Triangle

Course overview

Are you fascinated by history? Do you want to understand more about the way people lived, worked, and thought in the past? Are you interested in why the past is so important to the way we live now? Our expert staff will support you to explore those very questions, while developing your own historical research into an area of your choice.

You can tailor your studies through optional modules spanning the seventh century CE to the modern day, and covering a wide geographical range including Britain, India, China, Russia, Italy, and the USA.

The key themes which we will explore include:

  • Identity formation and difference
  • Nationalism, nostalgia, and memory
  • Authoritarianism and power
  • Everyday life, religion, and culture

You are encouraged to engage with different theories and approaches for studying the past, so that you can develop your own methodology.

A specially tailored core module will develop your research skills, including hands-on sessions with archival material, and determine the theoretical and methodological approaches that best match your chosen dissertation topic.

Hear from our staff 

"We’re a big department with very wide research interests. You can find your own little niche within the modules. We try to make sure that what we have on offer is broad modules that are full of variety. You can choose to work on the bits that fascinate you."

- David Laven, Associate Professor

Read more from David, including details of his research specialism, and top tips for those considering this course.

Why choose this course?

Get involved

participate in our regular departmental research seminar, and engage with the friendly academic and postgraduate community

Research skills

study a specially-tailored module to develop your research skills

99% of our research

is considered 'internationally important'

(Research Excellence Framework 2021)

Find archive material

take advantage of our Manuscripts and Special Collections, including fascinating sources such as the Portland Collection

Learn from experts

with a wide scale of expertise across geographical, chronological, and methodological range

Course content

The total credits for this course are 180.

Part-time students will typically take three modules each academic year, spread across the year.

You can receive support for your dissertation throughout your studies, but the bulk of supervision and writing will take place over the final summer of your degree programme.

All classes take place during weekdays.

Modules

Arts in Society

This module helps postgraduate students recognise the range of careers and opportunities that an Arts and Humanities MA/MRes can provide.

It highlights the skills and abilities present within these programmes and provides examples of the successful application of these skills. Students will explore how subjects within the arts can be ‘applied disciplines’ that serve to be impactful in wider society through research and engagement.

Through ‘live brief’ assessments, students work in groups, utilising their Arts and Humanities skill sets, to present and produce a consultancy report for a range of organisations, including SMEs/Third-sector.

Research Methods in History

This module teaches you how to construct theoretically-informed arguments and to engage critically with primary material.

You will gain the skills needed for advanced historical research, both in methodology and conceptual approaches. These include:

  • bibliographical searching
  • locating primary sources
  • using archives
  • writing research proposals

We will also consider how historians engage with more theoretical and conceptual texts, and how they borrow from other disciplines. This includes exploring a wide range of sub-disciplines, approaches and individual thinkers.

This module is worth 20 credits.

History Dissertation

During the summer, you will complete a 60-credit dissertation (12-15,000 words) based on primary sources and supervised by a member of staff with expertise in your chosen field.

You will have regular meetings with your supervisor.

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Monday 31 July 2023.

Students must take one from the following:

Conflict and Coexistence in Early Modern Europe

We use the theme of conflict and coexistence to examine topics across a wide European geography and early modern chronology.

By studying comparative frameworks (i.e. England and France), case studies (i.e. The Thirty Years’ War), and broader international environments, you will encounter conflict in multiple forms. This includes:

  • political
  • religious
  • military
  • ideological
  • mercantile
  • public

The avoidance of conflict and coexistence are also central to this module. Peoples and governments of the period often looked to peaceful resolutions and solidarity at the same time as they sharpened their wits (and swords) for polemical (and political) combat.

This module is worth 40 credits.

Past Futures: Reimagining the Twentieth Century

Explore the social, cultural and political history of the twentieth century. 

Rather than re-telling familiar narratives from the starting point of high, we instead examine them by drawing upon the themes of temporality and memory.  

As well as exploring the different conception of temporality that informed social and political thought, we will also engage with the ideas of progress and decline that were advanced to conceptualise certain events and phenomena. 

Four inter-related themes will be explored: 

  • Temporality and change
  • Social change and memory
  • The politics of reproduction
  • Consumption, mobility and time 

This module is worth 40 credits.

What our students say:

"[My favourite module] was called ‘Past Futures: Reimagining the Twentieth Century’. It looked at the way time works to dictate our understandings of history and how time shapes the way we view things and the interconnectedness between the past, present and future. As someone who is quite interested in topics like World War Two and things that are so culturally relevant today – so issues like Brexit and Coronavirus – you think about how time has shaped how those issues are both articulated and received by the public."

Christos Mouis, History MA

Power, Authority and Dissent: Sources for Medieval History

Discover a broad range of skills required for researching the Middle Ages.

We explore an exciting, eclectic range of different periods, topics, and approaches relating to the themes of power, authority, and dissent in the Middle Ages. This will help you to build your knowledge of the period and its history.

Examples (subject to availability of tutors) include:

  • Early medieval Italian charters
  • The writings of Bede
  • Medieval Jewish women
  • Twelfth-century Ireland
  • Apocalyptic thought in southern France
  • Medieval heresy trial records
  • The Rise of the Mongols
  • The deposition of Edward II
  • Sources for English peasant society

You will also examine a range of sources in translation, considering how historians interpret the often problematic sources available to them, and the investigate the processes which lay behind these interpretations.

This module is team-taught, meaning you will benefit from the research expertise of the large number of medievalists within the department.

This module is worth 40 credits.

Students must also take two from the following*:

Daily Life in Authoritarian Régimes in the Long Twentieth Century

This module explores how living under authoritarian régimes affected the daily lives of populations.

Topics that may be addressed, dependent on staff availability, include:

  • late Tsarist Russia/USSR
  • Nazi Germany and the GDR
  • Fascist Italy
  • Franco’s Spain
  • Communist China
  • Imperial India
  • Mugabe’s Zimbabwe
  • Egypt
  • Péron’s Argentina

We may also look at Salazar’s Portugal, Vichy France, the states of the Warsaw Pact beyond Germany and the USSR, Putin’s Russia, North Korea, Marcos’s rule of the Philippines, military rule in Myanmar, the military dictatorship in Brazil, Castro’s Cuba, Pinochet’s Chile, and even the USA during McCarthyism, South Africa under Apartheid, and various incarnations of twentieth-century imperial rule.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Exploring English Identity

Recent debates surrounding Brexit and its aftermath have refocused attention on what it means to be English. But what exactly is ‘Englishness’ and how should we understand it historically?

This module explores questions including:

  • What has it meant to feel or be English?
  • What has been the relationship of this to ‘Britishness’ and how has that dual relationship played out in practice?
  • Is English identity fundamentally rooted in empire and its legacies? If so, how?
  • Could English nationalism be a positive, progressive force, or must it be divisive and backward-looking?
  • Where historically has Englishness been located? Is it in a language? A monarchy? In a set of ideas? A territory? A set of preferences, or tastes?

Recent historians have been conscious of English identity not as a stable phenomenon ready to be described, but as a historical construct subject to regular change, revision and contestation.

In the course of this module, you will consider ‘English identity’ as a historical phenomenon, exploring the creation of an assumed English national identity that has both developed over time and been imposed retrospectively on an idea of the past.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Latin For Medievalists

This module gives an overview of Latin grammar and vocabulary.

We will pay special attention to the forms of the language used in different types of medieval documentary text, including legal terms and ways of expressing dates and sums of money.

In each class, you will read sentences from real Latin documents. You may also bring along examples of texts that you are reading for other modules, for guidance on interpretation and translation. No previous study of Latin is required.

This module is worth 20 credits

The Unmasterable Past: Collective Memory in a Global World

Build your understanding of various conceptual approaches to studying modern history.

Following a broadly chronological approach, we shall use specific case studies to investigate and challenge common themes, including memory, identity, and social change.

You will explore the construction and representation of national, political, local, and ethnic identities which are born of (and continue to shape) social change. These collective identities will be analysed in terms of memory and commemoration, considering how the recent past is remembered and memorialised.

By the end of the module, you will understand how the past has contributed to the construction of contemporary identities in Europe and beyond.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Palaeography

This module teaches the essential skill of palaeography, which is required for medieval historical research.

It is designed to be taken alongside the introductory ‘Latin for Medievalists’ module, which introduces the kinds of Latin used in medieval documents. This will be supplemented in the manuscripts module by studying typical medieval documents available in an edited format.

The ability to read early manuscripts is a fundamental skill for all those interested in researching the medieval period. On this module, we shall:

  • Introduce you to the various types of handwriting used in medieval documents
  • Allow you to begin to read these documents in their unedited, manuscript forms
  • Encourage you to think about issues relating to codicology, illumination, and transmission

This module is worth 20 credits.

Themes and approaches to global and comparative history

This module aims to introduce students to some of the emerging debates around Global History and related fields (for example, transnational history, indigenous history, etc), as well as the methodologies, concepts and theories that are unique to this field.

Topics that will be addressed may include:

  • Migration
  • Gender
  • Violence and conflict
  • Empire
  • Decolonisation
  • Religion
  • Space and environment
  • Science and medicine
  • Inequalities
  • Race

 

*Subject to approval from the MA programme director, students may replace one module with one 20 credit module from outside the Department of History

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Monday 31 July 2023.
History Dissertation

During the summer, you will complete a 60-credit dissertation (12-15,000 words) based on primary sources and supervised by a member of staff with expertise in your chosen field.

You will have regular meetings with your supervisor.

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. Please refer to the module catalogue for information on available modules. This content was last updated on Monday 31 July 2023.

Learning and assessment

How you will learn

  • Seminars
  • Group study

How you will be assessed

  • Examinations
  • Presentation
  • Essay
  • Dissertation

Most modules are assessed by written work of varying lengths, corresponding with the content and weighting of the module. Your course tutors provide detailed comments on assignments.

Towards the end of your studies, you will complete a 12-15,000 word dissertation. This is a major piece of independent research, and you will be allocated a supervisor who is a specialist in your chosen area.

Your dissertation supervisor will provide advice and guidance to help you select your area of study, and offer close supervision and support as you complete your research.

"[My dissertation is] going to be on Arsenal football club! It’s about the changing nature of fandom in a social media era and how we interact with games. David Laven has been really helpful when I have a topic that I’m interested in which is not stereotypically history. He will work with you and give his feedback and genuinely engage with you. The staff really care about their students."

Christos Mouis, History MA

Contact time and study hours

You will typically have six hours of face-to-face timetabled contact a week. Your tutors will also be available during office hours to discuss your work, address any issues, and help you develop your understanding.

Our seminar groups are typically small, which encourages discussion and debate in a friendly and supportive environment.

Study hours

One credit is approximately 10 hours of student work, so a 20-credit module will be around 200 hours of work. On average, you will spend around 10 to 12 hours per module per week on independent study.

Entry requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Undergraduate degree2:1 in history or a related subject

Applying

Our step-by-step guide covers everything you need to know about applying.

How to apply

Fees

Qualification MA
Home / UK £9,250
International £22,600

Additional information for international students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Additional costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

Books

You'll be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to buy your own copies of core texts. The Blackwell's bookshop on campus offers a year-round price match against any of the main retailers (for example Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith).

Funding

There are many ways to fund your postgraduate course, from scholarships to government loans.

We also offer a range of international masters scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

Postgraduate funding

Careers

We offer individual careers support for all postgraduate students.

Expert staff can help you research career options and job vacancies, build your CV or résumé, develop your interview skills and meet employers.

Each year 1,100 employers advertise graduate jobs and internships through our online vacancy service. We host regular careers fairs, including specialist fairs for different sectors.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

Graduate destinations

During this course you will develop skills in data analysis, presentation, communication, teamwork, negotiation, and time management.

As a result, our graduates have built careers in a diverse range of industries, including:

  • planning and policy
  • law
  • communications, media and journalism
  • archives and museums
  • teaching
  • libraries and museums

You will also have the necessary skills to begin doctoral research and work towards a PhD, if desired.

Visit our careers webpage.

Career progression

83.3% of postgraduates from the School of History secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £21,786.*

*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on data from graduates who completed a full-time postgraduate degree with home fee status and are working full-time within the UK.

Two masters graduates proudly holding their certificates
" The biggest difference I’ve noticed with the MA has been the interdisciplinary feel. You’re having to engage with not just the information, but the theory that goes behind it and the different approaches – whether from a sociological, political, historical or psychological perspective. It’s learning where history fits within a broader understanding. "
Christos Mouis, History MA

Related courses

This content was last updated on Monday 31 July 2023. Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is accurate, but changes are likely to occur given the interval between the date of publishing and course start date. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply.