Department of History
Applicants - Postgraduates
Research Degrees
PhD and MPhil in History |
||
 Britain's reception of the American Loyalists |
|
|
The purpose of the research degree is to undertake original historical research that contributes to scholarly knowledge and understanding of the field. This entails extensive empirical research, using documentary evidence and other sources, and methodical analysis and interpretation. The PhD is the terminal higher degree and candidates and the entire programme is designed to prepare candidates for a professional research career. PhD students are encouraged to regard themselves as career academics, participating in the School’s History Seminar and acting as teaching assistants. Many students, however, take the PhD on a part-time basis out of avocational interest, and study over a longer period, often combining the research with full-time employment or other major commitments.
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall be granted at the conclusion of a period of advanced study to a candidate who has demonstrated, to the satisfaction of the Academic Council, the ability to conduct original investigations, to assess ideas critically, and to relate the investigations to a wider field of knowledge. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy may be awarded through submission of either a thesis or a series of publications. There is a viva examination. (The use of the term ‘thesis’ in the regulations should be understood as referring to either type of submission.) After submission, or before, PhD candidates should aim to publish their work as a research monograph(s). Recent publications by Stirling PhD graduates are listed online.
Commencement
The programme commences with a University induction event on organised by the Stirling Graduate Research School 8 October. Students and supervisors should arrange to meet no later 12 October, unless a deferred registration has been agreed in advance
Monitoring
Graduate students should maintain regular contact with supervisors through email and an agreed schedule of meetings to discuss their work and review draft written submissions. Supervisors should keep a record of all meetings with graduate students, which document should be stored electronically. There is no regulation governing the frequency of meetings. Monthly face-to-face meetings are advisable in the early stages of research, for full-time students, supplemented by other forms of contact.
Candidates for the PhD complete an initial period of assessment, lasting ten months for full-time students and fifteen months for part-timers. They are required to submit a progress report (ARO-016), which should be accompanied by a summary report outlining the research questions and methodology of the investigation, together with a plan of research. Students should prepare the report in consultation with their supervisor. The ARO-016 report is submitted for consideration by the School and the University’s Admissions, Progress and Awards Committee. PhD status will be confirmed upon satisfactory completion of the initial period.
Registration status thereafter is conditional upon the submission of satisfactory annual progress reports (ARO-030) by 31 July. All reports are subject to the scrutiny of the School and the University.
Research Skills Training
All postgraduates should meet with their supervisors in September (Masters) or October (PhD) to plan a schedule identifying their training needs and skills requirements. Training is provided by
(a) subject-specific skills modules and events organised by the School of History and Politics,
(b) generic skills Stirling Graduate Research School, and
(c) other University events. Masters students are required to take research skills modules.
The School strongly expects full-time and part-time PhD students who are resident in Scotland to make full use of these programmes. Occasionally the School will fund external specialist training.
History Skills Modules
- HTRP14 - Research Skills Training (Autumn/Spring Semester).
- History students taking the MRes in Historical Research and the MSc programmes are required to take this module. All first-year (or trainee) PhD students, MPhil students, and students in the MRes in Environmental History are expected to participate. Any other postgraduate can also attend these events.
- HTRP12 - Source and Methods (Spring Semester).
- Coursework applies the skills and methods acquired in HTRP14. Additional skills classes, such as in languages, palaeography, or database management can be arranged, if required, for MRes and PhD students.
Recent and Current Research Postgraduate Projects
| Theses | |
|---|---|
The Balliol Dynasty of Scotland c.1250-1364 |
The Royal Court and Household of Scotland, 1329-1437 |
| Late eighteenth-century Scottish burgh politics | Superstitions of the Scottish Nation, c.1790-1840 |
| Civic identity and civic rivalry: Edinburgh and Glasgow c.1750-1850 | Early eighteenth-century English Nonconformity |
| Religion, Culture and Politics in late eighteenth-century and nineteenth-century Great Britain and America | The Transition from Enlightenment to Romantic Thought within the Unitarian Denomination, 1800-1850 |
| National Days of Prayer during the Two World Wars | The 1927-28 Prayer Book Controversy |
| Polish-Jewish Relations during the Polish-Soviet War, 1919-20 | Women in the Second Polish Republic |
| The Polish Country Section of the SOE during the Second World War | French Views of the Scottish Highlands |
| The Loyalist Regiments of the American Revolution c.1775-1783 | The Jesus Movement in America, 1966-1976 |
| Origins of Commercial Fishing in Iceland | Social and Ecological Causes of Extinction of the Great Bustard and Capercaillie in Britain |
| contact us > > > |
|
|---|---|
 |
Department of History University of Stirling Stirling, FK9 4LA |
 |
Tel: + 44 (0) 1786 467580 |
 |
Fax: + 44 (0) 1786 467581 |
 |
Email: history@stir.ac.uk |
