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 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
"We are leading a rapidly growing academic and popular interest in the subject, which is typical of the dynamism of the department as a whole."
