Masters Degrees (War Studies)

The MA in War studies enhances analytical, conceptual, research and critical thinking skills designed expressly to enhance employability and aid professional career development. You will gain an understanding of the phenomenon of war and conflict, along with its causes, conduct and consequences, from historical, political, philosophical, military and sociological viewpoints.

Key benefits

• Designed to provide a postgraduate-level introduction to War Studies for students who have little or no specialist background in the field.

• A unique opportunity to study war from a multi-disciplinary perspective in order to achieve a sophisticated and well-rounded understanding of the phenomenon.

•A chance to develop a range of transferable skills that will enhance your employability, aid your professional-career development and help prepare you for postgraduate research. These include analytical, conceptual, critical-thinking, research and communication skills.

• You will be taught by some of the very best academics in the field. Departmental staff are internationally acknowledged experts in their areas of specialization; they are active researchers and routinely employ their latest findings in their teaching.

• An opportunity to study at a global centre of excellence that enjoys close relationships with other academic institutions, with think tanks, non-governmental organizations and policy-making bodies around the world.

• Opportunities to network with high-profile visitors, such as government ministers, ambassadors and generals, who frequently give talks in the Department.

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

Course detail

- Description -

War is a key aspect of human experience, and people have long sought to understand it from a diverse range of perspectives. Students of war are drawn from the ranks of historians, social scientists, philosophers, jurists and artists. Practitioners of war find instrumental value in its study. These and others have brought their particular insights and concerns to bear on the subject. However, the study of war from any single standpoint risks producing an overly narrow perspective that cannot accommodate war’s complexity. Individual issues are elucidated but we remain a long way from understanding war “in the round”. Such a goal demands a different, more holisitic, approach.

The MA in War Studies is designed to meet this demand by introducing students to a multidisciplinary approach to the study of war. As such, it provides an intellectual “toolbox” whose contents are drawn from a range of disciplines associated with the humanities and the social sciences. Students will not be trained as specialist historians, philosophers, strategists, etc., but they will be introduced to elements of various disciplines that are germane to the study of war. The challenge lies in combining them in order to achieve a sophisticated and rounded understanding of the subject.

- Course purpose -

To introduce the field of war studies to graduate students and professionals, professionals with an interest in deepening their understanding of war. You will gain an understanding of the phenomenon of war and conflict, along with its causes, conduct and consequences, from historical, political, philosophical, military and sociological viewpoints. The programme will appeal to students from a wide range of backgrounds including politics, history and strategic studies; and professionals in defence, diplomacy and foreign affairs wanting to reflect on the broader implications of their experiences.

- Course format and assessment -

Continuous assessment by essay; examinations and a dissertation.

Career prospects

War Studies Graduates go on to work for NGOs, the FCO, the MOD, the Home Office, NATO, the UN or pursue careers in journalism, finance, academia, the diplomatic services, the armed forces and more. Recent posts held by our alumni include Threat Analyst, Director of Political Violence Forecasting, Research Advisor at NATO Defence College, Foreign Policy Fellow.

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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Course outline

With Britain having recently been more heavily involved in overseas wars than at any point in the last half century, the University of Buckingham has launched a Master’s degree in Modern War Studies and Contemporary Military History based at a central London Club. The course commences in October with a ‘Research Skills Study Day’ and after a year of supervised independent research, culminates with the student’s submission of a dissertation. During the first six months, candidates are encouraged to attend a series of guest seminars and dinners (set out in detail under Teaching & Assessment) at which some of the most eminent names in the field present papers. This series of talks examines why and how modern wars are fought, and the principal influences that will affect the conduct of war – and Britain’s role – in the future. This seminar programme will also be attended by Associate Students who are not degree candidates but wish to attend the talks and enjoy the ensuing discussion.

Find out more about our School of Humanities on http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/humanities.

Teaching methods

For Master’s degree candidates the core of the programme is the writing, under supervision, of the dissertation on a subject chosen by the student in the field of Modern War Studies. Subject to approval by the Course Director, the topic to be examined in the dissertation can address any aspect of warfare since 1945, and the precise topic is usually formulated in a process of discussion with the Course Director and/or the student’s supervisor. The length of the dissertation is not more than 40,000 words and usually not less than 20,000. Research does not have to be confined to British-related subjects. Some of the themes which students may wish to examine include: political decision making; alliances; warfare and faith; the impact of critical strategic thinkers; intelligence gathering; the impact of technology on the battlefield; the development of doctrine; military-media relations; leadership; command and control; the application of force at the strategic, operational and tactical levels of war on land, sea and air; and the influence of war on non-combatants, politics, society, economies and cultures.

Where will you study?

This is a London-based course. The seminars will be held at a central London Club. Seminars begin at 19:00 and are followed by a formal post-seminar dinner at which students can engage in a general discussion with the speaker.

Seminars

There will be a programme of three research skills sessions and ten guest seminars, directed by Professor Lloyd Clark. Running approximately every other week from October ]to March, seminar speakers will include recently serving generals and some of the most distinguished scholars and commentators in the field of modern war studies.

How is the programme assessed?

Examination is by a research dissertation on an approved topic of not less than 20,000 words.

Associate students

For those who wish to attend the seminars and dinners, but do not have time to complete the coursework involved in the MA programme, it is possible to register for the course as an Associate Student. This status enables Associate Students to attend the seminars and to meet the guest lecturers, but not to proceed to the MA degree.

Apply here http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/humanities/ma/warstudies.

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An understanding of war, for good or ill, is of vital importance. This programme offers the opportunity to study the theory and practice of war in a wide range of aspects, from the Middle Ages to the present day, and from causes to consequences..

Why this programme

◾This MLitt aims to challenge, educate and engage by exposing you to a wide range of different ideas about war. It is specifically designed to broaden and deepen your understanding of the nature of war in theory and practice, and its place in history.
◾The University of Glasgow is home to the Scottish Centre for War Studies. You will be able to participate in regular research seminars on critical themes related to conflict as well as to related conferences.
◾All courses are designed to expose you to detailed research topics, source criticism and current debate, and are led by internationally acknowledged experts.

Programme structure

You will spend the first semester studying on the degree’s core course which covers both the major thinkers on warfare and the practice and conduct of war.

Core topics may include
◾Jomini, aggressive warfare and the Confederate States of America at war
◾The evolution of Military Thought between the two World Wars
◾Europe’s ‘small wars’, 1800–present
◾Vegetius and ‘Vegetian strategy’ in medieval warfare.

In the second semester, you will take three optional courses which delve in greater detail into a particular aspect of military or strategic history.

Optional courses may include
◾Chivalry and warfare in later medieval Europe, 1300–1450
◾The American way of warfare; from the Revolution to the War on Terror
◾Insurgency and counter-insurgency, 1800-present
◾Western intelligence in an age of terror.

You will complete the programme by writing a dissertation based on your own research. This requires you to engage in original research guided by an expert in the field.

Career prospects

The programme provides an excellent platform for you to move onto PhD studies and an academic career.

Positions held by recent graduates include Development Director, Professor, Correspondent, and Freelance Journalist.

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This new MA programme explores the military, cultural, political and social history of the First World War, introducing you to advanced concepts of historiography and cultural theory.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/765/first-world-war-studies

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.

HI915 - Landscapes of the Great War: Interpretations and Representations (30 credits)
HI932 - Landscapes of the Great War: Public Histories (30 credits)
HI823 - Testimonies of War: Oral History in Theory and Practice (30 credits)
HI828 - Ireland and the First World War (30 credits)
HI860 - The British Army and the Great War (30 credits)
HI827 - Home Front Britain, 1914-18 (30 credits)
HI883 - Work Placement (30 credits)
HI815 - War, Propaganda and the Media (30 credits)

Assessment

Assessment is dependent on module choice, but is typically by coursework and a dissertation of 15-18,000 words.

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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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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This master's provides a focused understanding of the interrelationships between the history, theory, and contemporary practice of security-led issues in South Asia. It incorporates history, thematic analysis, and case studies taught by academics from War Studies and the King's India Institute. It draws on policy leaders, military professionals, and experts in the private sector involved in security management.

Key benefits

• The Department of War Studies is unique in the UK and one of very few university departments in the world devoted exclusively to the study of war as a human phenomenon.

• The Department has an excellent reputation as a graduate training institution and is recognised by the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research council as a training institution for War Studies.

• The Department places great emphasis on recruiting leading experts who bring with them not only a wealth of knowledge and ideas but an extensive and continually growing network of links with other departments, think-tanks, organisations, policy-making bodies and institutions.

• The unrivalled location in the heart of London beside the River Thames brings outstanding advantages. Students enjoy excellent academic, social and cultural opportunities.

• The department is 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 access to visiting academics, serving officers, government ministers and other experts who give regular public lectures and seminars.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/south-asia-and-global-security-ma.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

The programme incorporates history, thematic analysis, and case studies taught by a cross-section of academics from War Studies and the King's India Institute. It also draws on policy leaders, military professionals, and experts in the private sector involved in 'security management' to examine practical challenges. Graduating students are thus prepared for further research in academia, or for careers in policy, government, and international agencies

- Course purpose -

Provides a focused understanding of the interrelationships between the history, theory, and contemporary practice of security-led issues in South Asia (including Afghanistan) post 1947.

- Course format and assessment -

Core module: Two essays of 4500 words each.

Optional module: varies – essays and exams.

Dissertation: 15,000 words.

Career prospects

Graduating students are thus prepared for further research in academia, or for careers in policy, government, and international agencies.

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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The MA in Science and Security is designed to provide an integrated understanding of science and international politics. Developments in technology are central to all aspects of international conflict, and a multidisciplinary understanding of these developments is necessary to fully comprehend their policy implications. Topics include nuclear weapons, arms control verification, cyber security, and terrorism.

Key benefits

• A unique programme designed to develop students' abilities to understand and analyse the security implications of scientific and technological developments, utilising knowledge and tools of analysis from the hard sciences, political science, history, philosophy and the sociology.

• The Centre for Science and Security Studies, based in the Department of War Studies, provides a vibrant home for the MA. The Centre has a growing cadre of PhD students and researchers, and sponsors its own speaker series. Students on the MA are encouraged to apply for internships (on Centre research projects and/or with other relevant institutions in London, such as the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC) and IISS).

• With a typical 50-50 mix of students with a hard science versus social science/humanities background, the programme provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn from each other as well as from staff and visiting lecturers; in recent years students have institutionalised this by forming their own reading group.

• Students have access to visiting academics, serving officers, government ministers and other experts who give regular public lectures and seminars.

• The Department of War Studies is unique in the UK and one of very few university departments in the world devoted exclusively to the study of war as a human phenomenon.

• The Department has an excellent reputation as a graduate training institution and is recognised by the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research council as a training institution for War Studies.

• The Department places great emphasis on recruiting leading experts who bring with them not only a wealth of knowledge and ideas but an extensive and continually growing network of links with other departments, think-tanks, organisations, policy-making bodies and institutions.

• The unrivalled location in the heart of London beside the River Thames brings outstanding advantages. Students enjoy excellent academic, social and cultural opportunities.

• The department is 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.

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

Course detail

- Description -

There is an increased need in today's world to understand the security implications of scientific and technological developments. While science and technology have always affected national and international security, current developments in the fields of space, nuclear and biological weapons, and long-range missiles as well as work in such emerging fields as biotechnology and information technology suggest that the impact of science on security is becoming more diverse as well as more central to policy planners. At the same time, individuals and sub-national groups have more access to new technologies than ever before.

Our programme is designed to provide you with an integrated understanding of science and politics. This involves developing an understanding of the science underlying key weapons systems and technologies, the main concepts and tools of international politics and security studies, and the process by which scientists and policymakers can interact productively in the policy process. The goal is to equip you to be able to analyse the impact of current and future scientific developments on security.

- Course purpose -

Our programme is designed to provide you with an integrated understanding of science and international politics to cope with the demands of the emerging security agenda.

- Course format and assessment -

Most of the 20-credit modules are assessed by a 4,000-word essay or two 2000-word essays. However, some 20-credit modules are 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, 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

Whilst this is not a vocational programme, students on our MA programmes 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.

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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Examines the causes, processes and effects of weapons proliferation, the evolution and effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime and the way in which proliferation influences other issues in international relations. This programme utilises knowledge and tools of analysis from history, political science, the hard sciences, philosophy and sociology.

Key benefits

- Drawing on the strengths of the Department of War Studies, this programme is multidisciplinary, utilising knowledge and tools of analysis from history, political science, the hard sciences, philosophy and sociology.

- Through guest speakers and when possible, field trips, the programme also draws on the broad range of expertise available in government and the NGO community.

- The Centre for Science and Security Studies, located within the Department of War Studies, provides a vibrant home for the MA, with its own speaker series and a growing cadre of PhD students and researchers. When possible, the Centre also offers internships on current research projects; students are also encouraged to apply for internships at other London-based institutions working in the field, such as the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC) and IISS.

- The Department has an excellent reputation as a graduate training institution and is recognised by the British Academy, the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Economic and Social Research council as a training institution for War Studies.

- The Department places great emphasis on recruiting leading experts who bring with them not only a wealth of knowledge and ideas but an extensive and continually growing network of links with other departments, think-tanks, organisations, policy-making bodies and institutions.

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/non-proliferation-and-international-security-ma-.aspx

Course detail

- Description -

The development and spread of weapons technology has been and continues to be of central importance in international relations, with today’s growing concerns about the spread of chemical, biological and nuclear (CBN) weapons and their means of delivery to both state and non-state actors. Our MA programme enables you to examine the causes, processes and effects of weapons proliferation, the evolution and effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime, and the way in which proliferation influences other key issues in international relations, including the causes of war and peace, military doctrine and strategy, and the rise (and possible decline) of the state as the central actor in international relations. Our programme is composed of a core module plus a choice of optional modules and a dissertation, and provides an ideal base for further academic or policy research or any career involving critical analysis.

Our MA programme is designed as a one-year full-time or two year part-time taught programme which offers you the opportunity to engage critically with ideas in international relations and social and political thought concerned with the study of conflict and peace, and their application to empirical case-study material. The compulsory module applies these ideas to the issue of proliferation. The various options available will allow you to broaden your programme of study by taking other contemporary or historical options offered by the department, or to focus on proliferation by taking specialised options that are being developed.

- Course purpose -

Our programme is for graduates and professionals with an interest in understanding the causes, processes and effects of weapons proliferation, the evolution and effectiveness of the international non-proliferation regime, and the way in which proliferation influences other key issues in international relations.

- 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, 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

Whilst this is not a vocational programme, 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.

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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This distinctive full-time MA programme provides you with an opportunity to study the history and historiography of warfare from a multi-disciplinary and multi-period perspective.

A thorough grounding is provided in research methods and in the historiography and economics of warfare while a wide choice of options complements the broad range of possible dissertation subjects that can be supported by our staff.

All students will study three core modules:

Historical Methods
Research Skills: Dissertation Preparation
Economics of War

Students who did not take the BA War Studies degree at the University of Birmingham will also study an additional core module: Writing the History of Warfare.

Those who did not take the BA War Studies degree will then take 40 credits of optional modules, while University of Birmingham BA War Studies graduates will take 60 credits of optional modules. These are chosen from:

40-credit special subject modules (which run across the autumn and spring semesters)
20-credit advanced options (taken in the autumn or spring semesters)

Each module is assessed by 4,000-word essay and you will complete the programme with a 15,000-word dissertation (60 credits).

About the School of History and Culture

The programmes in the School of History and Cultures offer students enquiry based learning within a rich and diverse environment to stimulate debate and challenge conventional thinking.
The programmes derive from departments which are all excellently rated by the QAA both in teaching and research terms (Medieval History 5, Modern History 5 and African Studies 5*). Our staff publish widely, and we are developing and consolidating a strong, supportive research culture in the School.
We are extremely proud to announce in June 2016, that History at Birmingham was ranked the top research department in the country by the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The national REF exercise assessed research publications and the public impact of research carried out in all universities in the UK between 2008-2014. Our department had an impressive 45% of its research judged to be ‘world-leading’.

Funding and Scholarships

There are many ways to finance your postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. To see what funding and scholarships are available, please visit: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Open Days

Explore postgraduate study at Birmingham at our on-campus open days.
Register to attend at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Virtual Open Days

If you can’t make it to one of our on-campus open days, our virtual open days run regularly throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.pg.bham.ac.uk

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All prospective MPhil applicants are advised to peruse the staff profiles on our website to familiarise themselves with the research and teaching interests of staff members. Applicants should contact potential supervisors by email and discuss potential MPhil dissertation topics.

Once admitted into the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Chinese Studies), applicants will have the option of studying one of two streams:

Modern and contemporary Chinese Studies; or
Pre-modern Chinese Studies
With the consent of their supervisor and the relevant teacher(s), applicants may combine papers from both streams. Students can expect to receive one-to-one supervisions four times per year.

Students are required to choose three papers – courses usually run over two terms – in addition to doing a 15,000-word MPhil dissertation under the supervision of a supervisor. The dissertations are submitted no later than mid-August following the start of the course.

Visit the website: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/amammpchs

Course detail]

Students admitted for the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Chinese Studies) will have the option to choose from one of the following programmes of study:

(1) Modern and Contemporary Chinese Studies or (2) Pre-Modern Chinese Studies.

With the consent of their supervisor and relevant teachers, students may be permitted to combine papers from options (1) and (2).
Students taking the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Chinese Studies) choose three papers from either:

(1) Modern and Contemporary Chinese Studies:

REQUIRED: Asia in Theory - [Team taught; theoretical and methodological approaches]

Students then choose TWO optional papers from the following list:

- War and Modern China
- The Anthropology of China
- Japanese Imperialism in East Asia
- Chinese Linguistics
- Advanced Readings in Chinese on a relevant subject [e.g. Qing and Republican historical documents, Modern Literary texts etc.]
- Alternative Exercise (to be arranged with specific instructors).

or from:

(2) Pre-Modern Chinese Studies:

For pre-modern Chinese Studies, students need to choose THREE of the following papers:

- Classical and Literary Chinese Texts (received and excavated texts, manuscripts)
- Early China, specified topic - Medieval China, specified topic
- Asia in Theory [team-taught; theoretical and methodological approaches: with the supervisor's permission as the focus of this paper is on the modern period]
- Japanese for Sinologists [reading Japanese scholarship on pre-modern China]
- Alternative Exercise (to be arranged with specific instructors).

Most papers are assessed by long essays and research projects. Some advanced text papers are assessed through examination. Please note that not all papers will be available every year and are subject to modifications if necessary.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the MPhil programme, students will be expected to have:
- acquired the ability to read, interpret and translate primary sources in Modern and/or Classical Chinese;
- acquired a good knowledge of the general scholarship on Modern and/or Pre-Modern Chinese culture(s);
- acquired an in-depth knowledge of the secondary literature relevant to the subject of their dissertation;
- developed the ability to formulate original research questions and produce a well-constructed, argument to answer them, in the form - of an independent piece of research based on the use of primary and secondary sources;
- acquired the skills to use library and internet resources independently.

Continuing

Applicants for the PhD will be expected to have scored at least 67% or above (or the equivalent from an overseas University) in their Master's degree which should be related to the PhD programme they wish to pursue. All applicants should submit with their GRADSAF (graduate application) a workable and interesting research proposal and demonstrate that they have the required academic knowledge and skills to carry out their project.

Admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each graduate applicant on his or her own merits and in accordance with its own set rules and regulations.

How to apply: http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/applying

Funding Opportunities

- Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) -

NB: Applicants should check the Faculty's website before the academic year 2016 - 2017 is due to start to see if AHRC funding is available to apply for. Home PhD and MPhil students and EU students who satisfy home residency criteria may be eligible for a full studentship which covers the University Composition Fee and College Fees plus an annual maintenance stipend. EU students are eligible for a fees-only award.

Further information: http://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/fees-and-funding/funding/ahrc-funded-students

- Louis Cha Scholarship in Pre-Modern Chinese Studies at St John's College -

St John's College at the University of Cambridge is offering a Louis Cha Scholarship, which will commence in October 2015 to help financially assist students to undertake their research in the fields of Chinese Literature, Chinese History and/or the Culture of Early and Dynastic China (Pre-1912). The successful applicant will be selected from those who have secured a place at St John's College in Cambridge to read for the MPhil or PhD degree in a relevant subject. The scholarship will be available for the duration of the student's course and given for us up a maximum of three years. The scholarship will comprise of (a) a maintenance grant of up to £13,500 per annum and (b) approved College and University fees. Applicants applying for this award should note payments which they have secured from other sources. For further information, please refer to the following webpage on the Faculty's website:

http://www.ames.cam.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding/other

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

The MA by Research in American Studies helps to develop an understanding of the forces that have moulded and continue to shape America, and helps us to make sense of our contemporary world. The comparative study of the history and culture of the United States addresses themes such as immigration, democracy, slavery, imperialism, multiculturalism, religion, the economy and, more recently, terrorism. These issues do not just concern the past; they are directly relevant to the world we live in.

MA by Research in American Studies

The MA by Research in American Studies is ideal for those who want:

- an MA qualification in areas where taught programmes are not offered;

- the experience of a research degree without committing to a PhD at the outset.

Research proposals are invited on any topic in American Studies for which staff in the Department of Political and Cultural Studies can provide supervision. It is a good idea to enter into discussions about your research project in American Studies with the Department's Director of Postgraduate Research, Professor Roland Axtmann ([email protected]), before drawing up an initial proposal and starting the application process.

Department of Political and Cultural Studies

The Department of Political and Cultural Studies (PCS) boasts a dynamic research environment with a committed staff all of whom are research-active. Academic members of staff have a very considerable range of research interests on which we offer supervision for research degrees in American Studies.

An MA by Research in American Studies gives you the chance to pursue a major research project based around your own passions and interests in American Studies, leading to a qualification which can open the door to an academic career or boost employment prospects outside academia. It will give you the freedom to explore a topic of your choosing and develop a methodology under the close supervision of two experienced academics but without attending regular classes as required in taught programmes.

Typically as a student of the MA by Research in American Studies programme you will work closely with your supervisors, meeting them regularly, in many instances fortnightly, in the first term and at regular intervals thereafter. Meetings are logged and goals agreed each time.

Students enrolled in the MA by Research American Studies are required to attend skills and training courses at College and University level. You may also be expected to give presentations to other research students and staff at departmental seminars and attend the postgraduate conference of the College of Arts and Humanities which is held in October.

Departmental Research Expertise

At any one time, the department has over forty research students who work together with their supervisors on their projects.

In the area of American Studies, staff have expertise in the American Civil War; US foreign policy; the US ‘War on Drugs’; US politics and government; surveillance and urban America; American conservatism; the Spanish Civil War; American military history; the American West; New South; 20th century American literature, film and popular culture.

Discover more about the Department of Political and Cultural Studies:

http://www.swansea.ac.uk/politics

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Understanding Europe today requires much more than understanding the process of European integration. The tensions, challenges and possibilities that are manifesting themselves today have their roots in a longer political, social and cultural history.

This programme takes you to these roots. A multidisciplinary study path introduces you to various aspects of European society, culture and politics. Along the way, it draws from the strengths of Nordic research on Europe, with its strong focus on regional cooperation, diversity, identities, institutions, culture and the politics of history and memory. You will get to know the Nordic countries from a European perspective and Europe from a Nordic perspective.

Studying the ways in which Europeans cooperate, how European states and societies are interconnected, and how they are governed, forms an important part of the programme. Besides looking at the processes of integration and the evolution and functioning of the European Union, the programme highlights the significance of regional cooperation in the Nordic context, the EU’s relations with its neighbours and its place in the global system.

At the end of your studies, you will have gained a broad understanding of European issues and acquired advanced research skills. You will be ready to work in a wide range of expert positions that require independent and creative thinking, in both the public and private sectors.

The programme consists of joint courses and specialisation studies. One of the available options is to specialise in Nordic Studies. ENS is the only Nordic Studies programme taught in English in the Nordic countries.

The University of Helsinki will introduce annual tuition fees to foreign-language Master’s programmes starting on August 1, 2017 or later. The fee ranges from 13 000-18 000 euros. Citizens of non-EU/EEA countries, who do not have a permanent residence status in the area, are liable to these fees. You can check this FAQ at the Studyinfo website whether or not you are required to pay tuition fees: https://studyinfo.fi/wp2/en/higher-education/higher-education-institutions-will-introduce-tuition-fees-in-autumn-2017/am-i-required-to-pay-tuition-fees/

Programme Contents

The programme consists of a multidisciplinary selection of courses that introduce you to various aspects of Europe, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic Sea Region.

The topics addressed in the joint courses include, for example, contemporary European politics, cooperation and conflict in European history, Nordic societies and cultures, and institutions, ideologies and identities in Europe. You will also learn about nations and nationalism, political and social protest, (Nordic) welfare models, the European Union and Nordic cooperation, European legal traditions, and the politics of memory.

The programme involves substantial interaction between you and your teachers. You will complete several writing assignments and research papers along the way, culminating in a Master’s thesis in your second year. Some courses use active learning or flipped classroom pedagogy.

The content of your studies also depends on your own choices. In addition to core courses that provide you with a deep multidisciplinary understanding of Europe, the degree includes specialisation studies of your own choosing.

If you specialise in Nordic studies, you will have access to some courses taught at the programme for Nordic Literature and the Kultur och Kommunikation Master’s programme.

You also have plenty of other options. The University of Helsinki is a large research university. As a student in ENS you will have access to a rich variety of specialised courses in many faculties and schools. Check the section on research focus to see what we are particularly good at in Helsinki.

Selection of the Major

The programme has two tracks (see the structure of studies below for more information):
Humanities track – This study track emphases regional and cultural studies, and history. Upon completion of the programme, you will receive the Master of Arts degree.
Political science track – This study track is oriented towards political science, political history and the European legal tradition. At the end of the programme, you have earned the Master of Social Sciences degree.

Programme Structure

The extent of the Master´s programme is 120 credits (ECTS) to be completed in two academic years. The studies are divided into four main parts:
-Joint courses (core courses that are common to all students in this programme).
-Track-specific studies (core courses that are separate for the humanities and political sciences tracks).
-Specialisation studies (that you choose yourself).
-Master’s thesis and supporting seminars.

Career Prospects

The programme will train you as an independent and critical thinker who is well informed about European issues, trained to do independent and creative analytical projects, and experienced in working in a multicultural English-speaking environment.

There is currently a great need for professionals like this within the public and private sectors. The programme will provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge to pursue a career in higher education, local and national administrations, the media, the European Union, Nordic Regional and international institutions, non-governmental organisations, and the business sector.

European studies graduates from the University of Helsinki have begun careers for example in the European Commission, European Parliament, Committee of Regions, Pro-European NGOs, College of Europe, communication offices, and associations promoting Nordic cooperation. You will meet some potential future employees, as well as alumni from our university, in the career course we organise for you. You will also have the opportunity to complete an internship during your studies.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in academic research, the programme provides you with high quality research training.

Research Focus

The European studies programme covers a wide spectrum of research projects in various faculties and research institutes. In recent years, the focus has been especially on studying boundaries, regions and identities in Europe, different narratives of Europe, European legal traditions, the construction of post-Cold War Europe, the politics of memory, and political violence in post-war Europe. The university also offers a wide selection of teaching in English in Central and Eastern European studies.

Many of these themes are also strongly present in the field of Nordic studies. This field has traditionally had a distinctly European flavour. Research projects in recent years have, for example, focused on imagology of the European North and South, Nordic welfare state/ism, the politics of neutrality, and Nordic cooperation in a global comparative perspective.

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The MLitt in American Studies is the only Masters programme in Scotland that provides an interdisciplinary focus on how the United States developed. Why did American culture, politics, and business become so dominant in the 19th and 20th centuries, and in what directions might it be headed in the 21st century?

Why this programme

◾The programme is linked to the Andrew Hook Centre for American Studies, which hosts visiting speakers for seminars, conferences and other special events.
◾The Centre also welcomes applications for partial or full fees-only Gordon Scholarships in American Studies.
◾From early in the 17th century, Glasgow has been a gateway for economic, social, and cultural exchange between Scotland and North America. The University has been at the forefront of teaching and research in American history and literature since the late 19th century.
◾This programme draws upon a variety of academic fields such as literature, history, theology, music, history of art, politics, archaeology, anthropology and media studies.

Programme structure

You will take two core courses and choose three optional courses. The programme draws on a wide array of subject areas: literature, history, film and television studies, popular music, art history, religious studies, archaeology, and politics; to foster understanding of the overarching themes, as well as complexities, of American life.

The culmination of the MLitt in American Studies is your dissertation. You will choose a topic based on the breadth of perspectives that you have explored and conduct original primary source research. You will be supported in your research and writing by an assigned supervisor with expertise in your specific field of interest.

Core courses
◾Approaches to American studies
◾Topics and methods in American studies.

Core and optional courses

Core Courses


Approaches to American studies

An introduction to the different disciplinary approaches and methodologies for the study of North America, organized around a defining theme that is revised annually. Defining themes of the past have included American Identities, the Frontier and the American West, and Freedom. This core course also incorporates research training in American Studies, geared toward the requirements of the rest of the programme, especially the dissertation.

Topics and methods in American studies.

This course is based around the Hook Centre's series of visiting speakers - who are all leading national (and sometimes international) figures in American Studies. Students keep a notebook detailing their developing understanding of, and reflections upon, American Studies as an academic discipline throughout this series. They produce an essay at the end of the module, as well as participating fully in occasional seminars to discuss themes and issues raised by the series and to reflect upon these in light of readings of some 'classic' texts in American Studies.

Optional courses vary from year to year; they may include:
◾American counterculture
◾Thomas Paine as an enlightenment revolutionary
◾Media, war, and security
◾People of plenty: the politics of consumption in the US since 1890
◾History of critical writing on film and television
◾The American way of war
◾Poverty and inequality in the modern world
◾ American material culture
◾The Mind of the Contemporary American Novel


Courses available in recent years have included: American communities; The politics of race in America; Modernity and technology; American society and culture in the 1920s and 1930s; and, The Vietnam war in American history and culture; and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton and Dialogues of American Literary Modernism.

Career prospects

The skills you gain: critical, analytical, and written and oral communication skills, as well as the specific understanding of American history and culture; offer you a broad range of career choices.

The programme provides you with an excellent foundation to study for a PhD and to establish an academic career. Other graduates have used their specialist knowledge of America in their media, business and teaching careers.

Positions held by recent graduates include Teacher and Alumni and Development Officer.

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The MA in War: History and Politics is an interdisciplinary programme that focuses on modern history. It brings together current scholar debates from a range of specialist areas, exploring the causes, experience, effects, and memory of all important wars and conflicts of the last hundred years.

Looking at political, cultural and social history, this MA is for those who want to study war in all its multi-faceted complexity, from the everyday and the personal, to the national and the global. We offer expert teaching and supervision on British, European, American and Middle Eastern modern and contemporary history.

The main conflicts you will cover are: the First World War and the Second World War; the Balkan Wars of the 1910s and the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s; the wars of Decolonization and those of New Imperialism; the Cold War and its ‘side-wars’; the War on Terror and the current conflicts in the Middle East.

Why study with us?

Studying this degree you will acquire expertise on:

• War and conflict studies
• Modern international history
• Interdisciplinary learning and researching

You will be taught in a truly interdisciplinary manner, utilising a number of disciplines: cultural and social history, politics and international relations. You can build the degree structure that suits best your interests and future plans.

You can specialise in particular disciplines, or you can explore a wide range of new methods. You will also have the choice of three different types of elective work (e.g. extended essays or primary-source based seminars). Our students can also use the nearby world-famous Mass Observation archive. They also tend to be involved in the events and research projects run by the University of Brighton’s Understanding Conflict cluster, such as our latest initiative on ‘Contesting Britain at War’.

We offer flexible modes of study for those with personal or professional commitments. After finishing the MA you will be able to pursue a wide range of careers as well as opportunities for further postgraduate research.

Areas of study

There are two Core Modules that you will have to take, one on the forms and one on the legacies of war. ‘Forms of Warfare and Violent Conflict’ examines the lead up to war and what is happening in wartime. It looks at: the political, ideological and wider structural causes of war; the human experience at the home-front and at the war-front; the politics and methods of warfare as they have evolved in time; the different modes of practical, political, and intellectual resistance against invasion and occupation. ‘Legacies of Warfare and Violent Conflict’ looks at the impact of war, at what is left after a conflict: the emotional and personal effects of war; how a conflict continues to exist on material and psychological landscapes; the multiple ways through which personal, collective and global memories of killing and sacrifice are constructed; the politics of what we decide to remember and what to forget; the activist, political and theoretical efforts to stop war from happening again.

Beyond the two Core Modules you can also pick a number of option courses that relate to you interests, for example: Public History and Heritage; Cultural Memory; ‘Race’, Nation and Ethnicity; Globalisation and Global Politics; Conflict, Security and Human Rights; Genocide; International Relations theory; Aesthetics and Philosophy; Cultural Theory; Philosophy and Critical Theory. Alternatively you might want instead to research and write a stand-alone extended essay, or you may opt for a more practical-based unit on teaching and learning higher education, offering you the opportunity to learn more about undergraduate teaching.

You will also take a Research Methods module that will help you develop the academic skills necessary to engage in the 20,000-word Dissertation, for which you are guided by one of our faculty with subject expertise.

Careers and employability

Our graduates are particularly well-equipped to follow career paths in sectors that deal with violent conflicts, their consequences and resolution, such as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the Ministry of Defence, and international bodies (e.g. United Nations).

Much more broadly our degree opens the path to sectors that value critical research skills and a good knowledge of modern history and politics, such as media and journalism, politics and government, museums and archives, and publishing.

Working in schools and in academia are, of course, standard options. Alternatively, many of our students go on to study for Doctorates with one of the Research Centres in Brighton.

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The MA in Post-war Recovery Studies brings together experienced humanitarian professionals and less experienced students, thus creating opportunities for students to share wisdom while being challenged by more theoretically-minded, technologically savvy and idealistic coursemates.

Why York?

Our students choose to study with the Post-war Reconstruction and Development Unit at the University of York for many reasons. Here at the PRDU, we're proud of our location. The University is situated within acres of beautiful parkland, and is only a short walk away from the centre of the historic city of York. Whether it's hustle of the city, or the calmness of campus that you are searching for, it can all be found at the University of York. Here are some of the reasons why our students chose us:
-York is consistently among the top UK universities for the quality of its teaching and research.
-York ranked 1st in the UK and 7th in the world in the Times Higher Education World Rankings of Universities less than 50 years old.
-The PRDU is an internationally recognised teaching and research faculty, with links to other universities and organisations worldwide.
-Eligible students from outside the EU are guaranteed accomodation on or near campus.
-York is easily accessible by air, rail, and road. The city is well connected by major UK railway lines, meaning a travel time of only two hours to London, and two hours fifteen minutes to Edinburgh.
-The cost of living in York is considerably lower than other cities in the UK.

The PRDU offers students the unique chance to study within a research department that is a leader in its field, alongside internationally acclaimed academics and lecturers. The PRDU, like the city of York, is expansive and wide reaching, yet remains personable and friendly despite its cosmopolitan activities.

Teaching

Classes are taught by world renowned academics, policy makers & practitioners. There are five separate class-taught modules, and students are supported throughout the year by the academic staff at the PRDU.

Field Trip

Every year students of the MA in Post-war Recovery Studies undertake a field trip to a post-war region. Led by field-experienced faculty and staff, students gain first hand, ground-level, understandings of recovery and reconstruction in the aftermath of war.

Work Placement

All students undertake a 6-8 week work placement. They are based within an international or national organisation working on an aspect of post-war recovery, humanitarian action or development in a war-affected context.

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