Masters Degrees (Local)

The MA in Local History offers students interested in the history, cultural and development of their local area the opportunity for advanced study and research within a collaborative and academic environment.

Course Overview

In recent years, local history groups have flourished in our communities. This course offers the guidance and support of professional historians for such interests. Although it focuses upon the specific local history of South West Wales, it will also draw upon a general awareness of historical trends and a detailed working knowledge of Welsh history.

The practical research element will familiarise students with research strategies and resources and will encourage them to undertake their own individual original research based upon their personal interests. Successful presentations could be considered for publication in relevant local history journals or as monographs.

The course offers focused support in practical research skills and techniques and detailed analysis of primary material, much of it untapped, which exists in both Welsh and English. Students will be able to make use of the excellent facilities available in local county libraries and record offices.

The course will explore a range of questions that include : How do we define 'local history'? How does local history relate to the wider Welsh and British contexts? What factors forged the lives of the ordinary people of South West Wales in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries? What sources are available for in depth local history research? And what skills will be fostered by an MA in Local History?

Modules

-Agricultural Experiences
-Educational Experiences
-Industrial Experiences
-Popular Culture 1860 - 1960
-Social Experiences.
-Research Methods

Key Features

-Established in 1995 - this course is unique in Wales
-Experienced and dedicated staff
-An opportunity to pursue an individual, personal and original research project in local and regional history
-Attractive to anyone interested in the history of South West Wales, in the methodology of practical historical research and of course in historical debate and inquiry
-Ample library and archival resources in the locality
-An opportunity to submit work in Welsh and, if there is sufficient demand, to take certain modules through the medium of Welsh
-High success rate

Assessment

Assessment is usually based on written work in the form of long and short essays, reports, book reviews and reflective pieces.

Career Opportunities

This course is aimed at those with an interest in local and regional history and how it relates to the national and international perspective. It is ideal for the continuing professional develop of those working in the fields of teaching, research, librarianship, the Museum Service as well as the heritage and tourism industry.

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About the MSc programme

Rapid technological change, an unprecedented drive towards globalisation of the world economy and the rapid expansion of world trade are among some of the changes affecting economic development today.

In this context, local and regional economies increasingly need new responses and demand specialist skills to exploit the opportunities these changes offer. The MSc Local Economic Development, accredited by the Institute for Economic Development (IED), prepares you to meet these challenges.

You will focus on the variety of ways in which local and regional agencies can work with the private sector in order to stimulate local economies. You will also develop an understanding of the local, national and international trends in business organisation and a knowledge of the variety of local agents involved. The programme emphasises management issues of local capacity building, attracting investment, network building, infrastructure and human resources, and focuses as well on the rationale and impact of regional and local development policies and on the role of institutions.

The programme is targeted at two groups of students: first, those who have recently finished a first degree in a relevant discipline and want to develop specific skills and an understanding of local and regional economic development; second, managers of local economic development institutions who want to widen and deepen their existing knowledge. The MSc is also an ideal starting point for a career in economic development research.

Please note that MSc Local Economic Development is currently being restructured for 2018-19, please check the following link for any updates:

http://www.lse.ac.uk/study-at-lse/Graduate/Degree-programmes-2018/MSc-Local-Economic-Development

Graduate destinations

Previous graduates are working in international organisations (eg the UN system [including ILO, UNDP, FAO], World Bank, OECD, European Union, World Trade Conference), national and regional governments, international consultancy, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), research centres and leading universities. 

Further information on graduate destinations for this programme

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The Postgraduate Certificate in Family and Local History is an online distance learning course aimed at developing the skills needed to study family and local history. The course helps you to identify and use archives and other resources which are an important and sometimes neglected aspect of researching family history. Archives will help you discover more about the world that your ancestors lived in.

Aims of the Programme

This programme teaches the skills and methodologies necessary to investigate the history of families and neighbourhoods within the wider context of social history.

The courses are online, easy to use and fully supported. You can do them wherever you live and can log onto the site at whatever time you wish to study. You will work your way through the courses with other students and will be able to discuss the topics on a discussion forum. Your tutor will provide support and guidance throughout.

If you want to go further with your family and local history research and to learn in a supportive, enjoyable and interactive environment, these courses are for you.

"Being able to take a program like this when one lives thousands of miles away from the school and fellow classmates is an incredible feeling. I have really enjoyed my time at Dundee."

This programme provides students with:
Skills in finding and interpreting archive sources for family and local history.
An understanding of how to read old handwriting and to recognise common forms of documents.
Knowledge of family history and archive websites and published sources that will help you with your research - for yourself or for others.
A thorough understanding of record types, the reasons for their creation, their location and the information they contain.
An expertise in finding, analysing and interpreting archival records for family and local history research.
An awareness of the historical context in which the records were created and used.
A knowledge of archival theory as it applies to research.
An understanding of the legal and ethical issues relating to research using archival records.

The course is available by distance learning to students off-campus, throughout the world.

Students study a series of core and optional modules which have full academic accreditation from the University of Dundee. The programme is delivered by distance learning via the University of Dundee's Virtual Learning Environment which ensures a supportive and interactive learning environment, with frequent contact between students and tutors.

Centre for Archive and Information Studies

The Centre for Archive and Information Studies (CAIS) is part of the University's Archive, Records Management and Museum Services (ARMMS) which is responsible for the care and development of the University's historical collections, the management of systems to control business records and compliance with information legislation across the University.

CAIS offers postgraduate and undergraduate distance learning programmes for information professionals and family and local historians, delivered in an interactive online environment and allowing flexible part time study.

CAIS also conducts a number of associated activities such as hosting a range of presentations, seminars and conferences, the attraction of external funding and occasional taught training courses in collaboration with experts in the field throughout the UK and beyond.

Course Content and Structure

Mlitt degree:

To qualify for the MLitt in Family and Local History, students must complete a total of 180 credits.
Compulsory modules total 40 credits:
Skills and sources for Family and Local History in Scotland or England - 20 credits
Scots or English Palaeography and Diplomatic - 20 credits
Students can then choose to study a selection of optional modules, to equal 80 credits.

The list of options can be found on the CAIS website. 20 credit modules last for 15 weeks, 10 credit modules last for 9 weeks. Finally, a dissertation of 18,000 words is completed (60 credits).

PG Certificate:
To qualify for the Certificate in Family and Local History, students must complete a total of 60 credits. Students must complete one of the following core modules, but they can elect to study both if they so desire:
Skills and Sources for Family and Local History in Scotland (20 credits)
Skills and Sources for Family and Local History in England (20 credits)
Students can then choose to study a selection of optional modules to complete their total of 60 credits.

Assessment

Essays/reports; contribution to module (through online tasks and discussion board debate), dissertation of 18,000 words for MLitt students.

Student Support

The programme is delivered by distance learning via the University of Dundee's web-based Virtual Learning Environment which ensures a supportive and interactive learning environment, with frequent contact between students and tutors. The VLE gives access to study materials, links to on-line journals, discussion boards and research guides. Module tutors provide regular feedback and support to the students.

Optional study days are available for some of the modules and optional student visits will be arranged.

Professional Accreditation

All CAIS programmes are accredited by the UK Archives and Records Association and The Records and Information Management (RIM) Professionals Australasia.

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This MA course is the most comprehensive of its kind in England. It is provided by the internationally famous Centre for English Local History, at the University of Leicester. This Centre was founded by Professor W.G. Hoskins in 1948, and has long been at the forefront of the discipline, having had huge experience of postgraduate training at MA, MPhil and PhD levels. Its staff (who currently include three professors) are leaders in their subjects, and the ex-staff include scholars such as Alan Everitt, Joan Thirsk, Charles Phythian-Adams, Margaret Spufford and other prominent historians. Its students progress into many types of employment in heritage-related sectors, museums, record offices, local government, landscape management, further research, academic jobs, adult education, teaching, and associated areas of work. Many others have done the MA course for their own pleasure, developing their interests in family or local history. Many MA students have also gone on to do PhDs in the Centre.

The MA course aims to provide students with a training in `the Leicester approach' to local and regional history, and to equip them with the historical skills necessary to pursue research in this field. The MA course is comparative across the nation, grounded in an interest in landscapes and the communities associated with them, cultural in its concerns, sensitive to long-term chronologies, conceptually aware, and interdisciplinary in its methods. It is designed to furnish an up-to-date springboard into careers involving local history. Yet it also appeals to many whose interests are recreational, genealogical or family-oriented, who have leisure interests linked to landscape appreciation, or those who find knowledge of local history essential as a way of enlarging their interpretation and understanding of the world and communities around them.

The Centre for English Local History is accommodated in The Marc Fitch Historical Institute, three attractive Victorian villas near the main university campus. It contains an important library covering most English regions, an impressive map room, and many other resources and collections essential for local historical studies. The main University Library houses an exceptional local history collection covering all counties of England and Wales. These facilities make Leicester unique among provincial universities for the comprehensiveness of its holdings in local and regional history. Grants are available from a number of sources to assist students studying at the Centre.

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The MSc programme draws on knowledge and skills acquired in many years of providing specialist classes in local history, and profits from close links with local, social and economic historians elsewhere in the University. The programme is overseen by the University’s Continuing Education Board, and admission is through the Department for Continuing Education. All graduate students must apply also for membership of a college. Most choose to become members of Kellogg College, which caters particularly for part-time mature students and which is closely associated with the Department.

The Critchley Scholarship for 2015 entry:
We are pleased to announce a new scholarship which will be awarded to the applicant with the greatest academic potential who is applying for the course for entry in September 2015. The award will fund half of the EU/UK tuition fees for the course. All applicants will be considered for the award.

Visit the website https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/msc-in-english-local-history

Introduction

Teaching and supervision on the MSc programme is provided by the Department’s University Lecturer, Dr Mark Smith, and specialist tutors from the Department and elsewhere in Oxford and further afield. An impression of the interests represented in the Department’s teaching and research supervision can be gained from the Advanced Papers currently offered as part of the Master’s course: Power and patronage in the later medieval localities; Kinship, culture and community: Provincial elites in early modern England; Poverty and the Poor Law in England, 1660-1800; Enclosure and rural change, 1750-1850; Religion and community in England, 1830-1914; The social history of English architecture, 1870-1940; the English suburb, 1800-1939.

The Department’s graduate students are members of the Continuing Education Graduate School and have access to the full range of Oxford University’s library, archive and computing facilities.

The course is designed to combine a systematic training in historical research techniques with the study of a range of major local historical themes and the chance to undertake an individually researched dissertation. It will be relevant to potential or practising teachers, archaeologists, environmental planners, archivists, librarians, museum professionals and teachers in adult education, and indeed anyone wishing to pursue the subject for its own sake.

IT skills

Please note that most Departmental courses require assignments to be submitted online, and although the online submission system is straightforward and has step by step instructions, it does assume students have access to a PC and a sufficient level of computing experience and skill to upload their assignments. Applicants should be familiar with the use of computers for purposes such as word-processing, using e-mail and searching the Internet.

College Affiliation

It is a requirement of Oxford University that Master of Science students are matriculated members of the University and one of its colleges. Masters students based in the Department for Continuing Education are encouraged to apply to become members of Kellogg College. In previous intakes almost all students on this course have chosen to join Kellogg. Continuing education and life-long learning in Oxford have been formally linked to the collegiate system of the University since 1990, when Kellogg College, the University’s 36th college, was established. Kellogg College is specifically geared to the needs of mature and part-time students

Libraries and computing facilities

Registered students receive an Oxford University card, valid for one year at a time, which acts as a library card for the Departmental Library at Rewley House and provides access to the unrivalled facilities of the Bodleian Libraries which include the central Bodleian, major research libraries such as the Sackler Library, Taylorian Institution Library, Bodleian Social Science Library, and faculty libraries such as English and History. Students also have access to a wide range of electronic resources including electronic journals, many of which can be accessed from home. Students on the course are entitled to use the Library at Rewley House for reference and private study and to borrow books. The loan period is normally two weeks and up to eight books may be borrowed. Students will also be encouraged to use their nearest University library. More information about the Continuing Education Library can be found at http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/conted

The University card also provides access to facilities at Oxford University Computing Service (OUCS), 13 Banbury Road, Oxford. Computing facilities are available to students in the Students'Computing Facility in Rewley House and at Ewert House.

Assessment

Assessment is based on a mix of coursework assignments and a dissertation. The assessment falls into two parts, the first of which is called by the University a Qualifying Test and the second of which is called the Final Examination.

The Qualifying Test

The Qualifying Test, which must be passed in order to proceed to the rest of the degree, consists of a total of three assignments related to the work of the first term.

Assignment 1: A review of a work of local history (500 words). 10% of the marks for the test.

Assignment 2: An essay on issues relating to the nature of local history (2,000-2,500 words). 40% of the marks for the test.

Assignment 3: An essay on issues relating to the sources and practices of local history, especially the relationship of fieldwork and/or quantification to other sources and approaches (2,500-3,000 words). 50% of the marks for the test.

The Final Examination
The second part of the assessment determines the final classification of the MSc and comprises eight written assignments and a dissertation.

There will be 2 x 2,500 word assignments for each of the Sources, Methods and Foundations papers. (In total the assignments for the Sources, Methods and Foundations papers comprise 10% of the marks for the final examination.)

There will be 2 x 5,000 word essays for each of the Advanced Papers. (In total the essays for the Advanced Papers comprise 40% of the marks for the final examination.)

There will be a dissertation of 15,000 words (The dissertation counts as 50% of the marks for the final examination.)

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Master's in Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities

Analysing and reflecting on sustainability transformations in cities and regions with regard to topics such as waste, energy, water, transportation and climate change.

Cities around the world are dealing with environmental issues: air pollution, urban heat islands, stormwater flooding, the growing accumulation of solid waste. What can be done to keep citizens safe from environmental hazards and natural disasters? What is needed to ensure a pleasant living environment? And how can residents, commuters and businesses be stimulated – or if necessary, forced with legislation or financial sanctions – to do their bit? With the problems increasing, rather than diminishing, there’s a growing demand for professionals with an expertise in the development of sustainable cities.

The Master’s specialisation in Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities focuses on the local level of sustainability transformations. You’ll be introduced to the latest scientific insights, which will be illustrated with numerous examples of how cities and regions all over the world tackle these problems.

Waste, energy, water, transportation

A broad scope of environmental issues will be addressed, as well as existing measures and instruments. Stormwater management, forms of renewable energy and green roofs are just a small sample of what you can expect to encounter. You’ll also, for example, discover that waste management goes far beyond recycling schemes and how cradle-to-grave products are making way for cradle-to-cradle. In addition, we’ll be dealing with citizens’ initiatives in renewable energy as well as new focus areas, like the possible environmental advantages of community food systems.

This Master’s specialisation will teach you to become the bridge between science and society. What do the latest results in environmental research actually mean and how can that knowledge be converted into concrete plans and policies that will bring about the change needed? In this, it’s crucial that you understand how policymaking and legislation works as well as have some insight into human behaviour. For a plan to work, the people and businesses in the city need to collaborate. Environmental and behavioural psychology will therefore be addressed in various courses within this specialisation too.

See the website: http://www.ru.nl/masters/local

Why study Local Environmental Change and Sustainable Cities?

1. The specialisation strongly focuses on the local level of sustainability transformations, in particular sustainable cities.

2. The natural as well as social and political aspects of environmental issues will be addressed.

3. Related aspects of spatial planning will be incorporated in this specialisation. You can also take courses from the Master’s in Spatial Planning as electives for a multidisciplinary perspective.

3. Thanks to our extensive research, our staff members are among the leading experts when it comes to waterproofing and climate proofing cities.

4. You’ll gain insight on how to take scientific results and convert them into viable plans and policies.

5. Because the Netherlands is known for its expertise in water, climate and spatial planning, it offers a great atmosphere to study this field.

6. You’ll also benefit from the advantages of the Master’s programme in Environment and Society Studies in general.

See the website: http://www.ru.nl/masters/local

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This two-year International Master leverages the complementary expertise, resources and networks of four subject areas (Economic & Social History, Business, History, Economics) within four major European universities to provide a profoundly interdisciplinary programme and international learning experience. The programme equips you with the analytical tools and critical skills necessary to make sense of the history, theory, institutions and cultures of global and local capitalism. Exploration and understanding of the intersecting complementarity of global and local is at the heart of this programme.

Why this programme

◾You will graduate with a multiple degree: one from each of the three universities at which they studied.
◾You will be encouraged to explore a variety of perspectives on the process and experience of globalisation, and to reflect on the relationship between global and local, in particular, of cities, creative industries and local cultures of entrepreneurship that have innovated at the local level to remain globally competitive.
◾Associate partners from around the world will provide specialist master classes and guest lectures, and make contributions to, or host, the annual summer school.
◾A variety of internships and industrial placements are available to all students in Barcelona, Rotterdam or Göttingen to enhance their learning experience.
◾You will receive a theoretical grounding in international business and the global economy, and be encouraged to think critically about the respective roles of individuals, firms, cities, regions, nations and supra-national bodies in determining the world in which we live.

Programme structure

This is a 2-year degree taught through a mix of lectures and seminars. You will take between eight and ten core and around eight optional courses, depending on which pathway you choose. The programme also includes internships and industrial placements. All teaching is in English; recommended additional language study will be provided throughout the two-year programme.

You will spend your first year in Glasgow (semester 1) and Barcelona (semester 2). The second year (semester 1) will be spent in either Rotterdam or Göttingen, depending on which pathway you choose.
◾Pathway 1 (Rotterdam) - Global History & Creative Cities Economies (the history of globalisation and the role of creative industries)
◾Pathway 2 (Göttingen) - Global Markets & Development (marketing, entrepreneurship and development)

The final semester will be spent researching and writing a dissertation

Core courses

University of Glasgow
◾Globalised economy
◾Global varieties of capitalism in historical perspective. (taught by Göttingen)

University of Barcelona
◾Companies in emerging sectors
◾Creative cities: Intervention models and entrepreneurial dynamics
◾Family business: Innovation and globalisation
◾Port cities in historical perspective. (taught by Rotterdam)

Erasmus University Rotterdam – pathway A
◾Creative industries in the global economy. (taught by Glasgow)
◾Mapping global order

Göttingen University – pathway B
◾Global history of marketing and mass consumption
◾Immigrant entrepreneurship
◾Topics in Globalisation (taught by Barcelona)
◾Excursion.

Optional courses

University of Glasgow
◾China in the international economy
◾Global cities
◾Globalisation and labour
◾Globalisation and the nation state
◾Governance and markets
◾Methods of social research.

University of Barcelona
◾Global Health
◾Latin America
◾Topics in international economics
◾Topics in international politics.

Erasmus University Rotterdam
◾International relations theory
◾Maritime history and port cities
◾Research workshops to prepare for master level thesis
◾Rise and fall of the American Empire.

Göttingen University
◾Development economics 1 - Macro issues
◾Development economics 3 - Regional perspectives
◾Globalisation and development
◾International Human Resource Management
◾Political construction of Europe
◾Sustainable development, trade and environment
◾Selected topics in Asian business and management.

Summer School

A two week summer school will take place in July at the end of year 1 and will be held with a different partner each year and this will include associate partners from around the world. The topic will be decided on an annual basis and relate to trends and issues of the moment.

Career prospects

The intertwining of academic analysis and practical engagement will provide a valuable range of well-rounded skills and experiences that develop active and informed graduates capable of operating at strategic levels in NGO and third-sector agencies, local economic development organisations, policy analysis and lobbying groups and corporations, or of undertaking further study. The programme is designed for students with a diverse range of prior knowledge and interests and will develop their understanding of the process, impact and responses to globalisation.

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The aim of this study is to examine the branding of local and authentic food from a tourism and food provider’s perspective.

According to Bjork and Kauppinen- Raisanen (2015) the idea of local food culture is well-known, as every country is characterised by its national and regional iconic dishes. They contend that local food attracts travellers and contributes to the tourist experience, indicating marketing potential for hospitality industries, tourism business and regional development (Bjork and Kauppinen- Raisanen 2015).

IIbery and Kneafsey (1998) suggest that a potential for food brands developing a dynamic construction of cultural authenticity has been realised. However, although food tourism has been characterised as an emerging industry, studies of branding in food tourism are limited (Tsai and Wang, 2016). They also suggest that a knowledge gap exists in clarifying the key value of a food experience when forming an image. Furthermore, research into branding of local food is also limited despite an increase in consumer interest in food provenance, traceability and support for the local economy (Hingley et al., 2010).

Methodology proposed

The proposed research will be qualitative in nature through a series of semi-structured interviews. A sample of tourists and food providers will be chosen. This is essential because as consumers, tourists can only select from the kinds of food and drinks available at their destination and it is therefore necessary to talk to those supplying food products in order to establish how their attitudes towards food, place and authenticity compare to those of their customers (Sims, 2009).

Expected outcomes: (e.g. deliverables & strategic impacts)

The main project objective is the completion of a Masters thesis within the agreed time scale.

It is proposed to disseminate the research results and associated recommendations to relevant audiences.

It is also anticipated that the research project will generate research outputs in the form of conference papers and journal articles. The project also builds on current research being undertaken in the Campus/Institute thus developing a further body of knowledge and staff competence for Institute staff in focusing on local food tourism. 

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This degree course is held entirely in English, and provides a thorough understanding of specific forms and social, economic, regional and institutional dynamics that characterize the processes of local development in different contexts and at different levels of development, and knowledge aimed at promoting the implementation of a sustainability process (policies, operational practices).

In particular, this degree course objective seeks to provide an in-depth application of the different methodologies used for the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects for local development.

This degree course includes activities dedicated to acquiring advanced knowledge in the fields of political, economic, regional and social organization, statistics for the measurement of local and sustainable development, intercultural learnings, design and development of group dynamics. 

The course includes an on-site traineeship, in Italy or abroad, in conjunction with relevant authorities and NGOs, to conduct the case study that will provide the starting point for the Second Cycle degree course final exam.

Master's degree brochure: https://elearning.unipd.it/scienzeumane/mod/folder/view.php?id=90560

Course structure

Master's degree syllabus: https://elearning.unipd.it/scienzeumane/mod/folder/view.php?id=90560

Career opportunities

This degree course prepares students for professions in local development and more generally in development cooperation in different social and regional contexts, with non-governmental organizations, government at various levels, international organizations and agencies, professional and neighborhood associations. Potential employment opportunities lie in the broad field of development cooperation - especially decentralized - and the promotion of community development in terms of context analysis and feasibility studies, activities under the project cycle, participation in the elaboration and evaluation of policies and programs of this sector.

Scholarships and Fee Waivers

The University of Padova, the Veneto Region and other organisations offer various scholarship schemes to support students. Below is a list of the funding opportunities that are most often used by international students in Padova.

You can find more information below and on our website here: http://www.unipd.it/en/studying-padova/funding-and-fees/scholarships

You can find more information on fee waivers here: http://www.unipd.it/en/fee-waivers

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PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

This MSc course will give participants a deeper understanding of co-operatives, sustainable development and the agri-food system. This is a unique course, with a very strong practical emphasis and will equip participants with the organisational and management skills needed to make innovative contributions to the development of local economies, with particular emphasis on co-operatives, social enterprises and food businesses in Ireland and overseas. It is aimed at graduates from a wide range of disciplines who wish to pursue careers in sustainable development and innovative practice leading to positions in the food sector (ranging from local food enterprises to large multi-nationals), local and international rural development, shared and collaborative economy, NGOs, innovative community businesses including co-operatives and social enterprises, local and regional enterprise development, corporate social responsibility, policy formulation and analysis.

The MSc in Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development is delivered over 12 months and includes a placement opportunity.

UNIQUE ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAMME

This course is the only one year Masters of its kind which fully integrates co-operative approaches into the study of sustainable development and agri-food. It is especially practical, both in work placements and in the skills you learn. It will prepare you to work in organisations that deal with current and future socio-economic and environmental challenges including climate change, collaborative economies, and sustainable rural communities.

PLACEMENT AND STUDY ABROAD INFORMATION

Participants can complete their Practice-Based Research Project either in Ireland or abroad, depending on their interests.

SKILLS AND CAREERS INFORMATION

Graduates can expect to work in Co-ops and other third sector organisations (e.g. social enterprises, voluntary organisations, charities); international, non-governmental (NGOs) and business development organisations; Rural development policy and support (e.g. animation); consultancy (in agri-food, rural development, third sector); local economic development/enterprise development staff through local authorities and consultancies; local food marketing and branding; corporate social responsibility roles in food and other industries.                                        

Occupations associated with [MSc Co-Operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development]

Research, Policy advisory roles, Local food marketing, local and international development roles, corporate social responsibility roles, co-operative advisory role as well as management. 

What are our graduates doing? 

Graduates can expect to work in a wide range of areas such as agri-food businesses (including co-operatives and artisan food enterprises), local government, NGOs (Irish and International), consultancy, research and policy analysis, social enterprise and local development agencies (e.g. LEADER).

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The MA English Local History aims to provide training up to basic research level in the ‘Leicester’ approach to English Local History as a subject which is comparative across the nation; grounded in landscape history; cultural in its concerns; sensitive to long-term chronologies; conceptually aware and inter-disciplinary in its methodologies.

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This course provides an opportunity to engage with contemporary debates in local and regional development theory and policy in an international context. It fulfils the current demand to build capacity and skills for strategic analysis and policy-making. We place a distinctive emphasis on the links between theory, policy and practice.

The Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS), where you will be based, has played a leading role in contemporary academic and policy debates for over 35 years, and our research contributes directly to the teaching of this course. It offers you a great opportunity to engage with contemporary debates in local and regional development theory, governance and policy in an international context.

Delivery

You are taught by highly research active staff in a welcoming and supportive environment. We use interactive and participant focused teaching methods, including:
-Discussion of taught and read material
-Individual and group projects
-Case study analyses
-Practical projects
-External practitioner speakers

The course is comprised of 180 credits of compulsory core modules including the 15,000 word Research Dissertation.

Our teaching and learning strategy is seminar based, combining a mixture of sessions led by staff and course participants.

Facilities

This course is taught in dedicated Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies (CURDS) seminar and meeting rooms.

The School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape has a range of facilities available to students including:
-A workshop
-Studios
-Exhibition spaces
-Crit rooms
-Seminar rooms
-IT suites

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The course aims to provide training up to basic research level in the ‘Leicester’ approach to English Local History as a subject which is comparative across the nation; grounded in landscape history; cultural in its concerns; sensitive to long-term chronologies; conceptually aware and inter-disciplinary in its methodologies.

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Earn your Online Masters of Public Administration (MPA) and make a lasting impact on society with a practical understanding of public leadership and a global perspective. Further your career with theory and applicable strategies gained through the University of Birmingham’s advanced online platform. It is a modern solution for today's globally minded postgraduate, offering informed insights and flexibility to meet the demands of your schedule.

Our online MPA course is taught through the Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) and led by course director Catherine Staite. INLOGOV sets the standard for progressive thinking in the public sector, and helps give students access to an international network of industry leaders and experts.

Course details

Advance your public service career and drive meaningful change globally with an Online MPA. Add to your current skill sets with knowledge and practical tools rooted in proven strategies and the experience of our international body of module leaders. To offer proactive support during your studies, this course also provides a personal tutor who will help you to further your understanding and your professional goals.

Conclude your MPA with a dissertation that connects you with other members of our diverse student body to bring the theories and understanding you've cultivated to life with the functional application of proven strategies in private and non-profit sectors.

Organised and delivered by the Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV), our leading academic centre for research and teaching on local governance and strategic public management, an MPA from the University of Birmingham also brings with it research excellence recognised by our membership in the Russell Group, an organisation of 24 universities dedicated to the best in research, teaching and learning, and an invaluable resource for professional networking.

Master public administration with our leading-edge postgraduate online learning course, strengthen your foundation in governance and managerial discipline and learn to effectively bring about societal change on a local, regional, national and global level.

Learning and teaching

The University of Birmingham's virtual learning platform presents Online MPA students with a superior environment for their online studies. We have moved beyond the traditional classroom structure, taking full advantage of digital media with modules that draw on interactivity, active student participation and social connectivity with faculty and peers around the world to provide a more dynamic, global learning experience.

Rather than simply reading lecture transcripts and sending in assignments, the University of Birmingham's online students engage with the curriculum directly using:

• Video Lectures: Access content any time and from any device
• Interactive Assignments: Actively participate in learning exercises
• Real-Life Case Studies: Gain skills you can apply immediately
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Employability

Our Online Masters of Public Administration is ideal for candidates wishing to pursue careers in public policy or strategic management in government organisations or public agencies at local, regional, national or international levels. It also enables public managers to broaden their careers, facilitating a move to a different department within the public or voluntary sector or a move into consultancy.

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This interdisciplinary MA explores the processes through which actors have attempted to define and build peace in areas affected by war and violence, particularly since the end of the Cold War. Drawing on expertise from the fields of history, politics, anthropology and the arts, this newly revamped course will offer students the opportunity to engage with conflict management, conflict resolution, conflict transformation, peacebuilding and statebuilding theories and practices.

 Moreover, the programme will critically address the conceptualization of peace and the implementation of peacebuilding projects by global, regional, national and local actors, including the UN, the International Financial Institutions, development agencies and donors, INGOs, and local organisations in conflict-affected environments. In particular, it will focus on social agency for peace, the question of the nature of the `peaceful state', and the ever-fraught question of the reform of the international system. The dynamics of these various contributions to peace will be the focus of a guided engagement, via local partner organisations, with the range of peace and conflict management actors present in either Bosnia Herzegovina or Cyprus (in Semester II).

Aims

Students will be able to show a critical understanding of:

1. Key issues and debates related to the theories of peace and practices of peacebuilding, statebuilding, conflict management, resolution, and transformation. They will become familiar with the range of international actors and organisations, their policies and practices, and their pros and cons.

2. The range of social science topics that influence peacebuilding, statebuilding, conflict management, etc., (including political, historical, anthropological understandings of peace and related programming strategies). Students will become familiar with the methodological and normative underpinnings of these disciplines.

3. The analytical and policy literature concerning peacebuilding, international governance structures, statebuilding, and the role of key actors and institutions including NGOs and military and other security actors. Concurrently, students will be able to evaluate the theory and policy tools in the context of the recent history of peacebuilding and statebuilding since the end of the Cold War, in a range of examples, including across the Balkans, Cambodia, Timor Leste, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, the recent and various Arab Revolts, and others.

4. An understanding of local approaches to peacebuilding, including an awareness of the problems and critiques associated with `bottom up' approaches. Students will examine current debates on the nature of everyday peace and hybrid forms of peace, related questions about `local agency' and forms of resistance, activism, and social mobilisation.

5. Students will experience the on-the-ground realities of peacebuilding and statebuilding through a guided research visit to the range of actors involved in Bosnia-Herzegovina or Cyprus. This will form a key part of one of the core modules of the programme and will be run in association with local partners.

6. The development of a range of academic and professional/transferrable skills through both independent and group-based work.

7. A detailed understanding of a specific conceptual and/or policy-related area of peacebuilding along with the implications and limitations of research findings on this subject, and of how to produce an original piece of academic research. This will be delivered via the dissertation.

Special features

The Institute is developing a novel configuration for research and teaching which will uniquely associate practitioners, non-governmental organisation (NGO) partners, theoreticians, policy makers and analysts in sustained intellectual engagement. Combining a targeted programme of research with the provision of timely analysis on current emergencies and conflicts, the institute will seek to develop new methodologies in the emerging field of humanitarian and conflict response research.

Additional voluntary workshops and events throughout the year further enhance study including:

   The evidence of objects, a trip to the Imperial War Museum (North)

   Other Case Briefings (e.g., Cyprus, Arab Uprisings)

   Policy Sessions: UN system and INGOs (Professor Dan Smith, International Alert)

   Manchester Peace and Social Justice Walk

   Working with Governments (Professor Dan Smith, International Alert)

   Regular `Leading Voices' workshops, with key thinkers in the field

Students studying this programme will also benefit from possible additional activities, such as:

   Student organised trips to London (International Alert ), New York (UN/IPA ) and Brussels

   Case Study Internships

   Attendance at the annual Peacebuilding conference in Manchester and potential participation in student panels.

Teaching and learning

Delivery of the course will take a range of forms, including lectures, seminars, tutorials, directed reading, a guided walk, a museum trip, a field trip and independent study. Much of the delivery will be problem based/enquiry based learning.

This MA will be influenced and informed by the research of both staff and postgraduate research students at the Institute including research projects on:

•    Political space in the aid industry
•    Local/hybrid approaches to peacebuilding
•    The contribution of BRICS nations to peace and security programming
•    Critical peace studies
•    The role of the state in peace and security programming
•    Ethnographic approaches to understanding violence
•    Refugees and internally displaced persons
•    The political economy of conflict
•    Performance in conflict and disaster zones
•    Historical analyses of aid

Career opportunities

 Students completing this MA may consider a wide range of career choices, including careers with:

• Civil Service (working within various government ministries, including the foreign office, international development office)
• International Institutions (such as the UN Peacebuilding Commission, Department of Peacekeeping Operations and regional bodies such as the European Union, African Union, Organization of American States)
• NGOs (local and international) working on peacebuilding initiatives
• Academia/Research Institutes/Think-Tanks

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