Study options
- Starting in
- September 2025
- Location
- Mile End
- Fees
- Home: £12,250
Overseas: £25,500
EU/EEA/Swiss students
What you'll study
The MA provides a distinctive, high-level programme of post-graduate study in History. You'll gain a combination of advanced skills training, in-depth historiographical knowledge relating to your chosen field of specialisation, and the opportunity to write a dissertation under the guidance of one of our expert academics. Alongside this, you will be given employability skills and experience, including a public heritage, museum or related work placement, through a unique internship module.
You should indicate in the Personal Statement which field of study you are most interested in pursuing for the Mastering the Field module and your dissertation, and explain why you are interested in this field.
Additional costs
Additional costs will vary from student to student but may include travel to academic trips and travel to work placements.
Structure
The teaching for this MA will be delivered from September to June. This is in response to student demand and feedback, to help facilitate entry into the summer job market. (Students have the option of an extended writing up period for their dissertations, leading to a late August submission if they wish)
Your MA will follow the structure outlined below:
|
Autumn |
Spring |
Summer |
|
History: Methods, Approaches, Challenges |
Dissertation |
|
|
Mastering the Field |
||
|
History Advanced Research Project |
History Internship |
|
In our 'Mastering the Field' module you will specialise in one of several streams. Some examples of topics that we are teaching this year include:
- Britain and its Empire
- Women and Gender in Modern Britain: Family, Work, Consumerism and the Home
- Britain and International Order
- Religion in British History
- Modern British Politics
- Rethinking Europe in the Age of Revolution
- Writing the Russian Revolution
- Reproductive Histories in Modern Europe
- Regionalism in Modern Europe: Framing the State at the Margins
- Oceans and Empire in Global History
- Empire and Violence
- Anticolonialism and Decolonisation
- Postcolonial Worlds
- What is Development?
- Woman and Islam in the Medieval World
- Gender, Magic and Witchcraft on the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period
- Women and Science, Selfhood and Sexuality
- Religion and the Other in the Medieval World
- Muslims under Christian Rule, (1100-1500)
- Christians in Islamic Spain
Compulsory/Core modules
The MA History Dissertation provides an opportunity for you to complete an independent research project within an area of historical inquiry related to their chosen `stream¿ for Mastering the Field You will be encouraged to pursue your own intellectual interests, applying the skills you have developed on your other MA modules. You will be assigned an appropriate supervisor for your chosen topic, and will begin meeting with them in Semester 2, with the bulk of the research and writing completed during Semester 3, leading to completion of a 12,000 word dissertation by the early summer.
In this module, we explore the methods that historians employ, different approaches to studying history, and the challenges we must overcome. This module will support you in the transition to postgraduate study, as you acquire the skills and training required for the other modules on the MA programme, including the dissertation. You will be encouraged to explore the perspectives and practices that you find most engaging, whether cultural, social, political, intellectual, or some other form of historical inquiry. At the same time, we will reflect on the diversity of historical experience and interpretation, and the values that shape your own research and writing. The module will also include site visits to London archives and museums.
In this module, you will master your chosen field of historical study. You will choose to specialise in one of several streams, each taught by experts who will guide you through the important concepts, debates, and problems that engage historians working in that field today. You¿ll be encouraged to reflect critically on key texts in the field, as you develop the historiographical awareness that will prepare you for your dissertation.
In this module, you will undertake a practical historical research project in partnership with one of our academics. These projects will be drawn from our staff's current research interests, and might include: compiling and analysing a database; preparing a biographical or bibliographical companion; conducting oral history interviews; translation or transcription of previously unpublished sources. Prior to embarking upon the project, you will receive training in the methodological tools employed by historians, and assistance in preparing an application for your preferred project. A range of project options will be available, though students are not guaranteed their first choice.
This module gives you the opportunity to complete an internship placement with one of our local partners in the museum, public history, archival, or education sectors. Working alongside practitioners in the field, you will be introduced to the skills employed by public historians, such as curating exhibitions, creating digital resources, cataloguing archival materials, or participating in outreach. The placement allows you to put into practice in a professional environment the knowledge and skills gained through the MA degree. Prior to embarking upon your placement, you will receive training in the practices and responsibilities of professionals working in history-related fields, and assistance in preparing an application for your placement from the options available. The placement will be sixteen hours per week over a period of six weeks, and you will be supported throughout by the School of History. A range of placements with partner-organisations will be available, though students are not guaranteed their first choice.
Assessment
- 67% Modules
- 33% Dissertation
50% coursework, 8.3% advanced history research project, 8.3% internship portfolio, 33.3% dissertation.
Dissertation
The MA History Dissertation provides an opportunity for you to complete an independent research project of 12,000 words. Guided by a personal supervisor, you will undertake an original research project of your own. Using London’s archives and libraries, Queen Mary's world-class digital resources, and the funding available to help you access archives further afield, your dissertation will be the capstone of your academic achievement, and for some of our students, the springboard into their PhD.
Recent dissertations completed on the MA include:
- The role of trade routes in the Da’wah Activities of the Tayyibi Ismalis, 1100-1500.
- Elizabeth I’s Sea Dogs: Gender and Indigenous Peoples of America in the Late 16th Century.
- The Holy Song of Resurrection: Romanian Humanitarianism in the Balkan Conflicts of 1876-1878.
- British Attitudes to the Fall of Mobuto and the Subsequent Congo Wars, 1994-2003.
- Rethinking the Laundry: Women’s Agency and Domestic Energy Consumption in Britain, 1890-1925.
- A Diplomat’s Dilemma: the Irish in France during World War II.
You can submit your dissertation in the early summer, and complete the MA early to facilitate entry into the summer job market or to make use of an extended “writing up” period, with submission in late August.
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—My time at Queen Mary taught me a wide range of things that prepared me for my future career and life in general. I was taught to approach history in myriad ways and that we are living through history rather than just looking back on it. The ability to form beneficial professional working relationships and foster a well-rounded work ethic has also been invaluable to me in my career as a Jewel House Warden at Historic Royal Palaces.
Phoebe, MA History
Teaching
A combination of lectures, seminars, reading groups, skills workshops.
You'll also take an active role in your own learning through independent study, reading, and writing essays.
We want you to get the best from your studies, so you'll be paired with your own Academic Adviser, who'll support you academically and pastorally along the way.
In the 2024 Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES), our teaching ranked 1st. PTES is the only UK higher education sector-wide survey to gain insight from taught postgraduate students about their learning and teaching experience.
Where you'll learn
Facilities
In addition to the use of Queen Mary Library, you will also have access to outstanding research libraries such as the British Library and Senate House Library.
The degree will involve site visits to London archives and museums.
You will be part of a vibrant research culture in the School of History and as part of the wider University of London, including the Institute for Historical Research’s seminar programme, which has regular seminars relating to many of the streams in Mastering the Field.
All School of History students have the opportunity to learn a language during their time with us. Choose from the range of European and non-European languages taught at Queen Mary or apply for a School of History Language Bursary to learn at another approved institution. We have a dedicated Languages Co-ordinator to help guide our students through this process.
Campus
Queen Mary is at the heart of London’s vibrant East End. This means that from our Mile End campus you’ll be based just a short tube journey away from key historical locations. From museums and heritage sites to important archives and libraries such as Senate House, the IHR and the National Archives.
Whilst mastering the field you'll have good access to archives and the primary resources they need to succeed in a research intensive MA.
You can also take advantage of the many internship opportunities that the city provides through our MA History Internship module.
About the School
School of History
The School of History at Queen Mary has a vibrant and successful postgraduate community.
Our links with external organisations (museums, industry, political institutions) will not only benefit you while you study but also after you graduate.
Our distinguished academic staff will be familiar to you from TV and media and include five fellows of the British Academy, and fellows of other prestigious societies and organisations, such as the Royal Historical Society, the Society of Antiquaries and the Medieval Academy of America.
Career paths
Our MA History will give you numerous skills highly valued by employers, ranging from detailed analysis of complex source materials, considered and critical report writing, excellent research, and organisational skills to persuasive presentations made using detailed evidence.
Historians find work in a wide variety of different fields. Some are intrinsically linked to the study of History such as museums, cultural heritage, archiving, or research and teaching. Others use the excellent skill set gained from a History Masters degree to forge careers in areas such as:
- The public sector and government
- Think tanks and policy
- Security and intelligence services
- Law
- Journalism, Media, Publishing
- Human resources
- Non-profits and NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organisations).
Fees and funding
Full-time study
September 2025 | 1 year
- Home: £12,250
- Overseas: £25,500
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Unconditional deposit
Home: Not applicable
Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits
Part-time study
September 2025 | 2 years
- Home: £6,150
- Overseas: £12,750
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Unconditional deposit
Home: Not applicable
Overseas: £2000
Information about deposits
Queen Mary alumni can get a £1000, 10% or 20% discount on their fees depending on the programme of study. Find out more about the Alumni Loyalty Award
Funding
There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Postgraduate loans (UK students)
- Country-specific scholarships for international students
Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:
Entry requirements
UK
Degree requirements
A 2:1 or above at undergraduate level in History or a relevant Humanities related subject.
Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.
International
English language requirements
The English language requirements for our programmes are indicated by English bands, and therefore the specific test and score acceptable is based on the band assigned to the academic department within which your chosen course of study is administered. Note that for some academic departments there are programmes with non-standard English language requirements.
The English Language requirements for entry to postgraduate taught and research programmes in the School of History falls within the following English band:
Band 5: IELTS (Academic) minimum score 7.0 overall with 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking
We accept a range of English tests and qualifications categorised in our English bands for you to demonstrate your level of English Language proficiency. See all accepted English tests that we deem equivalent to these IELTS scores.
Visas and immigration
Find out how to apply for a student visa.