PhD Modern War Studies

 “We must continually ask questions of the past, even the most recent past, because it holds the key to the future. History must be handled carefully of course, for it is trained experts that must provide the intellectual underpinning for decisions taken by politicians and the senior leaders of the Armed Forces. We need more research and Defence must work ever more closely with academics if we are to make sense of our complex world and so provide practical solutions to knotty problems. We need to know what to change, how to change, when to change and why. We also need to know what not to change. These are not questions for the ill-informed.”

Field Marshal The Lord Bramall, former Chief of the Defence Staff, in an interview with PhD programme director, Professor Lloyd Clark.

The University of Buckingham’s PhD in Modern War Studies and Contemporary Military History seeks to provide the trained minds to which Field Marshal the Lord Bramall was referring, and our programme flourishes with doctoral students currently drawn from four continents and with graduates making their mark around the world. In a world of uncertainty and rapid change, there has never been a more important time to understand why war and how wars are fought, and their influence on politics, economics, society and culture.

The PhD programme is based in London, but its students can be located wherever their research demands and there is a choice full time or part time study. For those based in the UK, full use can be made of well-established relationships with some of the most important research facilities and institutions in the country including:

• The Imperial War Museum
• The RAF Museum
• The National Army Museum
• The Royal Navy Museum
• The National Archives
• The Royal United Services Institute
• Chatham House
• International Institute for Strategic Studies
• The British Commission for Military History
• The Centre for Army Leadership
• Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research

While at The University of Buckingham, students can also enjoy access to:

• The Humanities Research Institute
• The Buckingham University Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies
• The Centre for UN Studies
• Field Marshal The Lord Bramall Archives

Developing Potential

All PhD students benefit from:

• Programme Induction
• Research Skills Seminars/ Lectures
• PhD Research Group Seminars
• Specialist Supervision and Tutorials (see below)
• Invitations to attend a series of evening seminars held at the Army and Navy Club, Pall Mall and a course study day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Event Dates and Venues 2025 – 2026

Induction and Research Skills Day

Location: Humanities Research Institute, 51 Gower Street, London WC1E

Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm

Date: Saturday 27 September 2025

London Programmes Induction

Location: Society of Antiquaries of London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BE

Time: 10:00am – 5:00pm

Date: Monday 3 November 2025

Seminar Dinners

Seminar Location: Army and Navy Club, 36-39 Pall Mall, St. James’s. London SW1Y 5JN

Time: Seminars take place from 6.00pm and are followed by dinner.

22 October 2025: Dr Rob Lyman (Author and historian), Everything we thought we knew about the Korean War, but didn’t’

19 November 2025: Dr Anisa Heritage (Department of International Affairs, RMAS), ‘The US Unleashed: US hegemony under Trump’

21 January 2026: Professor Jim Storr (Consultant and author), ‘Towards a Theory of War’

18 February 2026: Dr Paddy Walker (Author and Associate Fellow, RUSI), ‘Developments in drone technology and challenges to the development of autonomous weapons systems’

18 March 2026: Dr Simon Anglim (Department of War Studies, King’s College London), The British Army in the 2020’s: Hope versus Reality’

Study Day at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst 2026

Study Day Location: The Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Camberley, Surrey GU15 4PQ

Time: 09:30am – 16:00pm

Date: Saturday 16 May 2026

Speakers:

Professor Lloyd Clark (The University of Buckingham and Centre for Army Leadership), ‘Raids and Raiding from land and sea: The Origins of a Demanding Capability’

Professor Matthias Strohn (The University of Buckingham and Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research), ‘Phoenix from the ashes?’ The German military and its role since 1945’

WO2 Paul Barnes (Warfare Branch, Land Warfare Centre), ‘Building an Army: A Doctrinal Approach’

Dr Alanoud Alsharekh (Associate Fellow, Chatham House) ‘Observations of the Arab Spring from the Gulf Cooperation Council’

Supervision

Each student is allocated two supervisors. There is a First (or Principal) Supervisor, who is the student’s regular guide during his or her research, and with whom the student meets regularly throughout the year. There is also a Second Supervisor, whom the student may consult on a more limited basis where a ‘second opinion’ on a particular draft chapter may be helpful.

Current supervisors include:

Dr Andrew Boyd – 20^th Century naval history and new security challenges

Professor Lloyd Clark – History of the British Army; military transition and change; lesson learning; leadership and command

Dr Andrew Lownie – Modern British history and espionage

Professor Sir Geoffrey Nice – Human Rights Law

Dr Ife Oakafor-Yarwood – Multidisciplinary approaches to security, the environment and maritime governance in Africa

Dr Gareth Price – Strategy, armed forces, politics and economics in south Asisa

Lieutenant Colonel (retd) Christopher Pugsley – The military history of the Australian and New Zealand armed forces

Major General (retd) William Robbins – Command, leadership and organisational culture.

Professor Matthias Strohn – History of European Armies; fighting methods; doctrine and command, counter-insurgency.

Dr Andrew Tchie – Security, stabilisation and peace operations in Africa

Dr Paddy Walker – Future warfare/rules; military ethics; military technology

Dr Aaron Edwards – Insurgency and COIN; terrorism

Current PhD Topics include

• Retaining Women: A Review of women in the British Army, 1992-2022
• Re-evaluating Counterinsurgency: The British Army and its Methods during the early years of the Malayan Emergency 1948 –1952
• Strategic Leadership and Change: Generalship in the British Army since 1991
• Framing War: The responses of The Times and The Guardian newspapers and their respective letter writers to the UK Government’s narrative framing of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. 2001-2014
• Private Military Companies and the Fight Against Terrorism, 2001-2014
• Criminal activities in Sahel: The relationship between organized crime and terrorism, and its implications for regional security and development
• India’s Strategic Culture: Understood as a Convergence of Western and Eastern Strategic Culture
• The Military Challenges to the Boko Haram Insurgency Campaign Within Nigeria’s Political, Economic, and Societal Contexts (2002-2020)
• The Cultures of Remembrance: A Comparison of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the Volksbund deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, 1945-2020
• Sub Regional Intervention in West Africa. An Analysis of the ECOWAS Military Intervention In The Gambia, 2017-2020
• Facing Cyber Conflict: A Comparative Study of the Doctrinal and Organizational Evolution of NATO’s Top Three Western European Cyberforces (Great Britain, France, Germany), 2009-2019

What our students say

‘My PhD in Modern War Studies experience has been thoroughly rewarding and exceeded my expectations. The world-class academic supervision and opportunities have been second to none, opening doors to networks, excellent research facilities and most importantly drawing out my intellectual curiosity to hone my chosen topic’. (Scott Sherriff)

‘After years of asking myself should I undertake a PhD, I decided to investigate possible universities to undertake a potential PhD in Modern War Studies. I approached various universities only to be given a number of different dates for an open evenings. It was not until I contacted Buckingham that I received a warm welcome. Within days, I talked with a potential supervisor who was willing to support my interests. Over the past 18 months, the support from the academic community at Buckingham has been unwavering. The opportunities you have to meet and discuss your work with experts in your field are extraordinary. The team at Buckingham is always willing to support you and answer any questions you may have.’ (Richard Jones)

‘The Modern War Studies and Contemporary Military History PhD programme has been a formative experience that challenges students to develop their ideas and academic skills. Access to supervisors is excellent and support from the wider academic team and library is readily available online and in-person. The programme has been a superb experience that I can highly recommend to prospective students.’ (Claudia Harvey)

Study period

Students are registered initially for the degree of PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), although their status is probationary until the first Annual Review has taken place, normally between 12 and 18 months from first registration.

The usual period of doctoral study is three years, though the University’s Regulations also permit candidates who make particularly rapid progress to apply to the University Research Committee for permission to submit at the end of their second year of study.

HM Armed Forces Discount

A 20% discount is available on the tuition fees for this programme to all serving members of the British Armed Forces (regardless of rank).

Approved by MOD for Enhanced Learning Credits. Provider ID 1460

More information

Enquiries should be directed in the first instance to Professor Lloyd Clark Lloyd.clark@buckingham.ac.uk Details can also be obtained from our Admissions Officer (London Programmes) on humanitiespg-admissions@buckingham.ac.uk.

In addition to PhD Modern War Studies, we also offer a variety of other PhD programmes.