Modern History (MLitt) 2022 entry
The MLitt in Modern History offers students an opportunity to deepen their understanding of key issues in the discipline by pursuing their studies at a conceptually advanced level. Postgraduate historians work intensively in a variety of subject areas while achieving a steady progression in core fields such as historiography and methodology.
Key information
Course type
Postgraduate, leading to a Master of Letters (MLitt)
Course dates
- Start date: 5 September 2022
- End date: 30 September 2023
Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.
Course duration
One year full time
Entry requirements
- A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in history or a related subject. If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.
- English language proficiency. See English language tests and qualifications.
The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.
Tuition fees
Home: £10,395
Overseas: £21,390
Application deadline
Thursday 11 August 2022. Applicants should apply as early as possible to be eligible for certain scholarships and for international visa purposes.
Application requirements
- CV or résumé. This should include your personal details with a history of your education and employment to date.
- a personal statement
- a sample of your own, single-authored academic written work (2,000 words)
- two original signed academic references
- academic transcripts and degree certificates
- evidence of English language proficiency (required if English is not your first language).
For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.
Discover the University of St Andrews
Watch current students and staff discuss the teaching facilities, research opportunities and student life at Scotland's first university.
Course information
The MLitt in Modern History is a taught postgraduate programme run by the School of History.
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 (for example, 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
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.
Modules
Each module typically comprises:
- 1.5 to 2-hour weekly seminars
- fortnightly tutorials for the 'Directed Reading in Modern History' module
- 100% coursework 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 2021–2022 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2022 entry.
- 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.
- 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.
Students choose one optional module. Here is a sample of optional modules that may be offered.
- Building Britain: The Construction and Deconstruction of Britishness since 1707: explores the concept of ‘Britishness’ and its construction and deconstruction, from 1707 to 2000.
- Central and Eastern Europe since 1945: examines nations' common and individual responses to Soviet domination from the end of the Second World War to 1989 and after.
- 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 Imperial Russia 1815-1917: examines social, economic, cultural and political change during the final one hundred years of Imperial rule.
- History of Modern Science: introduces core themes in the history of science from the Scientific Revolution onwards.
- Key Issues in German Historiography: engages with some of the most hotly disputed issues in German history.
- 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-19th century.
- The Soviet Union (1917-1991): traces the development of the Soviet Union from 1917 to 1991, assessing interlinked political, ideological, social, economic and cultural themes.
- Themes in American History: examines a selection of the most important issues in the history of North America, from its foundations as European colonies onwards.
- Themes and Debates in Modern French History: explores key themes in French history and introduces students to some important historiographical and methodological issues.
- Themes in Russian Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Intellectual History: analyses key themes in Russian thought with reference to the socio-political contexts in which they first arose, as well as their subsequent transformation in the Soviet era.
Optional modules are subject to change each year and require a minimum number of participants to be offered; some may only allow limited numbers of students (see the University’s position on curriculum development).
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.
The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee they will run for 2022 entry. Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue.
Conferences and events
The School of History hosts a 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 what their fellow historians are up to.
Funding
The School of History is pleased to be able to offer a number of competitive scholarships which contribute to the fees and maintenance for postgraduate study.
- Language Bursaries: enables students to undertake intensive language courses abroad during the summer before their programme begins.
- School of History MLitt Awards: offers the cash equivalent of one year's home fees and cannot be held in conjunction with other awards offering full fees and maintenance.
Find out more about postgraduate scholarships.
Recent Graduate DiscountThe University of St Andrews offers a 10% discount in postgraduate tuition fees to students who are eligible to graduate or who have graduated from St Andrews within the last three academic years and are starting a postgraduate programme with the University of St Andrews.
After the MLitt
Research degrees
Many graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programmes at St Andrews.
Careers
History postgraduates go on to pursue careers in a range of sectors including:
- journalism
- publishing
- think tanks
- government
- law
- teaching.
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students on a taught postgraduate course and offers a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.
Contact
School of History
University of St Andrews
St Katharine’s Lodge
The Scores
St Andrews
KY16 9BA
Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2900
Email: pghist@st-andrews.ac.uk
Policies
Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our admissions policy.
Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.
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.
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.