Economic History

About the Department

Following in a long and distinguished tradition, research in the Department of Economic History uses concepts and theories from the social sciences as a starting point for studying the development of real economies and understanding them in their social, political and cultural context.

The Department is home to by far the largest group of researchers in economic history in the UK and one of the largest in the world. This is a pluralistic Department which encourages different approaches to the discipline: quantitative economic history; global history; history of economic thought; historical demography; historical economic geography; international economic history; business history; financial and monetary history; and social history. We also offer a wide chronological and geographical coverage of economic history with specialists in almost every continent and any historical period from the medieval age onwards. For this reason, the Department is able to supervise a wide range of topics, in line with the research interests of the teaching staff.

We particularly value a comparative outlook on research, and the fruits of our research have been used by international agencies, such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, government departments and local communities. Our faculty have included among their research commitments the editorship of The European Review of Economic History and The Journal of African History.

MPhil/PhD Economic History

Visiting Research Students

The Department is home to by far the largest group of researchers in economic history in the UK and one of the largest in the world. We encourage different approaches to the discipline: quantitative economic history; global history; history of economic thought; historical demography; historical economic geography; international economic history; business history; financial and monetary history; and social history. We also offer a wide chronological and geographical coverage of economic history with specialists in almost every continent and any historical period from the medieval age. We are therefore able to supervise a wide range of topics, in line with the research interests of our teaching staff.

The major academic goal of a research student in the department is the researching and writing of a thesis, but members of our doctoral programme achieve much more than this. During the programme, students are given the opportunity to participate in departmental workshops and other seminars held within the University of London and, later, at conferences and seminars at other universities. Students leave the Department equipped for any profession that requires intellectual judgment, the ability to assess and analyse evidence and ideas, and good communications skills. 

MRes/PhD programmes

• MRes/PhD Quantitative Economic History 

Taught programmes

• MSc Economic History
• MSc Economic History (Research)
• MA Global Studies: A European Perspective. A two-year (full-time) Erasmus Mundus programme. Students spend a year at each of two participating universities. EU financial support is available
• MSc Political Economy of Late Development
• MSc Quantitative Economic History