Masters degrees in German History examine the historical origins, events and peoples which have formed present-day Germany. Studies usually begin with the Roman Empire, though some may include also cover prehistorical periodsy.
Related subjects include Ancient History and European History. Entry requirements usually include a relevant undergraduate degree such as History or Archaeology.
The German History pathway of the MA in Language, Culture and History allows students to investigate in depth the rich, diverse traditions and violent upheavals of German and Austrian history. Drawing on the expertise of an unparalleled range of specialists at UCL, this programme provides a foundation for understanding some of the most important junctures and developments of the modern era.
The MA offers students the opportunity to explore a range of aspects of German history, and gives students a grounding in one of the principal areas of modern history, essential for an understanding of contemporary Europe and its past. Text-based language teaching is available for students wishing to develop their linguistic skills.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme offers two pathways: taught and research.
Taught: one core cross-language module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core cross-language module (30 credits), two taught modules (60 credits), and a research dissertation (90 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits), full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.
Core module
The core Language, Culture and History module permits research into two areas of major contemporary interest, such as:
Optional modules
Students choose from a range of optional modules on topics such as the following:
Dissertation/report
All MA students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of12,000 words (taught pathway) or 18,000 words (research pathway).
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Formal teaching occurs in the first two terms and the third term is devoted to revision sessions, examinations and detailed supervision of the dissertation project. Student performance is assessed through coursework essays, a dissertation, and unseen written examinations.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Language, Culture and History: German History MA
The degree offers a graduate qualification in its own right, as well as serving as a pathway towards doctoral research in the field of German and European history. Many students progress from one of our MA programmes to an MPhil or PhD research degree.
Employability
With their specialist knowledge and language skills, German Master's graduates can be found in business, finance, the media, international agencies, teaching and academia.
UCL is ranked third in the UK for Modern Languages in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017.
UCL's central location offers students easy access to excellent resources, including the British Library, the Institute for Germanic Studies, the German Historical Institute and the Institute of Historical Research.
The cultural offerings of the Goethe-Institut, the Austrian Institute, and a wealth of exhibitions, films and theatrical performances are all nearby.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: School of European Languages, Culture & Society
74% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
The German Studies pathway of the MA in Language, Culture and History offers a wide range of modules covering many aspects of German language, culture and history. This highly flexible programme allows students from a diversity of backgrounds to pursue topics in more depth, to acquire new areas of interdisciplinary expertise and to enhance their German language skills.
This MA enables further exploration of aspects of German literature, culture, history, politics, and social and political thought, within an explicitly thematic and theoretical framework. Students can specialise in particular areas of interest through the optional modules. Text-based language teaching is available for students wishing to develop their linguistic skills.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme offers two pathways: taught and research.
Taught: one core cross-language module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core cross-language module (30 credits), two taught modules (60 credits), and a research dissertation (90 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits), full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.
Core module
Optional modules
Students choose from a range of optional modules on topics such as the following:
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a 60-credit dissertation of 12,000 words, or a 90-credit dissertation of 18,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Formal teaching occurs in the first two terms and the third term is devoted to revision sessions, examinations and detailed supervision of the dissertation project. Student performance is assessed through coursework essays, a dissertation, and unseen written examinations.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Language, Culture and History: German Studies MA
The MA provides an excellent foundation year for subsequent doctoral research in all areas of the department's research specialisms. Many students progress from one of our MA programmes to an MPhil or PhD research degree.
Employability
With their specialist knowledge and language skills, German Master's graduates can be found in business, finance, the media, international agencies, teaching and academia.
UCL is ranked third in the UK for Modern Languages in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017.
UCL's central location offers students easy access to excellent resources, including the British Library, the Institute for Germanic Studies, the German Historical Institute and the Institute of Historical Research. The cultural offerings of the Goethe Institut, the Austrian Institute, and a wealth of exhibitions, films and theatrical performances are all nearby.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: School of European Languages, Culture & Society
74% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This MA provides a unique range of options from the early modern period to the present, covering lands where mighty empires and many nations have interacted and competed over the centuries: the Russian Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Habsburg Monarchy, the Ottoman Empire, the German Empire, and their successor states.
Students are encouraged to choose from modules which are as diverse in geography as they are varied in approach. The programme is especially rich in modules exploring the relationship between power and culture. Several methods modules are available, including Methods of Area Studies Research (MASR).
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of one core module (30 credits), a choice from a range of optional modules (90 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).
Core module
Optional modules
Dissertation/report
All MA students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of approximately 10,000-12,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, presentations, and self study. Student performance is assessed through examinations, essays, a portfolio of work (which includes annotated bibliography, bullet-point presentation, encyclopaedia-style entry, and book review), oral presentation, document analysis, and the dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: History (SSEES) MA
With their specialist knowledge and language skills, SSEES Master's graduates can be found in business, finance, the media, international agencies, charities, diplomacy, international security organisations, the law, and academia.
Some graduates advise the Russian, Polish, American, and other governments, and the European Commission.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
Students who have successfully completed this programme have moved into further academic research and doctoral studies, careers in teaching and careers in government, NGOs or the European Parliament. The regional specialism of this MA along with the opportunity to learn a language is attractive to employers. Networking is facilitated by two major collaborations led by SSEES: CEELBAS and the International Master's (IMESS). Scholarships, internship opportunities and excellent links with other universities in the region provide further benefits.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
The UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies (SSEES) is a world-leading specialist institution, and the largest national centre in the UK, for the study of central, Eastern and south-east Europe and Russia.
Located in Bloomsbury, SSEES offers an ideal location for scholars. The British Library, British Museum, University of London Library and other similar research centres are all close by.
The SSEES Library is unequalled in Britain for the depth and breadth of its collections, the majority of which are on open access in the SSEES building.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: SSEES - School of Slavonic & East European Studies
64% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
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.
