PhD at the Warburg Institute

The School of Advanced Study at the University of London brings together eight internationally renowned research institutes to form the UK's national centre for the support of researchers and the promotion of research in the humanities.

The Warburg Institute is one of the world’s leading centres for studying the interaction of ideas, images and society. It is dedicated to the survival and transmission of culture across time and space, with a special emphasis on the afterlife of antiquity. Its open-stack Library, Photographic Collection and Archive serve as an engine for interdisciplinary research, postgraduate teaching and a prestigious events and publication programme.

The resources available at the Warburg Institute are especially geared to students interested in interdisciplinary study, including the Archive, Photographic Collection, and open-stack Library with its unique cataloguing system specifically designed by Aby Warburg to aid research. The Institute’s Library is classified as one of the ‘20 Libraries that Changed the World'.

Through the Institute’s research projects, events and fellowship programmes and informal collegiate atmosphere, students have extensive opportunities for networking with the international community of scholars who use the Warburg Institute as their base. This significantly enriches Warburg students’ learning experience and can provide ideal networking connections for their future careers.

More broadly, the School of Advanced Study itself offers excellent resources for inter-disciplinary research by bringing together eight internationally renowned research institutes that support the promotion of research in the humanities.

The School of Advanced Study is also home to Senate House Library, the central library for the University of London. The art deco building, of which the School and Senate House Library are part, is a literary landmark in the heart of Bloomsbury, located next to the British Museum. The Library occupies the fourth to the nineteenth floors of the building, with a range of historic library reading rooms and collections.

Much like the Warburg Institute itself, the School offers a broad range of events, seminars and conferences that we encourage our research students to engage with.

Full-time

Full-time study for the PhD degree entails three or a maximum of four years’ independent research, culminating in the writing of a thesis of not more than 100,000 words. After submission of the thesis, you attend an oral examination conducted by an internal examiner, from the University of London, and an external examiner, normally from another British university.

There is no formal coursework, but PhD students are expected to participate in the weekly seminar on Work in Progress, to present research questions and material in the PhD Research Symposium in your second year and a research paper in the Work-in-Progress seminar in your third year. In the first year you can opt to attend a weekly class on Methods and Techniques of Scholarship; you may also register for language and palaeography classes. Research students are encouraged to participate in the regular seminars held at the Institute during the academic year and can benefit from a wide range of training opportunities through the School of Advanced Study.

Part-time

Part-time students complete the same programme in five, or a maximum of six years.

Subject areas

Broadly speaking The Warburg Institute covers the cultural, intellectual and visual history of the period 1200–1700, with particular strengths in the following areas:

• Renaissance Art, Architecture, and Visual Culture
• Cultural and Intellectual History
• Reception of the classics
• History of Magic and Science
• History of Cartography and Cosmography
• Religious History
• History of the Book

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of the Warburg academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal. A list of academic staff and their interests can be found in the Supervisors section.

This programme will soon be available to study as a PhD by Practice, giving you the opportunity to develop a body of creative work as part of your doctoral research. Unlike a traditional PhD, you will be assessed on the creative output of your research in addition to a shorter written thesis.

Examples of the creative output could include an exhibition, art installation, or piece of software. This element is worth two-thirds of the whole award, with the 30,000-word written critical component contributing the final third.

The PhD by Practice will be available to study on campus or by distance learning, with the same admission criteria as our other research degrees.

Register your interest to be the first to hear about the PhD by Practice programme updates and application openings.

Before submitting an application you are advised to contact a member of the Warburg academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study to discuss your proposal. 

A list of academic staff and their interests are held on the Directory of Research and Expertise (profiles linked below):

• Dr Alessandro Scafi
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Early Modern, History of art, Medieval History, Modern History, Political Institutions
   
• Professor Bill Sherman
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Classics, Cultural memory, Culture, Digitisation, Early Modern, English Literature, History, History of art, History of the book, Library, Manuscript studies, Palaeography
   
• Professor Caspar Pearson
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Language and Literature (Italian)
   
• Professor John Tresch
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Cultural memory
   
• Dr Lucy Nicholas
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Classics, Early Modern, History
   
• Dr Paul Taylor
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Early Modern, History of art, Philosophy
   
• Dr Rembrandt Duits
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Cultural memory, Digitisation, Early Modern, History of art
   
• Dr Sara Miglietti
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Classics, Early Modern, History, History of the book, Language and Literature (French), Language and Literature (Italian), Manuscript studies, Philosophy
   
• Dr Thalia Allington-Wood 
  Warburg Institute - Staff
  Research interests: Early Modern

The resources available at the Institute are especially geared to students interested in interdisciplinary study, including the Archive, Photographic Collection, and open-stack Library with its unique cataloguing system specifically designed by Aby Warburg to aid research. The Institute’s Library is classified as one of the ‘20 Libraries that Changed the World'.

Through the Institute’s research projects, events and fellowship programmes and informal collegiate atmosphere, students have extensive opportunities for networking with the international community of scholars who use the Warburg Institute as their base. This significantly enriches Warburg students’ learning experience and can provide ideal networking connections for their future careers.

More broadly, the School of Advanced Study itself offers excellent resources for inter-disciplinary research by bringing together eight internationally renowned research institutes that support the promotion of research in the humanities. 

The School of Advanced Study is also home to Senate House Library, the central library for the University of London. The art deco building, which the School and Senate House Library are part of, is a literary landmark in the heart of Bloomsbury, located next to the British Museum. The Library occupies the fourth to the nineteenth floors of the building,  with a range of historic library reading rooms and collections. 

Much like the Warburg Institute itself, the School offers a broad range of events, seminars and conferences that we encourage our research students to engage with.

Our research students can also take advantage of a varied and challenging research training programme, with general research skills training and research methodologies courses provided through the School and subject-specific training provided within the institutes.

Distance learning offers you a more flexible way to study for a postgraduate degree in the humanities – combining innovative learning and teaching techniques with the ability to study from anywhere in the world.

We offer three master’s courses and a range of PhD supervision via distance learning. Our research degrees via distance learning allow you to study for a University of London MPhil or PhD degree from anywhere in the world. The programme is run on the same basis as campus-based programmes.

The School of Advanced Study will offer students with an appropriate topic and level of local resource the opportunity to undertake a PhD by distance learning. These students are required to attend our London campus at set intervals to complete an intensive research training module, for upgrade, and for the viva but will otherwise study at their own location. This option is available to UK, EU and international students on the same basis as our on-campus PhD programmes (three years full time, six years part time). Fees are the same as for our on-campus PhD programmes. 

Important note: It may not always be possible for all institutes and supervisors to offer the option of distance learning, as some topics are not appropriate to be studied this way. As such, we strongly recommend that you check first - before applying.

If you would like to be considered for our Research Degree programme via Distance Learning, please download and fill out the Research Degrees by Distance Learning form, to attach to your online application.

Before submitting an application, you are advised to discuss your proposal with a member of the academic staff who has interests in your proposed field of study. You can find our academic staff's contact details and areas of expertise in the Supervisors section.

Before agreeing to accept you, the School will require you to submit a research proposal, so it is worthwhile to have drafted this before formally applying. See the Guidelines on drafting your research proposal.

Candidates will normally receive an initial response to their application within 28 working days. Those who have been formally interviewed will normally be informed within one week as to whether they are to be offered a place.

Note: in accordance with regulations research students will be registered for the MPhil degree in the first instance. Upgrading to PhD will be considered in the second year for full-time students and in the third or fourth year for part-time students.

Fees are set annually and cover registration, tuition, and (in the case of research students) supervision.

Fees are quoted per annum -- that is, you will need to pay at least the fee quoted below for each year of your studies. Please note that tuition fees are subject to annual uplift. The University of London reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses and amend other details without prior notice.

See the Tuition Fees for 2024-25 - listed by Institute.

Our students fund their studies in a variety of ways including scholarships, bursaries and fellowships, as well as government loans and postgraduate loans. 

We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that you don't need to pay back and are awarded based on personal circumstances or academic achievement. Funding at postgraduate level is competitive so it’s a good idea to plan financially before starting your course. 

For information about fees and funding from the School of Advanced Study, please visit the SAS Fees and Funding page.

The SAS Careers Service works with students and graduates of all ages and at all stages of career development across all the institutes. Our mission is to provide high-quality information about careers and skills, and professional advice and guidance. We help students with their career development, either within their current field of work or in something completely new. 

SAS students can access 1-2-1 guidance appointments throughout their studies and for up to 2 years after graduating, to help them plan their next steps, whatever they might be. We also offer CV, cover letter, and application advice as well as mock interviews with the SAS Careers Consultant who will empower you to feel more confident in your interview performance. 

Looking ahead to your future career, a PhD at the Warburg will open many doors. Warburg alumni have continued their academic careers at institutions across the globe, including the Universities of Cambridge, Copenhagen, Notre Dame (US), Padua, UCL, Birkbeck, La Sapienza (Rome), Warwick, York and Yeshiva (New York). Our graduates have also gone into positions at cultural institutions such as the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, the Bayerische Akademie, the National Library, Argentina, Sotheby's, Arts Council England, the National Gallery, the V&A, and the Southbank Centre.