Historical Research

Entry requirements

1st or equivalent in a BA degree in history or a related subject (i.e. English, languages, politics, philosophy, archaeology or journalism) from a recognised UK or overseas university.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Our MA degrees are carefully designed to allow you to build a programme that suits your needs: whether you want to progress to postgraduate research, aid your career development or simply expand your knowledge in your chosen area of history.

About the course

Our research preparation track masters programme, the MA in Historical Research, provides an excellent preparation for students intending to proceed to PhD degrees in History.

Studying History at Sheffield allows you to explore great events, extraordinary documents, remarkable people, and long-lasting transformations, from the ancient world to the modern day, and across the globe.

We have around 45 members of academic staff specialising in ancient; medieval; early Modern; modern British and European; American and global history and covering a variety of themes such as society and culture; politics; religion; gender and the history of violence and peace research. This provides you with the ideal environment to further your own interests and broaden your field of knowledge alongside developing your research skills and preparing for your future PhD study.

Core modules

Dissertation; Research Presentation; one of a range of thematic approaches modules focussing on medieval, early modern, modern, American or global history; and a choice of research skills modules including Research Skills for Historians; Directed Reading; Palaeography; Latin and modern languages.

Example option modules

A wide range of modules depending on your chosen area of specialism including:

● Medieval history: Turbulent Priests Online; The Dawn of Modernity in the Late Middle Ages; Writing Late Antique Lives; Microhistory and the History of Everyday Life; Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses

● Early modern history: Revolutionary England, 1640-1660: Politics, Culture and Society; Burying the White Gods: Indigenous People in the Early Modern Colonial World; Language and Society in Early Modern England

● Modern history: Media and Political Culture in Modern Britain; Prisoners of War in the Twentieth Century; Sex and Power: The Politics of Women's Liberation in Modern Britain; Stories of Activism, 1960 to the present; Medical Humanity? Medicine and Identity

● American history: Another Country: America and the Problem of Decolonisation; The United States and the Global 1970s; The U.S. Civil War in Global Context; Cold War Histories

● Global history: Autobiography, Identity and the Self in Muslim South Asia; The Japanese Empire in East Asia, 1895-1945; Human Rights in History; International Order in the Twentieth Century

● Public history modules: Presenting the Past: Making History Public; Work Placement

Part-time study

All our masters can be taken part-time. Seminars are held during working hours (9am–6pm). The number of contact hours will vary over the two years, but you’ll usually have at least one two-hour seminar each week.

Our department

The Department of History at the University of Sheffield is one of the largest, most active and successful centres for teaching and historical research both in the UK and internationally. Our academic reputation means that we are ranked third in the UK for our world-leading research (Research Excellence Framework 2014) and ranked in the world’s top 100 history departments (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016-17).

Our team of around 45 academic staff and over 130 postgraduate students work together to create a thriving and supportive research community. The Department has its own research seminar series, which runs regularly during semester-time and covers a huge range of topics. This active research community also includes a range of research centres and networks many of which are interdisciplinary or focus on cross-cutting research themes. We actively encourage our MA students to make the most of their time at Sheffield by getting involved in our research activities and events, as well as organising their own through the Postgraduate Forum.

Our teaching

Our world-leading research informs what we teach. We offer a flexible degree structure with a wide range of modules covering a variety of periods, locations, themes and approaches.

The flexibility of the programme allows you to carry out specialist research under expert supervision, while focusing on the particular skills that are most important to you. You can choose modules that expand your historical knowledge; further develop your research skills - undertaking the language and technical training best suited to your current and future research needs; or aid your career development - our public history modules are specifically designed to provide you with skills that will transfer directly to the workplace. Public history is a growing discipline, which makes these skills equally relevant for students interested in a career in academia.

Our commitment to teaching is demonstrated by the National Student Survey 2016, where our students gave us a satisfaction rating of 94%, making our students the amongst the most satisfied history students in the Russell Group.

You’ll be taught through seminars and individual tutorials. Assessment is by bibliographical and source-based exercises, written papers, oral presentation, and a 15,000 word dissertation.

Your future

These kinds of skills are why our graduates are successful in both further study and a wide range of careers – from completing PhDs, lecturing and working in the museum and tourist industry to business management, marketing, law and working in the media.

In addition to the personal and professional development you will experience through your modules, we offer dedicated careers support to enable you to successfully plan your future.

Information for international students

English language requirements are IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in each component, or equivalent. Sheffield has a dedicated English Language Teaching Centre offering English language training and a range of support for current students. Find out more about the ELTC.

Fees and funding

We have over £1 million to fund talented new UK and EU Postgraduate students in 2017. A range of scholarships for international students are also available. Please contact us or see our website for further details. You’ll need to submit your application by the appropriate funding deadline (deadlines are in March and May). Find out more.

Qualification and course duration

MA

Course contact details