History (Economic and Social History) (Research)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.

The DPhil in History (Economic and Social History) is an advanced research degree, awarded on the basis of successful completion of an individual research thesis and an oral examination.

Economic and Social History is the study of economic activities, institutional change, and social organization in the historical past. It encompasses a range of methods and topics but typically studies the past using social scientific rather than humanities-focused approaches. Although some students on the course produce theses using entirely qualitative empirical findings, most include quantitative data and analysis to support their arguments. While economic and social historians sometimes focus on the very recent past or draw their analysis into the present, students are expected to frame their topics in historical context and engage with theories and debates in economic and social history.

If you're considering a DPhil in Economic and Social History, please think carefully about whether your topic fits within this field or whether it would be more appropriate to apply for the DPhil in History. You should also identify a potential supervisor with an economic or social history specialism who would be well placed to supervise your project.

Further examples of the types of research that economic and social historians at Oxford produce can is available from The Oxford Centre for Economic and Social History.

You will be expected to attend and to contribute to two weekly research seminars: the Tuesday Evening Research Seminar and the Wednesday Lunchtime Graduate Student Seminar. You will also be expected to attend the Annual Graduate Workshop in Economic and Social History in the first week of Trinity term, at which MSc and MPhil students present their dissertation projects.

You will also be strongly encouraged to participate in the wide range of other research seminars, conferences and workshops organised by the faculty and the division. Your supervisor will advise you on which seminars will be most beneficial for your chosen research area. You will also have access to specialist training courses offered by the Bodleian Libraries and IT Services. You can attend any lectures, across the University, that you wish to (subject to any specific restrictions), and we encourage students to take advantage of this and explore areas outside their specific research topic.