r/HumanitiesPhD

Hi all, just starting my first cycle of PhD applications this fall and hoping for some insight from humanities folks.

Since I got my MA in history three years ago, I’ve been working in the field as a public history practitioner. I‘m a federal employee in DC who has several exhibition research credits and MANY public programs to my name. I decided recently that I want to get out of programming and move into curatorial- hence why I want to get a PhD.

My question: I don’t have any academic journal publications, save for an old fellowship paper that was internally published for that institution‘s library. Can I present my public history work as research experience? How would you frame something like that? I am hoping that spending a few years in the field has made me a better candidate, but I’m panicking about not having any scholarly journal pubs. TIA!

Hi everyone,

I hold a Master’s in Media Studies and currently have almost 7 years of work experience. It has always been my dream to pursue a PhD in Media and Communication, and I am finally ready to act on it.

My goal is to secure admission and start before 2027. I am currently writing my research proposal, but I have a few burning questions that I hope the community can help with. (I've tried reaching out to current PhD students, but as you know, they are incredibly busy!).

My Questions:

Funding Options: Apart from AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council) and ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council), what other funding bodies or scholarships should I look into for Media/Communication in the UK? or is it true that universities post ads on fully funded or partially funded scholarships anytime on their own, like they do in Europe?

MPhil vs. PhD Admission: Is it true that if you don't have published research, universities will admit you into an MPhil program first instead of a direct PhD?

Annual Intakes: How many intake periods are there per year for PhD programs in this field? Is it strictly September/October, or are there January/Spring intakes too?

If anyone is currently doing a PhD in this field or has gone through the UK application process, I would love to connect! Please drop a comment or feel free to DM me for a quick chat.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Let’s talk about the job market, particularly if you are already planning to graduate or just thinking about what to do post-graduation. Our senior colleagues can also contribute to the discussion. Please feel free to share your thoughts, advice, or suggestions!

It is no doubt that the job market is, as some would say, brutal for anyone, especially for one exploring it with a humanities doctorate degree as an international student. We live in an uncertain but interesting world, right?

Given the current climate, what would you like to do with your PhD?

Am I cooked for this PhD application cycle? Applying to some pretty competitive polisci (political theory subfield) and sociology programs (Brown, UW-Madison, Berkeley, UMass Amherst, and some others of the critical ilk). Might try to cram in a retake in before the winter.

How much is this score going to hold me back?

I’ve got 2 really strong LORs from profs with high citation counts (the 3rd LOR is from a lesser known scholar but someone who can speak to my ability to sustain a research project), 4.0 undergrad GPA, 4.0 Masters GPA, a writing sample I’m proud of, and a very clean SOP. Any reflections, insights, thoughts, or advice would be much appreciated.

Sort of need an online study partner. To discuss things we are reading ( mostly theory if possible because that's the monster I want to tame) , to correct each other's line of thought and brutality critique each other's ideas, and to occasionally vent. Anyone?

Hi all,

I am in the process of applying to multiple PhD programs in my chosen field. Now, before I go any further: I understand that choosing to study English in the year of our Lord 2026 is akin to playing a game of Russian roulette with your mental health, finances, and career prospects. I know all of this. Please do not feel as though you need to “warn me.” I have been well-informed of the odds. I am merely looking for advice/feedback on my application to one of my top choices: Stanford.

Admittedly, I am a long shot because I did not attend an Ivy League school, and I know this well. I attended a private university for my undergraduate degree, but it was certainly not very prestigious.

Then, I attended law school to receive a Master’s degree in legal studies at a T15 program in the U.S.

I’ve just finished up my M.A. from a T50 program (4.00 GPA).

Along the way, I have presented papers at several conferences, submitted to scholarly journals (one paper is under review), and worked part-time at a community college to gain teaching experience.

I have identified one professor with whom I’d like to work with at Stanford. He is one of the preeminent scholars in my field. I have previously corresponded with him, and he has tentatively agreed to be my advisor (if I gain admission, that is). He is interested in my research topic, which is a plus!

All of this to say, I’d like to hear from those who have gotten into these very competitive programs—how’d you do it and what was your strategy? I would also be quite grateful to anyone who would consider giving my SOP a second set of eyes (I’ve had several professors look at it, but none of them are current grad students).

If you’re interested, please DM me. And any advice you have, please share it below. This is my first application cycle!

I recently got back an interdisciplinary manuscript I submitted to a top journal and was happy to get back major revisions (this is my first paper).

I've read through the reviewers' comments and the majority is quite helpful. Things like incorporating more the literature, etc. I understand how to do.

That being said, for major revisions of humanities manuscripts...how far do I go with the revisions? Suggestions like "move this paragraph to this section" I can do easily and it feels low risk. One reviewer philosophized on an idea for an entirely different study (a good idea for the future, but seemingly too many changes for this manuscript).

The larger the changes that I contemplate, the greater the risks seem to be involved. I am limited to adding 1,000 more words to the word count, but I don't think that counts replacing deleted words.

Does 'major revisions' involve 'major repairs' to a manuscript or basically rebuilding the project? In my heart this seems like it should resemble the original study but some of their suggestions seem like massive changes.