Course information

Course highlights

• The course provides an introduction to history and historiography for students interested in all branches of historical study.
• The programme is designed to maximise student choice. Students can either specialise in a particular area (e.g. French History, German History, Transnational History, American History) or gain a broader introduction to the study of history at postgraduate level.
• Students will explore the literature on a topic of individual interest under the guidance of an expert.

Teaching format

The MLitt in Modern History is a taught postgraduate programme run by the School of History. Over two semesters, students take two compulsory and one optional module. 

Teaching methods include seminars and fortnightly tutorials. Class sizes range from individual supervision up to 12 students. The modules are assessed by coursework only; there is no final exam.

Students will spend the final three months of the course focusing on researching and writing the final assessment piece for the MLitt, a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Modules

Each module typically comprises:

• 1.5 to 2-hour weekly seminars
• fortnightly tutorials for Directed Reading
• 100% coursework assessment.

For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue.

Compulsory modules

• History in the Making: Theories, Approaches and Practice (1 and 2): examines the development of history-writing and historical research since the Enlightenment, and the emergence of fields, trends and new approaches in current historiography.
• Directed Reading in Modern History: designed to encourage the development of skills of historical analysis through concentrated study of a topic chosen by the student prior to the dissertation.

Optional modules

Students choose one optional module. Optional modules are subject to change each year, and attendance may be limited (see the University’s position on curriculum development).

• Key Issues in German Historiography: engages with some of the most hotly disputed issues in German history.
• Themes in American History: exposes students to several key debates in American historiography by focusing on a series of issues that have especially preoccupied scholars in the field.
• Perceptions of Central and Eastern Europe: examines perceptions of Central and Eastern Europe which have undergone significant transformation since the emergence of modern nationalism in the mid-nineteenth century.
• Themes and Debates in Modern French History: explores key themes in French history and introduces students to some important historiographical and methodological issues.
• Building Britain: The Construction and Deconstruction of Britishness since 1707: combines the study of topics such as the growth and decline of Britain's Empire, the two World Wars and the Welfare State with the more conceptual notion of the construction of British national identity.
• Crossing Borders: European History in Transnational Perspective: focuses on late-modern European history and its historiography as well as the inter-connection between Europe and non-European areas.
• History of Modern Science: introduces students to core themes in the history of science from the scientific revolution onwards.
• Global History, Globalisation and its Histories: introduces the field of global history, its methods, approaches and recent historiographical trends.
  

The modules listed ran in the academic year 2015-2016 and are indicative of this course. There is no guarantee that these modules will run for 2016 entry.

Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue.

Dissertation

Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.

Conferences and events

The School of History hosts the Late Modern History Research Seminar Programme covering a wide variety of topics from home and guest lecturers in a welcoming environment. The School also runs the Postgraduate (Early Modern and Modern History) Forum which runs once a fortnight during term-time and is intended to provide a space for postgraduates at all stages to present ideas, discuss research issues and find out about what their fellow historians are up to. 

---

Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our Admissions policy.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online. (PDF, 72 KB).

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online. (PDF, 84 KB).