MA Modern History

Key details

MA MODERN HISTORY

Start Year

2023

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Master of Arts

Duration (years)

On our MA Modern History, you’ll examine contemporary trends through historical lenses, by focusing on the deeper histories of nationalism, imperialism, and popular politics.

You’ll be taught by one of the largest groups of modern historians in the UK, working at the forefront of their fields in modern British, European and international history. Your modules will relate directly to our lecturers’ research, putting your studies at the heart of the latest historical issues and debates. And you’ll gain new insight into seismic political events such as Brexit, conflict on the borders of Putin’s Russia, and the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.

Join our School and you’ll become part of our vibrant postgraduate community. You’ll also develop the necessary professional skills to follow in the footsteps of our previous graduates, who’ve gone on to careers in law, finance, the civil service, local government and administration, heritage and tourism, teaching and research, and doctoral study.

About

Studying with some of the finest academics in the country, our Master’s course will improve and deepen your knowledge and understanding of modern history, with a particular focus on the seismic events of the 20th century.

Your studies will combine seminars and tutorials. And you’ll be able to take advantage of our specialisms in British history, the history of Central and Eastern Europe, historical approaches to nationalism, and the social, cultural, and political history of regions from East and South Asia to the Middle East and North America.

Our programme is characterised by its intensity, complexity and density of study. Through it, you’ll not only acquire a more advanced knowledge and understanding of modern history, but you’ll also develop and improve your understanding of the problems posed by primary sources and documents.

You’ll learn to synthesise and apply complex historical theories and concepts, and to test hypotheses against highly detailed examples and case studies. And you’ll develop the ability to discriminate between conflicting interpretations and perspectives – and to communicate your findings in a sustained and lucid manner, both in discussions and in your written work.

You’ll put the skills and knowledge you will have acquired to good use in your Master’s dissertation. You’ll then graduate fully prepared for doctoral study, should you decide to remain in academia. And you’ll possess qualities vital to future employment, including problem-solving skills, self-discipline and time-management, the ability to work with others, and excellent oral and written skills.

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Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Assessment for Year 1

Our modules include both formative and summative assessments, with feedback provided in various ways. This includes – but is not restricted to – written feedback, oral feedback in seminars and tutorials, and peer-to-peer feedback.

Each module will include a sequence of assessments, giving you the opportunity to learn from your formative feedback. The process will encourage you to reflect on your performance and to approach subsequent pieces of work with greater confidence, improving your performance in summative assessments.

Formative assessment includes presentations, essay and dissertation plans, research training, and specialised skills. Summative work is assessed through coursework essays – including the options to submit book and exhibition reviews – and your dissertation.

Structure

Our Modern History programme is divided into four key elements. We also encourage you to acquire or improve your foreign language proficiency through our Language Centre, to help you read and further interpret a greater range of primary sources and secondary literature.

Nationalism, Identities, and the Struggle for the Twentieth Century

This cutting-edge core module will introduce you to key theoretical approaches and the latest research in the field of 20th century British, European, and global history. Taught by a team of leading scholars in the field, it will cover a wide variety of themes and periods, and give you the opportunity to dissect the latest archival discoveries and historical debates.

Historical Research Skills

This module will provide you with the tools essential to developing a refined piece of original historical research. Your seminars will investigate the theories, skills, methods and approaches used by scholars to interrogate a range of primary and secondary sources. So, you’ll be equipped to undertake historical work, such as working in an archive, and writing and delivering conference papers, using the latest methodologies.

The Specialist Tutorial

Our tutorials will allow you to specialise in the area of modern history that interests you most by choosing one topic from a wide array of annually updated options. Recent examples include: the history of emotions, battle myths of the First World War, the Holocaust in history and memory, and Cleansing the City.

MA dissertation

Your Master’s dissertation will provide you with an opportunity to pursue your own independent historical research. You will be supervised by one or several members of the School, who will provide guidance and support throughout the process.

Teaching and Learning

The School of History has a vibrant postgraduate community, attracted here by our specialist academics and our research output. In fact, we have one of the UK’s highest concentrations of historic expertise, and in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) 99% of UEA’s research in History was rated as internationally recognised.

Our integrated approach means that your learning from each module will relate to and inform your other modules. Broad and thorough, this also makes for a more interesting and stimulating study experience.

In our core module, you’ll be taught the key themes and issues across periods and countries, usually based on selected case studies. Our skills-based module will provide the theoretical and methodological tools key to the study of modern history, as well as the conceptual knowledge you’ll need to complete the core module and your dissertation. And in our Specialist Tutorials we’ll encourage you to engage with historiographical debates and explanations in greater detail.

Our teaching will enhance your knowledge and awareness of different disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. And by the end of the spring term, with our close supervision and advice, you will be in the position to embark on your extended, independent, original research project.

In addition to the teaching, you’ll receive through the four key elements of our Master’s course, we regularly invite academics from outside UEA to present their latest research in seminars. Master’s students are expected to attend the talks, which are also fantastic opportunities for you to get to know and engage with professional historians.

Independent study

The very nature of a Master’s course means that you will spend a lot of time carrying out independent study. You’ll have access to UEA’s state-of-the-art library, which houses a wealth of specialist research collections in British, European, and global history. You’ll also have access to the East Anglian Film Archive and the Norfolk Record Office. Moreover, you’ll be able to work with libraries and archives across the country, including the British Library and the National Archives, as well as similar resources overseas.

The balance we offer between independent thinking and study skills will help you grow into a self-motivated learner, an analytical thinker and an expert researcher. You will develop accuracy and precision in your written work through evidence-based analysis. And you will become well versed in time management, making you highly organised and confident in self-directed study.

Throughout your degree, you’ll be given guidance on your work and constructive feedback to help you improve.

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Open Days

Assessment for Year 1

Compulsory Modules

Nationalism, Identities, and the Struggle for the Twentieth Century’

Code HIS-7016Y

Credits 60

In this innovative module, you will approach the turbulent political, cultural, and social history of the 20th century from a transnational and comparative perspective. You will engage with a broad variety of topics, including revolutionary change, protest, ethnically and racially motivated violence, and struggles for national liberation and decolonisation. The module explores memory and representation, while posing a range of probing questions. How did the world's youth shape the 20th century? How do women fit into the century's turbulent past? And what were the consequences of the numerous state-building projects that came to fruition during this period?

HISTORICAL RESEARCH SKILLS

Code HIS-7024Y

Credits 20

Historical Research Skills focuses on the professional craft of the historian. Via a range of workshops and seminars, you will gain familiarity with various practical research methods as well as important aspects of research dissemination, such as academic conferences, publishing and professional networking. There will be sessions to help your transition process from undergraduate to postgraduate level, and we will pay particular attention to employability, with advice on professional pathways after the MA and PhD applications and funding. Seminars on approaches to archival research will be facilitated by members of the School of History who are specialists in particular historical methods. This module will be team-taught and the precise content of seminar topics may vary in any given academic year according to the availability of specific teaching staff. Topics covered may include: using church and government documents; material and visual cultures; the digital humanities; life narratives and collective memory; and transnational histories.

HISTORY - SPECIALIST TUTORIALS

Code HIS-7025Y

Credits 20

Specialist Tutorials give you the opportunity to choose one topic from a wide array of options, so that you can specialise in the area of history that interests you most. You will work closely in tutorial sessions with an expert in your chosen field. You will work with secondary and/or primary source material to gain a strong grounding in the major historiographical questions of the research area. This will give you the historiographical knowledge to contribute new, original work to the historical literature in the MA History Dissertation. The range of tutorial options will vary each year, reflecting the availability and expertise of academic staff.

MA HISTORY DISSERTATION

Code HIS-7019X

Credits 80

Dissertation for students taking the MA in the School of History. 14,000 - 16,000 Words

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Open Days

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. The University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

Entry Requirements

Degree classification

Bachelors (Hons) degree - 2.1 or equivalent

Degree subject

History or a related subject

Students for whom english is a foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in two components only, with 6.0 in the other two)
PTE (Pearson): 64 (minimum 59 in only two components with 64 in the others)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests

INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk.