RESEARCH PROFILE
There are currently seven academic staff within the Institute of Contemporary British History, and 22 research students.
ICBH works in partnership with many organisations including the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee (UK constitutional codification), Ipsos-MORI (social research), Cambridge University (history & policy), Rothschild Archive (financial histroy), Lombard Street Research Group (economic policy), Magna Carta 2015 800th Anniversary Committee (citizenship), 10 Downing Street (history website articles), the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham (defence studies), Foreign and Commonwealth Office (oral history).
ICBH is also home to History & Policy, which works for better public policy through an understanding of history by connecting historians, policy makers and the media.
KEY FACTS
Student destinations
Students go on on to a variety of careers, including academic fellowships and lectureships, publishing and the civil service.
Head of group/division
Professor Richard Roberts
Duration
Expected to be MPhil 2 years FT, 3 years PT.
Location
Strand Campus.
Year of entry 2013
Offered by
Arts and Sciences Cross-School Initiatives
Institute of Contemporary British History
Closing date
No deadline for applications. Students interested in applying to funding should be aware that deadlines for this differ, therefore applicants should view the Graduate Funding Pages at
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources/index.aspx for more information.
Approximately 10 FT, 10 PT.
Fees
CONTACTS
Contact information
Postgraduate Research Officer, Centre for Arts & Sciences Admissions (CASA)
tel: +44 (0) 20 7848 2555
fax: +44 (0) 20 7848 7200
Email
Website
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION
The Institute of Contemporary British History offers a wide range of supervisor expertise in contemporary (recent) history, including politics, government, economics, law, gender, demography and social history. The 20 current students working with these supervisors are researching subjects including voluntary action, the monarchy, Britain and Northern Ireland, and representations of women in museums, taking full advantage of the rich archives available in and near London. Studying both part-time and full-time, they form a vibrant and lively student body, participating in the seminars, conferences, and events organised by the ICBH including an annual research workshop for students at Cumberland Lodge. Students form a lively group of contemporary historians at King's, and organise a regular reading group for PhD students interested in this area, as well as occasional conferences on relevant subjects. ICBH staff are also co-convenors of IHR seminars on Contemporary British History, International History, and British History 1815-1945 and all students are encouraged to attend the most appropriate one for their studies as well as attending King's seminars in the History department and elsewhere and contributing to these. ICBH staff currently hold AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Awards with the British Postal Museum and Archive and the Rothschild Archive, and are looking to develop further applications in this area under the new Programme.
Staff interests associated with the research programme and its research groups
Interests:
As Director of the Witness Seminar Programme Dr Kandiah is interested in researching, collecting and editing elite oral histories relating to key events in recent British political, diplomatic and administrative history. He is currently editing the letters, diaries and speeches of Lord Woolton during the Second World War, which will be published by the British Academy and Oxford University Press. His interests also include the Conservative Party in the 20th century, postwar British politics and policymaking, the Cold War, and post-Cold War diplomacy, and he teaches and publishes in all these areas.
Tel:
020 7848 7044
Fax:
Email:
Website:
Interests:
Women's and gender history, welfare state, demographic history, social and economic policy, 20th century history of the Labour party, old age
Tel:
020 7848 7042
Fax:
Email:
Website:
Interests:
Financial history, business history, modern economic history, film and history
Tel:
020 7848 7049
Fax:
Email:
Website:
Interests:
Roger is Professor of Public Opinion and Political Analysis at ICBH and Director of Political Analysis at Ipsos MORI. He is one of Britain's most experienced analysts of public opinion polling, working especially in political research and on survey methodology. He has been involved with MORI’s opinion polling at each of the last four general elections, notably as part of the (highly successful) exit poll team; he has also researched extensively in related areas such as aspects of the electoral system (electoral registration and the relationship between votes and seats won at general elections) and public engagement with politics.
Tel:
+44 (0)20 7848 7045
Fax:
Email:
Website:
ACADEMIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
General entry advice
The candidate should have achieved, or be expected to achieve, a merit in a master's degree in history, politics, public policy, or a relevant discipline, with proven ability (such as in an undergraduate dissertation) for conducting extended research and writing. Candidates who do not meet these criteria may still be considered where there is a convincing case based upon the candidate's broader work experience.
APPLYING TO KING'S
To apply for graduate study at King's you will need to complete our graduate online application form. Applying online makes applying easier and quicker for you, and means we can receive your application faster and more securely.
King's does not normally accept paper copies of the graduate application form as applications must be made online. However, if you are unable to access the online graduate application form, please contact the relevant admissions/School Office at King's for advice.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Students are encouraged to contact a potential supervisor to discuss their research proposal before submitting a formal application, and will usually come to King's to meet the supervisor at some point in the process (though email discussions can take place if this is not feasible). MPhil/PhD students are normally expected to have or be in the process of completing an appropriate Master's level degree as preparation for research. Relevant experience can be taken into account as well.
PERSONAL STATEMENT & SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Please give information on why you wish to study at the ICBH, and if your first or second degrees are not in history or you have been out of education for some time, please give full details of any relevant experience or studies.
FUNDING
Self-funded. Students are eligible to apply for King's AHRC doctoral awards, subject area: History.
Related programme student profile
American Studies Research MPhil/PhD
King's has certainly provided me with an intellectually stimulating environment and I enjoy the exchange of diverse perspectives that occurs daily through the American Studies programme. I have enjoyed attending numerous seminars, teaching seminars for an undergraduate post-WWII American fiction course, taking language classes through King's Modern Language Centre, and participating in various conferences, notably one that took place in Tangier, Morocco.