Global History: Empires, States and Cultures MA

This MA Global History: Empires, States and Cultures will expand and deepen your understanding of world history as you explore diverse interconnections across geographical and national boundaries. <br/><br/><strong>Why choose this course?</strong><br/><br/><br/>• Taught by experts in African, Asian, Atlantic, European and Middle Eastern histories, societies and cultures, this course offers you the opportunity to examine theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of global interactions across history.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• You will be able to explore fascinating themes such as empires and imperialism; nations and nationalisms; decolonisation, migrations and diasporas; environmental history; the transnational history of ideas.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• The course offers you valuable preparation for a range of careers by providing you with training in research methods and the use of primary sources.<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>What you will learn</strong><br/><br/>You will study a compulsory module that explores topics in global history and highlights the advantages and challenges of this approach. <br/><br/>You will then be able to choose from option modules and specialise in the history of particular regions or time periods and deepen your knowledge further by original research for your dissertation.<br/><br/><strong>How you will learn</strong><br/><br/>This course is available to study full- or part-time and follows an <strong>evening timetable</strong>. It is taught via a combination of lectures and seminars, with a strong emphasis on your analysis and discussion of pre-assigned readings. <br/><br/><strong>The October-start route of this MA is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both.</strong> <br/><br/>If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.<br/><br/><strong>Highlights</strong><br/><br/><br/>• Birkbeck was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History research in the most recent 2021 Research Excellence Framework.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• Our research is unique in its range across geographical and chronological boundaries. We are the only university in London to include historians, classicists and archaeologists in the same team of academics investigating every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century. We see the study of the past as crucial for our understanding of present-day society, culture and politics.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• MA students are eligible to apply for our prestigious Eric Hobsbawm Scholarships, subject to availability. One of the most influential historians of the twentieth century, Eric Hobsbawm taught at Birkbeck for over five decades and embodied what is central to our teaching and research: a continued commitment to critical enquiry and public engagement.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• We are at the heart of academic London with access to unparalleled research resources. Situated very close by are: the Institute of Classical Studies, with its library, training facilities and seminars; the British Museum, with its extensive collection of classical antiquities; and the British Library, the largest national library in the world.<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Careers and employability</strong><br/><br/>On successfully graduating from this course, you will have gained an array of transferable skills, including in:<br/><br/><br/>- historically sensitive research skills<br/><br/><br/>- constructing complex arguments<br/><br/><br/>- understanding how the industry has changed over time and is continuing to evolve<br/><br/><br/>- assessing the impact of globalisation on societies<br/><br/><br/>- approaching political, cultural and economic issues from a global perspective.<br/><br/><br/>Graduates can pursue careers in research and archiving, education, the heritage industry, publishing, journalism and the media, and the charity sector. Possible professions include:<br/><br/><br/>- historian<br/><br/><br/>- higher education lecturer<br/><br/><br/>- archivist<br/><br/><br/>- journalist<br/><br/><br/>- heritage manager<br/><br/><br/>- politician’s assistant<br/><br/><br/>- academic librarian<br/><br/><br/>- museum/gallery curator.<br/>