赫特福德大学

About the course

Our innovative MA programme connects the local to the global. The study of everyday life is central to the identity of the University’s History Group, and this is reflected in the range of modules we offer. Covering the period from 1550 to the present, you will explore the impact of big historical forces on ordinary lives, examining how the past affects us today as individuals and as communities. You’ll take two subject modules in the first semester. Money-makers, Murderers, Medics and Mothers uncovers the multifaceted nature of women’s lives in the 17th and 18th centuries. In Local and Global you’ll examine the impact of the development of consumer societies on communities and cultures from the 18th to the 21st centuries. In the second semester, you’ll take Customs, Rights, Resistance and Community Culture, 1714-1914, which looks at the nature of the customary rights upheld by rural and urban communities in England, and the social tensions that arose from their erosion by social, economic and religious changes over the period. Alongside these, you’ll take two research methods modules. The first will support you as you transition from undergraduate to postgraduate studies, while the second will train you to write for, and present to, different audiences and help you prepare for your 15,000-word dissertation. This is the culmination of the MA programme and an opportunity for you to develop a research project on a topic of your choice, under expert supervision.

Why choose this course?

We give you: An exceptional academic team, conducting world-leading research Access to established links to heritage organisations and history groups through our renowned Heritage Hub and award-winning Oral History Team Excellent digital research and teaching resources including the Mass Observation Archive of everyday 20th century life and the Irish Life and Lore oral history collection Training to develop new writing styles and skills through our research methods modules The opportunity to write a dissertation on a topic about which you are passionate

What will I study?

Teaching is in small group seminars on weekday early evenings, led by members of the History Group. We may also offer Saturday sessions for the Research Methods II module. Your presentation of research in different formats will be an essential part of the Research Methods modules. This ‘hands-on history’ approach will develop your presentation skills in accessible as well as in standard academic formats. This is a distinctive feature of the course that will enhance the employability of those looking to use the MA as a stepping stone in their professional career and who may not be going on to further postgraduate study.

Careers

Employability underpins what we do. Our graduates go on to a variety of careers, including teaching, law, the heritage industry and museums, and the civil service. The History Group has good connections with school and sixth-form teachers of History, both from among our alumni and our collaborators on pedagogical research projects. Through the University’s Heritage Hub and the Professional Doctorate in Heritage, we also have established connections with heritage organisations and employers such as John Lewis.