Durham's MA in Social and Economic History at Durham provides training in research methods for historical topics in any aspect of social and economic history. The MA provides quantitative and qualitative research methods appropriate to a wide range of historical approaches. Accredited by the ESRC, this MA is part of our four year funding scheme offered by the North-East Doctoral Training Centre. You can apply for 1+3 funding for this MA followed by a PhD in any aspect of social and economic history with expert supervision available within the Department – and with our partner institution in the NEDTC at Newcastle University. This includes African history, and aspects of governance, as well as traditional social and economic topics. For further information on funding see further below.
The MA programme is shared with the School of Applied Social Science and will help you to build an awareness of the contemporary boundaries of social and economic history and to master advanced understanding of the concepts and methods with which it may be interrogated. It seeks to equip you with a diverse portfolio of research techniques and approaches to enable you to undertake extended independent research in your dissertation, and to make your own contribution to the field. The skills provided by this MA are also transferrable to a wide range of careers.
Durham has a long tradition of economic and social history, on which this MA draws. The breadth of possible subjects for study mirrors the comprehensive and global nature of the department staff: from medieval Europe to modern-day Africa, and from north-east England to the global economy. Durham's History Department is situated in the historic setting of the World Heritage Site, which includes Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle. Students of social and economic history at Durham benefit from the rich archival and manuscript resources in the collections of the University (at Palace Green Library - especially the Sudan Archive - and Ushaw College) and in the Cathedral Library, while the wider regional resources for study of the period are also highly significant: the landscape of industrial revolution and of post-industrial response, of globalisation and regional identity.
The MA in Social and Economic History is a one-year full-time programme (or two-years part-time). All students are allocated a supervisor at the beginning of the first term, and s/he guides each student through the year.
You will take 30 credits of core modules from History: Themes, Reading and Sources (30 credits); and 30 credits of core modules from the School of Applied Social Sciences: Perspectives on Social Research (15 credits) AND EITHER Qualitative Research Methods in Social Science (15 credits) OR Fieldwork and Interpretation (15 credits). You will write a 60-credit dissertation (15,000 words) supervised by a member of academic staff in the History Department. You will also choose a 30-credit optional module in History; AND 30 credits of optional modules from Social Sciences: EITHER Statistical Exploration and Reasoning (15 credits) and Quantitative Research Methods in Social Science (15 credits) OR Applied Statistics (30 credits).
The programme is structured as follows:
Michaelmas Term (October-December)
Epiphany Term (January-March)
Easter Term (April-June), and the summer vacation (until early September)
The programme is delivered primarily through small group seminar teaching with some larger classes, and lecture-style sessions. Termly division of contact hours between terms depends on student choice. Skills modules are taught through seminars or classes and are usually more contact-hour-intensive. Optional modules are taught in seminars and provide a total of 20 contact hours. Dissertation supervision involves 8 hours of directed supervision, individually with a dedicated supervisor. Social science modules are taught through lectures, seminars, workshops, and practical classes.
The MSc Quantitative Economic History is designed for those with a strong grounding in undergraduate economics who wish to take the first steps towards a PhD in Quantitative Economic History.
Although it can be taken as a standalone programme, you will need to meet certain criteria to progress through to the MRes and PhD stages of the programme.
The MSc degree aims to increase students’ methodological competencies and to assist and inform their dissertation work. Successful completion of the MSc allows progression to the MRes in Quantitative Economic History, which builds on the foundations laid in the MSc and includes substantive courses in economics and economic history and the production of a research paper in quantitative economic history, as well as a research prospectus.
Students leave the Department equipped for any profession that requires intellectual judgement, the ability to assess and analyse evidence and ideas, and good communication skills. Economic history graduates can be found in management and administration in the public and private sectors; academia; banking; journalism; economic consultancy; and library and museum services, to mention just a few.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
The MSc Economic History offers a flexible programme to those who have already studied economic history at first-degree level, or for those who have studied a related discipline and whose interests have moved towards economic history.
You will be able to choose from a wide range of elective courses in economic history, allowing you to compile a programme according to your interests and career goals. You will also complete a dissertation on an approved topic of your choice. The programme provides a broad training in social science research methods and their application to historical study, including the role of theory, evaluation, analysis and explanation, quantitative techniques and computing, the use of sources and presentational skills.
Economic history combines the skills of the economist, the statistician and the sociologist, as well as those of the historian. You will therefore leave the programme with a portfolio of highly transferable skills that can be applied across a wide variety of employment sectors.
Economic history graduates can be found in management and administration in the public and private sectors; banking; journalism; economic consultancy; and library and museum services, to mention just a few.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
The MSc Economic History (Research) provides a broad training in social science research methods and their application to historical study, including the role of theory, evaluation, analysis and explanation, quantitative techniques and computing, the use of sources, and presentational skills.
You will be able to choose from a wide range of elective courses in economic history, allowing you to compile a programme according to your interests and career goals. You will also choose one of three research training courses and a compulsory economic history course, and complete a dissertation on an approved topic of your choice.
This rigorous academic training responds to labour market requirements for enhanced research skills and is designed to be valuable to those proceeding to research degrees and university teaching, as well as to those who intend to pursue careers in public service, industry, commerce, the media or law. The programme also aims to meet the needs of mid-career professionals who would like to refresh their research skills and understanding of the subject.
This research track can be taken as a stand-alone qualification or as the first year of a research degree, followed by 3–4 years of MPhil/PhD, which would then make it eligible for ESRC funding. You should indicate in your personal statement if you wish to be considered for the 1+3 programme and submit an outline research proposal.
Economic history graduates can be found in management and administration in the public and private sectors, banking, journalism, economic consultancy, and library and museum services, to mention just a few.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
Thanks to the possibility of building your own pathway within our MA programme, you can specialise in your preferred area.
You may continue your academic development with doctoral research, or pursue a career as a teacher, archivist, or in museums. Many of our students have specialised in local history and later progressed to jobs in the heritage and conservation sector.
In addition, your experience of individual research will help you to develop valuable transferable skills. You will have demonstrated your ability to understand and apply complex ideas; to collect and analyse large quantities of information; to manage your own time and motivate yourself; to construct reasoned and articulate arguments; and to reach carefully balanced judgements. This should equip you to embark upon a range of professional careers.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study History at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA by Research in History is a research degree pursued over one year full-time or two years part-time. Students on the History research programme undertake research under the supervision of History staff, and produce a thesis that makes an original contribution to knowledge and understanding of some aspect of the past.
The expertise of the Department of History and Classics spans from the ancient cultures and languages of ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome to the history of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century Europe. The research of our staff and postgraduates is integral to the life of the Department of History and Classics, and it means that Swansea is a dynamic, exciting, and stimulating place to study.
History and Classics is part of the Research Institute for the Arts and Humanities (RIAH: http://www.swansea.ac.uk/riah/), which organises a large number of seminars, conferences, and other research activities. There are also a number of research groups which act as focal points for staff and postgraduates, including: the Richard Burton Centre for the Study of Wales, Centre for Ancient Narrative Literature (KYKNOS), Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Research (MEMO), and the Centre for research into Gender in Culture and Society (GENCAS).
As a student of the History research programme you have access to skills and training programmes offered by the College of Arts and Humanities and the University.
The MA by Research in History is ideal for those who would like to do an initial research degree, either as a stand-alone culmination to their studies or with a view to further, subsequent research, e.g. in form of a PhD. Research proposals are invited on any topic in medieval, early modern, or modern history for which staff can provide supervision.
For informal enquiries regarding the MA by research in History programme please contact: Dr Fritz-Gregor Herrmann ([email protected]).
Research interests in the Department of History and Classics include:
Medieval History
• The Anglo-Norman ‘Realm’ and the Angevin Empire
• Capetian France, especially the monarchy, aristocracy, and religious orders
• The Cathars and the Albigensian Crusade
• Charters and the documentary records of medieval France and England
• The Mediterranean world, especially the Crusades, later medieval Italian society and politics, and the Italian Renaissance, including art history
• England and Wales in the central and late Middle Ages, including the aristocracy and gentry, the Welsh Marches, urban history, law and crime, women and the law, religious belief and practice, and education and literacy
• Gender and the life cycle in late medieval Europe
• Medieval frontier societies and borderlands, and concepts of frontiers from the late Roman Empire to the present day
Early Modern History
• Most aspects of British history between 1500 and 1800, especially religious, scientific, cultural and gender history
• The history of health and medicine in early modern Britain
• History of Disabilities
• The Portuguese Empire
• The Reformation and Counter-Reformation
• Science, intellectual life, collecting and museums in early modern Europe
• The social history of early modern sex and marriage
• Crime and witchcraft
• The Enlightenment, republicanism and international relations in the eighteenth century
Modern History
• Most aspects of Welsh history, especially industrial society
• The cultural, intellectual and urban history of nineteenth-century and twentieth-century Britain
• Modern international history
• The United States since 1750, in particular slavery, the South and the Civil War
• The economic and imperial history of Britain in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
• Emigration and urbanisation in the British Isles between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries
• The political history of the UK since 1800
• Military and society in Europe between 1750 and 1815
• Austrian and German history in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
• Austrian, German and Central European history, especially in the fields of urban, labour and post-1945 history
• Modern economic history
• Quantitative aspects of British economic growth from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries
• Anti-capitalist and socialist political economy
• Policing and police forces in twentieth-century Europe
• Italian fascism
• Allied Occupation of Italy
• Contemporary French and Italian social an d cultural history
• Memory studies and oral history of twentieth-century Europe
• History of protest and activism in the 1960s and 1970s
At Leiden University, we have one of the world's leading centres for the study of European and non-European history. The master in History is your opportunity to access this world-class expertise.
With such a broad curriculum, the master’s programme in History offers you the chance to specialise in niche subject areas not offered elsewhere. A flexible format also allows you to tailor your degree to suit your career goals. To help you develop a cohesive area of expertise, the programme offers seven specialisations each with their own thematic focus. Within your specialisation, you even have the added option of focusing on Maritime History, Political Debate or Economic History.
At Leiden University, you learn from some of the leading scholars in the field. We have a specialised faculty 'chair' in almost every area of European and non-European history, while covering almost all periods form Classical Antiquity to the present. Small-scale classes and intensive mentoring ensure you benefit from their expertise both in and outside of the classroom.
All subjects in the master in History have a strong international orientation. Whichever your focus area, you will acquire a broad, comparative dimension to your knowledge and connect this to the latest global events. This approach to learning is not only unique to this programme but brings you a far broader understanding and an aptitude for critical thinking both of which are highly valued by employers today.
History MA is a stimulating programme that offers students the opportunity to create individual study pathways through time, space and methodology. Pathways can be chronological (medieval, early modern or modern), geographical (European, transnational, international) or methodological (e.g. cultural or, economic and social history). Alternatively, students can maximise choice by exploiting the diverse range of courses on offer. All students undertake robust theoretical and methodological training, accredited by the Economic and Social Research Council. Vocational training opportunities are promoted through work placement, `Public History' and documentary film-making modules. The Manchester History MA also offers an innovative suite of thematic courses that transcend orthodox boundaries to facilitate intellectual breadth and imagination. As integrated members of the research community, Manchester MA History students engage with outstanding researchers, resources and facilities.
All History MA Programmes comprise of 180 credits:
Taught courses are generally assessed by a 6000-word essay per 30-credit unit (this will vary for the quantitative and qualitative research methods units).
Our courses are interactive, and the small seminar is the rule. Normally students and sometimes staff present papers to form the basis of lively discussion - not an invariable experience at an undergraduate seminar!
Research and writing of the dissertation are undertaken from Spring through to August. Supervision is offered at least until July.
The degree is awarded at Pass, Merit, and Distinction levels
History MA maximises the strengths of Manchester's vibrant research community: 30 members of staff with world class expertise in medieval, early modern and modern history, stretching across national and international boundaries, with strong representation in economic, social and cultural approaches to history. History MA offers students the opportunity to range across this expertise or to specialise.
Specialist pathways include Modern European History, World History, Modern British History, Early Modern History, Medieval History, Cultural History or Economic and Social History. Each of these areas is represented in advanced, core modules (accredited by the ESRC). All students take one of these modules. History MA offers outstanding doctoral research preparation training through the core module and skills training programme. Skills training can be tailored to specialist interest with language training, including Latin, and palaeography or methods training in social science. History MA skills training also equips students to pursue the MA dissertation, a major piece of original research. This year, the Board of Examiners commended the exceptional quality of research, highlighting dissertations that were `publishable'.
Students applying to the MA are eligible to apply for AHRC and ESRC funding.
New opportunities in `Public history' and work placement facilitate a vocational pathway through the programme by promoting transferable skills and focusing on the significance of history in heritage, social policy, third sector work and the media.
Additional to core courses, students take four optional modules. Options in History are organised chronologically and geographically but also include a suite of innovative thematic courses, for example, on material culture, that transcend orthodox boundaries. History has a strong record in promoting interdisciplinary study and students may select options from across the School or other faculties with permission.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: [email protected]
Apart from PhD research, the high standard of arts research training, both formal and practical (in the dissertation), opens doors to many kinds of modern public and private sector graduate employments requiring research skill, formulation of projects and policy documents, etc.
Our new and popular Work Placement Scheme (introduced 2014-15) offers our students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and learn about history in practice, in one of our partner institutions in the Manchester area. Examples include: Manchester Histories Festival, People's History Museum, Chetham's Library and University History and Heritage.
As one of the largest History Departments in the UK we are able to offer a depth of subject expertise rarely matched by other institutions. This means that we can offer a breadth of study with a large chronological range from medieval to modern covering global history from Britain, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia. Our students have excellent access to top academics in specialist fields, including one to one supervision sessions.
Within the department we have experts in topics including economic and social history, political history and religious and cultural history, which link to our six dedicated research centres. There are distinct opportunities on this course including, a supervised independent study module to enable you to follow your own interests.
The University library has extensive holdings, audio-visual collections and medieval manuscripts in our Special Collections. Exeter Cathedral Library Archives and the Devon Heritage Centre contain further significant medieval manuscripts, documents and early printed books.
Exeter Historians have a diverse range of interests and we pride ourselves on our flexible approach to learning that includes part-time options and plenty of interdisciplinary collaboration such as with Classics, Theology, and Archaeology. You might for instance choose a Latin module or a module on Medieval Archaeology to complement your main path of study.
You will be taught mostly in small group seminars as we believe this is the best way to allow our students access and interaction with academic staff. In your seminars you will contribute to discussions and debates as well as present findings, research and interpretations of readings.
At the end of your programme you will complete a dissertation up to 25,000 words long on a topic of your choosing, something which may later form part of a PhD research proposal. Some of the topics our students have covered in the past include:
A wide range of optional modules are available which reflect the varied research interests of academic staff. These interests range widely from the early medieval period to the twentieth century and cover Britain, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. All aspects of the discipline are represented, from social, religious, cultural and gender history to the study of politics, economic development, international relations, and military conflict in a variety of contexts and eras. Particular areas of strength include early modern history, naval and maritime history, medical history, and the history of the connections between war, state and society.
Your choice of optional modules may include subjects as diverse as ritual in the Middle Ages; witchcraft and the supernatural in the 16th and 17th centuries; maritime and naval history; sexuality; health, medicine; gender and the body; party politics and international diplomacy; and the impact of modern wars on culture, economy, society and memory.
- offers an excellent education in a very wide range of historical subjects and geographical locations over a broad time-span from Anglo-Saxon England to modern Western and Eastern Europe, some parts of Asia, North and South America, and Africa;
- produces graduates who are highly competent in subject-specific, core academic, and personal and key skills that are both relevant and transferable to employment;
- draws on the expertise of a number of highly respected research centres which are at the forefront of their respective disciplines;
- participation in joint seminar programmes offering insights into a very wide range of research cultures and specialisms;
- excellent preparation for students intending to continue on to doctoral-level research with a good track record in obtaining funding for further study.
Research is at the heart of History and our students are encouraged to come to Departmental Research Seminars and become an active part of wider research community. Our research centres regularly hold seminars and other research events which MA students are welcome to attend.
Our current research centres include:
As well as our History specific research centres you are also welcome to get involved in of the other research centres across the College of Humanities or the University. You can find out more about our Academic Staff and their research interests on our Research pages.
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