History MA

Join UCL’s internationally renowned historians to deepen your expertise in one of four pathways: modern British history; environment, state and economy; culture, ideas and identities; or empires and global history. Whether aiming for PhD research or a career in the cultural sector, education, journalism, government, or law, this degree offers great preparation for a future where history meets impact. This MA offers advanced-level teaching by leading historians in many historical fields. On the programme, you can follow one of four pathways: Modern British History- You will learn about modern British history’s complexity, diversity and vibrancy as a field of study. You will identify key areas of historiographical debate, think critically about where the field’s boundaries lie and question what constitutes modern British history in its temporal and spatial dimensions. The pathway encourages you to problematise the idea of ‘national’ history, providing opportunities to explore the transnational, imperial, global and comparative dimensions of political, economic, social, cultural and intellectual life within a ‘British history’ framework. Environment, State, and Economy- You will explore the connections between environmental, economic, and political change from a long-term perspective. We look at the relationship between humans and their environment and ask what impact this relationship had on the formation of states, the Industrial Revolution, technological development, colonialism and economic inequality. The core module will help you acquire expertise in cutting-edge debates over the Great Divergence, the Anthropocene, ecological imperialism and climate change. Culture, Ideas, and Identities- You will examine culturally constructed aspects of historical experience. Its subject matter includes the wide variety of meaning-laden objects and practices produced in the past or engaged in by different segments of society. Thus, it examines the history of what traditionally has been identified as ‘culture’ with a capital ‘C’, including the ideas articulated by intellectual elites. Empires and Global History- You will examine and interrogate a set of overlapping concerns that have not only shaped global history, imperial history, and histories of empire but also stirred debate about the dividing line between such historiographical approaches. The first is with scale in historical analysis and the effort to move beyond the nation-state to consider empire, region, continent, the terrestrial or terraqueous globe, and even the planet as a unit of inquiry. The second is with connections between historical agents across and between these units. The last is with comparisons across space and time. Rather than being entirely pacific or underpinning ‘progress’, some connections supported the making or deepening of division, inequality, coercion, and violence. This course enables you to think about theories of historical change, develop methodologies for understanding the past, and undertake a substantial original research project supervised by a working historian. Given the plethora of world-class archives within a short distance of the department – from the British Museum to the National Archives, Warburg Institute to London Metropolitan Archives – it is the ideal setting in which to hone your historical skills by working on actual archival documents, in addition to the magnificent range of digitised sources to which UCL Library subscribes. The programme provides an ideal foundation for doctoral research. It is particularly suitable if you wish to study the early modern and modern periods, but you can also take options in medieval and ancient history. It can also be a conversion course for non-historians pursuing history research.

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.