Course information

The MLitt in Early Modern History is a one-year taught postgraduate programme run by the School of History.

Highlights

• Students receive a high level of specialised supervision and advanced training in the history of the early modern European and Atlantic worlds with a high level of specialised supervision in most fields.
• Modules offer a wide-ranging survey of the major historical and historiographical controversies that define the early modern period, as well as more specialised study. 
• The course provides research training for students wishing to pursue further study. It also provides a solid foundation and advanced transferable skills for those pursuing other careers in heritage, tourism or education.

Teaching format

The MLitt course lasts for one calendar year; taught modules run from September to April, followed by dissertation research and writing over the late spring and summer.

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

The early modern cohort is typically close-knit and friendly, but comprises a diverse, international group with a range of intellectual interests. Students work closely with each other, with early modern research staff, and also with students in parallel MLitt degrees such as Reformation Studies, Intellectual History, and Book History.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Modules

The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2016–2017 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2017 entry.

Compulsory modules

• Themes and Debates in Early Modern History: introduces students to a variety of key debates in early modern history through studying different scholars’ approaches to the period.

and two of the following:

• Material Bibliography: covers the use of the book as historical evidence and practical aspects of cataloguing and Special Collections work.
• Early Modern Documents and Sources: provides a wide-ranging introduction to the types of source material which researchers on the early modern period may encounter.
• Latin for Postgraduate Research: provides three tiers of Latin teaching (beginners, intermediate, and translation) for students with earlier or no experience.
• Paleography and Manuscript Studies:  learn to read early modern handwriting and gain a sense of the nature of European handwriting in the early modern period.

Optional modules

Students choose one optional module from the following:

• Religion and Identity in Early Modern Britain: explores the significance of the Reformation in reshaping Scots and English self-definitions in the 16th and 17th centuries.
• War, State and Society in Early Modern Europe and New Worlds: explores the transformations in the size, scale and scope of European warfare between the late 15th and late 18th centuries.
• The European Renaissance: compares and contrasts the Italian and Northern Renaissances, examining their mediaeval origins and exploring themes such as religion, humanism, court and urban life, in order to test this traditional interpretation. 
• The Creation of an Atlantic World: introduces students to the concept of the Atlantic World, a unit of analysis used by historians to understand the changes wrought in the western hemisphere by the British, French, and Iberian discovery and settlement of the Americas, and by Europe’s slave trade with Africa.  
• Law, Justice and Community: Court Records and British Society, 1400-1800: an introduction to the records of law courts, the single most important source for early-modern British social history.
• Political Thought and Intellectual History: an introduction to the political theory and intellectual history of the early modern period
• Directed Reading: offers a specialised directed reading course based on the student's individual interests, and is designed to encourage the development of skills of historical analysis through concentrated study.
• History of Modern Science: introduces students to core themes int he history of science from the Scientific Revolution onwards.

The modules listed ran in the academic year 2016–2017 and are indicative of this course. There is no guarantee that these modules will run for 2017 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 Early Modern and Modern History (EMMH) Postgraduate Forum, which provides a space for postgraduates at all stages to present ideas, discuss research issues and find out about what their fellow historians are up to.  

The Reformation Studies Institute at St Andrews hosts a seminar programme, holding numerous talks and lectures each month.

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).