History

Entry requirements

You will be expected to have at least a 2:1 (or international equivalent) undergraduate degree, with an overall average of 65% or above, in a History related discipline from a recognised institution. Applicants with an overall average of 60-64% (or international equivalent) may be accepted, subject to the submission of a writing sample of up to 5,000 words.

A 500-word personal statement which should include the following:

• Why you are interested in studying in the Durham History department
• What skills and knowledge you would bring to the course
• What skills and knowledge you would hope to acquire on the programme
• An indication of your planned area of research

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MA in History brings together your own specialist field of interest and the broader academic discipline of history to prepare you for future research.

The course is delivered by subject specialists whose expertise allows you to tailor the course to your own distinct areas of research. Areas of particular strength include African History, East Asian History, South Asian History, Transnational History, Medieval History, Early Modern History, Modern History, and Visual and Material Culture.

You will complete one research-focused core module which offers a grounding in the practices, theories, approaches and methodologies of history. Beyond this, you will have the freedom to shape your own path through the course, choosing from a selection of optional modules that provide an in-depth exploration of topics and themes linked to current staff research. You can further tailor the course through your choice of dissertation.

The course runs on a full-time basis for one year, or for two years part-time, and offers opportunities for wider academic networking through the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, the Centre for Nineteenth Century Studies, and the Centre for Visual Arts and Culture, among other research centres and institutes.

The University has a vibrant and supportive learning community and is able to provide you with an extensive study resource thanks to its large number of libraries, archives, and special collections.

Postgraduates are active in the academic and social life of the Department. They lead their own discussion groups, organise annual conferences, and meet with external keynote speakers, thereby forming an integral part of the Department’s wider research culture.

Course structure

All the MA programmes offered by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities consist of three components:

• a Major Research Project to the value of at least 60 credits
• Core Modules to the value of 0-90 credits, depending on the programme
• Elective Modules, making up the total number of credits to 180; some of these modules will be defined as Recommended Electives for particular programmes.

For students studying the MA in History, the Dissertation (your Major Research Project) brings together the skills and methods acquired in your modules to research and write an independent investigation of a specialist area of history using extensive secondary and primary source material. You can choose between a 15,000-word (60-credit) or a 20,000-word (90-credit) dissertation.

You will also be required to take the following 30-credit core module:

Themes, Readings and Sources provides essential training in historical skills, methodologies, and theories, regardless of your specialism. As the core module for this programme, the focus is on the academic knowledge and practices relevant to history as a discipline. The module structure encourages you to apply the skills you develop to optional modules and dissertation preparation.

Finally, you will choose either 60 or 90 credits (depending on which dissertation you have selected) of elective modules from across the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, so that your total number of credits adds up to exactly 180.

Information for international students

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Fees and funding

For further information see the course listing.