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Masters degrees in British & Irish History offer advanced study of the cooperation, occupation and competition of the various parts of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the smaller adjacent islands which make up the British Isles.
Related subjects include Ancient History and European History. Postgraduate specialisms include Scottish History, Landscape History and Celtic History as well as key periods such as the Eighteenth Century, Victorian or Modern Periods. Entry requirements usually include a suitable undergraduate degree such as History or Archaeology.
The Scottish History Masters offers courses in social, political, religious, military and cultural history of Scotland from the medieval period through to the 20th century. The course focuses on Gaelic Scotland, Scotland’s place in the British Isles and Europe, and on urban Scotland. You’ll have access to excellent primary sources, including the Baillie Collection of printed medieval and modern sources in Scottish, Irish and English history.
You’ll take:
You’ll also write a dissertation.
Dissertation
The research skills and methods you’ll gain on this programme give you the transferable skills needed for positions in the public and private sectors, including heritage policy and projects, media and teaching.
The programme is also a good foundation for a PhD.
This programme offers students an introduction to the study of the ways in which writing in English has shaped or mediated political identities in England, Scotland and Ireland.
This programme introduces you to the relationship between literary writing and political and social discourse in Britain and Ireland between the ‘Glorious Revolution’ of 1688 and the end of the 19th century. This is the period of the creation of the Britain in which we live today, and also the time in which ancient British, Scottish and Irish national cultures were conceptualised as a response to radical literary, social and political innovations.
In examining the role of literary writing in this period, you will evaluate the ways in which it changed in response to social and political developments. You will also explore how Romantic conceptions of history, society and the aesthetic are developed and questioned during the course of the 19th century.
The programme will be taught through a combination of seminars and tutorials over two semesters, after which you will complete an independently researched dissertation. You will complete two compulsory and two option courses, along with courses in research methods.
Compulsory courses:
Option courses may include:
Students who successfully follow this programme will gain:
This programme will help you to identify possible topics for advanced research in English literature, potentially leading to an academic career. The transferable skills you gain, such as communication, project management and analysis, will give you an edge in a competitive employment market.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study History at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The MA in History is an exciting programme that covers a wide range of topics in history from the Middle Ages onwards.
The wide-ranging expertise of Swansea University's historians offers the study of British, European, American or Asian History. The History MA allows students to explore the history of art and culture, empire, gender, politics, religion, sexuality and science.
Students on the MA History programme are introduced to key concepts that shape the study of history. The MA in History students benefit not only from the unusual concentration of historians at Swansea, but also from the existence of the College of Arts and Humanities Research Centres, the Callaghan Centre for the Study of Conflict, Power and Empires and the Richard Burton Centre.
History MA students benefit from the the College of Arts and Humanities' Graduate Centre. The Graduate Centre fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study including the MA in History programme. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.
The full-time History course structure is split across the year with three modules taken in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. History students study three compulsory modules and three optional modules. The dissertation is written on a specialist research topic of the student's choosing.
Part-time study for MA in History is available.
- To acquire advanced knowledge and understanding of a range of topics related to history.
- To develop theoretical and methodological skills relevant to all aspects of the study of history.
- To lay a solid foundation of knowledge and analytical and presentational skills for further research work in the field.
Modules on the History course typically include:
• Historical Methods and Approaches
• New Departures in the Writing of History
• Communicating History
• Directed Reading in History
• From Princely Possessions to Public Museums: A History of Collecting and Display
• Power, Conflict, and Society in the Modern World
• Venice and the Sea
• Medieval Manuscripts
• Fascism & Culture
Students from a history or related background. Students interested in preparation for postgraduate research, MPhil or PhD, or who wish to develop skills and knowledge related to history.
All staff in the Department of History and Classics are research active and publish books and articles in their areas of expertise. Staff and students are members of a range of Arts and Humanities research centres: the Callaghan Centre for the Study of Conflict, Power and Empire, the Richard Burton Centre for the Study of Wales and the Research Groups: MEMO: the Centre for Medieval and Early Modern Research and GENCAS: the Centre for Research into Gender in Culture and Society. Regular research seminars and lectures are run through these groups and through the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) giving students including those of the MA in History programme access to cutting-edge research.
Career expectations are excellent for History graduates. MA degree holders in History may move on to doctoral study or enter employment in such areas as museums, heritage and tourism; marketing, sales and advertising; business, art, design and culture; media and PR; social and welfare professions; humanitarian organisations; the civil service, and education.
“I graduated with a First-Class Honours BA History degree and an MA in History from Swansea University. My four years of study here were truly the most enjoyable of my life so far! The lecturers, tutors and all members of the History department were also incredibly friendly and always willing to help. The History MA was fully funded by a University Alumni bursary. The range of modules available to MA students is exceptional and the facilities here are fantastic. With a designated Arts and Humanities Postgraduate computer room and common-room area, as well as the University’s very own archives, Swansea is a great place to study History.”
Cath Horler, History, MA
King’s is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for the study of medieval history, with expertise in the study of Anglo-Saxon England, Britain in the central Middle Ages together with early and later medieval Europe.
This MA course gives you the skills and analysis you need for medieval historical study and delving into the significant topics of the period, from Magna Carta to the history of medieval women. It will also introduce you to the burgeoning field of digital humanities through collaboration with the Department of Digital Humanities where the digital and historical worlds meet.
King’s is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence for the study of medieval history, with traditional expertise in the study of Anglo-Saxon England, Britain in the central Middle Ages together with early and later medieval Europe, recently strengthened by the arrival of new members of staff.
The MA programme is amongst the most successful of its kind worldwide, teaching students the skills and analysis required for medieval historical study and delving into significant topics of the period, from Magna Carta to the history of medieval women.
The History department has traditional expertise in Anglo-Saxon England, Britain in the central Middle Ages together with early and later medieval Europe. Major research projects in medieval history currently being undertaken by MA teaching staff include the AHRC-funded online databases Prosopography of Anglo-Saxon England (PASE) and Henry III Fine Rolls, an AHRC-funded project The Making of Charlemagne’s Europe and the Leverhulme Trust funded project Profile of a Doomed Elite: The Structure of English Landed Society in 1066.
Institute of Historical Research (IHR)
We will encourage you to make full use of the opportunities available through the Institute of Historical Research (IHR). Many members of the Department prepare and deliver its period-based seminars, including the flourishing Early Medieval History and European History 1150-1550 seminars. In addition, the IHR offers a wide range of other events: from student-run workshops to specialist training days. This intersection between Department, School and the IHR means we have a uniquely productive environment for graduate study in History.
To train scholars moving into academic work after completing an undergraduate degree, but also for those who want to deepen their knowledge of the period.
Students will take modules worth a minimum of 180 credits. Taught compulsory and optional modules assessed by coursework and/or examination plus a compulsory dissertation.
If you are a full-time student, we will give you four to eight hours of teaching through seminars, where you will contribute to the dicsussion and prepare presentations.
If you are a part-time studnet, we will give you two to six hours of teaching each week through seminars.
For your dissertation, we will give you six hours of supervision.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
The majority of our modules are assessed through coursework. Your dissertation will be a 15,000-word essay.
Our graduates continue to further research or transfer their skills and knowledge to careers in teaching, archives, the media, finance, politics and heritage industries.
In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), 87% of our research was ranked as world-leading and internationally excellent.
Enhance your research skills on the MA History degree. Through our highly ranked facilities, you can select an era that interests you, from medieval political thought to the Victorian Monarchy through to the rise and fall of the Habsburg Empire. This masters degree in history will further develop your understanding of where our societies have come from, origins of customs and provides answers for the future. This degree can lead to many rewarding and successful careers.
This course combines training in research skills and historiography with a wide range of options, from antiquity to the late 20th century. You may wish to follow one of our themed pathways: British History, European History, Imperial History, History of the Americas. These allow you to explore a region or concept across a number of modules, however you may prefer to adopt a pick-and-mix approach and choose modules that suit your own interests.
Either way, you will be taught by leading scholars in their fields, gaining an insight into current research and making your own contribution through your dissertation.
View the programme specification document for this course
The city of Exeter is the perfect setting for our MA in Medieval Studies. At the University there is a wide variety of resources and you will have access to extensive holdings, audio-visual collections and some medieval manuscripts in our Special Collections in the University library. Exeter Cathedral Library Archives and the Devon Heritage Centre, located nearby, contain further significant medieval manuscripts, documents and early printed books.
The MA Medieval Studies draws on the expertise of the Centre for Medieval Studies, which is one of the largest centres in the university. Exeter is unique in that we have a large number of specialists in medieval studies across various disciplines. Our expertise is especially strong in medieval history, archaeology, law, music, French literature, English literature, and Arab and Islamic studies.
Modules are taken from nine different disciplines meaning the course is varied and you will be offered comprehensive training on skills needed to study the Middle Ages, including medieval languages (Latin, Old English, and medieval French) and palaeography. With such a large number of medieval studies experts and excellent links to the local and national heritage sector we are in an excellent position to help you as you further your historical knowledge whether you are planning on progressing to PhD study, pursuing a profession, or simply exploring a passion for medieval studies.
The University's Streatham Campus is located with excellent access to the heart of historic Exeter which has a rich cultural heritage extending back to the Roman period and boasts particularly fine evidence of its medieval past. You will benefit from access to Exeter Cathedral Library and University libraries which maintain excellent holdings relevant to medieval studies.
A range of optional modules are available which reflect the varied research interests of academic staff across the Centre for Medieval Studies. These interests range widely across the medieval period and cover Britain, Europe and the Islamic world. They also represent several disciplines, including History, Archaeology, Classics, Literature, Music, Art History, Theology and Islamic Studies.
The core module Interpreting the Middle Ages: Images, Texts and Contexts will give students an overview of these different disciplinary approaches and show how they can be applied to the study of medieval texts and objects. Other core modules are Medieval Research Skills, which introduces students to the skills needed to work with medieval sources such as palaeography and codicology, and Current Research in Medieval Studies which asks students to reflect on how academic research projects are designed and presented, and gives them guidance in developing their own dissertation projects. Students also have the option of taking Latin modules and are strongly encouraged to do so if they are considering going on to an MPhil or PhD.
- offers an excellent, interdisciplinary education in medieval studies, covering a wide range of topics and approaches across the medieval period;
- gives students the opportunity to work with the medieval sources in and around Exeter, for example at Exeter Cathedral, the Devon Heritage Centre and the University’s Special Collections;
- produces graduates who are highly competent in subject-specific, core academic, and personal and key skills that are both relevant and transferable to employment;
- encourages participation in research seminar programmes offering insights into a very wide range of research cultures and specialisms and into how academics go about designing and presenting research projects;
- offers excellent preparation for students intending to continue on to doctoral-level research with a good track record in obtaining funding for further study.
As an MA Medieval Studies student you will be welcome to join the Centre for Medieval Studies, which brings together academic staff and Postgraduate students from a wide range of disciplines across the University’s Colleges. We are brought together by our shared interests which run from the Early Middle Ages to the early Renaissance and may include archaeology, theology, music, literature and law. We hold regular seminars and research events which, if you decide to join us at Exeter, we hope you will not only attend but become an active part of.
Research is at the heart of History and our students are encouraged to come to Departmental Research Seminars and become an active part of wider research community. Our research centres regularly hold seminars and other research events which MA students are welcome to attend.
Our current research centres include:
As well as our research centres we also have a Postgraduate Reading Group for matters medieval which brings together our Masters and PhD students to share ideas.
