Masters Degrees in Intellectual History

The MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History is aimed at students who have an interest in both the theory and history of political thought (including those wider intellectual idioms which provide the context for its development). It also welcomes students whose previous study had a more specialised historical or theoretical (or philosophical) bent, provided that while doing this course they are willing to engage themselves with both approaches to research.The MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History is aimed at students who have an interest in both the theory and history of political thought (including those wider intellectual idioms which provide the context for its development). It also welcomes students whose previous study had a more specialised historical or theoretical (or philosophical) bent, provided that while doing this course they are willing to engage themselves with both approaches to research.

This MPhil attracts students from all over the world, and its training provides an ideal foundation from which to proceed to doctoral research, not only in the United Kingdom, but in North American, European, Asian and Southern Hemisphere university systems.

Priority is given to the pursuit of the individual student’s research: all examined work derives from this research. Classes are provided in Methodology, in the reading of selected texts, and in selected concepts: these are intended to be ‘exemplary’, offering opportunities to explore different methods used in the field, different approaches to reading texts, and a variety of political concepts. Work done in classes is not examined.

See the website http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses/directory/hihimppth

Course detail

The MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History offers students a rounded and flexible Masters programme that provides them with an introduction to all three of the fields contained within its scope (History of Political Thought, Political Theory, Intellectual History), while allowing them to specialise in their own area of particular interest. It offers a thorough training in the key techniques of higher-level academic study and research.

The MPhil is inter-Faculty: History, Politics, and Classics are the participating departments. The teaching staff, and examiners, have diverse disciplinary backgrounds, as do students on the course.

Learning Outcomes

After completion of the MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History, students should have:

1. acquired an enhanced understanding of the history of political thought as well as an appreciation of the broader theoretical approaches and intellectual idioms that inform its study.
2. acquired the analytical capacity to pursue independent study of primary texts in the history of political thought and to evaluate the findings of secondary commentators
3. acquired the ability to situate their own research findings within the context of previous and current interpretative scholarly debates in the field of political thought and intellectual history

Format

The course comprises two kinds of work: group study and individually tailored supervised research training. Both persist simultaneously throughout the year, so that students are expected to attend the course classes, research seminar, and lectures while at the same time researching their essays. While there are no fixed course classes in Easter Term when students will be concentrating on their dissertation, they will be required to present their work at a Dissertation Seminar and encouraged to continue attending lectures and the research seminar. Postgraduate students in Cambridge are expected to work continuously throughout the year with the exception of a few days’ break at a time, so that the ‘vacation periods’ are in fact periods in which required work must be completed.

Students will receive the following feedback:

- oral supervision feedback
- writen termly CGSRS reports
- written essay feedback
- oral dissertation workshop feedback
- formal written feedback from two examiners after the submission and examination of their dissertation.

Assessment

A thesis of 15,000 - 20,000 words is submitted at the end of the course. An oral examination will only be required in cases where one of the marks is a marginal fail.

Two essays of not more than 6,000 words each, one submitted at the end of Michaelmas Term, the second at the end of Lent Term. These essays constitute Part I of the MPhil, and contribute to the final overall mark.

Continuing

In order to be considered for continuation to the PhD, and always subject to satisfactory supervision arrangements being in place, students are expected to obtain an overall mark of 70 for the MPhil and a mark of at least 70 for their dissertation.

Please see the Faculty website for more information:

http://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/prospective-graduates/apply/apply-mphil-phd
http://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/prospective-graduates/apply/apply-ltc-home

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

Funding Opportunities

Please see the History Faculty’s Funding Guide via the History Faculty’s weblink below:

http://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/prospective-graduates/faculty-funding/funding-options

General Funding Opportunities http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/finance/funding

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This intercollegiate programme draws on the expertise of academic staff in the fields of the history of political thought and intellectual history from across the Colleges and Institutes of the University of London. The programme is administered from Queen Mary, so you register as a Queen Mary student � once you complete the programme, your degree will be a joint University of London-UCL MA. The MA Programme as a whole offers advanced training in intellectual history, the history of political thought and the history of philosophy, spanning the period from the ancient world to the Twenty-First Century. You will also be provided with an essential grounding in the various methods and approaches associated with the study of the history of thought developed over the past quarter-century in Europe and the United States.

Programme outline
The MA consists of the core module: Method and Practice in the History of Political Thought and Intellectual History, a selection of modules chosen from the list below, and an individually supervised dissertation. Below is a typical sample of module options that may be offered in a given year:

Democracy: Ancient and Modern Richard Bourke (Queen Mary)
Propaganda and Ideology in Rome Valentina Arena (UCL) [please note: not running 2011-12]
Languages of politics: Italy 1250-1500 Serena Ferente (KCL)
Political Thought in Renaissance Europe Iain McDaniel (UCL)
Early-modern theories of the state Quentin Skinner (Queen Mary)
The Public Sphere in Britain, 1476 - 1800 Jason Peacey (UCL)
Signs, Mind, and Society: Early Modern Theories of Language Avi Lifschitz (UCL)
Enlightenment and Revolution: Political Ideas in the British Isles 1688-1800 Ian McBride (KCL)
Selfhood, Sensibility and the Politics of Difference in the European Enlightenment Adam Sutcliffe (KCL) [please note: not running 2011-12]
From Hume to Darwin God, Man and Nature in European Thought Niall O'Flaherty (KCL)
Visions of Capitalism Jeremy Jennings (Queen Mary) [please note: not running 2011-12]
In the Shadow of the French Revolution: Political Thought 1790-1890 Gareth Stedman Jones (Queen Mary)
Theories of Empire: from Enlightenment to Liberalism Maurizio Isabella (Queen Mary)
Crisis and Future in Nineteenth-Century European Thought Axel K�rner (UCL)
Nationalism, Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism in Political Thought, 19th�20th Centuries Georgios Varouxakis (Queen Mary)

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Ideas and patterns of thought always have been, and continue to be, subject to historical change. The ways in which they change, and the reasons why they do so, make for fascinating study. In this comprehensive programme, you’ll be introduced to the principal methodologies of intellectual history. You will also have the opportunity to explore particular themes in intellectual history, developing a detailed understanding of their origins, historical circumstances and implications.

By the end of the programme you will have the tools you need to appreciate the interdependence of text and context and the importance of ideas in past and present, as well as the ability to research effectively and present your work with confidence.

Programme structure

You will take a variety of seminar-style courses in small groups. Most courses are assessed by means of an extended piece of written work, while some courses may also assess non-written skills. You will complete two compulsory courses and select a further four options from a wide range on offer. You will then complete an independent research dissertation and will be assigned a supervisor from the outset.

The compulsory courses are:

• Historical Methodology
• Historical Research: Skills and Sources

Option courses previously offered include those listed below. Option courses change from year to year and those available when you start your studies may be different from those shown in the list:

• Myth and the History of Scholarship in Early Modern Europe
• The Scientific Revolution in Global Perspective
• Citizens and Subjects: Concepts of Citizenship in Modern African Intellectual History
• Currents of Radicalism, 1776-1848
• Debating Marriage from Antiquity to the Middle Ages
• History as Romance, Profession, Critique: Theory and Scholarship in the West, 1835 to 1985
• Literature and History in Early Medieval Britain and Ireland
• Thinking the 20th Century - Hannah Arendt and the Breakdown of European Civilisation

Learning outcomes

Students are expected to achieve several aims, which will be assessed primarily by essays and a dissertation, such as:

• knowledge of the chief methods of practising intellectual history
• a detailed understanding of certain major episodes in intellectual history
• an appreciation of the interdependence of text and context, and of the importance of ideas in past and present

A wide variety of intellectual skills are promoted through seminars, discussions and advanced study, encouraging the development of the:

• ability to develop tight and coherent arguments both orally and on the page
• capacity to read texts critically and sensitively, evaluating their arguments as well as situating them in their practical and intellectual contexts
• appreciation of a variety of approaches to intellectual history
• ability to cross-disciplinary boundaries, for example, between philosophy, science and history

Career opportunities

Our students view the programme and a graduate degree from Edinburgh as an advanced qualification valued and respected by many employers, others are interested in pursuing long-term academic careers and therefore consider the MSc as preparation for a PhD. The combination of skills training courses, specialised seminars, and independent research provides you with transferable skills that will be beneficial whatever path you choose.

Graduates pursue work in related areas such as museums, policy think tanks,national and international civil services, non-governmental organisations, galleries, libraries and historic trusts while others build on the transferable skills gained and enter areas as diverse as business, media, public administration and marketing.

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This MA builds on Sussex’s long tradition of innovation and expertise in intellectual history.

Exploring the major transformations and discourses in intellectual life since 1500, you’ll focus on:

• the history of political ideas
• religious and economic thought
• the Enlightenment
• the history of science.

Democracy and rights, war and empire, and toleration and persecution are all studied historically. You explore the ideas of thinkers through their literary texts and their practical contexts.

Genuinely interdisciplinary in approach, the course examines the interrelations between philosophy, politics, science, religion and literature in Britain, Europe, North America and China.

Full-time and part-time study

Choose to study this course full time or part time, to fit around your work and family life. Modules for the full-time course are listed below.

For details about the part-time course, contact us at [email protected]

How will I study?

Modules are taught in seminars, while specialist lectures, workshops and conferences organised by the Centre for Intellectual History give you access to cutting-edge historical research and debate.

A lunchtime seminar series provides training in research methodologies. Modules are assessed by term papers. You’ll also write a 20,000-word dissertation, supervised by an expert in the field.

Academic activities

History at Sussex has a thriving and animated research culture, with regular seminars, workshops and conferences on interdisciplinary research, and specific modules on research methods and skills. 

You’ll attend the Department of History’s weekly work-in-progress seminar throughout the academic year. 

Our postgraduate students run the well-established University of Sussex Journal of Contemporary History, an innovative online journal of creative and interdisciplinary historical research. 

Scholarships

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers, so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Working while you study

Our Careers and Employability Centre can help you find part-time work while you study. Find out more about career development and part-time work

Careers

An Intellectual History MA at Sussex will develop your skills in attention to detail, research, written communication and teamwork. Many of our graduates have gone on to careers in areas such as:

• teaching, research and publishing
• law and the Civil Service, 
• museums, libraries and archives.

A number of our graduates opt to undertake further study.

Graduate destinations

92% of students from the Department of History were in work or further study six months after graduating. Our students have gone on to roles including:

• visitor services, Harewood House Trust
• data analyst, Deloitte
• management consultant, InterConnect Communications.

(EPI, Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey 2015 for postgraduates)

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The MLitt in Intellectual History is an interdisciplinary taught postgraduate programme. The course explores major historical, historiographical, and methodological aspects of intellectual history alongside an individually tailored programme of directed reading.

Highlights

• This interdisciplinary programme brings together experts from across the University with a common interest in researching and contextualising key ideas in their subject areas.
• Students learn to treat past ideas as historical phenomena, as well as assess the meanings of these ideas as intended by their authors, and in contexts beyond those their authors may have foreseen.
• The course covers the different kinds of intellectual history being practised today, and the relationship between intellectual history and philosophy, literature and literary studies, international relations, law, politics, economics and theology.

Teaching format

The modules are taught through seminars and fortnightly tutorials, with class sizes ranging from individual supervision up to 12 students. The modules are assessed by coursework only; there is no final exam.

Students will spend the final three months of the course focusing on researching and writing the final assessment piece for the MLitt, a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Modules

Each module typically comprises:

• seminars ranging from 1.5 to 3 hours per week
• fortnightly tutorial sessions for directed reading
• 100% coursework assessment.

For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2017–2018 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2018 entry.

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The Warburg Institute MA in Cultural and Intellectual History aims to equip students for interdisciplinary research in Medieval and Renaissance studies and in the reception of the classical tradition. Students will become part of an international community of scholars, working in a world-famous library. They will broaden their range of knowledge to include the historically informed interpretation of images and texts, art history, philosophy, history of science, literature, and the impact of religion on society. Students will improve their knowledge of Latin, French and Italian and will acquire the library and archival skills essential for research on primary texts.

This twelve-month, full-time course is intended as an introduction to the principal elements of the classical tradition and to interdisciplinary research in cultural and intellectual history from the late Middle Ages to the early modern period. Although it is a qualification in its own right, the MA is also designed to provide training for further research at doctoral level. It is taught through classes and supervision by members of the academic staff of the Institute and by outside teachers. The teaching staff are leading professors and academics in their field who have published widely. Research strengths include: the transmission of Arabic science and philosophy to Western Europe; the later influence of classical philosophy (Aristotelianism, Platonism, Epicureanism and Stoicism); and religious nonconformism in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe. For further details on the research interests of teaching staff please visit the Warburg website:
http://www.warburg.sas.ac.uk/home/staff-contacts/academic-staff

Structure

Core courses (courses may vary from year to year)

Iconology: Mythological painting, allegorical figures, historical subjects, altarpiece - Dr Paul Taylor
Religion and Society - Dr Alessandro Scafi
Optional Courses (courses may vary from year to year)

Artistic Intentions 1400 - 1700 - Dr Paul Taylor
Islamic Authorities and Arabic Elements in the Renaissance – Professor Charles Burnett
Music in the Later Middle Ages and the Renaissance - Professor Charles Burnett
New Worlds, Ancient Texts: Renaissance Intellectual History and the Discovery of the Americas - Dr Philipp Nothaft
Renaissance Philosophy – Dr Guido Giglioni
Renaissance Art Literature – Dr François Quiviger
Renaissance Material Culture – Dr Rembrandt Duits and Dr François Quiviger
Sin and Sanctity in the Reformation – Professor Alastair Hamilton
All students take two compulsory core courses and two optional subjects. The core courses are taught in the first term and the optional subjects in the second term and the options available vary from year to year. In addition, there is a regular series of classes throughout the three terms on Techniques of Scholarship. Subjects dealt with include: description of manuscripts; palaeography; printing in the 15th and 16th centuries; editing a text; preparation of dissertations and photographic images. Some of these classes are held outside the Institute in locations such as the British Library or the Wellcome Library.
Reading classes in Latin, Italian and French are provided and are offered to all students. Students are also encouraged to attend the Director’s weekly seminar on Work in Progress and any of the other regular seminars held in the Institute that may be of interest to them. These at present include History of Art and Maps and Society. The third term and summer are spent in researching and writing a dissertation, under the guidance of a supervisor from the academic staff.

Assessment

The normal format for classes is a small weekly seminar, in which students usually discuss texts in their original languages. In most courses, students also give short presentations of their own research, which are not assessed. The emphasis is on helping students to acquire the skills necessary to interpret philosophical, literary and historical documents as well as works of art. Each compulsory or optional module will be assessed by means of a 4,000 word essay to be submitted on the first day of the term following that in which the module was taught. A dissertation of 18,000 – 20,000 words, on a topic agreed by the student and supervisor, has to be submitted by 30 September. The course is examined on these five pieces of written work, and on a written translation examination paper in the third term. Students are allocated a course tutor and, in addition, are encouraged to discuss their work with other members of the academic staff. Because of our relatively small cohort, students have unusually frequent contact, formal and informal, with their teachers.

Mode of study

12 months full-time only.

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Durham's MA in Early Modern History is a broad-ranging Master's programme which seeks to equip students with historical research techniques and approaches, advanced skills in critical analysis and independent study, as well as strong and effective communication skills. The MA programme is designed to enable students with different career ambitions to succeed in their chosen area, and it caters for students of different backgrounds, previous training, and areas of specialisation. The breadth of research interests of the early modernists at Durham allows the department to offer supervision in topics about the early modern world from the mid-fifteenth century through to the early nineteenth. The programme seeks to enable students to build an awareness of the contemporary boundaries of early modern scholarship, to master advanced understanding of historical concepts and methods, and ultimately to make their own contributions to the field.

Durham's History Department is an international centre for the study of the Early Modern period, and is situated in the historic setting of the World Heritage Site, which includes Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle, and the surrounding area. Students of early modern history at Durham benefit from the rich archival and manuscript resources in the collections of the University (at Palace Green Library and at Ushaw College) and in the Cathedral Library, while the wider regional resources for study of the period are also highly significant: these include the landscape of industrial revolution, of vernacular architecture and of early modern globalisation. Early Modern History at Durham is comprehensive and international in its reach, with specialists in the History of Medicine, consumer culture, print and information, court culture, ecclesiastical and intellectual history, and political thought. Area specialisms include the British Isles, Continental Europe, North America, China and the Steppe regions.

Course Structure

The MA in Early Modern History is a one-year full-time programme (or two-years part-time). All students are allocated a supervisor at the beginning of the first term, and s/he guides each student through the year. The programme is structured as follows:

Michaelmas Term (October-December)

Archives and Sources (15 credits)
Issues in Early Modern History (30 credits)
*Skill module (30 credits) - taken over Michaelmas and Epiphany Terms

Epiphany Term (January-March)

Critical Practice (15 credits)
Option module (30 credits)

Easter Term (April-June)

Dissertation (90 credits, or 60 credits if taking a *Skill module)

The formal requirements and structure of the programme can be found at: https://www.dur.ac.uk/courses/info/?id=9199&title=Early+Modern+History&code=V1K607&type=MA&year=2016#essentials; a full list of optional modules is available at: https://www.dur.ac.uk/history/postgraduate/ma_degrees/optionalmodules/

The MA can be taken part-time, over two years. In the first year the module combination consists of Archives and Sources, Critical Practice, Issues and in addition a Skills module OR Optional module. In the second year your work will consist of either a 90 credit, 20,000 word dissertation (if you took an Optional module in the first year) OR a 60 credit, 15,000 word dissertation, AND an Optional module (if you took a Skills module in the first year).

Additional courses can be taken on an audit-basis (not for credit), and can include language modules as well as optional modules. You will need to ask and receive the permission of the module leader before auditing a class. If the class is outside the department you will also need to inform the Director of Taught Postgraduates.

Learning and Teaching

The programme is delivered primarily through small group seminar teaching with some larger classes, and lecture-style sessions. Termly division of contact hours between terms depends on student choice. Issues in Early Modern History has 16 contact hours, all classroom-based; this module is team-taught and exposes students to a wide variety of staff support and expertise. Archives and Sources has 8 contact hours, split between lectures, classes and seminars. Skills modules are taught through seminars or classes and are usually more contact-hour-intensive. Optional modules are taught in seminars and provide a total of 16 contact hours. Critical Practice involves lectures, a drama workshop, and oral presentation to a group (at a 'mini-conference'). Dissertation supervision involves 8 hours of directed supervision, individually with a dedicated supervisor.

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This comprehensive programme provides the platform to pursue studies in everything from medieval Scotland to revolutionary America, the Cold War, Renaissance Italy, modern China, Japan, India or postcolonial Africa. We’ll help you to develop a specialised knowledge and understanding of history and its central issues, examine historical sources, evaluate existing research, and work towards a specialised research project of your own.

Taught by one of the largest groups of historians in any British university,you will encounter a stimulating environment in which to further your interest in practically any era of history and many regions of the world.By joining this programme you’ll also take part in a rich programme of events featuring our renowned academic staff and distinguished visitors from all over the world.

Programme structure

You will take a variety of seminar-style courses in small groups. Most courses are assessed by means of an extended piece of written work, while some courses may also assess non-written skills. You will complete two compulsory courses and select a further four options from a wide range on offer. You will then complete an independent research dissertation and will be assigned a supervisor from the outset.

The compulsory courses are

• Historical Methodology
• Historical Research: Skills and Sources.

Option courses previously offered include those listed below. Option courses change from year to year and those available when you start your studies may be different from those shown in the list:

• Slavery in the British Atlantic World, 1650-1834
• The Material Culture of Gender in Eighteenth Century Britain
• Conservatism in the United States, c.1930-c.1990
• The Civil Rights Movement
• The Sources of Medieval History
• Themes in American Historiography
• The United States and the Cold War
• War and Identities in Twentieth Century Britain and Ireland
• History as Romance, Profession, Critique: Theory and Scholarship in the West, 1835 to 1985
• Propaganda in Renaissance Scotland
• The Crusades: Thirteenth Century Crossroads
• Cinema and Society in South Asia, 1947-Present
• Introduction to Contemporary History
• Genocide in Contemporary History
• Medieval Men and Masculinities
• Myth and the History of Scholarship in Early Modern Europe
• Thinking the 20th Century - Hannah Arendt and the breakdown of European Civilization
• Citizens and Subjects: concepts of citizenship in modern African intellectual history
• The Germans and the East: Myth, Migration and Empire 1795 - 1970
• Literature and History in Early Medieval Britain and Ireland
• The British Empire in Political Thought
• Debating Marriage between Antiquity and the Middle Ages
• The Scientific Revolution in Global Perspective
• Revolutions in Modern Europe
• Studying Women in Late Medieval England: Sources and Approaches
• Constantinople: The History of a Medieval Megalopolis from Constantine the Great to Suleyman the Magnificent
• Gender, Crime and Deviancy: Britain c. 1860-1960
• Currents of Radicalism, 1776-1848

Career opportunities

Our students view the programme and a graduate degree from Edinburgh as an advanced qualification valued and respected by many employers, others are interested in pursuing long-term academic careers and therefore consider the MSc as preparation for a PhD. The combination of skills training courses, specialised seminars, and independent research provides you with transferable skills that will be beneficial whatever path you choose.

Graduates pursue work in related areas such as museums, policy think-tanks, national and international civil services, non-governmental organisations, galleries, libraries and historic trusts whilst others build on the transferable skills gained and enter areas as diverse as business, media, public administration and marketing.

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The MLitt in Middle Eastern History is a taught postgraduate programme run by the School of History.

Highlights

• Students explore in depth a broad variety of historical topics including social, political, cultural and intellectual history of this crucially significant region of the world.
• Fields available to explore include: classical Islamic history (Umayyads and Abbasids); the Seljuks; the medieval Islamic east; mediaeval Anatolia; the Ayyubid and Mamluk Near East; Early Ottoman History; Mediaeval Armenia; Islamic intellectual history.
• The course introduces students to methodological and analytical approaches, including Orientalism.

Teaching format

The course comprises two semesters of taught components followed by submission of a 15,000-word final dissertation.

Teaching methods include:

• classroom lectures
• textbook work
• language exercises
• tutorials
• individual reading projects
• essay assignments.

Class sizes range from individual supervision up to 12 students. The modules are assessed by coursework or a combination of coursework and examination.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Modules

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2017–2018 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2018 entry.

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What is the 'Master of Medieval and Renaissance Studies' all about? 

The Master's Programme of Medieval and Renaissance Studies will stimulate your independent study skills within a wide range of issues ranging from philosophy, theology, law, history, literature and the arts. Specialised seminars will bring the cultural and intellectual history of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance to life, with a particular emphasis on the Low Countries.

The programme draws on the combined expertise of various research groups and specialised centres at KU Leuven, including the Faculty of Arts for the History of the Middle Ages, Early Modern History and the Illuminare and Seminarium Philologiae Humanisticae centres), the Institute of Philosophy's (De Wulf-Mansion Centre for Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, as well as Aristoteles Latinus), the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies' group for the History of Church and Theology), and the Faculty of Law. All of these research groups and centres all play a role in this MA programme, which is monitored by the interfaculty Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Strengthened by KU Leuven's in-house expertise in ancient and modern languages and by its excellent library collections, you cannot ask for a better home to carry out your historical-philological research.

Spotlight

The Institute of Medieval and Renaissance Studies at KU Leuven boasts a long academic tradition: founded in 1966, it stimulates and coordinates multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research and graduate teaching in the history of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Reformation.

Strengthened by its expertise in ancient and modern languages, KU Leuven's historical-philological research strongly emphasises the interdisciplinary study of texts. In the Leuven context, special attention is devoted to the role of the Church and its stimulating influence on intellectual life in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Objectives

The aim of this one-year Master program is to prepare students for the independent study of the cultural and intellectual history of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance form a multi- and interdisciplinary point of view. Taking its point of departure in texts, the program is designed to address a wide spectrum of issues in the fields of language and literature, political thought, law, urban history, art history, philosophy, history of the church and theology, history of education and science. Special attention is devoted to the relation between text and image, the afterlife of Antiquity, and the significance of the Low Countries in the cultural and intellectual history of Western Europe.

Graduates will:

• exhibit sufficient familiarity with manuscripts or old editions, the publishing of texts, their interpretation, and/or the study of illustrations;
• be able to independently formulate and research a problem, and present the results in an adequate manner;
• exhibit competence in innovative and groundbreaking research and be in a position to make a contribution to the process of knowledge development and situate the contribution culturally and historically.

Career perspectives

Our graduates go on to find employment as researchers, academic and professionals in the cultural sector.

Graduates from the programme are well placed for positions in university research projects, academic appointments and career positions in the cultural sector.

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Taught jointly by the Leo Baeck Institute and the Department of History)

(MA title is subject to approval)

The Leo Baeck MA is the only taught postgraduate programme in the UK focusing on the rich field of European Jewish History. It trains scholars towards undertaking independent research on Jewish history, culture and thought in Europe. You will consider patterns of inclusion and exclusion and questions of citizenship and emancipation. The MA will introduce you to a wide range of sources for European Jewish studies. Particular attention will be paid to the Jewish response to modernity and problems around issues of assimilation and identity. The role of antisemitism and the origins of the holocaust are central, as is Jewish intellectual history, in particular the ideas of eminent Jewish thinkers about the place of Jews and Judaism in premodern and modern society.

Programme outline
The MA consists of the core module, three modules chosen from a series of options and an individually supervised dissertation. Students will also take a non-assessed research methods module. Part-time students
take the core module and one option in the first year, and two options and dissertation in the second year.

Optional modules may include:

Modern Jewish History and Culture
Christians and Jews in Europe: Perceptions and Encounters, 1100-1600
Jews, Power and Intellectual History
Antisemitism and the Holocaust
Modern European Jewish Literature
Hollywood and the Second World War
Understanding Religion Historically
Overcoming Nazism

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The Dutch Golden Age MA is designed to give students a thorough understanding of the history and culture of the Netherlands in the early modern period, focusing on the Dutch Republic during its 17th-century efflorescence. Jointly offered by UCL, King's College London, and the Courtauld Institute, the programme draws on the full range of resources and expertise in London for study of this subject.

Key Information

- Application dates
All applicants:
Open: 5 October 2015
Close: 29 July 2016

English Language Requirements

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.
The English language level for this programme is: Advanced
Further information can be found on http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/life/international/english-requirements .

International students

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/international .

Degree Information

This interdisciplinary programme combines three fields: history, art history, and Dutch language and literature. It aims to provide a knowledge and understanding of the political, economic, cultural and religious history of the Netherlands in the period c.1550–1700.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of three or four core modules (75 credits), one optional module (15 credits) and the research dissertation (90 credits).

- Core Modules
Research Skills Seminar
Literature of the Dutch Golden Age
or one module on the history of Dutch art

- Recent optional modules included:
Dutch Genre Painting
From Renaissance to Republic: The Netherlands c.1555-1609
Political Thought in Renaissance Europe
Signs, Mind and Society: Early Modern Theories of Language
The Body Between Art and Science
Golden Age Kingship: Theory and Practice
Transformation of Jewish Culture in Early Modern Europe

- Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project based on 16th and/or 17th-century (primary) resources, which culminates in a dissertation up to 15,000 words.

Teaching and Learning

The programme takes the form of lectures, small-group seminars and individual tutorials. Through the research skills seminar students will visit various libraries and collections, in particular the Institute for Historical Research, British Library, and Warburg Institute. Assessment is through written coursework essays and the dissertation.

Further information on modules and degree structure available on the department web site Dutch Golden Age MA http://www.ucl.ac.uk/history/postgraduatestudy/taughtmasters/ma_dutch_golden_age

Funding

For the most recent information on funding available for 2015/16 entry please see the UCL HIstory website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/history/postgraduatestudy/taughtmasters/ma_funding .

Scholarships relevant to this department are displayed (where available) below. For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/scholarships .

- Carol Chattaway Scholarship
Value: £2,500 (1 year)
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas students
Criteria: Based on academic merit

- Furlong Bursary for MA Study in the Ancient Near East
Value: £7,000 (1 year)
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas students
Criteria: Based on academic merit

- Jean Orr Scholarship
Value: £7,000 (1 year)
Eligibility: UK, EU, Overseas students
Criteria: Based on academic merit

More scholarships are listed on the Scholarships and Funding website http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/scholarships

Careers

First destinations of recent graduates of the programme include: East Side Community Heritage; Volunteer, Warburg Institute; University of London: Research Degree in Art History; and University of Amsterdam: PhD Golden in the Age in Dutch Art.

- Employability
This programme not only provides an outstanding foundation for those hoping to undertake PhD research and pursue an academic career but is also popular with students wishing to go into journalism, the civil service, business, museum and heritage and the education sector. Debates, small group seminars and tutorials help students to acquire strong presentation and negotiation skills for their future career. Likewise the analytical and research skills gained by students on this programme are highly valued by employers from a range of industries. There are many additional activities available, both within the department and the wider UCL community, to help students focus on employability skills whilst they are here, for example departmental careers talks and networking opportunities with history alumni.

Why study this degree at UCL?

UCL History enjoys an outstanding international reputation for its research and teaching.

The department is strongly committed to the intellectual development of all our students; if you come to UCL, you will receive individual supervision from leading historians.

Students benefit from London's extraordinary resources, including major collections of Dutch and Flemish art. The British Library, within walking distance of UCL, houses the largest collection of Dutch books anywhere outside the Low Countries.

Student / staff ratios › 39 staff including 8 postdocs › 101 taught students › 46 research students

Application and next steps

- Applications
Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

- Who can apply?
The programme is suitable for students with a first degree in a relevant arts, humanities or social science discipline. Prior knowledge of the Dutch language is not required; depending on their linguistic skills, students will be placed in one of three language/literature courses and trained in the reading of Dutch texts.

What are we looking for?
When we assess your application we would like to learn:
- why you want to study Dutch Golden Age at graduate level
- why you want to study Dutch Golden Age at UCL
- what particularly attracts you to this programme
- how your academic background meets the demands of a challenging academic environment
- where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

For more information see the Applications page http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/graduate/apply .

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Overview

The MRes in Humanities offers students the opportunity to produce a substantial piece of independent research and writing, and to undertake wide-ranging, systematic training in research skills and project management. Students will write a dissertation in a specific field or prepare a portfolio of compositions, recital or a media project with a named supervisor.

Supervision is available in all disciplines where the School has expertise:
- American Studies
- English
- History
- Media, Communications and Culture
- Music and Music Technology
- Philosophy
- Russian

You will be able to develop your research topic within the context of current debates and methodologies in relevant disciplines and within the humanities generally. The course will develop practical, critical and analytical research skills that can be deployed in a variety of professional and intellectual contexts. The programme is tailored to your research and career plans, and we recommend that you contact us before making a formal application.

The MRes degree is intended for applicants who already have a clear dissertation project (or equivalent, e.g. composition portfolio, performance or software development plan). In liaison with the supervisor and discipline lead, a plan of work in semester 1 and 2 is agreed and serves as preparation for the project as well as assessed work in its own right. When you submit your online application, please use your personal statement to describe the dissertation (or equivalent) project you intend to carry out (500-700 words). Include specific research questions and aims. What does the project intend to elucidate? Is any hypothesis proposed? How will the research be carried out (i.e. methodology)?

See the website https://www.keele.ac.uk/pgtcourses/humanitiesmres/

American Studies

American Studies is a multidisciplinary department devoted to the analysis of the United States from the foundations of the republic to the present day. As a long-established centre of excellence in research and teaching, we aim to offer a supportive and lively environment for pursuing top-quality postgraduate courses.

American Studies at Keele enjoys an outstanding national and international reputation. At every level of the postgraduate programme our aim is to give both clear expectations and supportive guidance to enable you to achieve your goal.

Our tutors are all active in research, and our teaching reflects our specialist strengths. There is considerable cross-fertilization of ideas within the department, and consequently an interest in multidisciplinary work. In US History and Politics, tutors (Chris Bailey, Jon Herbert, Jon Parker, Laura Sandy and Axel Schafer) specialize in the history of the Civil War era and the American South, Cold War society, religion and politics, intellectual history, the politics of the environment, the US Congress, the American presidency, the politics of education, state and local government, and electoral politics.

In American Literature and Culture, tutors, (Ian Bell, Oliver Harris, James Peacock and Tim Lustig) have research interests in nineteenth- and twentieth-century, in contemporary fiction, relations between literature and science, African American literature, film noir, cultural theory and cultural memory, Anglo-American modernism, trauma theory, and the Beat generation.

Course Aims

To enable students to research and write an extended dissertation, whilst developing practical, critical and analytical research skills that can be deployed in a variety of professional and intellectual contexts. Students will develop an understanding of the place of a specific research topic within current debates and methodologies in relevant disciplines, and within the humanities generally. The course will promote the ‘project management skills’ of defining and planning a project, meeting deadlines, and recording and reflecting on outcomes.

Course Content

Students follow a tailor-made programme, comprising three components totalling at least 180 credits.
- A 20,000 word dissertation (or equivalent composition or artistic production) is at the heart of the programme (90 credits).

- Research Training covering research skills and reflective practice in the humanities (2 x 15 = 30 credits).

- Research methods in the field relevant to the thesis topic (30 credits)

- Individual Research Orientation: a module tailored to the needs of the student (30 credits).

Teaching & Assessment

Assessment is by coursework, culminating in the 20,000 word dissertation (or the equivalent composition or artistic production). Research Training is assessed by a portfolio consisting of an annotated bibliography, a project outline and a reflective diary. Each of the other modules will be examined through a 4,000-5,000 word essay or approved equivalent.

The pass mark is 50%. A merit will be awarded where students obtain 60% or over for the dissertation (or equivalent project or performance) and an average of 60% on their other coursework. A distinction will be awarded where students obtain 70% or over for the dissertation, (or equivalent project or performance) and an average of 70% in their other coursework.

Additional Costs

Apart from additional costs for text books, inter-library loans and potential overdue library fines we do not anticipate any additional costs for this post graduate programme.

Discretionary Award:
A sum of £6,250 has been made available to students enrolling on taught postgraduate course in History by a former member of Keele staff. The money will be distributed at the discretion of the relevant programme director(s) and is available to students entering the programme in 2015 and/or 2016. No application is required.

Find information on Scholarships here - http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentfunding/bursariesscholarships/

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Our MA in Renaissance and Early Modern Studies will provide you with a wide-ranging and cross-disciplinary perspective on this exciting and invigorating period, immersing you in the cutting-edge research and writing that makes the study of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries so dynamic.

By the time you graduate you will be richly expert in your field, and superbly positioned to pursue PhD research, develop a career in the heritage and cultural sector, or simply to enjoy the lifelong rewards of an informed and scholarly fascination with this crucial period.

Over the course of the degree, you will:
-Get to grips with a broad range of primary materials documenting the intellectual, political, spiritual, aesthetic, and literary cultures of the Renaissance and early modern period.
-Gain the skills needed to find, read and interpret these materials, and to identify and develop original and important research projects.
-Explore the relationship between England, British, European and global cultures during this period of dramatic geographical, intellectual and linguistic expansion and profound social, political and religious change.
-Experience the challenges and the rewards of pursuing research across traditional departmental and disciplinary boundaries.
-Develop the academic, professional and personal skills required to undertake PhD research or pursue employment in a relevant field such as teaching, curating or broadcasting.Students are offered a rich and challenging research environment and encouraged to work independently within a clearly defined structure of regular discussion and supervision. On successful completion of the course students will have gained the professional and personal skills required to progress to PhD research or to pursue immediate employment in a relevant field such as teaching, curating or broadcasting.

Students on the CREMS MA are eligible to apply for Internships in Public History, gaining invaluable experience working with museums, archives and projects. Students also gain excellent experience in public engagement through the thriving annual York Festival of Ideas, the York Shakespeare Festival, and a wide range of other public events.

Course structure

-The MA can be studied full-time over 1 year, or part-time over 2 years, starting in October each year
-The MA is modularised and all elements of the course must be completed to qualify for the degree
-The course is fully interdisciplinary, administered by the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies, and governed by the Department of History's Graduate Examinations Board

Over the autumn and spring terms you will take:
-One core 20 credit module: Approaches to Renaissance & Early Modern Studies (examined by a 4,000 word essay)
-Three option 20 credit modules, chosen from related MAs in the departments of English, History, History of Art, Archaeology, Politics, Philosophy, Music and Theatre, Film and Television (each examined on a c.4,000 word essay)
-Parts I and II of a research training module (with the research dissertation having a combined value of 100 credits)
-Optional classes in Latin, palaeography and modern languages

In the summer you will research and write your dissertation (15-20,000 words).

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Overview

The MA offers the student the opportunity to explore early Western intellectual history through philosophical, literary and cultural approaches. It should appeal to students who want an overview of the foundations of modern European thought, and those who want to go on to further studies in Classics, Medieval and Renaissance studies,European studies, philosophy, or the history of ideas. The objective of this course is to provide students with a specialized knowledge in Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance thought, focusing on philosophical writers, literary and historical themes, and the history of thought. Building upon the strengths of critical thinking, systematic reflection and historical awareness developed by the student in their undergraduate studies, the MA in Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Thought will allow the student to explore thematic concerns of writers in the Western tradition from Ancient Greece and Rome to the 16th century and the various revivals in scholastic thought into the seventeenth century. It will also prepare those students for research degrees in either one of these areas, allowing them to pursue further studies in Classics, Philosophy or related fields.

See the website https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/philosophy/our-courses/ma-ancient-medieval-and-renaissance-thought-0

Course Structure

Candidates take six modules (three in each semester) and write a dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words under the supervision of a designated supervisor. The 90 credits for the MA will be made up of 60 credits awarded for taught modules and 30 credits for the dissertation. Candidates are required to take the core module PH626, at least one taught module in Classics, and at least one in Philosophy. Modules include Introduction to Latin, Images of the Human Being in Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Thought, Texts and Interpretation, An Introduction to Classical Scholarship, Ancient Cosmology, Aquinas and the Emergence of the Concepts of Rights, New Politics in the Renaissance: Machiavelli.

Career Options

Successful completion of the MA at a high level will normally equip students to proceed to study for a PhD, a necessary qualification for an academic career (in certain subject areas further language qualifications may be required). Beyond the academic sphere, however, the skills the programme fosters (analytic skills, critical thinking, systematic research, clear argumentation, lucid writing) are indispensable to a wide variety of careers.

How To Apply

Online application only http://www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC code
MHV61 Part-time

The following information should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of birth certificate or valid passport.

Find information on Scholarships here https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/study-maynooth/postgraduate-studies/fees-funding-scholarships

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