Queer History

Entry requirements

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least second class standard in any subject. Although a specialised background in history is not required, students with a background in Literature, Gender Studies, Sociology and Anthropology are welcome to apply.

You might also be considered if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

Months of entry

September

Course content

The MA in Queer History is a pioneering programme in one of the most exciting new areas of historical enquiry, giving a voice to those who throughout much of history have been denied one.

This MA provides a comprehensive introduction to the themes and methods of Queer History as well as laying a solid foundation in general historical study. It offers a first-rate overview of important thought and methods from the fields of queer theory as well as the histories of gender and the body and sexuality.

This programme aims to historicise often binary categories, such as male/female, heterosexuality/homosexuality, active/passive, and uncover the processes through which these categories came to be seen as ‘natural’. It further pays close attention to questions of power, including how sexual orientation and race throughout history have often become interlinked in asymmetrical, oppressive ways.

Students conclude the programme with a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic of their own choice. The dissertation research is aided by access to the shared library and archival resources of the wider University of London and the city of London, one of the world’s queer capitals. Goldsmiths aims to build the National Queer Archive and involve MA students in this process.

Fees and funding