Masters Degrees (Imperial History)

The MA in Imperial History will be administered by the School of History and convened by Dr. Giacomo Macola, Senior Lecturer in African History.

This programme allows you to examine key themes and regions in the making of world history, from the 18th century to the present day.

Imperial history is a rapidly growing and innovative field of historical research, which offers you the opportunity to explore the origins, workings and legacies of empires. By critically engaging with a range of theoretical and empirical literatures, as well as conducting original research, you use historical data to tackle momentous questions relating to violence, development and global inequality.

Led by five specialists in the School of History, the programme takes a broad interdisciplinary approach which also encompasses renowned academics from other departments. The team offers particular expertise in African political history, the history of military technology and conflict, global histories of religion and the newly-emerging field of children and childhoods. You also have the opportunity to participate in the activities of the Centre for the History of Colonialisms (http://www.kent.ac.uk/history/centres/colonialisms/index.html).

This programme offers an ideal launching pad for students who envisage careers with an international dimension or plan to embark on doctoral work.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/360/imperial-history

The School of History at the University of Kent offers a great environment in which to research and study. Situated in a beautiful cathedral city with its own dynamic history, the University is within easy reach of the main London archives and is convenient for travelling to mainland Europe.

The School of History is a lively, research-led department where postgraduate students are given the opportunity to work alongside academics recognised as experts in their respective fields. The School was placed eighth nationally for research intensity in the Research Excellence Framework 2014, and consistently scores highly in the National Student Survey.

There is a good community spirit within the School, which includes regular postgraduate social meetings, weekly seminars and a comprehensive training programme with the full involvement of the School’s academic staff. Thanks to the wide range of teaching and research interests in the School, we can offer equally wide scope for research supervision covering British, European, African and American history.

At present, there are particularly strong groupings of research students in imperial and African history, medieval and early modern cultural and social history, early modern religious history, the history and cultural studies of science and medicine, the history of propaganda, military history, war and the media, and the history of Kent.

Course structure

The MA in Imperial History is available for one year full-time, or two years part-time study

Students take four modules: two compulsory and two additional specialist modules (to be chosen from a menu of at least five variable yearly options). 60 further credits are earned through a final 15,000-word-long dissertation.

Modules

Compulsory modules

- Methods and Interpretations in Historical Research
- Themes and Controversies Modern Imperial History
- Dissertation of 15,000 words

Optional modules

- Liberation Struggles in Southern Africa
- War in the Hispanic World since 1808
- Colonial Childhoods
- An Intimate History of the British Empire
- Europe in Crisis, 1900-1925
- No End of a Lesson: Britain and the Boer War
- Writing of Empire and Settlement
- Colonial and Postcolonial Discourses

Assessment

This is by coursework and a 15,000-word dissertation, which counts for one-third of the final grade.

Study support

Postgraduate resources
The resources for historical research at Kent are led by the University’s Templeman Library: a designated European Documentation Centre which holds specialised collections on slavery and antislavery, and on medical science. The Library has a substantial collection of secondary materials to back-up an excellent collection of primary sources including the British Cartoon Archive, newspapers, a large audio-visual library, and a complete set of British Second World War Ministry of Information propaganda pamphlets.

The School has a dedicated Centre for the Study of Propaganda and War, which has a distinctive archive of written, audio and visual propaganda materials, particularly in film, video and DVD. Locally, you have access to: the Canterbury Cathedral Library and Archive (a major collection for the study of medieval and early modern religious and social history); the Centre for Kentish Studies at Maidstone; and the National Maritime Collection at Greenwich. Kent is also within easy reach of the country’s premier research collections in London and the national libraries in Paris and Brussels.

Dynamic publishing culture
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Journal of Contemporary History; English Historical Review; British Journal for the History of Science; Technology and Culture; and War and Society.

Global Skills Award
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme (http://www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills/programmes/gsa.html). The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.

Research areas

Medieval and early modern history
Covering c400–c1500, incorporating such themes as Anglo-Saxon England, early-modern France, palaeography, British and European politics and society, religion and papacy.

Modern history
Covering c1500–present, incorporating such themes as modern British, European and American history, British military history, and 20th-century conflict and propaganda.

History of science, technology and medicine
Incorporating such themes as colonial science and medicine, Nazi medicine, eugenics, science and technology in 19th-century Britain.

Careers

As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, postgraduate qualifications are becoming more attractive to employers seeking individuals who have finely tuned skills and abilities, which our programmes encourage you to hone. As a result of the valuable transferable skills developed during your course of study, career prospects for history graduates are wide ranging. Our graduates go on to a variety of careers, from research within the government to teaching, politics to records management and journalism, to working within museums and galleries – to name but a few.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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Many of the interconnected, global and political processes in the contemporary world stem from the legacies of imperialism and colonialism. This innovative MA provides global, imperial and postcolonial perspectives on the making of the modern world.

This programme analyses the forces of globalisation, the global trajectory and dissemination of ideas, the relationship of knowledge to power, and the history of resistance to imperial expansion. It takes an expansive approach to the global history of ideas by examining representations, images, power, and cultural encounters. You will be taught by some of the foremost experts in their respective fields. The MA has particular, but not exclusive focus on South Asian, African and British Imperial history and cultures.

This programme is ideal for anybody wanting a career with an international aspect, entering fields such as journalism, the civil service, international NGOs and business. Its rigorous intellectual approach will be of particular benefit to those planning to pursue doctoral work, preparatory to an academic career.

The range of topics you will be able to pursue include:

• British Imperial Culture and Identity
• Cultures of Resistance
• Race in Global Perspective
• Colonial Power and Indigenous Knowledge
• Religion and Imperialism
• Anti-colonial Nationalism
• Cross-cultural Encounters

This programme:

• Is interdisciplinary in nature
• Taught by world renowned academics, including Professor Sir Christopher Bayly
• Has an extensive range of module choices

Why study Global and Imperial History at Queen Mary?

The School of History offers a wide range of postgraduate programmes and has a world-class research base. Our high-quality teaching is inspired and informed by our research, and carried out in an atmosphere conducive to learning. Our academic staff have outstanding research reputations and include six Fellows of the British Academy, the former President of the Royal Historical Society and two recipients of the French distinction of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques.

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This programme is unique in teaching the collective history of science, medicine, environment and technology. It is also unique as it offers modules that combine imperial, ethical, and military history with general areas of history of science and medicine.

You learn from experts working in these diverse fields, being taught how different societies, cultures, and races have conceptualised disease, reacted to changes in environment and created different technological artefacts and scientific knowledge. You are introduced to the major and recent historiographical and methodological approaches, become familiar with the main archives in the UK and encouraged to approach the history of medicine, science, environment and technology from past as well as contemporary concerns.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/83/history-of-science-medicine-environment-and-technology

About the School of History

The School of History at the University of Kent offers a great environment in which to research and study. Situated in a beautiful cathedral city with its own dynamic history, the University is within easy reach of the main London archives and is convenient for travelling to mainland Europe.

The School of History is a lively, research-led department where postgraduate students are given the opportunity to work alongside academics recognised as experts in their respective fields. The School was placed eighth nationally for research intensity in the most recent Research Excellence Framework, and consistently scores highly in the National Student Survey.

There is a good community spirit within the School, which includes regular postgraduate social meetings, weekly seminars and a comprehensive training programme with the full involvement of the School’s academic staff. Thanks to the wide range of teaching and research interests in the School, we can offer equally wide scope for research supervision covering British, European, African and American history.

At present, there are particularly strong groupings of research students in medieval and early modern cultural and social history, early modern religious history, the history and cultural studies of science and medicine, the medicine, the history of propaganda, military history, war and the media, and the history of Kent.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

HI878 - Methods and Interpretations of Historical Research (30 credits)
HI866 - Science and Medicine in Context (30 credits)
HI817 - Deformed, Deranged and Deviant (30 credits)
HI827 - Home Front Britain, 1914-18 (30 credits)
HI857 - Geiger Counter at Ground Zero: Explorations of Nuclear America (30 credits)
HI881 - Museums, Material Culture and the History of Science (30 credits)
HI883 - Work Placement (30 credits)

Assessment

All courses are assessed by coursework, and the dissertation counts for half the final grade (comprising one third assessed preparation, two thirds actual dissertation).

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

- place the study of texts, images and documentaries in their historical contexts, at the centre of student learning and analysis

- ensure that students of the history of science, medicine, environment and technology acquire a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the historical modes of theory and analysis

- enable you to understand and use concepts, approaches and methods of the history of science, medicine, environment and technology in different academic contexts and develop an understanding of the differing and contested aspects between, and within, the relevant disciplines

- develop your capacities to think critically about past events and experiences

- encourage you to relate the academic study of the history of science, medicine, environment and technology to questions of public debate and concern

- promote a curriculum supported by scholarship, staff development and a research culture that promotes breadth and depth of intellectual enquiry and debate

- assist you to develop cognitive and transferable skills relevant to your vocational and personal development.

Study support

Postgraduate resources
The resources for historical research at Kent are led by the University’s Templeman Library: a designated European Documentation Centre which holds specialised collections on slavery and antislavery, and on medical science. The Library has a substantial collection of secondary materials to back-up an excellent collection of primary sources including the British Cartoon Archive, newspapers, a large audio-visual library, and a complete set of British Second World War Ministry of Information propaganda pamphlets.

The School has a dedicated Centre for the Study of Propaganda and War, which has a distinctive archive of written, audio and visual propaganda materials, particularly in film, video and DVD. Locally, you have access to: the Canterbury Cathedral Library and Archive (a major collection for the study of medieval and early modern religious and social history); the Centre for Kentish Studies at Maidstone; and the National Maritime Collection at Greenwich. Kent is also within easy reach of the country’s premier research collections in London and the national libraries in Paris and Brussels.

Dynamic publishing culture
Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Journal of Contemporary History; English Historical Review; British Journal for the History of Science; Technology and Culture; and War and Society.

Global Skills Award
All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme (http://www.kent.ac.uk/graduateschool/skills/programmes/gsa.html). The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability

Research areas

Medieval and early modern history
Covering c400–c1500, incorporating such themes as Anglo-Saxon England, early-modern France, palaeography, British and European politics and society, religion and papacy.

Modern history
Covering c1500–present, incorporating such themes as modern British, European and American history, British military history, and 20th-century conflict and propaganda.

History of science, technology and medicine
Incorporating such themes as colonial science and medicine, Nazi medicine, eugenics, science and technology in 19th-century Britain.

Careers

As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, postgraduate qualifications are becoming more attractive to employers seeking individuals who have finely tuned skills and abilities, which our programmes encourage you to hone. As a result of the valuable transferable skills developed during your course of study, career prospects for history graduates are wide ranging. Our graduates go on to a variety of careers, from research within the government to teaching, politics to records management and journalism, to working within museums and galleries – to name but a few.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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The MA History will allow you to focus on a particular period or geographical area, or to study a specific theme such as economic and social history, international history, religious and cultural history, political history, naval and maritime, or gender history. Students also have the option of following one of our specialist pathways or select from our full range of modules by following our open pathway.

Specialist pathways

Early Modern History; Maritime History; Medical History and War and Society

Modules

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.

The programme

- 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 Areas

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:
• Centre for Early Modern Studies
• Centre for Imperial and Global History
• Centre for Maritime Historical Studies
• Centre for War, State and Society
• Centre for Medical History
• Centre for Medieval Studies
• Institute of Cornish Studies

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About the course

This Military History MA offers an in-depth study of warfare on land, sea and air across a range of periods and continents, from the Classical Age to the present.

The core modules on the course examine:

- the Royal Navy in the twentieth century.
- warfare in ancient and medieval times.
- the impact of the French and Industrial Revolutions on warfare in the age of 'total war'

Optional modules give students the opportunity to study the Second World War, warfare in modern Africa and, additionally, the programme draws on Brunel’s expertise in intelligence studies. Students have the chance to take an optional module in this area with Brunel's Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies (BCISS).

Students will also complete a 15,000 dissertation on any military history topic, drawing on the wide expertise of staff in the department.

Aims

The MA in Military History will provide students with a systematic understanding and critical awareness of debates and interpretations of military history.

Students will gain a comprehensive and practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in specific subject areas.

Students will be encouraged to extend and develop their analytical, evaluative and critical capacities, and increase their ability to reflect on their own learning and intellectual development.

The MA in Military History will give students transferable skills in writing, discussion, analysis, and independent judgement.

Students will also work independently, thus demonstrating initiative and the ability to organise their time and work through their research project (a dissertation) of 15,000 words.

Course Content

The MA consists of both compulsory and optional modules, a typical selection can be found below. Modules can vary from year to year, but these offer a good idea of what we teach.

Compulsory modules:

Dissertation
War in History, 1789 to present
The Royal Navy in the Twentieth Century
European Warfare in the Age of Muscle.

Optional modules:

Intelligence History: Failure and Success
The Second World War
War and the Military in Modern African History
International Security

Special Features

Taught by internationally recognised academics in the field of Military History, Naval History, War Studies, Intelligence History and Security/Intelligence Studies.

Situated in London, the MA Military History has established links to world-renowned archives and libraries based in and close to London including the Caird Library (National Maritime Museum), The National Archives and the Imperial War Museum, among others.

Students on the MA Military History can automatically receive membership to the Royal Institute for International Affairs.

Students have access to the Specialist Angus Boulton Military History library held at Brunel University.

The MA in Military History regularly invites guest speakers to lecture on specialist subjects. Previous speakers have included, Professor Ilan Pappe (University of Exeter), Emeritus Professor Avi Shlaim (Oxford University), Sir Tony Brenton (Cambridge University), and Professor Brian Holden-Reid (KCL).

Research at Brunel

The Isambard Centre for Historical Research
The Isambard Centre for Historical Research brings together scholars at Brunel whose work examines the tensions inherent in the transnational connections that have shaped the modern world. The Centre takes its title from the University’s namesake, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. During the nineteenth century, the dockyards, steamships and railways that he built, revolutionised transportation and communication, helping to create the infrastructure that underpinned increasing global trade. People, products, ideas and cultural artefacts were all transmitted along these routes, producing transnational exchanges that stretched across traditional political, cultural and geographic divides. But such processes helped to make borders as well as transcend them. They stimulated anxieties that led to new efforts to control, define and regulate ownership, identity and exchange. Attending to these dual impulses is crucial if we are to understand the social, cultural and political landscapes of the modern world.

Brunel Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies
Brunel's Centre for Intelligence and Security Studies (BCISS) is a University Inter-Disciplinary Research Centre, taking in members from the School of Engineering and Design, School of Law, and from the Department of Economics and Finance from the School of Social Sciences, as well as core members from the Department of Politics and History. BCISS is the first academic Centre established in the UK to deal specifically with intelligence issues, policy and institutions. Established in November 2003 the Centre aims to promote and develop social science and policy-oriented approaches to intelligence.

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Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Ancient History and Classical Culture at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).

The MA in Ancient History and Classical Culture offers a wide range of modules on the history and culture of ancient Greece and Rome, drawing on the expertise of internationally recognised scholars.

Key Features

Every aspect of the modern world has its roots in the civilisations of the Classical world. This MA in Ancient History and Classical Culture allows students to study a range of topics related to the history and culture of the classical world, from the Mycenaean world to the later Roman Empire. The range of options within the Ancient History and Classical Culture MA allows students to specialise in history or literature, or to combine study of the two.

Students on the Ancient History and Classical Culture MA are encouraged to develop a methodological awareness and are introduced to key concepts and interpretative techniques that shape the study of the ancient civilisations in the modern world. This programme develops research skills needed for high-level work in any field of Ancient History and Classical Civilisation.

Students have the opportunity to study ancient Greek or Latin.

Students of the MA Ancient History and Classical Culture can take advantage of the College of Arts and Humanities' Graduate Centre which fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.

Modules

Modules on the Ancient History and Classical Culture course typically include:

• Research Methodologies in Ancient History and Classical Culture

• Ancient Greek or Latin

• Being Greek under Rome: Greek Literature and Culture in the Imperial Period

• The Army in the Roman Empire

• The City in the Greco-Roman World

• Explorers, Travel and Geography

• Saints and Sinners in Christian Late Antiquity

• Greek and Roman Magic: Exploring the Sources

• Private Life in Ancient Egypt

• Romance Refracted and novels renewed

Student Quote

"I studied the BA Ancient History and then the MA in Ancient History and Classical Culture. I chose Swansea University because of the variety of courses on offer in Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology. During my study I immersed myself in both academic and extra-curricular student life. I took up archery and I was a regular member of the University archery team. I enjoy both reading and writing fiction and in my final year of study, I was selected as one of four finalists in the “Swansea Life Young Writing Category” of the “Dylan Thomas Prize”. I held several positions of responsibility in the Society of Ancient Studies which was amazing; and I organised social events such as visits to sites such as Hadrian’s Wall, the British Museum, Caerleon, and Rome. I also had the opportunity to work on the Church Hill archaeological excavation (a suspected Roman villa) and the excavation at Oystermouth Castle organised jointly by the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust. I thoroughly enjoyed my four years at Swansea."

Shaun Mudd

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This masters degree is designed for students who want to prepare for a PhD or gain research skills and knowledge in a specific area of history for their professional development. You research an aspect of modern British, European or global history and develop skills as a researcher and specialist in your area.

During the course you work towards a 30,000 word dissertation on a topic agreed between you and your supervisor. It is ideal if you want to pursue a specific topic or research area in detail.

Throughout the course you receive one-to-one support from an experienced supervisor with expertise in your chosen area of study. Your supervisor guides you through the course, helping you conduct a literature survey and engage with theoretical, methodological and critical issues.

This is a flexible course that allows you to combine work with professional development. Supervision sessions are arranged individually with your supervisory team ensuring content is tailored to your individual needs.

We have a vibrant research culture and we value and support all our research students who make a vital contribution to the intellectual life of the University. There are regular research training events, seminars and informal meetings where you can practise delivering conference papers in a supportive environment. Funds are available to support you in attending conferences and we encourage you to deliver papers and publish your work. The Humanities Research Centre runs a monthly postgraduate research group which functions as an informal setting where postgraduates can get to know one another and where they have the opportunity to present and discuss their work.

We are a group of 18 historians specialising in the period from the late eighteenth century to the present. We have research clusters in:

• imperial and global history
• economic and business history
• women’s and gender history
• European history
• popular culture and politics in Britain

Current staff research interests are wide-ranging and include • Africans in Europe / Black European history • modern Armenia • Britain and the Great War • the history of Czechoslovakia • colonialism and anti-colonialism in India • economic crises and disasters • European colonialism and imperialism • feminism and empire • German history in the twentieth century • globalisation • industrial and natural disasters • labour history • local and community history • migration • military and naval history • nineteenth-century radicalism and popular politics • rural history • Stalinism • US history.

Please see the Humanities staff pages for a list of staff and their current research.

This degree is hosted in the Faculty of Development and Society Graduate School.

Course structure

You complete

• research skills workshops
• 30,000 word dissertation

Assessment

• 30,000 word dissertation and viva

Employability

This research degree offers you continuing professional development, particularly in related areas such as • teaching • media • journalism • marketing • editing • publishing. You also gain more general employability skills.

The course also provides an established route into a PhD and an academic career.

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This Master's degree in history will expand and deepen your understanding of world history through the exploration of global perspectives and the interconnections that work across geographical and national boundaries. The course will introduce you to a wide range of approaches, including comparative histories of empires, nationalism and decolonisation, migration and diaspora, world culture and global archives. You will be encouraged to think expansively about connections between historical themes in world history and you can also focus on a particular region of the world, such as South and East Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and the USA. Drawing on the wide spread of research and teaching expertise within the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology and other departments at Birkbeck, the programme features a wide range of comparative and interdisciplinary modules.

The core module explores specific topics and questions in world history and will equip you with the conceptual ideas and skills needed to study history at postgraduate level. You can then choose 3 option modules from a wide variety, opting, if you wish, to take a focused pathway through the degree by specialising in the history of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, or the imperial and postcolonial periods. You will be encouraged to develop both conceptual and theoretical approaches to understanding the historical development of the modern world, as well as learning research methods that will enable you to specialise in a particular topic of your choosing and undertake the researching and writing of a dissertation.

The course is designed to offer you training to continue on to PhD research in topics in comparative and global history, if you wish, but it will also equip you with the specialist knowledge and transferable skills you need to work in a wide range of intellectually challenging environments, including policy research, media, NGOs and public history.

Teaching staff

Course director: Dr Julia Lovell

Other staff who teach on this MA programme include:

Dr Fred Anscombe
Professor David Feldman
Dr Julia Lovell
Dr Jan Rueger
Dr Hilary Sapire
Professor Naoko Shimazu
Professor Frank Trentmann.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Arts and humanities courses at Birkbeck are ranked third best in London and 11th in the UK in the Times Higher Education 2015-16 World University Subject Rankings.
This Master's degree explores the making of the modern world from comparative, global perspectives.
The programme allows you to follow your own interests, with a wide choice of option modules, while developing your research skills and developing a dissertation in an area that interests you.
Our Department of History, Classics and Archaeology is one of the leading research and teaching departments for history in the UK. It is ranked 6th in the UK for the percentage of our research deemed world-leading or internationally excellent.
Our academic staff are international authorities in their fields, delivering stimulating, research-led teaching.
Our department is home to thriving student societies and a number of affiliated research centres that actively run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research. These include the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, the Raphael Samuel History Centre and the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities.
We are located 5 minutes' walk from the British Museum and the British Library, while the Museum of London is easily reachable. The Institute of Historical Research is located in Bloomsbury, near the main Birkbeck campus, and has an internationally renowned library collection and seminars that you can attend.
Birkbeck Library has an extensive history collection, including the major specialist journals, and access to online materials.

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A research degree in your chosen history subject is a period of intensive, supervised investigative work. It builds on your previous academic or professional experience and allows you to develop an original area of expertise.

You work closely with a director of studies and a supervisor who are specialists in your chosen field to produce an extended thesis of up to 80,000 words in the case of doctoral research.

We have a vibrant research culture and we value and support all our research students who make a vital contribution to the intellectual life of the University. There are regular research training events, seminars and informal meetings where you can practise delivering conference papers in a supportive environment. Funds are available to support you in attending conferences and we encourage you to deliver papers and publish your work.

We are regularly advertising studentships funded by Sheffield Hallam University directly or through the North of England Consortium for the Arts and Humanities. It may also be possible to apply for Arts and Humanities Research Council studentships. Some part-time teaching may also be available.

We are a group of 18 historians specialising in the period from the late eighteenth century to the present. We have research clusters in:

• imperial and global history
• economic and business history
• women’s and gender history
• European history
• popular culture and politics in Britain

Current staff research interests are wide-ranging and include • Africans in Europe/Black European history • modern Armenia • Britain and the Great War • the history of Czechoslovakia • colonialism and anti-colonialism in India • economic crises and disasters • European colonialism and imperialism • feminism and empire • German history in the twentieth century • globalisation • industrial and natural disasters • labour history • local and community history • migration • military and naval history • nineteenth-century radicalism and popular politics • rural history • Stalinism • US history.

Please see the Humanities staff pages for a list of staff and their current research.

This degree is hosted in the Faculty of Development and Society Graduate School.

Course structure

Full-time – at least 35 hours a week on average over three years

Part-time – at least 12 hours a week on average for up to seven years

There is a split mode available for international students who want to study in their own country.

Various start dates

Your study depends on your chosen area of research but includes a compulsory research methods module for students without prior research qualifications at postgraduate level.

Assessment

• research programme submitted for approval by our research degrees committee
• report and oral presentation for the confirmation of PhD stage
• submission of thesis and viva

Employability

Following your research degree, you can go on to teach history in further and higher education. You can also find careers in other related areas such as

• museums
• work as an archivist
• a career in libraries
• university administration
• the media.

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Based in the Department of War Studies, the MA History of War examines the social, cultural and operational aspects of war from broad historiographical and interdisciplinary perspectives. With close links to the Department of History and the Institute of Contemporary British History, students can study most aspects of the history of armed conflict and society from the late medieval period to the present day.

Key benefits

- The Department of War Studies is internationally recognised as a global centre of excellence and is highly regarded by the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research council as a high calibre training institution.

- It is one of the only university departments in the world devoted exclusively to the study of war as a human phenomenon. A remarkable diversity of research interests, disciplinary approaches, opinion and background exists in the department among both staff and students, reflecting the variety and complexity of the issues raised by war and the study of war.

- Students are taught by the best; experts and pioneers in their fields who are often at the forefront of world events as they happen. Our stellar academic cohort bring not only a wealth of knowledge but also an extensive and continually growing network of links with other departments, think-tanks, organisations, policy-making bodies and institutions.

- Situated close to the seat of Government, the City, the Imperial War Museum, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court students have unique opportunities to network with key high profile visitors, from academics to government ministers, ambassadors and generals.

- The MA programmes in the Department of War Studies are designed to enhance your analytical, conceptual, research and critical thinking skills which will increase your employability and aid professional career development.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/history-of-war-ma.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

Our programme challenges you to examine war from broad historiographical and interdisciplinary perspectives, taking as a given that the history of warfare cannot be isolated from the study of general history. It encompasses more than what usually falls into the category of military history to include war from the viewpoint of combatants, societies, economies and cultures across the landscape of modern history, and in the spirit of war studies draws on the literature and methodology of other academic disciplines where appropriate.

Our MA History of War aims to equip you with the knowledge, understanding and skills you require to progress to advanced research in the field. To that end, it has been created with a compulsory module focused on research and analytical skills, supported by a range of optional modules addressing individual aspects of the history of warfare over time and across a wide geographical and thematic range. Our programme prepares you for future doctoral research into the history of warfare and related fields. It can also be taken as a free-standing master's degree if you are interested in warfare in the past and the intellectual, methodological and practical skills essential to its study.

- Course purpose -
Our programme offers you the opportunity to engage critically with the methods, materials and debates inherent in the study of the history of warfare.

- Course format and assessment -

Most of the 20-credit modules will be assessed by one 4,000-word essay or two 2000-word essays. However, some 20-credit modules will be assessed on class participation and attendance, oral vivas or exams, or a combination of these.

Most 40-credit modules are assessed through a combination of essays (3,000-6,000 words), class participation and attendance, oral vivas and exams.

The dissertation module assessment will be on the research proposal (10%) and the dissertation (up to 15,000 words) (90%) for some programmes or solely on the dissertation for others.

Career prospects

Designed as a research preparation degree for those wishing to continue and to study for a PhD, it is also a valuable stand-alone degree. Students on MA programmes in the department have gone on to build careers in further academic research, NGOs, civil service, NATO, UN, media and publishing, finance and investment, teaching and the armed forces. For more information about career prospects and graduate destinations see: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/employability.aspx

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 20 universities worldwide (2015/16 QS World Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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Our MA in History at Kingston University offers an exciting and wide-ranging programme, teaching within a friendly and supportive department, and access to London's unrivalled research archives, libraries and museums. Taught modules from which you can choose are built around our research expertise in 20th-century and contemporary Britain, modern international and imperial history, and the 18th century and French Revolutionary period. The course is also tailored to your interests and needs, with full- and part-time routes, and a dissertation on your own research interest.

Key features
-Taught modules built around our research expertise in 20th-century Britain, modern international and imperial history and the 18th century and French Revolutionary period.
-Benefit from London's vast range of historical centres, museums and resources, including the National Archives at nearby Kew and the British Library, and from access to cultural and policy-making figures working in the capital.
-Be taught in our friendly and supportive environment, in small groups, and with one to one supervision for your dissertation on a research project of your choice. Enjoy flexibility, with our full- and part-time routes.
-Engage with our programme of eminent visiting speakers, who give talks on their latest historical research
-Training in historical skills, such as using archives and exploring history through ICT. Also, contribute to our department's highly active history blog.

What will you study?

You will take a core module, Doing History, which ranges across historical debates, archives and digital resources. It will expose you to the latest debates within the historical profession, while also providing training in historical skills, such as using archives and exploring history through ICT. This will help equip you for your dissertation, on your chosen research topic, on which you will work one-to-one with an assigned specialist supervisor. Module assignments can be tailored to fit your research interests. You will also choose two option modules from the following three: Twentieth-Century Britain: Politics, Society and Culture; International History; and The Eighteenth Century: Revolution, Empire and Society.

We offer a wide range of events and social activities, through our student History Society, a guest speaker programme, and departmental blog: http://historyatkingston.wordpress.com/.

Assessment

Essays, written assignments, presentations, and dissertation.

Course structure

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list.

Core modules
-Doing History: Theory Methods and Practice
-Dissertation

Option modules (choose two)
-Twentieth-Century Britain: Politics, Society and Culture
-International History
-The Eighteenth Century: Revolution, Empire and Society

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The MA in Ancient History offers students whose interests centre on the study of ancient history the opportunity to take a specialist higher degree tailored to those interests.

Course Overview

If you wish to expand your knowledge of the history of Ancient Greek and Roman societies at a postgraduate level, then the MA in Ancient History is for you. The Ancient History scheme allows you to study a wide range of modules covering not only fascinating figures like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, but also basic aspects of everyday life, such as warfare and the economy.

The MA Ancient History offers students whose interests centre on the study of ancient history the opportunity to take a specialist higher degree tailored to those interests. Students will take a balance of modules in both Greek and Roman history, and may focus on one or other of the two societies in their dissertation module. The Greek modules cover the archaic, classical and Hellenistic periods while there are three primary foci for the study of Roman history: the Republican period; the Imperial Roman West; and, the Roman East, including Egypt and India.

Modules

-Power and Culture in the Hellenistic East
-Between Narrative and Interpretation: Writing History in the Ancient World
-The Greek Economy in the Archaic and Classical Periods
-Early Rome and Italy
-Life in the Eastern Desert of Egypt

Key Features

Providing our students with a range of learning opportunities and excellent teaching is the primary aim of the School of Classics. We employ innovative methods and approaches that enhance our students’ learning throughout their studies.

All our modules are taught by specialists and active researchers. The influence of our research on our teaching offers our students the opportunity to learn from the best in the subject and follow the latest scholarly trends and discoveries.

Our programme is designed to help learners both on campus and at a distance. Our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a live forum through which students and staff can interact, through which students are better able to revise and explore difficult topics and through which students are better able to access the electronic resources available in the virtual world.

Studying Ancient History with us here at University of Wales Trinity Saint David means research-led teaching and research-active learning in an environment that allows for both full use of the virtual world and the personal approach of expert tuition.

Assessment

An MA degree in Ancient History involves a wide range of assessment methods. In addition to traditional essays, you will be assessed through bibliographic exercises, presentations – oral and PowerPoint based, creation of abstracts, in-house conference papers, article reviews, creation of project plans and, of course, the dissertation. This variety of assessment helps develop skills in presenting material in clear, professional and a lucid manner, whether orally or in writing.

The assessment is on the student’s own subject of choice in relation to each module, always in consultation with the relevant tutor. Most modules are assessed by long essays, but some modules are assessed by alternative means, such as conference-style presentations.

Career Opportunities

The programme provides a broad foundation for postgraduate work, by laying particular emphasis on the methodologies and research tools needed for independent advanced study, thus acting as training for students who intend to undertake an MPhil or PhD.

The course also provides a professional qualification for teachers or others seeking Continuing Professional Development.

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This course covers the history of science, technology and medicine, integrating the study of these areas and addressing big historical and policy questions. Students are introduced to general themes and approaches to this field in a team-taught, programme-specific module which explores the development of science, technology and medicine and its implications for history in general.

Key benefits

- Programme incorporates a distinctive approach to history, integrating the study of science, technology and medicine and being particularly concerned with addressing big historical and policy questions.

- Led by staff from the Department of History, ranked 5th in the UK for Research Quality (REF 2014), including those former members of Imperial College Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine (CHoSTM), and at the fore of innovation and excellence in the history of science, technology and medicine.

- The central London location offers students unrivalled access to world-class museums, collections, archives and libraries as well as easy access to resources in Europe.

- Vibrant research culture, including seminars and conferences at which students are encouraged to participate and give papers.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/science-technology-and-medicine-in-history-ma.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

The programme provides teaching and research training at the postgraduate level in the history of science, technology and medicine (HSTM). It includes training in the research skills necessary for those who wish to go on to study for a PhD in the field, but is also designed for students who wish simply to study at the postgraduate level. Students are introduced to general themes and approaches to HSTM in a team-taught, programme-specific compulsory module. This explores the development of STM, its implications for history in general, and the historiographical and methodological issues that arise in studying it. Optional modules offer in-depth training in particular aspects of HSTM in different periods and places, with the opportunity to use primary sources where appropriate.

- Course purpose -

Provides a distinctive programme suitable both for those intending to proceed to a PhD and also for those who wish to study the history of science, technology and medicine at an advanced level. Encourages a distinctive approach to history, integrating the study of science, technology and medicine and being particularly concerned with addressing big historical and policy questions.

- Course format and assessment -

Full-time study: 4-8 hours of taught classes per week.

Part-time study: 2-6 hours of taught classes per week.

The taught compulsory and optional modules are assessed by coursework and/or take-home examination. The compulsory 15,000 word dissertation enables students to research a topic of their choice, working one-to-one with an academic supervisor.

Career Prospects:

Leads to further research or careers in teaching, archives, the media, finance, politics and heritage industries.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016/17 QS World University Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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The MRes Ancient History offers students whose interests centre on the study of ancient history the opportunity to take a specialist research-intensive degree tailored to those interests and to pursue their own independent research to a further extent than in an MA.

Course Overview

The MRes is a degree best suited to students with a proven penchant for independent research. The MRes includes 60 credits (3 modules) of taught modules, but the main focus of the degree is on a longer piece of individual research (30,000 words). Applicants are required to discuss their proposed research with the School before application, and the proposed research must be in one of the areas of supervision offered by the School of Classics.

The MRes in Ancient History begins with a specialist Research Methodology module introducing students to the multiple sources, materials, theories and methodologies for the study of ancient Greek and Roman civilisations. Students then have the opportunity to choose two modules according to their own interests in the ancient world, with the option to specialise in a particular aspect of ancient history, whether in chronological terms, such as Greek or Roman history, or in terms of themes, such as the ancient economy. The choice of taught modules gives students not only the opportunity to explore areas that they might not have had the opportunity to study before, but also to specialise in a specific aspect of the ancient world in preparation for the MRes dissertation.

The dissertation is the greater part of the MRes in Ancient History, as students have the opportunity to conceive and research a topic of their own design of greater length and depth than the MA dissertation.

This will enable those students with a greater preference for independent research, and perhaps with a clearer sense at the start of the programme of what they would like to base their research upon, to undertake in-depth research within a structured programme of study. It will also provide students with an excellent introductory pathway into further study at MPhil or PhD level.

Modules

-Julius Caesar and his Times:
-Pagans, Jews, and Christians in Late Antiquity
-History and Historians in the Ancient World
-Power and Culture in the Hellenistic East
-Ancient Medicine: Myth and Practice
-Women in ancient Myth and Society

Key Features

The MRes in Ancient History is designed to provide students with a penchant for independent research the opportunity to pursue research into a subject of their own choice. The subject of the dissertation is discussed and agreed in advance, and it is expected that the choice of taught modules will relate to the research subject chosen.

The main general areas of research supervision in the School are:
-Greek and Roman epic
-Latin poetry of the late Republican and Imperial periods
-Literary uses of mythology
-Greek and Roman Africa
-Hellenistic Asia Minor and the Near East
-Identity, ethnicity and ethnogenesis in the Roman empire
-Roman religion
-Ancient Economy, particularly of the Greek Classical period and of the Roman empire
-Greek and Roman historiography
-Sex and Gender in the ancient world
-Health and healing in the ancient world
-Graeco-Roman relations with India

The above are general subject areas. Please contact us to discuss your specific ideas and interests.

Providing our students with a range of learning opportunities and excellent teaching is the primary aim of the School of Classics. We employ innovative methods and approaches that enhance our students’ learning throughout their studies.

All our modules are taught by specialists and active researchers. The influence of our research on our teaching offers our students the opportunity to learn from the best in the subject and follow the latest scholarly trends and discoveries, whilst our independent study modules allow you to explore your passion in its entirety.

Our programme is designed to help learners both on campus and at a distance. Our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a live forum through which students and staff can interact, through which students are able better to revise and explore difficult topics and through which students are better able to access the electronic resources available in the virtual world.

Studying Ancient History with us here at Trinity Saint David means research-led teaching and research-active learning in an environment that allows for both full use of the virtual world and the personal approach of expert tuition.

Assessment

An MRes degree in Ancient History involves a wide range of assessment methods. In addition to traditional essays, you will be assessed through bibliographic exercises, presentations – oral and powerpoint based, creation of abstracts, in-house conference papers, article reviews, creation of project plans and, of course, the dissertation. This variety of assessment helps develop skills in presenting material in clear, professional and a lucid manner, whether orally or in writing.

This breadth of assessment type creates variety in the student experience, allowing you to explore the subject in different ways, and also embeds within the Ancient History programme the specific employability skills desired, indeed required, by employers today.

Career Opportunities

The programme provides a broad foundation for postgraduate work, by laying particular stress on the methodologies and research tools needed for independent advanced study, thus acting as training for students who intend to undertake an MPhil or PhD.

The course also provides a professional qualification for teachers or others seeking Continuing Professional Development.

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Advanced study of global political, economic, and cultural interactions, the history of empires and the transnational histories of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Students take a compulsory module in Transnational History and options from any department of King’s and other London colleges. It leads to doctoral level research and careers in education, journalism, finance, politics and cultural sectors.

Key benefits

- One of the best history departments in the world, ranked 5th in the UK for Research Quality (REF 2014) and in the Top 10 departments of History in Europe (QS World University Rankings 2015).

- King's graduates enjoy one of the best employment rates and starting salaries in the UK. Ranked 6th in the UK for graduate employment (Times and Sunday Times Good Universities Guide 2016)

- The most comprehensive coverage of the history of the European seaborne empires of any university in the UK and has key figures in the study of South Asia, Australia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

- The central London location offers students unrivalled access to world-class museums, collections, archives and libraries as well as easy access to resources in Europe.

- Vibrant research culture, including seminars and conferences at which students are encouraged to participate and give papers.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/world-history-and-cultures-ma.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

King's College London has since the 1920s been a key international centre for Imperial and Global History. This MA course provides students with a core training in global and transnational history, while offering broad scope for personally-tailored interdisciplinary education, as students choose four optional modules from any offered by any department at King's College London, or from available MA courses at our London partner institutions (which including UCL, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway and Birkbeck). Students have particular scope to conduct their own research programmes, and can draw on an exceptional range of expertise within the World History research cluster of King's, which includes experts on Africa, South Asia, China, Latin America and the Caribbean, Australia, and the Middle East, as well as leading historians of the British Empire, Portuguese Empire, and French Empire. Many students coming out of this MA have gone on to fully-funded PhD studentships at King's, UCL, Oxford, Cambridge, Princeton and other universities, and others to careers in the civil and foreign services, education, journalism, finance, politics and cultural sectors.

- Course purpose -

To provide training in the historiographical and technical skills necessary for further study, and also to allow students to develop special expertise in areas of history and the humanities which attract them. Suitable both for potential academics and for personal interest, but particularly aimed at those students with a clear research interest looking to progress in academic study.

- Course format and assessment -

All taught modules are studied through seminars and individually supervised coursework. The 15,000 word dissertation enables students to research a topic of their choice, working one-to-one with an academic supervisor.

Career Prospects:

Leads to further research or careers in teaching, archives, the media, finance, politics and heritage industries.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 21 universities worldwide (2016/17 QS World University Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

Read less