History

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)



Meet Kristen Jeanveau, PhD candidate in History

What is it about your grad program that enables you to thrive and be successful?
The faculty, staff, and fellow graduate students have been so welcoming. From the first day I arrived I felt like everyone had a genuine interest in both my research, and my success in the program. The more senior PhD students have been an incomparable resource, from the time of my application to now. They were all generous with their time fielding questions about the program, learning strategies, funding applications, and provided valuable advice.

Describe your research.
I’d call myself a ‘war and society’ historian so I’m less focused on military aspects of the World Wars and more on how the wars affected civilians on the home front and subsequent commemorations or popular memories of those conflicts. My specific focus is on a series of newspapers written by civilians sheltering in the London Underground tube during a period in the Second World War known as the Blitz, when the city endured intense bombing. Each tube station formed its own little society and the newspapers they produced were hyper specific to their needs.

Where’s your favourite place on campus to work?
I really like to just hang around the department in Lawson Hall! It’s small enough that you can get to know the other graduate students and faculty well. Sometimes research doesn’t always involve burying your nose in a book or archive, and the grilled cheese at The Wave has a cult following in my cohort, so we’ve also been known to decamp over there to discuss challenges in our own projects.

What one thing would you like people to know about you?
I’m a non-binary person and mature student – I decided to enter the graduate program in my 40s and always want people to know it’s never to late to start.

Program Websites


Program Contact

Kara Brown (kbrow@uwo.ca)
Graduate Program Advisor

Department of History

Western University
Lawson Hall Rm 2201
London, Ontario N6A 5B6

t. 519-661-2111 ext. 84961
f. 519-661-3010

The Doctoral Program in History at Western trains select graduate students to be professional historians—world-class researchers, teachers, and scholars. Our faculty has deep strengths in Canadian history, the history of international relations and conflict, environmental history, and public history, with courses and eminent scholars in many other areas as well. And we are a recognized leader in the new digital history and digital humanities.


The Own Your Future doctoral professional development program will help you become a career-ready graduate with the skills necessary to excel in your studies and achieve your future goals. By participating in the program, you will assess your own strengths and opportunities for growth, choose what skills you want to enhance during your time at Western, and learn how to articulate the skills you gained in your degree to optimize your future career opportunities. To learn more, visit www.uwo.ca/ownyourfuture.

Program Length

  • 12 Terms

Program Design

  • Full-time study
  • Thesis-based

Funding Information

Applicants are encouraged to apply for the following scholarships (if eligible):

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fee schedules (per term) are posted on the Office of the Registrar's website at http://www.registrar.uwo.ca/student_finances/fees_refunds/fee_schedules.html

Graduate Student Affordability Calculator

Use this helpful tool to estimate how much money you will need to pay for your tuition, fees, housing, food, and other necessities for a 12-month (three term) academic year.

Admission Requirements

  • M.A. degree in History or equivalent from a recognized university or college.
  • 80% average or better on all graduate courses.
  • Evidence of strong research potential.

Application Deadline

  • February 1
Acceptance notification begins in March.

The Graduate Committee will begin reviewing applications on February 1 and will stop reviewing applications on April 30. Applications received on or before February 1 will receive full consideration for scholarships.