodated where possible based on availability and compatibilty with your research proposal.

This question is optional, so if you do not have a preferred supervisor, leave this field blank.

Research experience

If you have worked on a research project, either for your first degree or subsequently, please describe your work here. Your account should be intelligible to anyone who is not a specialist in your field.

If you have no such experience, leaving this blank will not prejudice your application.

If you have pasted text from an external source, please take care to check that your text was not cut off at the end; the character limits found within text boxes in the application form are hard limits, meaning that you cannot enter more characters than noted under the textbox. If you paste more than this limit, only the maximum amount of characters will be pasted.

Postgraduate Admissions Office

• Admissions statistics
• Start an application
• Applicant Self-Service

At a glance

• Bringing a family
• Current Postgraduates
• Cambridge Students' Union (SU)

University Policy and Guidelines

Privacy Policy

Information compliance

Equality and Diversity

Terms of Study

About this site

About our website

Privacy policy

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Faculty of Divinity
• About us overview
• Getting to the Faculty
• Administration overview
• Accounts overview
• Staff Handbook
• Faculty Committees
• Awards, Grants and Prizes
• Special Lectures and Conferences overview
• Hulsean Lectures
• Stanton Lectures
• Academic Visitors
• The History of Faculty Professorships and Readerships overview
• Cambridge Teachers of Rabbinics
• Lady Margaret's Professors
• Ely Professors
• Regius Professors of Divinity
• Norris-Hulse Professors
• Research integrity and ethics
• Equality & Diversity
• Faculty of Divinity: Health & Safety Policy
• Copyright Notice and Takedown
• Study Here overview
• Undergraduate Degree overview
• List of papers (modules) for 2024-25
• Open days, events and resources overview
• Undergraduate Open Day
• Masterclasses and taster events
• Cambridge in Your Classroom overview
• Does God have a gendered body?
• Can philosophy teach us about God?
• What is the apocalypse?
• How can we be close to nature?
• Are all Muslims the same?
• Is the story in the Book of Genesis true?
• Are there really ten commandments?
• What is the annunciation?
• Can we prove God's existence?
• What is a mosque for?
• What does the parable of the prodigal son mean?
• What can different religions share?
• Is God our Intimate Stranger?
• Who is God?
• 50 Religious Treasures of Cambridge
• On demand Open Day
• Divinity Divulged
• For Teachers overview
• What does good RE look like?
• Scripture & Violence
• Who is the Buddha?
• How do I know if this course is for me? overview
• List of Papers (Modules) for 2022-23
• What papers can I choose from? overview
• Do I have to be religious?
• What are the entry requirements and how do I apply?
• How do I choose a College?
• What teaching can I expect and what are supervisions?
• Do I have to learn a language?
• How do I prepare for the interview?
• What careers are possible after I graduate? overview
• What introductory reading can I do?
• How can I support my child/pupil in their application?
• How can I find out more?
• Advanced Diploma
• MPhil overview
• The Part-Time MPhil Route
• Graduate funding
• PhD overview
• Studying for the PhD Part-Time
• Graduate Funding
• Bachelor of Theology for Ministry
• Visiting Students
• University Regulations
• Research overview
• Research areas overview
• Old Testament overview
• Old Testament MPhil Pathway
• Old Testament PhD
• Old Testament specialists
• New Testament overview
• New Testament & Early Christian MPhil Pathway
• New Testament specialists
• New Testament Seminar
• Christian Theology overview
• Christian Theology specialists
• Christian Theology Seminar
• Christian Theology MPhil Pathway
• History of Christianity overview
• History of Christianity specialists
• History of Christianity Seminar
• Religions of Late Antiquity MPhil Pathway
• Anglican Studies MPhil pathway
• Philosophy of Religion overview
• Philosophy of Religion MPhil Pathway
• Philosophy of Religion specialists
• The D Society
• Religious Studies overview
• Jewish studies
• The Indian religions overview
• Indian Religion Research Seminars
• Islamic studies
• Study of religion
• Study of World Religions MPhil Pathway
• Religious Studies specialists
• Religious Studies Seminar
• Religion and Conflict MPhil Pathway
• Late antiquity overview
• Late antiquity specialists
• Hebrew, Jewish, Early Christian overview
• Hebrew, Jewish, Early Christian Studies Seminar
• World Christianities overview
• World Christianities Pathway in the Theology and Religious Studies MPhil
• World Christianities specialists
• World Christianities Seminar
• Scriptural languages overview
• Scriptural language specialists
• Research news and impact overview
• Finding Zion in South Africa
• Divinity academics research societal implications of astrobiology
• Research programmes and projects overview
• Cambridge Centre for the Study of Platonism
• Research Project: Systematicity and Method in Islamic Philosophical Theology (‘Ilm al-Kalām)
• Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme
• Interdisciplinary research clusters overview
• Cambridge Forum for Jewish Studies
• Cambridge Late Antiquity Network
• Locating Religion Research Group
• Templeton World Charity Foundation Fellowships in Theology, Philosophy of Religion, and the Sciences
• The Book and the Sword
• The Cambridge Platonist Research Group
• Past research projects
• Recent Publications
• Research seminars overview
• Hebrew Bible/OT Seminar
• Religions of Late Antiquity Seminar (formerly Patristic) overview
• Religions of Late Antiquity Seminar
• Reading groups overview
• Jewish Texts Reading Group
• Noesis overview
• Noesis Review: Tables of Contents
• Past Noesis seminars
• Plotinus Reading Group
• Christian Theology
• Hebrew Reading Group
• Postdoctoral research fellowships
• People overview
• Subject specialists
• A -Z of People
• University Teaching Officers
• Academic staff
• Research staff
• Professional Support Staff and Library Staff
• Directors of Studies
• Other teaching assistance
• Retired Faculty
• Graduate students
• Library overview
• Opening Hours
• Frequently Asked Questions overview
• Can I use the Divinity Faculty Library? overview
• Information for non-current members and external students/scholars
• Borrow overview
• Borrowing allowance
• Recall an item
• Vacation borrowing
• Non-standard loan lengths
• Notifications
• Library Rules
• Return books
• Finding Items in the Library overview
• Finding periodicals and other materials
• Classification System at Divinity Library : author/person element
• Recommend a book
• New acquisitions overview
• Resources overview
• Print books
• Dissertations (UG)
• Electronic resources
• Journals in the Divinity Library
• Research resources
• Collection Development Policy
• Tours and Training overview
• Study skills and research skills sessions
• Online training & learning about eresources
• Facilities and environment overview
• Access and support
• Disability information
• Computers and internet
• Photocopying, Scanning and printing
• Library guidelines
• Contact us / find us
• Closed Access requests overview
• Request close access items

Guidance for Postgraduate Applicants on Writing a Research Proposal

Guidance for postgraduate applicants on writing a research proposal

  The following points should be included when writing a research proposal:

• The topic that you propose to research : This should consist of a clear outline of the research you wish to do.
• The research context : relate your proposed research to other work in its field or related fields and indicate in what ways your research will differ.
• The contribution that your work will make to the field : this is your chance to show how you have arrived at your position and recognised the need for your research and what it is that makes it both new and important.
• The methodology and methods to be used in your study : this section should describe the methods and methodology you propose to employ as well as a justification for suitability of these methods in addressing your research topic.
• Fit with the Faculty and potential supervisor for PhD only : explain how your research fits in with the Faculty’s research interests and your potential supervisor.

Postal Address: Faculty of Divinity West Road Cambridge CB3 9BS

Telephone: 01223 763002 Information provided by:     [email protected] Site Privacy & Cookie Policies

School of Arts & Humanities

School of Arts & Humanities Graduate School Research in the School School committees

Useful links

Moodle Research seminars Undergraduate applications

Social media

Find us on Facebook Follow us on X Follow us on Instagram

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

• Undergraduate Study

Postgraduate Study

• Welcome to our Virtual Classroom
• Foundation Year
• Research Areas
• Funding opportunities
• Research Seminars
• Postgraduate Workshops
• Visiting scholars
• Visiting students
• Seeley Library
• Faculty news
• Health & Safety
• IT facilities
• Equality & Diversity
• Directions & Contact
• Timetable and lecture lists
• Academic Office Holders
• Professional Services Staff

Postgraduate courses

Postgraduates join an active community of hundreds of historians, exploring the past, debating their research in our extraordinarily broad seminar series, and honing their analytic skills.

MPhil in American History

American History at the University of Cambridge is a dynamic field which covers the history of what is now the United States from the colonial period to the modern era. The MPhil in American History enables students to develop expertise in this ever expanding field of historical scholarship, drawing on established strengths in histories of enslavement, the growth of cities, modern politics, international relations and conflicts over land.

MPhil in Early Modern History

The MPhil in Early Modern History provides intensive training in the history of early modern Britain, Europe and the wider world to enable its students to explore the latest historical literature and produce their own substantial piece of historical research.

MPhil in Economic and Social History

The MPhil in Economic and Social History, taught over 11 months, provides an extremely thorough training in statistical and social science methodology, while building on other strengths such as an emphasis on global interconnections, understanding causation and integrating economic, social and cultural phenomena.

MPhil in Medieval History

Cambridge University's 800-year history makes it a uniquely rich place to be a medievalist. We have a wealth of medieval buildings and traditions, as well as countless manuscripts and printed books held by our many libraries.

The MPhil in Medieval History forms an integral part of the teaching and research here at the History Faculty (widely regarded as one of the best in the world). The course provides students with intensive training in medieval concepts and methods, as well as skills in Latin and Palaeography, to turn them into innovative, cutting edge medieval scholars.

MPhil in Modern British History

British History at the University of Cambridge combines the study of the interacting nations of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, set within the contexts of the European continent and the British Empire.  It draws on established strengths across the Faculty in political thought, political history, gender history, social and cultural history and global history to consider Britain’s modern experience since around 1750 in the light of broader geographical and analytical perspectives. 

MPhil in Modern European History

The course covers Europe from roughly the middle of the eighteenth century to the present. The principal countries studied are France, Germany, Russia, Italy and Spain. It offers an introduction to key themes and selected topics in Modern European History, as well as intensive methodological and historiographical training. Particular attention is paid to the production of an independently conceived, lengthy piece of original research.

MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History

The MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History is aimed at students who have an interest in both the theory and history of political thought, understood in global perspective. It also welcomes students whose previous study had a more specialised historical or theoretical (or philosophical) bent. It encourages dialogue between different approaches, as well as offering intensive training in methodologies and traditions of political thought and intellectual history.

MPhil in World History

World History at the University of Cambridge combines the study of global and imperial history with the study of Asian, African, Latin American and Pacific histories. It draws upon the expertise of faculty members in each of these areas, as well as in Middle Eastern, Oceanic and American history. The MPhil in World History enables students to develop strong expertise and research skills in this rich and expanding field of historical scholarship.

PhD in History

The Cambridge PhD is both structured and flexible, designed to prepare students for a career in professional research. The core skills cultivated throughout the course are valued by both academic and non-academic employers, and within arts, humanities or social sciences.

MSt in History

This two-year, part-time Master’s programme is designed for those who wish to study at postgraduate level and are keen to develop high-level skills in historical research. It is run by the Institute of Continuing Education.

Choosing postgraduate study

The Faculty of History is internationally renowned for its research and the originality and significance of work done by its academics. Your study will benefit from the breadth of the Faculty, which spans history from around the globe, from the ancient world to the present.

At the heart of our approach is your work with a supervisor. You may wish to nominate one during your application process (although it is not guaranteed the person will be able to accept you). Our people pages will help you locate a specialist in your field.

Technology will save us?

Newnham College doctoral student Rosa Campbell describes feminist uses of technology

Tasting past strength – Darwin College’s Lesley Steinitz describes her doctoral research

How to apply & deadlines.

Applications for Postgraduate study are managed centrally in Cambridge.  You should make your application to the Graduate Admissions Office, and check the relevant deadlines for course and funding applications

You will need to have the right to work in the UK.   There is help available (for Tier 4 visas) from the International Student Team's Visa Advice Service.

Postgraduate support

Both the Faculty and the University have a great number of resources which are made available to our Postgraduate Students. These include resources to help you with your studies, including dedicated research space for Postgraduates, and opportunities to develop your skills, including language classes and computer courses and sessions on how to publish your first book. 

Prospective students may also wish to see the central University's pages on  Academic Resources  for more information about what Cambridge has to offer.

Where next?

Is History at Cambridge right for you?  Take a look at what to expect when studying here and look at the kind of careers other students have followed after their course.

The vibrant research seminar environment at Cambridge is at the heart of the graduate experience. We offer many opportunities to engage with other scholars and present your own work.

• Data Schools
• How to write your research proposal

An MPhil research proposal should be 500 words long. It needs to give those assessing your application an impression of the strength and originality of your proposed research, and its potential to make a contribution to knowledge. It should be written in clear, jargon-free, and unexceptionable prose. Grammatical mistakes and typographical errors give a very bad impression. You should make sure you cover the following areas (without explicitly dividing the proposal into headings).

The research topic

• Briefly outline the area and topic of your proposed research.

The research context

• Relate your proposed research to other work in its field or related fields, and indicate in what ways your research will differ; you might mention monographs on the subject, as well as important theoretical models or methodological exemplars: this is a chance to show your understanding of the background against which your research will be defined.

The contribution you will make

• This is your chance to show how you have arrived at your position and recognised the need for your research, and what it is that makes it both new and important; you should indicate what areas and debates it will have an impact on, what methodological example it sets (if appropriate) – in short how it contributes to knowledge and to the practice of Digital Humanities.  Give examples of the sort of evidence you might consider, and of the questions it might help you to raise. Show that you are already thinking about the area in detail and not only in outline.

Your methods

• You do not necessarily need to define a methodology but if there is something striking about your proposed methodology, and this is central to your proposal you should point to this.

The sources and resources you will use

• You should delimit your field of enquiry, showing where the project begins and ends; in certain cases, Cambridge will have unique collections and resources of central relevance to your project, and you should mention these if they are relevant.

How the project will develop

• You might indicate some of the possible ways in which the project could develop, perhaps by giving a broader or narrower version depending on what materials and issues you uncover, or which critical, theoretical or methodological approaches you decide to pursue.

Cambridge Digital Humanities

Get in touch.

Cambridge Digital Humanities University of Cambridge 16 Mill Lane Cambridge CB2 1RX

Email: [email protected]

Legal links

• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Statement on modern slavery
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy and cookies policy

Stay Connected

Receive our newsletter.

Sign up now

© 2024 Cambridge Digital Humanities. All RIghts Reserved.

Web Design by Chameleon Studios

• Opportunities
• Code of Conduct
• Mailing List
• DH Teaching Forum
• CDH Reactor
• Anti-Computing: Dissent and the Machine’
• CDH Funding
• Research Networks
• Academic Visitors and Fellowships
• Research Funding
• Methods Fellowships 2022/23
• (Anti) Colonial Archives Working Group
• Cambridge Data Schools Terms and Conditions
• Teaching and Assessment
• How to Apply

Tel: +44 1223 766886 Email [email protected]

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• 3rd Party Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

These essential cookies do things like: remembering the notifications you've seen so we do not show them to you again or your progress through a form. They always need to be on.

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.