History MRes
1 Year Full-Time | September Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
International
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Option for Study Abroad
The History MRes course incorporates taught modules that provide you with the key tools and contexts for postgraduate work in History. You will begin the degree course by considering different kinds of history-writing and the concepts that underpin them. You will acquire such knowledge through the ‘Historical Contexts’ module and you will then be able to deploy your broader awareness of historiography in writing about your own area of interest. In doing so, you will lay the foundations for your dissertation research.
The taught components of the programme familiarise you with the way in which historical knowledge has been generated, communicated and preserved. In doing so, you will also learn about a variety of digital research projects. At the same time, the ‘History in the Digital Age’ module allows you pursue independent line of enquiry, enabling you to cover themes and time periods that connect with your specific research interests
Moreover, through our innovative ‘Research Development’ module, you will prepare an interdisciplinary symposium: this venture will involve your own research yet it is underpinned by working with MRes students from across the Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences. Through interdisciplinary cooperation, you will broaden your horizons as a postgraduate student.
The MRes Dissertation is the cornerstone and culmination of your degree programme, enabling you to conduct research under the supervision of leading academics in the Department of Humanities. At the beginning of the year, you will be assigned a supervisor, with whom you will have regular meetings throughout the year to identify a topic, a set of research questions and the archives and sources needed to develop an original argument. You will also join the wider intellectual community at Northumbria through our Institute of Humanities seminar series.
Level of Study
Postgraduate
Mode of Study
1 year Full Time
1 other options available
Department
Humanities
Location
City Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
September 2024
Fees
Fee Information
Modules
Module Information
Watch Programme Leader Dr Carlos Conde Solares tell us about this Masters in a Minute (or so...)
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With a key focus on research, you will acquire generic research skills that are applicable not just to history, but a broad range of other subjects. The taught aspect of this course will be primarily delivered by group seminars, which will be assessed via a mix of oral and written presentations, critical reviews and portfolios of work.
Your dissertation will form a large part of the assessment process and learning will be delivered by one-to-one tutorials with an expert supervisor.
In addition to the mandatory modules of this course, you will have the option to choose a pathway subject and two discipline-specific modules to allow your learning to be focused around your own areas of interest.
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
When undertaking your dissertation you will be assigned a dedicated supervisor with specialist knowledge of your chosen subject area. They will guide you through your project with the help of our team of support staff.
Our academics are not only teaching their specialist subjects but also writing textbooks and adding new knowledge and perspectives to our understanding of the past. Boasting doctorates and extensive academic knowledge in their particular specialism, you can rest assured you are learning from the best.
Dr Elsa Devienne
Lecturer in US History
Dr Daniel Laqua
Head of History
Dr Laura O'Brien
Lecturer in Modern European History
Prof. Matthew Kelly
Professor of Modern History
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
Further facilities are available at the Institute for the Humanities, a special research space in the University’s Lipman Building. These include a resource room, specialist computing equipment and interview rooms. You will also have access to a designated Humanities Student Hub, providing space for self-study, group work or a rest in between teaching sessions.
You will receive support at every step of your learning journey through our on-campus facilities and innovative e-Learning Portal, Blackboard, which will allow you to access electronic versions of your course’s supporting documentation.
We provide a supportive and informal learning environment, offering feedback at all key stages of your course.
Take a virtual tour of our world class campus facilities - including Lipman Building where you'll be based - explore the Institute of Humanities, and discover more about our CSE-accredited University Library.
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
Delivered by our team of renowned academics, you will be learning from research-active experts who boast specialisms in all aspects of history.
Our staff are actively involved in research, often through funded projects and awards, and participate in a diverse range of research groups within the department. Several staff members are also engaged in collaborative research projects, many of which are part of national or international research networks.
Northumbria is ranked among the top 20 universities in the UK for research power in history, according to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. Our academics were also recently ranked in the UK’s top 20 for the quality of their history publications (REF 2014).
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
In-line with the UK Research Council’s training requirements for research students, you will leave equipped with the necessary skills to progress to the next level of your career.
Throughout the duration of your course you will be encouraged to build relationships and experience with cultural partners such as New Writing North, the co-operative movement, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums, and Handy Hall to further enhance your career edge.
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
The History MRes course has been designed to form the basis for those wishing to progress to PhD level and we offer advice in writing PhD and funding applications should you decide to take this route.
Northumbria is part of the UK’s only Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Heritage, led by Hull and consisting of a consortium of universities in the North of England.
The broad range of skills and knowledge acquired on this course can help to enhance promotion prospects in many professions, most notably teaching, professional research, museums or archives, public policy and project management. It should also enhance your prospects of employment should you wish to move into such vocations.
You will also leave prepared for a career as a researcher or employment within a broader business environment.
Visit an Open Day to find out about life in Newcastle, tour our facilities, discover your funding options and chat to staff and students.
Applicants should normally have:
A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in a relevant discipline.
Applicants are required to submit a statement of their proposed area of study in order to identify a suitable supervisor.
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 6 in each component (or approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
For further admissions guidance and requirements, please visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/admissionsguidance Please review this information before submitting your application.
Full UK Fee: £9,250
Full EU Fee: £18,250
Full International Fee: £18,250
Scholarships and Discounts
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
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Please use the Apply Now button at the top of this page to submit your application.
Certain applications may need to be submitted via an external application system, such as UCAS, Lawcabs or DfE Apply.
The Apply Now button will redirect you to the relevant website if this is the case.
You can find further application advice, such as what to include in your application and what happens after you apply, on our Admissions Hub Admissions | Northumbria University
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
EL7028 -
MRes Dissertation (Core,90 Credits)
In this module you will identify a research question and produce a 20,000 word dissertation, or 10,000 word Dissertation with major project for designated programme pathways, which represents the culmination of your postgraduate studies on the MRes programme. It will enable you to apply the skills you have acquired in other modules and yield a discrete body of primary sources related to an identifiable area of enquiry. As an exercise in research it is intended to develop further your research skills and your ability to work independently. Dissertation topics will be supervised by an appropriate tutor, who will guide you through the various stages of formulating, researching and writing this substantial piece of work. You will operate at a higher level of independent learning and research than in the taught modules, albeit with the support of a supervisor who has specialist knowledge in your chosen area of interest.
More informationHI7001 -
Historical Contexts (Core,30 Credits)
You will learn how to identify the intellectual, social, and cultural contexts that inform advanced research in historical studies. The module trains you in the skills necessary to compile historiographical material and develop theoretical knowledge about the past, including contextual analysis, source scrutiny, and understanding the ever-changing state of the historical field. These skills have major implications for your research. Most importantly, you will explore the methods and critical theories that define the study of your particular field of history. Thus, your curiosity and inquisitiveness underpin the direction of assessment. You will need to collect, sift, and analyse the secondary sources that dominate the historical understanding of your research topic. The module provides an overview of the ways in which historical writing has changed over time, and considers how theory and conceptual thinking has influenced historians. You will also learn how the historiography has developed in relation to your own research topic.
More informationHI7005 -
History in the Digital Age: Institutions, Issues and Ideas (Core,30 Credits)
In this module, you will learn about the advantages and potential pitfalls of doing History in the digital age. In doing so, you will develop skills that are essential for postgraduate research. The module develops your understanding of the relationship between planning research (formulating research questions, considering methodology), doing research (using a range of digital and traditional investigative techniques) and reflecting upon research (data handling and organization, the politics and ethics of research and reflective practice for writing). The module is designed to prepare you to collect, interpret and disseminate research as a means of supporting all of the modules that you take at Masters level. Crucially, the module equips you with the conceptual tools needed to approach your extended research project, the dissertation.
Throughout the module, you will consider the advantages and disadvantages of studying History in the 21st century. You will consider the historical, cultural and political role of archives, libraries and museums, but also the way in which digitized sources, digital research tool and the internet are shaping the nature of research. You will reflect on how digital methods differ from more traditional forms of historical enquiry, and how you, as a historian, can best use new technologies to develop your work.
HI7011 -
Research Development (Core,30 Credits)
In this module you will develop an aspect of your research project and present it in a professional manner to an audience of academics and students. You will work with classmates to organize, advertise, and present a one-day symposium of research papers that express your scholarly projects. The module aims to advance your professional skills and professional abilities by practice. You will learn how to effectively present a piece of research, develop event planning skills, gain practical project management experience, all of which are necessary to sustain this type of work.
More informationYC7000 -
Academic Language Skills for Social Sciences & Humanities (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Effective reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
EL7028 -
MRes Dissertation (Core,90 Credits)
In this module you will identify a research question and produce a 20,000 word dissertation, or 10,000 word Dissertation with major project for designated programme pathways, which represents the culmination of your postgraduate studies on the MRes programme. It will enable you to apply the skills you have acquired in other modules and yield a discrete body of primary sources related to an identifiable area of enquiry. As an exercise in research it is intended to develop further your research skills and your ability to work independently. Dissertation topics will be supervised by an appropriate tutor, who will guide you through the various stages of formulating, researching and writing this substantial piece of work. You will operate at a higher level of independent learning and research than in the taught modules, albeit with the support of a supervisor who has specialist knowledge in your chosen area of interest.
More informationHI7001 -
Historical Contexts (Core,30 Credits)
You will learn how to identify the intellectual, social, and cultural contexts that inform advanced research in historical studies. The module trains you in the skills necessary to compile historiographical material and develop theoretical knowledge about the past, including contextual analysis, source scrutiny, and understanding the ever-changing state of the historical field. These skills have major implications for your research. Most importantly, you will explore the methods and critical theories that define the study of your particular field of history. Thus, your curiosity and inquisitiveness underpin the direction of assessment. You will need to collect, sift, and analyse the secondary sources that dominate the historical understanding of your research topic. The module provides an overview of the ways in which historical writing has changed over time, and considers how theory and conceptual thinking has influenced historians. You will also learn how the historiography has developed in relation to your own research topic.
More informationHI7005 -
History in the Digital Age: Institutions, Issues and Ideas (Core,30 Credits)
In this module, you will learn about the advantages and potential pitfalls of doing History in the digital age. In doing so, you will develop skills that are essential for postgraduate research. The module develops your understanding of the relationship between planning research (formulating research questions, considering methodology), doing research (using a range of digital and traditional investigative techniques) and reflecting upon research (data handling and organization, the politics and ethics of research and reflective practice for writing). The module is designed to prepare you to collect, interpret and disseminate research as a means of supporting all of the modules that you take at Masters level. Crucially, the module equips you with the conceptual tools needed to approach your extended research project, the dissertation.
Throughout the module, you will consider the advantages and disadvantages of studying History in the 21st century. You will consider the historical, cultural and political role of archives, libraries and museums, but also the way in which digitized sources, digital research tool and the internet are shaping the nature of research. You will reflect on how digital methods differ from more traditional forms of historical enquiry, and how you, as a historian, can best use new technologies to develop your work.
HI7011 -
Research Development (Core,30 Credits)
In this module you will develop an aspect of your research project and present it in a professional manner to an audience of academics and students. You will work with classmates to organize, advertise, and present a one-day symposium of research papers that express your scholarly projects. The module aims to advance your professional skills and professional abilities by practice. You will learn how to effectively present a piece of research, develop event planning skills, gain practical project management experience, all of which are necessary to sustain this type of work.
More informationYC7000 -
Academic Language Skills for Social Sciences & Humanities (Core – for International and EU students only,0 Credits)
Academic skills when studying away from your home country can differ due to cultural and language differences in teaching and assessment practices. This module is designed to support your transition in the use and practice of technical language and subject specific skills around assessments and teaching provision in your chosen subject. The overall aim of this module is to develop your abilities to read and study effectively for academic purposes; to develop your skills in analysing and using source material in seminars and academic writing and to develop your use and application of language and communications skills to a higher level.
The topics you will cover on the module include:
• Understanding assignment briefs and exam questions.
• Developing academic writing skills, including citation, paraphrasing, and summarising.
• Practising ‘critical reading’ and ‘critical writing’
• Planning and structuring academic assignments (e.g. essays, reports and presentations).
• Avoiding academic misconduct and gaining credit by using academic sources and referencing effectively.
• Listening skills for lectures.
• Speaking in seminar presentations.
• Presenting your ideas
• Giving discipline-related academic presentations, experiencing peer observation, and receiving formative feedback.
• Effective reading techniques.
• Developing self-reflection skills.
• Discussing ethical issues in research, and analysing results.
• Describing bias and limitations of research.
The following alternative study options are available for this course:
Sep start
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