DPhil

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Information about your DPhil in History

1 | Introduction

When you were admitted to Oxford, the Faculty appointed a supervisor, or supervisors, with  expertise in the general area of your research project, to help you develop your doctoral research and write your thesis. It is normal to have a single supervisor, although some students are jointly supervised, usually because their specific project will particularly benefit from the input of more than one scholar.

 

You and your supervisor(s) should aim to build a professional working relationship, with clear and mutually-agreed expectations. Your supervisors are very busy people, with multiple roles and responsibilities, and you must bear that in mind; however, you are entitled to their help and support. If there are things you are not happy with, you should aim to raise them with your supervisor(s) in the first instance: your supervisor(s) will want to do their best for you and should be receptive to reasonable requests. If problems arise in your working relationship with your supervisor, you should speak in the first instance to your College advisor and/or Tutor for Graduates, and then if necessary to the Faculty’s Director of Graduate Studies. 

 

Both you and your supervisor/s  have responsibilities to support you to do the best work you can. Your relationship with your supervisor/s is likely to work best if you work according to the framework set out below.

The role of the supervisor

  • Establish a timetable of regular meetings for detailed discussion of your progress
  • Agree a research plan and programme of work, and to establish clear academic expectations and milestones
  • Agree with you a timetable for the submission of written work and to return your work within a reasonable time
  • Support you in considering your subject-specific, and more general professional skills training needs, and ensure as far as possible that these needs are met
  • Co-operate with you to produce  reports on your progress at the end of each term
  • Ensure you are aware of the formal requirements in relation to transfer and confirmation of status and final submission, and help you to incorporate these into your plan of work
  • Discuss any health and safety aspects of your research proposal and approve any risk assessments required

The role of the student

  • Maintain regular contact with your supervisor, and respond to them in good time
  • Meet with your supervisor regularly, keep a written record of your discussions, and give due weight to any guidance or corrective action proposed
  • Draw up a research plan and timetable of work in consultation with your supervisor, and to keep relevant records of all aspects of your work
  • Co-operate with your supervisor to report on your progress at the end of each term
  • Take responsibility for your research programme, including the development of subject-specific, research, and  professional skills
  • Take responsibility for (i) the preparation and content of your thesis, giving due regard to any advice from your supervisor, and (ii) its timely submission in accordance with the timetable set
  • Be aware of the University’s guidance on plagiarism and of any ethical or legal issues, health and safety requirements, or intellectual property issues arising from your research
  • Pursue opportunities to engage with the wider academic community at University, national and international levels

This guidance was taken from the University’s Policy and Guidance on Research Degrees.

 

If you feel that you need to change your supervision arrangements, you should – if possible – discuss that with your existing supervisor(s), but you are also welcome to contact the Director of Graduate Studies (via graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk) if you want further advice.

Applications for a change of supervision arrangements  are made on the form GSO.25: see section 3, below.

If you find yourself in difficulties that can’t easily be resolved with your supervisor, you should speak in the first instance to your College advisor, or, if necessary, contact the DGS directly (as above) and talk to them on a confidential basis; the DGS will try to work with you, your supervisor(s) and others as necessary to find a solution.

Do not feel that you are alone if you are having issues with your supervisor(s) – the Graduate Office is here to help!

 

How frequently you see your supervisor is a matter to discuss and agree with them. At the start of your project, you may meet more frequently – perhaps 3 to 4 times a term (some of these meetings might take place outside the 8 weeks of “full”, i.e. teaching, term).

As you advance in your work, and particularly if you go away to work in archives or in the field, you may meet less frequently – perhaps once or twice a term. The important thing is that you and your supervisor are happy with the frequency of contact: there are no hard and fast rules for what is appropriate.

 

Your supervisor will report on your progress once a term, using the online GSR system. You are also encouraged to report on your work, and you will often find that your supervisor’s comments are better targeted if you do that.

It is important to file a report on GSR if you are having difficulties, so that any concerns you have are raised with the DGS. It is particularly important that these reports are completed if you are here on a Student visa; the University is required by law to monitor students’ on course attendance, and regular progress reports greatly assist with this. .

Note: Your report must be written within a fixed window (email prompts from GSR will tell you when that is).

 

The University is a signatory to the UK Concordat to Support Research Integrity which mandates training in research ethics for all doctoral students. Within your first two terms, you should complete the short (and fairly straightforward) online research integrity training course. You must complete this course before applying for Transfer to DPhil student status.

In addition to this general training for all research students, project-specific ethical review is required for some research in Humanities and Social Sciences, especially, for historians, projects involving oral history or use of sensitive material pertaining to living persons (e.g., medical records). You should discuss any ethical or other (e.g. researcher safety, if your work involves overseas travel) implications of your project with your supervisor at the earliest opportunity. The University is committed to ensuring that research involving human participants is conducted in a way that respects the dignity, rights, and welfare of participants, and minimises risk to participants, researchers, third parties, and to the University itself. All such research needs to be subject to appropriate, project-specific ethical review. If your research involves interviewing people, or using sensitive records of those who are still alive or have living relatives, it will require ethical clearance.

From Thursday 10th October 2024, all ethics applications must be submitted via Worktribe (not via the CUREC 1A form, as before). Microsoft Word application forms submitted after midnight on Wednesday 9th October will not be accepted.

While the process for submitting ethics application forms is changing, the requirements for ethics review and the ethics review itself remain unchanged. Researchers may find it helpful to refer to the following:

Further information about Worktribe Ethics is available on the IT Services Programmes and Projects website. A user guide for applicants is also available from this webpage.

If you have questions or concerns please contact ethics@socsci.ox.ac.uk or worktribe-ethics@it.ox.ac.uk.

 

If you are in any doubt about the ethical status of your research and/or the need for clearance, please discuss the matter with your supervisor.

 

We try to ensure that part-time students are fully integrated into the research culture of the History Faculty and afforded all the same opportunities and support as full-time students. You are expected to attend on a regular basis for supervision, skills training and participation in some of the research seminars, although the Faculty appreciates that part-time research students will have non-standard attendance and work patterns, and our broad assumption is that part-time students will progress at half the pace of full-time students.

Your supervisor and the DGS  are available to advise part-time students on how to access research and training provision.

You should discuss and agree a work plan with your supervisor that enables you to participate as fully as possible in the life of the Faculty and the University while balancing degree work with your other commitments. Except for differences in the timing of progression steps, the advice and instructions below apply equally to part-time and full-time students, but we do recognise that studying part-time involves particular challenges, and we urge you to contact your supervisor or the Graduate Office (graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk) if you have any concerns, or suggestions for how we might be able to improve your conditions of work and study.

It is possible to  apply to change mode of study from full-time to part-time, or vice versa, but this is not expected, and may be done only once during your entire period of doctoral study.
 

Oxford is a residential University: to qualify for a higher degree, students (except part-time students) are required to keep six terms’  (or three terms’, for students who have completed an Oxford MPhil degree) residence in Oxford. Colleges are responsible for certifying residence. Dispensation from statutory residence of up to three terms for the MLitt or DPhil after successful Transfer of Status may be granted if you need to be away from Oxford. Time spent working on your doctorate outside Oxford, e.g. if your research involves spending time in archives or on fieldwork abroad, counts towards “keeping terms” for the purposes of the statutory residence requirement: you do NOT need to apply for dispensation from statutory residence in order to conduct research outside Oxford. 

The practical object of requiring residence is to ensure that graduates have the opportunity to advance their professional development by attending research seminars and appropriate training sessions, and more generally by participating in the academic life and research culture of the university, not least by interacting with other  researchers and colleagues. You are encouraged to remain in residence even when you have completed the minimum requirement, in order to avail yourself of these opportunities. If there are good reasons for you to reside elsewhere, you should, if possible, try to identify comparable opportunities to maintain your professional development e.g. by obtaining permission to attend research seminars at a local university.

If you do require time away, you will need to apply for Dispensation from Statutory Residence by filling in a GSO.8 form, found here.

As a Student visa holder (formerly Tier 4 visa, prior to 5th October 2020), there are certain responsibilities that you have, and that the University has. For example, you must make sure that your information is up-to-date on the Student Self-Service system, and inform the University if you get an updated passport. 

The Faculty must monitor your attendance and make sure that you are engaged with your studies. You need to stay in touch with your supervisor, and should also complete a termly report on the  Graduate Supervision Reporting system. If we have not heard from you in the course of a term, you may be contacted by the Graduate Office, to check in with you. The University is obliged report any unapproved absences to the Home Office; this can affect the status of your visa, so it's good always to  keep us in the loop.

You can find further details about your obligations on the University page, here. 

You can contact the Student Immigration Team by emailing student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk 

The Home Office page about the Student visa is available here. 

If you are interested in staying in the UK to work after your course you will need to apply for the right type of visa permission to do so. 

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The Graduate Route, opened for applications on 1 July 2021, is an opportunity to apply for a visa to remain in the UK to work or look for work for two years if you have completed an undergraduate degree, PGCE or master’s degree, or for three years if you have completed a DPhil. You do not need a job offer and you do not need to be sponsored by the University or an employer.  

You will need to have successfully completed your qualification before you apply i.e. received your official results/leave to supplicate. The Home Office also requires the University to report online when all visa holders have successfully completed their studies, in case you wish to apply for this visa, and the Student Immigration team will run a report every Friday throughout the year for this purpose. You will receive an email on the Friday of the week you have received your results/leave to supplicate, to confirm this has been reported to the Home Office. You should wait until you have received this email confirmation before you apply for the Graduate Route. Remember that you can only apply from within the UK and you need to still have a valid Tier 4 or Student visa.  

There is more information on the University website, here. 

You can also contact the Student Immigration Team by emailing student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk

Suspension of status

While normally a suspension would mean that your visa is cut short and you need to return home, for DPhil students there is a bit more flexibility. It is possible to suspend for 1 term and remain in the country. Please contact the Graduate Office or the Visa Compliance team before applying for a suspension to discuss the ramifications this will have in your particular case. 

 

Withdrawal

If you withdraw from the DPhil and there are more than six months remaining on your current visa, the Home Office will normally cancel your visa. 

If you have less than six months remaining on your visa it may not be cancelled. 

In both cases, you will need to return home and as your 'working entitlement' as part of your student visa is no longer valid, so you should stop any outside work you may be doing immediately.

2 | Progression Through the DPhil

The tables below are designed to be a snapshot of the progression for full-time and part-time students on the DPhil, and for students who have completed an Oxford MPhil before being readmitted to read for the DPhil.

Full-time DPhil

dphil full time progression

Part-Time DPhil

dphil part time progression

 

Initially, you are admitted to the Oxford doctoral programme with PRS (Probationer Research Student) status; you become a DPhil student once you have completed Transfer of Status (TOS).

You will usually be expected to complete transfer requirements during your first year of study (or, in the case of part-time students, the second year). The History Faculty Regulations have precedence over the University's generic Regulations, though the Faculty may, in individual cases, grant an extension of a student's probationary period within the University's and Humanities Division's statutory maximum of four terms (part- time eight terms) for the successful completion of this assessment process. We expect you to apply for Transfer of Status by the end of your second term.

MPhil to DPhil: University regulations state that applicants who have completed a two-year MPhil degree at the University of Oxford can be admitted either as a Probationer Research Student or as a student with DPhil status. To establish which status a student will readmitted to, all applicants will be interviewed to ascertain if the project builds very directly on the MPhil thesis, that the student is already working at doctoral standard and that they are likely to pass Confirmation of Status in the Trinity term following readmission. 

During your probationary period, you are expected to work substantially independently, under the guidance of a supervisor, improving your knowledge of the field in which your proposed research falls and of its wider historiographical and theoretical context, equipping yourself with the skills (including for example linguistic competence) necessary to undertake the research successfully, devising a research proposal and plan of work, and undertaking initial research and writing. You are encouraged to read and think widely and critically, both for your general intellectual development, and to ensure that you can make an effective contribution within your specific field.

See the Framework for Graduate Research document for a skills self-assessment checklist which all students are encouraged to complete and discuss with their supervisor at least once a year as one basis for planning your programme of study.

Supervisors may direct probationer research students to undertake any course of study they think necessary to prepare the student for doctoral work. This may include attendance at certain master’s classes or training sessions, and  satisfactory completion of assessed work for these classes or sessions.

During your probationary period, you must:

  • attend the core seminar in your subject area, and other seminars and lectures as agreed with your supervisor;
  • give at least one oral seminar presentation on the subject of your research; (you should start thinking about organising this, and discuss it with your supervisor, at the beginning of your first term);
  • apply for Transfer of Status.

  • During your first (probationary) year, you are expected to make an oral presentation of your work. Different groups within the Faculty arrange these in different formats and times during the year. In most cases your presentation will be scheduled by the convenors of your subject area's research seminar in Hilary or Trinity Term of your Probationer year. However, in some areas it proved more efficient to set aside one or two conference-style days on which you would be invited to give your presentation. Please discuss with your supervisor when you will be asked to do this. NB that the research presentation is distinct from, and is NOT a requirement for, Transfer to DPhil Status.  
  • The purpose of the presentation is to assess your skills in presenting your research project and preliminary findings. Is gives you an opportunity to explain your project to a wider audience succinctly and compellingly. This is useful not only if you are going on to an academic career (e.g., for research grant applications or a competitive outline of publication projects), but as a  more general transferable skill. 
  • Students are normally expected to give 20-minute presentations under the aegis of the core seminar in their chosen area. The presentation could be a version of your 3,000-5,000-word piece of work written for Transfer of Status, but bear in mind the need to make the project accessible, and the need to engage with the audience. 
  • The presentation will be assessed by two Faculty members, neither of them your supervisor, who should provide feedback to you orally.
  • In exceptional circumstances, candidates may apply to be dispensed from either attending a core seminar or the oral presentation, and applications need to be presented to the Graduate Office in the first half of Michaelmas Term, with written support from their supervisors: dispensation from the requirement to attend seminars will normally be granted only in the case of students whose research requires them to work outside Oxford on the day when the appropriate core seminar meets, and when no rescheduling of research is possible. Students who seek dispensation from the requirement to give an oral seminar presentation in their first year must normally expect that the requirement to give such a presentation will be made a precondition for their permission to apply for Confirmation of Status in their eighth term.

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Transfer of Status (TOS) is a formal requirement of the University for doctoral students, the purpose of which is to determine whether you have reached the appropriate level for doctoral work. The primary considerations are the feasibility of your project and whether you have the skills needed to complete it. This will be assessed by two senior academics, and the principal benefit of the process for you is that two experts other than your supervisor(s) can read and comment on your work at an early stage. They may be able to give you guidance on sources, or help you think about the structuring of your thesis. It is also worth remembering that the formal elements of the interview process are (already) a good preparation for the viva voce (oral) exam at the end of your doctorate. The key questions they will ask (and which you should ask yourself) are: 

  • Have you have identified a suitable, well-informed and clearly-expressed, research question?
  • Is the scope of the project appropriate to a programme of three to four years’ study?
  • Have you identified a suitable body of sources?
  • Have you identified a research methodology appropriate for working with your sources?
  • Have you acquired all the skills necessary to complete the project, or is there a clear and achievable strategy for acquiring  them in the next few months?
  • Can you write a scholarly piece of work that shows you can, or will be able to, reach a level of analytical writing appropriate to a doctoral thesis?

That is quite a tall order at the end of the second term of doctoral work, but rest assured that things are not set in stone at Transfer. The scope of the thesis will almost certainly be refined in the course of the research; the methodology may be adapted in the face of practical considerations and/or further reading; the body of sources is likely to be reviewed once you hit the archives, or begin interviews. The important thing is that you should show evidence of having thought about the issues, that the project is viable, potentially of doctoral standard, and that you  have a feasible research strategy for undertaking it.

 

Along with the GSO.2 Applications for Transfer of Status form, you must submit

(i) a brief statement, of between 500 and 1,000 words, of the subject of the thesis and the manner in which you propose to treat it; an outline of the timetable for background reading, archival or field work, and writing-up;

(ii) a piece of written work, between 3,000-5,000 words long (footnotes are included in the total), being either:

(a) a section of the proposed thesis, or

(b) an essay on a relevant topic, or

(c) an augmented version of the statement required under (1) above;

(iii) a confidential report from the supervisor, which should be emailed by the supervisor directly to the History Graduate Office. This is optional.

Please note: If you adopt alternative (c) above you must also submit the statement required under (i). While as precise a definition of the subject should be given as is possible at this stage of your work, you are not bound to follow the statement precisely, but may reformulate your plan in the light of further study. If reformulation goes so far as to require substantial alteration of the title of the thesis as approved, however, you should seek permission of the Faculty Board to alter it, by submitting form GSO.6 and any necessary explanation to the History Graduate Office. However, minor changes to your title can be indicated on the GSO.2 without a separate form.

You must also have completed the University’s Research Integrity training (see ‘Research Ethics’ section above) prior to applying for Transfer of status: you will need to tick the box on form GSO.2 to confirm that you have done this.

 

The 1,000-word statement should outline the research problem you have identified, the methodology, the sources you propose to use, and an indication (if possible) of the way the final thesis might be structured. It is possible that this will be very similar to the proposal you put in when applying for the doctoral programme, but it may well have undergone substantial revision through further exposure to the subject and your discussion of your project with your supervisor(s) over Michaelmas and Hilary Term. Your supervisor will be able to advise you.

The 3,000-5,000-word piece of written work may take a variety of forms. It could be an expanded version of the 1,000-word statement - though one would expect much more precision about sources and methodology. It could be a literature review, though if that is the case, it should indicate the way forward that you have identified: i.e., the ways in which your thesis could be making an original contribution. It could be a case study using primary materials. Bear in mind, particularly when submitting a case study, that if the piece is an extract from a larger piece of work, then it is legitimate to provide a couple of framing paragraphs explaining what comes before, and what will come after, to ensure that the reader can grasp the overall flow of the argument. You should discuss with your supervisor what an appropriate submission should be.

It is essential that the 3,000-5,000-word piece is referenced according to the Faculty guidelines which can be found on OHH in the Thesis Presentation Advice section.

 

All transfer applications must include a completed GSO.2. The form is an online one, accessed via Student Self Service. This form requires approval from you, your supervisor(s), and from the senior academic officer of your college (usually titled Tutor for Graduates or, in graduate only colleges, sometimes Senior Tutor). This means that you need to allow time for the collection of the relevant signatures before the deadline - this can take around a week or so. To avoid unnecessary stress, do not leave this until the last minute. 

Don’t forget to tick the box agreeing to the electronic deposit of your final thesis.

There is an opportunity for you to explain the training that you have received, and any additional training that is required. This is important to the review of your readiness for the full doctoral programme, and may be picked up and discussed by the interviewers.

The form should be submitted online via Student Self Service, with your written work uploaded in the same place via the "upload documents" section on the screen. 

 

There is a box on the form for supervisors to comment briefly, but they are also given the option to submit a confidential reference (submitted separately from your form), and may choose simply to sign the form, leaving their comments on progress to the reference.

If you are jointly supervised, you only need one reference, but you should ensure that both supervisors sign off on it.

Supervisors can list potential interviewers for you on the GSO.2 form, or by contacting the Graduate Office directly. While we cannot guarantee that the suggested academic will be available, recommendations are welcome. Students can also suggest interviewers.

 

The deadline for receipt of Transfer applications for full-time students is Friday of Week 8 of Hilary Term of the first year of study (or, in the case of part-time students Friday of Week 8 of your second Hilary Term). Interviews will normally take place during the Trinity Term following. Once you have submitted your completed application, it is sent to the Board Interviewer who will arrange your interview. We ask that they contact you within 3 weeks of receiving the application to arrange with you the best time for the interview to take place.

Students are allowed two attempts at Transfer, but must complete the assessment successfully by the end of their fourth term if full time, and by the end of the eighth term if part-time.

If you are not ready to apply for Transfer of Status by the end of your second term, you can apply for more time. You will need to complete a History Faculty HGO.2b form, which is available to download below. You can use this form to apply for up to two extra terms.

In the case of special circumstances, you may apply for deferral beyond the fourth term (eighth for PT) by completing a GSO.2b (Application for Deferral of Transfer of Status) via the Student Self Service, but please note that this will not be granted without good reason.

 

You will be interviewed on your proposal and written work by the appropriate Board Interviewer and one other assessor, who is likely to be close to the field of study.

If you have any issues with your assigned interviewers, for whatever reason, please contact the Graduate Office or the DGS. Any concerns will be kept confidential and we will make alternative arrangements.

Interviews need to be timetabled within the varied commitments of Faculty members, and will not all take place in the same week, so don’t panic if others you know are being interviewed earlier than you. However, if you have not heard from the Board Interviewer about the scheduling of your interview within six weeks of submitting the application, you should email the Interviewer. Contact the Graduate Office for the name of your Board Interviewer.

Interviewers will use the interview for a variety of purposes. Some of the questions may be the sort of thing they would ask in a seminar - probing for expansion or clarification of things you have said; questioning the way concepts have been applied; suggesting alternative readings of the evidence. Other questions are likely to relate to the research plan and may focus on the sources, methodology, timetable, and structure. They may well comment directly on what you have done, making suggestions for additional bibliography, or archives you might use. You should not be surprised if sometimes their line of questioning is skeptical: they are seeking to probe the practicalities and feasibility of the project.

 

If the Interviewer and assessor are satisfied with your work and the proposal, they will recommend transfer to full doctoral status.

If they have relatively minor concerns (requiring some adjustment of the research proposal or rewriting of your submitted work), then they will require minor corrections, which they should explain to you in writing after the interview (with a copy to the History Graduate Office). Such corrections should be completed within one month unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary. If they are not completed within the time frame, then the application will be deemed to have been referred. Once you submit the corrected application and it is approved, transfer will be recommended: there is no need for a second interview.

If they have more serious concerns, requiring changes that will take longer than one month to complete, then they will refer the application back to you for revision and resubmission; you will be asked to make a second attempt to transfer, and there will normally be a second interview. Interviewers and Faculty will agree a deadline for this resubmission. This is normally one term.

It is possible that the interviewers will consider that you are not working at the level required for a doctorate, and they may recommend transfer to MLitt status. (An MLitt is an Oxford research degree of higher standing than an MPhil, but for a shorter and less substantial thesis than that required for the DPhil—see below.) If this is the recommendation on the first attempt at transfer, you do nonetheless have the opportunity to reapply for Transfer to DPhil Status. If transfer to MLitt status is recommended on the second attempt, you will have to choose between completing an MLitt degree or withdrawing.

Most candidates pass outright or with minor corrections. But if you are referred on the first attempt, you should not see it as an enormous setback. It is far better to address any issues about the scope, evidence base, and methodology of the thesis at this stage, rather than allowing a problem to remain unresolved: this will only compound difficulties later on.

Interviewers will normally produce their report within three weeks of the interview, though this might not be possible. If you do not hear back within this period, please contact the Graduate Office.

Doctoral students who are approved for Transfer of status may be transferred to either full MLitt or full DPhil status. Candidates may apply for either status in the first instance. Sometimes (as explained above), candidates for transfer to full DPhil status will be approved for transfer to MLitt status only, though if their work develops appropriately they may subsequently re-apply for transfer to full DPhil status.

The Master of Letters (MLitt) requires a minimum of two academic years of research and six terms’ residence. The candidate writes a thesis of up to 50,000 words on a topic of their own choosing, with the Faculty Board’s approval. The thesis is then sustained in an oral examination. No further written examination is necessary.

A thesis for the MLitt must demonstrate lucidly the results of research, and show scholarly competence and judgement in investigating the topic chosen.

The Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) requires three years of research and six terms of residence. Candidates submit a thesis of up to 100,000 words on a topic of their own choosing, approved by the faculty board, and undergo an oral examination. No further written examination is required.

A thesis for the DPhil must not only possess the qualities required of an MLitt thesis, but should also make a ‘significant and substantial contribution’ to knowledge in its field (within the limits of what may reasonably be expected of a capable and diligent student after three, or at most four, years of full-time study). For an outline of the Faculty's and the examiners' expectations of a History thesis, and for advice on the necessary scholarly presentation of your findings refer to the Faculty's guidance on presentation and style.

Doctoral candidates should aim to complete all necessary primary research by some time in the third year (or in the second year in the case of those former MPhil students who have had Transfer waived) and should expect that writing up will take about 6-9 months, sometimes longer.

In the oral examination a candidate must be ready to defend the thesis, and also persuade the examiners that they have a command of the broader field in which the topic falls.

The History Faculty allows candidates up to three years to complete an MLitt thesis (subject to extension requests after two years or six terms on course), and up to four years to submit a thesis for a DPhil degree. Reasonable extensions of these deadlines may from time to time be granted in the light of individual cases. See chapter 3, below.
 

Before submitting your thesis, you must attend a Confirmation of Status interview, normally held in Hilary or Trinity Term of your third year (see our progression timetable above). You must have passed confirmation at least 3 months before the final submission of your thesis, per University regulations. The Humanities Division requires students to have completed Confirmation of Status by the end of the 8th term. University regulations provide that the status of doctoral students should be confirmed before the end of their third year after admission as a doctoral student. If you fail to apply for Confirmation before the end of your eight term of doctoral studies, without having for good reason received permission to defer your application, you may be removed from the Register of Graduate Students.

Part-time DPhil students: You will be invited to apply for Confirmation in your 14th term, however, you can apply as early as your 12th term. Confirmation must be completed by the end of your 18th term.

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The purpose of the Confirmation of Status interview is to provide you with further feedback on the viability of your research topic and your manner of treating it, and also on the standard of your written work, in good time for you to make any necessary adjustments before completing the research and finishing the writing. If you do not satisfy the interviewer that you are fit to have your DPhil student status confirmed, they may either request minor adjustments to the submission, or require you to submit a new application at a later date. The interviewer may recommend that you be transferred to MLitt status, if it appears that the research completed and in view is better suited to that degree. Note that you may be interviewed by one or two interviewers, depending on your topic and their expertise.

 

You must apply by Friday of Week 5 of your 8th term, usually Hilary Term of your third year (part-time students can apply at any point between their 12th and 18th terms. COS must be achieved by the end of the 18th term or deferred).

The GSO.14 Applications to confirm DPhil status form shall be accompanied by:

(i) a full outline of chapters (1-2 pages), summarising the scope of individual chapters and their state of completion, including a timetable for completion of the work which remains to be done before submission of the thesis;

(ii) a draft abstract of the thesis as a whole, of between 1,000 and 2,000 words;

(iii) a sample chapter, of between 6,000 and 10,000 words (footnotes are included in the total);

OPTIONAL: (iv) a confidential report from the supervisor which should be sent direct to the Faculty’s Graduate Office. The Graduate Office will send the full application to the interviewer appointed by the Faculty Board.

Please note that you will also need to submit proof of completion of the Research Integrity Training Course, if you have not already done so. 

Your application will be completed on Student Self Service, where the GSO.14 is located, and written work should be uploaded alongside via the "upload documents" button on the screen. 

 

There is a box on the form for supervisors to comment briefly, but they are also required to submit a confidential reference (submitted separately from your form), and may choose simply to sign the form, leaving their comments on progress to the reference.

If you are jointly supervised, you only need one reference, but you should ensure that both supervisors sign off on it.

Supervisors can list potential interviewers for you on the GSO.14 form, or by contacting the Graduate Office directly. While we cannot guarantee that the suggested academic will be available, recommendations are welcome. Students can also suggest interviewers.

If you have any issues with your assigned interviewers, for whatever reason, please contact the Graduate Office or the DGS. Any concerns will be kept confidential and we will make alternative arrangements.

 

In the case of special circumstances, you may apply for deferral beyond your 8th term (form GSO.14b via the Student Self Service), but please note that this will not be granted without good reason, and requires the support of your supervisor. 

 

Please note that if you apply for, and are granted a deferral, your application will move by exactly one term. If your application was due by Friday of Week 5 in Hilary Term, it will then be due by Friday of Week 5 in Trinity Term. 

 

  • If your progress is such that it is useful for the Confirmation of Status interview to take place in advance of Hilary Term of your third year as a doctoral student (or your fifth year if you study part-time), you are encouraged to apply at the earliest appropriate date. You should not delay confirmation unduly, or it ceases to fulfil its intended purpose.
  • Please note that the faculty cannot move to appoint examiners for your thesis until you have completed Confirmation of Status: a student who has not applied for confirmation at least one term before they wish to apply for appointment of examiners may find that the examination process is delayed on that account.
  • You will not normally be granted extensions of time unless you have completed Confirmation of Status.
  • Please also note that Examination Regulations recommend that there is at least 3 months between completion of Confirmation of Status and submitting your thesis.

 

If the Interviewer is satisfied with your work and the proposal, they will recommend your DPhil student status should be confirmed.

If they have relatively minor concerns (e.g. on referencing, or adjusting the research proposal), then they will require minor corrections, which they should explain to you in writing after the interview (with a copy to the History Graduate Office). Such corrections should be completed within two to three weeks unless there are compelling reasons to the contrary. If they are not completed within the time frame, then the application will be deemed to have been referred.

If they have more serious concerns, requiring changes such as could not be completed within two to three weeks, then they will refer the application, and you will be asked to resubmit to make a second attempt. Interviewers and Faculty will agree a deadline for this resubmission, but normally it is one term (or two terms for part-time students) from the referral being signed off by the DGS.

It is possible that the interviewers will consider that you are not working at the level needed for a doctorate, and they may recommend transfer to MLitt status.

You should also consult the Examination Regulations for details.

3 | Changes and Delays

Your status will lapse after your maximum submission date unless you apply and are granted an extension of time (GSO.15). If you fall out of touch with your supervisor and college for long periods you may also be judged to have lapsed.

Extensions of time on strong academic grounds are allowed by the Faculty up to the following maxima:

  • MLitt – three terms;
  • DPhil – six terms (part-time: three terms)

Extension applications need to be accompanied by a detailed schedule of work towards submission, including an account of those parts of the thesis which are already in a final shape. Extensions will not normally be granted for more than one term at a time: this ensures regular reporting on the progress of work in reference to the submitted schedule. If you need longer periods of extension in the context of visa renewals, you should explain your situation at the point of application. In exceptional circumstances (such as unforeseen medical issues for example), an extension beyond the above listed may be approved, but you must appeal to Education Committee of the University.

Please take note that there is no entitlement to any extension of time.

Each case will be scrutinized individually, and only where appropriate will a certain period of extension be granted. Our normal expectation will be that the thesis could be completed within the period of extension; if that does not appear to be the case, you may be advised to allow your status to lapse instead.

While there are sometimes unexpected circumstances which make delay inevitable, it needs to be emphasized that the official time-limits as they stand should provide ample time for the completion of a good thesis. You should aim to complete within that time. Do not let things drag on.

If your work is being seriously impeded, for example by illness, maternity or paternity or unforeseen financial difficulties, or by your having undertaken other employment, it may be advisable to apply for a temporary suspension of status (GSO.17) (there is a separate form for maternity and paternity leave (GSO.17b), which is distinct from suspension of status for other reasons). You will probably want to begin by discussing the idea with your supervisor, but if that is not possible for some reason, you are welcome to contact the Graduate Office and/or to seek a meeting with the Director of Graduate Studies. In the period for which status is suspended, you incur no university fees, no supervisor’s reports are filed (since you are not expected to be working on the thesis), and no tuition fees are paid to the supervisor. During this period, you will retain your University card and single sign-on, and all the services – libraries, email, online resources – to which these grant access. You will normally be expected to be away from the University, however, and will typically lose any entitlement to College accommodation.

The maximum numbers of terms’ suspension which may be approved is six terms over the course of your DPhil. If you find that for some exceptional reason you need more than six terms, you can either lapse your status or you can make a case to Education Committee for more time. You must have completed Transfer of Status to be considered for reinstatement should you choose to lapse your status.

  • At any time if you are making substantial changes: submit a GS0.6
  • Any change at Transfer: put your new title on the GSO.2, if substantial, submit a GSO.6
  • Any change at Confirmation: put your new title on the GSO.14
  • When submitting the Appointment of Examiners form (GSO.3), the form provides a text box for your old and new titles
  • Please note that requests for a change of title cannot be considered after examiners have been appointed. The title must reflect accurately the content of the thesis, as your thesis may be referred back for revision if there is a mismatch between title and content.

If you need to change your supervisor, or apply to add a co-supervisor, please send us a GSO.25 to formalise the change. If it would help you to talk this through with someone, feel free to contact the Graduate Office and/or make an appointment to see the Director of Graduate Studies. 

The University allows DPhil students to change from full-time to part-time mode, and vice versa, once during their enrolment. A change in mode of study is not an automatic entitlement, and should only be made in exceptional circumstances. You should discuss any plans to apply for a change of mode of study with your supervisor and the DGS prior to applying.  

You can apply to do this by submitting a GSO.4 via the Student Self Service. 

If you fail to submit your thesis within the prescribed time (including any approved extensions), or if you fail to transfer to either MLitt or DPhil status within four terms, or fail to have your DPhil status confirmed in your third year (or second year if progressing from an Oxford MPhil) your student status automatically lapses and your name will be removed from the Register of Graduate Students. However, a lapsed or withdrawn student who subsequently completes the thesis can, under certain conditions, be reinstated to enable the work to be examined (please consult the History Faculty's policy for assessing Reinstatement applications). In certain circumstances a student may be removed from the register on academic or disciplinary grounds. Your student status may lapse if you are persistently out of contact with your supervisor for an extended period of time, and fail to respond to attempts to make contact with you. 

Students whose status has lapsed may apply to be reinstated, with a view to submitting their thesis soon after they return. If you are in this position, you should contact the Graduate Office as a first step, to discuss your plans. You will normally need to have the support of your former supervisor and college, but it may be possible to make other arrangements, should it be necessary. You must apply for reinstatement using form GSO.23. No reinstatement will be granted to students who have been on the Register for the maximum number of terms allowed for their degree, except with permission from Education Committee. 

From Michaelmas Term 2019, the Faculty can only grant permission for reinstatement provided no more than twenty-four (24) months have passed since your enrolment was withdrawn.  

If you withdrew/lapsed after submitting your thesis and having your viva (i.e. you were unable to complete minor or major corrections, or submit after being referred back), the following restrictions apply: 

  • In the case of minor corrections, no more than six (6) months have passed since you were notified of the outcome of your viva;  
  • In the case of major corrections, no more than twelve (12) months have passed since you were notified of the outcome of your viva;  
  • In the case of a thesis having been referred, no more than twenty-four (24) months have passed since you were notified of the outcome of your viva.

Any application for reinstatement made outside of these provisions must be made to Education Committee.  

Reinstatement is not automatically granted, even to lapsed students who have not used up all their allotted time. The Faculty needs to be sure that your project is still timely and feasible, that it falls within the sphere of your original project, and that we can provide appropriate supervision. In cases where it is not clear if your thesis can be submitted within a term of reinstatement, we may ask for an electronic copy of it to be submitted with the GSO.23. Full details of reinstatement policy and procedure are available in the Examination Regulations.

4 | Writing your thesis

A DPhil thesis requires, according to the Examination Regulations, ‘That the candidate has made a significant and substantial contribution in the particular field of learning within which the thesis falls’, considering ‘what may reasonably be expected of a capable and diligent student after three, or at most four, years of full-time study’. These notes are intended to give a little more information about what constitutes a DPhil thesis.

The thesis should be driven by a question or problem suitable for original historical enquiry. This is not the same as a ‘subject’ or ‘topic’ which simply stakes out a field of enquiry; the research question is the means by which that field is interrogated. While not having the terms ‘how’ or ‘why’ in the title, it may often imply them.

A research question emerges from critical engagement with the literature in a particular field. The Regulations say that a thesis should show ‘a good general knowledge of the particular field of learning within which the thesis falls’, that is familiarity with the important scholarly literature in the subject area. The thesis will not just ‘fill a gap’ but often arise out of a historical debate and seek to contribute to it using a new approach or new evidence.

A candidate is expected to make considered and effective use of the appropriate sources, which should be consulted in the original so far as appropriate and practical. This may entail travel to consult sources held in scattered collections. It is ‘not essential that a thesis exploit hitherto unused primary sources’, say the Regulations, but the thesis must be based on primary sources, including archival, printed sources and/or oral testimony. The candidate should demonstrate a good understanding of the possibilities and limitations of the sources being used.

A thesis is not an arbitrary or intuitive processing of primary material. It must have a coherent approach or method – one that is thought out and intellectually sustainable. This may be a case study or sample, a regional, local or microhistorical study, a comparative or transnational analysis. It may adopt a qualitative or quantitative approach, draw on allied disciplines such as archaeology, anthropology, sociology or literary theory, or combine elements from more than one of these. Whatever the approach or method adopted, the candidate should be able to demonstrate the relevance and effectiveness of the approach for the purpose of the thesis. Engagement with any kind of theory should be developed and critical; mere name-dropping must be avoided.

Candidates are required to present their thesis ‘in a lucid and scholarly manner’. This means that the thesis must be clearly structured, with an introduction, conclusion and two abstracts. It must develop a sustained argument and be written in fluent, accurate and scholarly prose. It should present quotations, footnotes/references and bibliography in the form described in ‘Conventions for the presentation of essays, dissertations and theses’. All reference to other authorities must be footnoted in order to avoid the charge of plagiarism. Careful proof-reading is essential to avoid receiving a long list of ‘minor corrections’ from the examiners or criticism of an ‘incomplete’ submission.

A good place to look for presentation advice is on the University’s Research examinations webpage, in the section entitled Presentation of theses and abstracts – style and format. This will give you technical information, such as font size, page layout and font type.

As someone undertaking research and writing, you need to be aware of the importance of copyright and other intellectual property rights matters in relation to your own and other people’s work. You need to learn about the possibilities and problems of academic and commercial exploitation of your research and writing, including the terms of contracts with publishers, universities and other bodies. Understanding this area will also help in the avoidance of plagiarism, addressed below.

Much help and advice is available on these matters, including from your supervisor and other members of the Department’s staff with experience of different types of research, publication and employment contract. For information about Oxford University’s facilities for help in this area, please consult its intellectual property policy.

Scholarly work should strive to excel in two areas: analysis should be clearly structured and rigorously documented, and your referencing should ensure that your scholarly integrity is beyond reproach by readily acknowledging where you refer to the ideas of fellow scholars.

Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own, with or without their consent, by incorporating it into your work without full acknowledgement. All published and unpublished material, whether in manuscript, printed or electronic form, is covered under this definition.

Plagiarism may be intentional or reckless, or unintentional. Under the regulations for examinations, intentional or reckless plagiarism is a disciplinary offence. For more information, see the University’s guidance on plagiarism: www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism.

The University provides a number of online transferable skills courses for graduate students to study at their own pace. The set of courses includes a course on Good Practice in Citation and the Avoidance of Plagiarism and all graduate students should complete this course as part of their graduate skills training portfolio: https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal/site/:skills:generic:avoidplag. If you are located outside the Oxford University computer network, you will need to set up access via the University's Virtual Private Network (VPN).

The first time you take one of the online courses, you will need to create yourself a user account following the instructions provided on the right-hand side of the page in the box titled 'Is this your first time here?'. Once you have set up a user account you can login to all the online courses by entering the username and password you have set up in the boxes provided in the 'Returning to this web site?' section.

At the end of each course, there is a quiz to test your knowledge; if successful you can save a certificate for your records.

The Faculty provides standard advice on referencing in its ‘Conventions for the presentation of essays, dissertations and theses’.

The University has a set policy regarding the use of third-party proof-readers. The details of what is and isn’t permitted under this policy can be found here.

Students who have completed the MPhil may continue to build their doctoral thesis on the same research basis. In some cases, the research basis of the MPhil may not lead to any significant repetition of the prose submitted in the MPhil thesis. In other cases, it may be appropriate to repeat work written for this thesis. In such cases, it may not constitute more than 30% (30,000 words) of the DPhil thesis.

5 | Examination

When you are ready to submit an MLitt or DPhil thesis for examination you should familiarize yourself with the examination process using form GSO.20a, and then submit a GSO.3, ideally four to six weeks before you plan to submit.

You must submit your digital examiners’ copy of your thesis online, via RTDS, by 11:59pm (UK time) on your maximum submission date (Students who are funded by a Research Council must submit by the deadline imposed by that body).

You can access RTDS via the Research Theses Digital Submission website. Bound/Included with your History thesis you are required to submit two abstracts - one long and one short. These are submitted so the thesis can be considered for the Oxford Historical Monograph. Copies of these abstracts also need to be emailed to the Graduate Office at graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk. 

Confirmation of D.Phil. status must have been approved prior to submission.

Prior to submission of the thesis, you should submit a GSO.3 Application for the Appointment of Examiners (via Student Self Service). Students are strongly advised to apply for the appointment of examiners at least four to six weeks prior to submission.

All examinations must be advertised by the examiners in advance of the viva date, and students must be examined from a thesis that has been formally submitted to the Examination Schools. The thesis will be dispatched to examiners following submission to Examination Schools and the formal confirmation from the examiners of their willingness to act.

You should not contact examiners directly unless requested to do so by a formally appointed examiner in relation to the process of arranging a viva date. Furthermore, you should not submit a copy of your thesis directly to the examiners; they must be examined from the formal copy sent to the examiner by the Research Degree Examination Office. This is to ensure that there is a definitive version of a thesis, which is the subject of the examination.
 

Theses submitted for the Degree of D.Phil. should not exceed 100,000 words, including all footnotes, notes, appendices, any source material being edited, and all other parts of the thesis whatsoever, excluding only the bibliography and abstract. Degree of M.Litt. should not exceed 50,000 words, including all the above mentioned. MLitt and DPhil candidates must state the approximate number of words when submitting their thesis.

Any thesis exceeding these limits is liable to be rejected on that ground. Please apply for a word limit extension if you are going to exceed the limit. The Faculty normally only approves extensions of up to 5,000 words unless there is an exceptional reason for more. You can find the application form here. 

These limits include all notes, appendices, and any source material being edited, but exclude the bibliography, abstracts, dedications, acknowledgments.

Exceptions to these rules are only occasionally allowed and for special reasons, notably to allow the inclusion of essential edited source material in its entirety, or more likely an illustrative sample of it. Any application for permission to exceed the word limit should be accompanied by a detailed explanation, a statement of the excess length requested, and a covering letter of support from the supervisor. Applications should be made to the Director of Graduate Studies on the Faculty’s form (available on OHH here) well in advance, before examiners are appointed and the thesis is typed and bound. If a thesis exceeds the permitted length, it may be returned to you for revision before it is examined. Please contact the Graduate Office for the form.

With your History thesis you are required to submit two abstracts: the standard 300-word abstract which must accompany all Oxford theses, and a longer one required by the History Faculty (not to exceed 1,500 words for the MLitt, or 2,500 words for the DPhil). These abstracts are expected to be summaries of the thesis, not advertisements; they must be your own work, and will be made available to the examiners of your thesis for their approval. They do not count towards the word-limit.

Please send copies of both abstracts to graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk when you submit your thesis. The abstracts will be used in conjunction with your examiners’ report when OHM considers the reports at its termly meetings for possible monograph publication.

Details of the University’s regulations on abstracts can be found in the Examination Regulations (‘Research Degrees in History’ and ‘General Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy’).

If you only need a few days beyond the submission date named on the GSO.3 form, you should email graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk as a matter of urgency, explaining the reason for the unforeseen delay. The office will pass this on to the relevant officer in the Humanities Division to decide, based on the reasons you give for the delay. 

As indicated above, in Chapter 3, if you think you are going to need longer than a week to submit your thesis, you need to submit a GSO.15 in advance of the deadline. If you have had six terms’ extension already, however, you will have to lapse your status and apply for reinstatement when you are ready to submit.

The viva is a formal examination of the University. You will be expected to wear academic dress – sub fusc and a gown. This includes the appropriate gown (your college can advise), a mortar board or soft-cap, and the preferred sub fusc from the following list: one of dark suit with dark socks, or dark skirt with black tights or stockings, or dark trousers with dark socks; dark coat if required; black shoes; plain white collared shirt or blouse; white bow tie, black bow tie, black full-length tie, or black ribbon.

The recommendations open to examiners are set out in detail in the Examination Regulations – below is a short summary of the main points:

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If your examiners are satisfied that the thesis is of sufficient merit to qualify for the degree, and that you possess a good general knowledge of the particular field of learning within which the subject of your thesis lies, and that they therefore can recommend that the degree should be awarded and the thesis can be deposited in the Bodleian, then the examiners will submit their report to the Faculty without undue delay. Once the Faculty has endorsed the recommendation, the Research Degrees Examinations Team will send you the Leave to Supplicate letter as well as a copy of the examiners' report.

If your examiners are satisfied that they can recommend that the degree should be awarded, but minor corrections need to be made before the thesis can be deposited in the Bodleian, then the completed minor corrections must be approved, usually by the internal examiner, before the examiners make their report to the Faculty. In that case, your examiners will provide you with a list of the required corrections. If you have not received the list of corrections within two weeks of the viva, then you should contact the Graduate Office [graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk]. The University expects that these minor corrections will be completed to the satisfaction of your internal examiner within one month of being issued. If, for exceptional reasons, additional time is needed you may apply for one additional month by submitting a copy of form GSO.18 (‘Extension of Time for Minor Corrections’). If you fail to complete your corrections within the time allowed your name will be removed from the Graduate Register and a reinstatement application will be required.

If your examiners are satisfied that they can recommend that the degree should be awarded subject to the completion and review of major corrections, and the Faculty endorses this recommendation, then these major corrections must be completed and reviewed by both examiners, who will produce a second report for the Faculty. A copy of the Examiners’ Report with the required corrections will be sent to you by the Research Degrees Examinations Team, following approval by the relevant Board. The University expects that these major corrections will be completed to the satisfaction of your examiners within six months of being issued. Your examiners may wish to hold a second viva examination before producing their final report for the Faculty. If you fail to complete your corrections within the time allowed your name will be removed from the Graduate Register and a reinstatement application will be required.

If your examiners are not satisfied that the thesis as a whole is of sufficient merit to qualify for the degree, they are required to refer the thesis for revision and resubmission. The Faculty will review their recommendation, and, once the Faculty has endorsed the recommendation, the Research Degrees Examinations Team will inform you about the outcome of the examination and the procedures for a resubmission of your thesis.

When you are re-submitting a thesis you should follow the same procedures detailed above, except that you will need to pay the required re-submission fee.

Candidates resubmitting a thesis must also include a separate report indicating the specific changes made to the thesis for resubmission. For students in the Humanities, the word limit for the accompanying report is 1,000 words.

It is possible for you and your supervisor to propose new examiners at the time of re-submission, but it is usual for the previous examiners to be proposed since of course it is according to their guidelines that you have been revising your thesis.

Technically, a re-submission is a fresh examination, and you should remember that the oral examination is not necessarily restricted to points noted in the original examination. Examiners are still required to satisfy themselves that the revised thesis as a whole is of sufficient merit to qualify for the degree, and that you possess a good general knowledge of the particular field of learning within which the subject of your thesis lies.

The report on the first examination will automatically be sent to the examiners of the re-submitted thesis. This is to ensure that the examiners are aware of the background to the revisions which you have made. If you wish to make a case for this not happening, permission must be sought from the Proctors. You will need to apply in writing via the Graduate Office [graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk], stating your reasons, before or at the same time as re-applying for the appointment of examiners.

In the case of a re-submission a faculty board can exempt a candidate from a viva only where the examiners certify that they can recommend the degree without examining the candidate orally. However, this does not always happen even where a thesis goes on to be awarded the degree.

Research degree students who have a disability may request adjustments to arrangements for their Transfer and Confirmation of Status assessments or final viva. Applications should be made using form GSO.19. Adjustments may be requested at any point from offer of a place to submission – including when applying for Transfer of Status, Confirmation of Status, or for final viva/appointment of examiners. Students should contact the Graduate Office if they require more information.

From Michaelmas term 2019 onwards, students will be required to submit the official copy of their thesis for examination digitally via RTDS only.

Students are no longer required to submit a printed copy of the thesis for examination. 

Examiners may still request a hard copy of the thesis from the Examination Schools and this will be arranged and paid for centrally by the Submissions and Research Degrees Team. The minimum time between both examiners receiving the official copy of the thesis via RTDS and a viva date remains at 4 weeks (as referred to under ‘the oral examination or viva’ section of the Research examinations web page).

 

Doctoral students are also required to submit a digital copy of their thesis to the Oxford Research Archive (ORA). You are warned that leave to supplicate is conditional upon delivery of the library copy of your thesis and that you may not proceed to take your degree until this has been done.

If you are out of the country when the time comes to submit the library copy of your thesis, you may find it convenient to arrange printing and binding remotely. Your College may also have advice in this regard: you will need to get in touch with them anyway to organise graduation, schedules for which are completely in the hands of colleges.

The University of Oxford is committed to the widest dissemination of research theses produced by its graduate students. The Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) is an online archive of research output including theses created in fulfilment of Oxford awards, produced by graduate students at the University of Oxford.

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All students following the DPhil, MLitt or MSc (by Research) who registered for the DPhil from 1 October 2007 onwards, are required to deposit both a hardbound and a digital copy of their thesis with the Bodleian Libraries. Please be aware that this is a condition for award of the degree and it is enforced. The digital copy should be deposited into ORA at http://ora.ox.ac.uk after Leave to Supplicate (LTS) has been granted. Students who commenced these degrees before October 2007 must deposit a hardbound copy but may also optionally submit a digital copy.

ORA provides maximum visibility and digital preservation for Oxford digital theses. Students should read the important information about the deposit of, and access to, digital theses which is available at http://ox.libguides.com/digitaltheses and includes:

  • Legal requirements (including funder mandates) and author responsibilities
  • When to deposit the digital copy of your thesis
  • How to deposit the digital copy of your thesis
  • Options for open access and embargos. Theses, or parts of theses, can be embargoed for reasons such as sensitive content, material that would affect commercial interests, pre-publication or legal reasons
  • Information about file formats, fonts and file sizes

Copyright of the thesis usually rests with the author: this does not change when depositing your thesis in ORA. The author does not give away any rights to the Oxford University Research Archive or the Bodleian Libraries. However, students should read the information on third party copyright at:

http://ox.libguides.com/aecontent.php?pid=435474&sid=3564761

If material has been incorporated within the thesis where copyright is held by an individual or group that is not the author (third party copyright) permission will be needed to make such material freely available on the Internet. It is best to obtain such permission when sourcing the material. Proof of permission will need to be provided when depositing the thesis in ORA (e.g. e-mail or letter). Authors should contact ORA staff (ORA@bodleian.ox.ac.uk) if they are unsure. A useful template to keep track of permissions for use of third- party copyright materials is available for download at: http://ox.libguides.com/aecontent.php?pid=435474&sid=3564761.

Further information or queries about depositing digital theses should be addressed to ORA@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

Whilst the Humanities Division strongly supports open access to, and wide dissemination of, theses produced by its students, access to the full text of digital theses can be restricted unless requirements of funding bodies require open access to be provided earlier (see below). When completing the ORA online deposit form authors should therefore indicate whether they would like an embargo (currently a choice of one year or three years) or to make their thesis available immediately. For example, if the author’s funding specifies an earlier release date. There is no need to complete a separate application for Dispensation from Consultation at the time of deposit.

If an embargo is chosen at the time of deposit, only the following information from your thesis will be available in ORA for the duration of the embargo:

  1. Item record (details including your name, thesis title, subject area) and
  2. Abstract and
  3. Full text search for single words or short passages of text.

At the time of deposit an author may request permanent closure in ORA under the following circumstances:

(a) For digital material where copyright is held by a third party and permission to disseminate it via the Internet in ORA has not been granted by the copyright holder, the Faculty of History will grant permission for the copyright material to be deposited as a separate file from the thesis, on the understanding that the thesis will be available for consultation or reproduction but access to the copyright material will be restricted.

(b) Where confidential material forms only a small part of a thesis and the force of the thesis will not be seriously impaired by the removal of such material, the Faculty of History may grant permission for the access to the confidential material to be closed on the understanding that the thesis will be available for consultation or reproduction but access to the confidential material will be restricted.

Authors can also choose to override any requested embargo and make their thesis open access, either at the time of deposit or at any time during the embargo. Authors who wish to make their thesis freely available on deposit should indicate this on the online ORA deposit form. Once the embargo is in place, students wishing to end it early should e-mail ORA@bodleian.ox.ac.uk . It is not recommended for those planning to publish their research as a book or article to make their thesis openly available in ORA without first discussing this matter with their supervisor and consulting potential publishers to ascertain their policy. The embargo will be automatically lifted when it expires, and it is the responsibility of the author to apply for an extension, prior to expiry, if required. No reminder will be sent by the Department/Faculty, the Bodleian Libraries or ORA staff, and it will be assumed that the full text can be released if a Dispensation from Consultation form (GSO.3C) is not submitted (see below).

If you are in receipt of research funding the following may apply:

The Terms and Conditions of Research Council Training Grants (https://www.ukri.org/) require that metadata describing the thesis should be lodged in ORA as soon as possible after leave to supplicate has been granted, and for the full text version to be available within a maximum of twelve months. The Division has therefore agreed that the full-text of RCUK-funded students’ theses should be made available within one year of leave to supplicate being granted.

Students funded by any other external body should be aware of, and also abide by, the terms and conditions for open access defined by their funder. Where there are discrepancies, the funding body’s requirements should supersede any embargo preferred by the student at the point of deposit.

Authors may apply for dispensation from consultation beyond the end of an embargo period (or other period specified by their funding body) of the copy of the thesis deposited in the Bodleian or other University Library and/or of the electronic copy of the thesis deposited in ORA if there is good reason for such a request. Reasons for requesting dispensation might include Intellectual Property considerations: that consultation or reproduction would put at risk confidential material or invalidate an application for a patent on a product or process described in a thesis. Students are advised to be particularly mindful of the terms of any agreements with an outside body or sponsor governing supply of confidential material or the disclosure of research results described in the thesis.

Dispensation will always be granted (a) in cases where confidentiality has been made a condition of access to materials that are subsequently incorporated in a thesis and (b) for material where copyright is held by a third party and permission to disseminate it via the Internet has not been granted by the copyright holder. Current students should apply for dispensation by completing the online application from available from Student Self-Service:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/selfservice

If you need to apply for a dispensation having completed your course, you should apply for dispensation by completing the GSO.3C form available at:

https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/graduate/progression

Dispensation from consultation is granted by the department/faculty not the Bodleian Libraries or ORA staff. If you need any help with progression forms, please contact the Graduate Office at graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk.

Authors sometimes include published journal articles within their theses. Authors needing to include such articles as part of the e-thesis can make the article freely available only in compliance with copyright and any sponsor permissions. See www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo.php for guidance or ask ORA staff (ORA@bodleian.ox.ac.uk).

Making the thesis open access increases its visibility, gains recognition for the author and certifies them as author of the work. It can also give rise to concerns about increased risk of plagiarism. However, when work is available open access, plagiarism is easier to detect (by using a web search engine).

Any further information or queries regarding the deposit of your digital thesis, should be referred to ORA@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

research degreee examination process

The table above is a summary of the overall process for the arrangement and conduct of research degree examinations. A link to this can also be found online here, on the University’s webpage. It is important that this process is followed in all cases (especially during re-submissions) to ensure that examinations are conducted appropriately and that, in the event of any subsequent questions or complaints being raised, we can be sure that the agreed procedures were followed.

Your attention is particularly drawn to the following points:

  • Your thesis must be submitted online via the Research Thesis Digital Submission (RTDS) application. The typewritten part of the thesis must be saved as a pdf. Additional files (images, recordings, annexes, etc) should be saved to a single zip file and uploaded under “Additional Documents.”

Confirmation of DPhil status must have been approved prior to submission. The submitted copies must include any abstracts required by the relevant Faculty Regulations and conform to the published presentation requirements.

  • All examinations must be advertised by the examiners in advance of the viva date, and students must be examined from a thesis that has been formally submitted to the Examination Schools. The thesis will be dispatched to examiners following submission to Examination Schools and the formal confirmation from the examiners of their willingness to act.
  • Students should not contact examiners directly unless requested to do so by a formally appointed examiner in relation to the process of arranging a viva date. Furthermore, students should not submit a copy of their thesis directly to the examiners; they must be examined from the formal copy sent to the examiner by the Research Degree Examination Office. This is to ensure that there is a definitive version of a thesis, which is the subject of the examination.
  • After the viva has taken place, the examiners are required to submit a joint report to the relevant Graduate Studies Assistant who will seek approval from the Director of Graduate Studies. The Research Degree Examination Office will then notify students of the outcome in writing. Please allow sufficient time for this process to be completed when making arrangements to attend a degree ceremony.

In cases where a student has applied for an early viva, the Research Degree Examination Office will make every effort to accommodate these requests. However, candidates should be aware that the examination date requested should not be earlier than one calendar month after the date on which the thesis has been received at the Examination Schools or after the date on which the examiners have formally agreed to act, whichever is the later. The actual date of the viva voce examination will depend primarily on the availability of both examiners.

Please do not forget to take a copy of your thesis with you to the examination.

Oxford Historical Monographs (OHM) is a series for the publication of Oxford University DPhil theses whose content is historical. It is published by Oxford University Press (OUP).

The Oxford Historical Monographs series exists to publish some of the best Oxford University DPhil theses on historical subjects. Since receiving its current name in 1965, the OHM series has featured more than 250 titles, including the first books of many of today’s leading historians; a list of those still available to buy can be found on the Oxford University Press website. The series is run by an editorial Committee drawn from members of the History Faculty, which meets four times a year to consider examiners’ reports and conduct editorial business.

The Committee receives the examiners’ reports of all successful DPhil candidates in History; we also consider relevant reports from other faculties when these are drawn to our attention. Most OHM books derive from History theses, but we are happy to consider any dissertations on historical topics. So our catchment area is wide, and we publish books on all aspects of late antique, medieval and modern history. 

Examiners in History are specifically invited to comment in their reports on the suitability of a thesis to be considered for publication in the series, and they often do so. Supervisors are likewise encouraged to draw likely publications to the Committee’s attention. Once we have received the examiners’ reports, we ask authors for copies of theses which we are interested in pursuing. It is important to submit your short and long thesis abstracts to the Graduate Office upon submission of your thesis, as these abstracts are frequently provided to the Committee to help them reach a decision. We give priority to work which, besides incorporating the best new scholarship, is reasonably accessible, readable and marketable, and which is better communicated in the form of a book than as a series of articles. We also bear in mind the amount of revision a given thesis is likely to need – our rule of thumb is that the process of turning a dissertation into a book should not take more than about a year or eighteen months, though we recognise that, given their other commitments, some of our authors may need longer than that in practice.

We publish about 10% of the historical theses we consider – that is, about 6 to 8 books a year – and OHM represents the only route through which recent Oxford University DPhil theses will be considered for publication by OUP. Theses rejected by us may well be accepted by other publishers, and, of course, dissertation authors are at liberty to negotiate with other presses at any time, except when they have agreed with us that we can send their work for external review.

If you wish to contact Oxford Historical Monographs, please send an email to graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk.

7 | Opportunities

The Faculty provides a training programme (PLTO) to prepare second-year students, who have passed Transfer of Status, for undergraduate class-teaching and lecturing.

The Faculty organises weekly training sessions for all graduates on a range of topics, including researching abroad, using UK archives, applying for jobs, seeking publication and so on.

The Faculty tries to accommodate, where possible, students’ essential need for language tuition for their research. If you have any questions about language tuition arrangements, please email the Teaching Officer (teachingofficer@history.ox.ac.uk) to discuss your needs.

The History Faculty is able to provide some support for student research through its trust funds. Applications for help from these funds are made by Friday Week 6 of each term.

9 | Skills Development, Employability and Careers Support

The Humanities Researcher Development and Training Programme is a comprehensive personal and professional development programme of events, opportunities, workshops and resources to support and develop Humanities researchers at all stages of their career from postgraduate level upwards. Some opportunities are bespoke and developed in-house; others are provided through external partners, student support services or in partnership with faculties. The programme serves all the faculties of the Humanities Division and any researchers working in Humanities-related subject areas.

The aims of the programme are:

  • To train our postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers to become research leaders of the future
  • To empower postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers to become pioneers in a range of careers and professions, within and beyond the sphere of higher education
  • To enhance our postgraduate students’ and postdoctoral researchers’ disruptive voice as active citizens who are confident speaking truth to power, and as ambassadors for the Humanities

Experiential, hands-on learning is fundamental to our approach, with student-led and early career researcher-led initiatives and projects being generated and supported through a range of funds and initiatives such as the AHRC-TORCH Graduate Fund, Student Peer Review College, and the annual Public Engagement with Research Summer School. All of these mechanisms are in turn run (with support from the Researcher Development and Training Manager) by early career researchers themselves.

How to get involved

The Humanities Researcher Development and Training Programme is open to all postgraduate students (Master’s and DPhil) and early career researchers (including college appointments and those on teaching- only contracts) in the Humanities Division.1 An extensive programme of opportunities runs throughout the academic year, arranged into a number of ‘pathways’:

  • Business and Entrepreneurship – pitch an idea to the Humanities Innovation Challenge Competition and win £2,000, or find out what history can teach us about entrepreneurship through the Said Business School’s series of lectures on ‘Engaging with the Humanities’.
  • Career Confidence – explore your options, develop your CV, draft cover letters for roles within or beyond academia, practise fellowship interview techniques, enhance your digital profile or learn how to give a teaching presentation. We work closely with the Careers Service, who offer tailored support for postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers (see below).
  • Digital Humanities – learn how to encode text, 3D-scan museum objects and write code, or participate in the world-leading Digital Humanities at Oxford Summer School. 
  • Heritage – network with industry leaders in the heritage sector, learn how to set up a research collaboration with a heritage organisation, take a tour of a museum under development with a lead curator, or contribute to Trusted Source, the National Trust’s research-led online knowledge bank.
  • Public Engagement with Research – create a podcast, practise on-camera interviews, learn the techniques of ‘storytelling’ when talking about your research, apply for funding to support a public engagement project for your research through the Graduate Fund, or participate in the annual Public Engagement with Research Summer School.
  • Preparation for Academic Practice – attend workshops on writing journal articles, preparing for the DPhil viva, organising a conference, or using EndNote. Pitch your idea for a monograph to editors from world- leading publishing houses, and prepare a fieldwork application for ethical review.
  • Creative Industries – participate in workshops led by organisations in the creative industries, develop a research collaboration, or learn about career opportunities in this sector.
  • Teaching – build on the training offered by your faculty (Preparation for Learning and Teaching at Oxford) and gain accreditation to the Staff and Educational Development Association by enrolling in Developing Learning and Teaching seminars. Attend workshops on applying your teaching experience to the job application process, or learn how to teach with objects at the Ashmolean Museum.

All our events and opportunities are free to attend, and a number of workshops, particularly those in the ‘Preparation for Academic Practice’ pathway, are repeated each term. See www.torch.ox.ac.uk/researcher- training for the calendar of upcoming events and for more information about the programme.

You can also email the Humanities Researcher Development and Training Manager, Caroline Thurston, at training@humanities.ox.ac.uk if you have any queries.

Doing a research degree opens up a range of career options, yet it is up to you to seize the opportunities to exploit these and get ready for the next step. Our best advice is to start early, because you will get busier as your research progresses. No need to decide at this point whether you will stay in academia or move on to new pastures: many of the career-building steps that you can take now will benefit your CV and your wider employment options whichever step you take next.

The Careers Service (www.careers.ox.ac.uk) works alongside the Humanities divisional training team to offer information resources, one-to-one support and a programme of bespoke workshops focusing on key career skills and tools for career planning and development. We support DPhil students and research staff from every department across the university, regardless of their chosen career paths.

How to get involved

The researcher pages (www.careers.ox.ac.uk/researchers) on the main Careers Service website contain a wealth of information on what other researchers have done, tips on how to develop your careers thinking and links to useful resources. The Resources Room in the Careers Service building (56 Banbury Road, open 9 am – 5 pm, Monday to Friday) stocks leaflets, briefings and relevant career-related matters, including books on securing work in the academic job market and other sectors, or negotiating a change in direction.

Our termly programme of workshops caters specifically for researchers and focus on career design and development, networking, CV writing, job applications and interviews, and more. See our programme and book places via the CareerConnect calendar2. And don’t miss our Insight into Academia programme, which gives insider perspectives on becoming an academic and the steps required to keep you there, along with tips to maximise your chances of application success.

If you’re looking to boost your skill set, consider taking part in the Researcher Strategy Consultancy, which provides early career researchers with an opportunity to develop the core employability skills required for independent consulting in any field or a transition into analytical, business or policy roles in the public and private sector.

Research students are also eligible for the fantastic opportunities to explore different work sectors and roles offered through our summer internships and micro-internships programmes; see the Internships Office pages for more information on these.

Unsure where to begin or how to use your time here most effectively? A one-to-one conversation with a Careers Adviser may help! Come and discuss your personal career plans, aspirations and worries in a confidential setting: appointments can be made via CareerConnect.

Contacts

The main office contact for all graduate matters is: graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk

Director of Graduate Studies:

Dr Katherine Lebow (Michaelmas 2024)

Dr Simon Skinner (Hilary and Trinity 2025)

Graduate Officer: Joe Shepherd

Assistant Graduate Officer: Maya Blackwell

Teaching Officer: Callum Kelly (teachingofficer@history.ox.ac.uk)

Admissions Officer: Liz Owen (graduate.admissions@history.ox.ac.uk)

Further contact information on OHH (Board Interviewers, GSC, GJCC, OHGN) and on the History Faculty website.

Please note that from the start of the 2025-26 academic year, the Faculty will relocate to the new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. More detailed information on arrangements for the Faculty’s move to the new building, including the Academic Office location and opening hours, graduate study and social space, and library resources, will be communicated separately to all continuing graduate students during 2024-25.