100 Years of the PhD in the UK

Here I have attempted to write a short history of the PhD in the UK. Much is based on the excellent book from 1983 by Renate Simpson and also visits to the University of London and UCL archives to get some more specific information about my own University which has produced a significant number of UK PhDs. I begin with some words about mediaeval ‘doctorates’ and the research doctorate developments in the German speaking world which were most significant. The UK story is divided into four periods leading into some comments about the future.