Thirteen themes, one or two supervisors
Oxford lists themes from medieval and early modern history to global and imperial history and the history of war. One supervisor must be a permanent member of the faculty.
Doctoral · Oxford History
Oxford DPhil in History: a proposal that shows historiography, sources and method
For the Oxford DPhil in History, the faculty decides on paper. Oxford expects a Master's in a historical subject marked at least 68% overall and for the dissertation, asks for a 500-to-1,000-word proposal covering a research question, historiography, sources and method, and a writing sample of up to 4,000 words, and does not normally hold interviews. You are not responsible for finding your own supervisor, but offers are made only where appropriate supervision is available. For a historian, the decision is whether your project falls under a supervisor the faculty has and whether the proposal proves readiness. This guide sets out what Oxford says for 2027-28 entry, marks Avandy's judgment separately and ends with next steps.
Official information · last verified for 2027-28 entry
What Oxford asks for in Oxford DPhil in History
Taken from Oxford's DPhil in History course page (sections extracted) and read on 1 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry. For a 2028-29 start, applied for in 2027-28, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Oxford's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
A Master's marked 68% and a history degree marked 68%
Oxford asks for a Master's with at least 68% overall and for the dissertation, and an undergraduate degree at 68%, in history or cognate disciplines. Most successful applicants hold a first or the equivalent.
A proposal of 500 to 1,000 words
The proposal states the research question, the historiography, the sources and the method, and is described as crucial evidence of readiness.
A 4,000-word writing sample
From the current or most recent qualification; it need not relate closely to the proposed topic, and extracts need a preface.
No supervisor to find, no routine interview
Oxford says applicants need not contact anyone and are not responsible for finding a supervisor. Interviews are not normally held.
Official sources
Read on 1 November 2026 on Oxford's DPhil in History course page (sections extracted), which describes 2027-28 entry. Oxford's deadlines, fee and funding sections, the place and application figures, the Application Guide, the International Qualifications page and the History Faculty's own website were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
Fit
Is the History DPhil the right route for you?
This guide concerns only the Oxford research degree. The comparison is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), not Oxford's, and rests on what the page says about qualifications and assessment.
It fits if
you hold a historical Master's marked at the stated standard, you have already done graduate-level archival or source work, and your topic falls under a theme with a permanent faculty member who can supervise it.
Think again if
your Master's is not in history. Oxford says applicants are expected to have one in a historical subject, and an applicant without it should link the topic to prior expertise and show considerable background research.
Prior contact with a supervisor
Contact is not necessary. Oxford warns that an academic's indication of willingness is not a guarantee of an offer or capacity, so do not treat it as one.
How the application is read
The proposal has four jobs and the sample has one
Oxford asks the proposal to cover a research question with a working title, historiography that explains why existing scholarship is unsatisfactory, the sources and the skills needed to use them, and the method. The writing sample, of no more than 4,000 words, is separate and need not match your topic. Since interviews are not normally held, assessors may email queries but this is very rare. Offers will only be made if appropriate supervision is available.
After admission
A thesis outline and written work by the second term
Students are admitted as Probationer Research Students and normally apply to transfer to DPhil status by the second term full time, submitting a thesis outline and a piece of written work. This is the 2027-28 page and may change.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not Oxford rules and carry no probability.
A proposal that omits historiography
Oxford asks you to say why existing scholarship is limited, dated or unconvincing. A topic description without that argument misses a listed element.
Vague sources
The page asks where sources are found and what skills you need to use them. A language or paleography gap that is acknowledged and planned for reads better than one left unsaid.
Choosing a sample for convenience
The sample is assessed for understanding of problems, argument and expression. Use your strongest recent work, with a preface if it is an extract.
Ignoring supervision capacity
Offers depend on appropriate supervision. Check the faculty's expertise in your period and region before you write.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Map the faculty
List the permanent members whose period and region match yours.
Write the proposal
Draft 500 to 1,000 words covering question, historiography, sources and method.
Choose the sample
Select a piece of up to 4,000 words from your most recent qualification.
Check your Master's against the wording
Compare your marks with the 68% standard.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
Oxford's course page describes entry in 2027-28. A start in 2028-29 means applying in the 2027-28 cycle, under rules Oxford has not yet published. Each item below is either last verified for 2027-28 entry, which means Oxford published it for the previous cycle and it may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the route and the written application
The themes, the Master's standard, the proposal and sample formats, the supervision condition and the no-routine-interview statement are described on Oxford's page for 2027-28 entry. Oxford has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Oxford publishes them per cycle on the course page; read the page again when it shows 2028-29.
What to do now
Map the faculty's expertise against your project, draft the proposal and choose the writing sample.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Oxford or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the faculty's published themes and planning the applicant's own proposal; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What Master's mark does the Oxford DPhil in History expect?
Oxford asks for a Master's with a minimum of 68% overall and 68% for the dissertation, and an undergraduate degree at the same standard, in history or cognate disciplines.
Do I need to find a supervisor?
No. Oxford says you are not responsible for finding your own supervisor, but offers are made only if appropriate supervision is available.
How long is the research proposal?
A minimum of 500 and a maximum of 1,000 words, covering a research question, historiography, sources and method.
Is there a writing sample?
Yes. Oxford asks for an academic writing sample of no more than 4,000 words from your current or most recent qualification.
Will there be an interview?
Oxford says interviews are not normally held as part of the admissions process.
Does the DPhil include funding?
This guide did not read Oxford's funding sections and states no funding. Check the course page and the faculty's funding information for the cycle you apply in.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Oxford DPhil in History
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.