International Slavery Studies MA

The University of Liverpool offers one of the few programmes in the world that allows students to study slavery and unfree labour in a wide variety of past and present contexts. The redesigned programme addresses a growing interest, nationally and internationally, in the histories and afterlives of transatlantic slavery, including questions of activism, resistance and protest. The MA also provides for the increasing numbers of students who seek to study modern slavery in terms of its relationship to migration, human rights and other forms of unfree labour.

The programme proposes two pathways in historical and modern slavery. Your seminars, research and tutorials will range broadly, challenging you to analyse historical forms of slavery, to critique modern responses to human trafficking, to evaluate the legacies and memorialisation of slavery in contemporary society, and to apply critical and literary theories to representations of slavery. Drawing expertise from researchers across the institution, students will benefit from our unique relationship with the International Slavery Museum. You will work with the Museum’s staff to study the commemoration and memorialisation of slavery, while the broader MA programme is a flagship activity for the Centre for the Study of International Slavery – a long-standing venture between the Museum and the University. As members of the Centre, students will meet the international speakers in our seminar series and at our conferences, presenting cutting edge research for criticism and debate.

This course is the right one for you if you are interested in:


• Advancing your knowledge and understanding of the field of slavery and unfree labour from historical perspectives but also in the context of the modern world



• Engaging with the range of disciplines, subject areas and knowledge domains within and beyond the academy that contribute to the field of slavery and unfree labour



• Developing an up-to-date and critical awareness of leading theoretical approaches, key methodologies and new debates and practices at the forefront of current research in the field



• Learning to think independently, critically and creatively with complex material and developing an international and interdisciplinary outlook



• Advancing key skills and professional insights that are as relevant to non-academic employment as to further academic (e.g., PhD) study



• Enhancing your understanding of the afterlives of Atlantic slavery and the challenges of modern slavery as a subject of academic study – as well as of their place and significance in the wider (professional, political and socio-cultural) world



• Becoming a co-producer of knowledge relevant to slavery and unfree labour through engagement with external partners.



• About the Centre for the Study of International Slavery



• The University of Liverpool is home to a broad range of research into different examples of slavery and unfree labour across a variety of historical periods and geographical locations. These range from the classical era through colonial empire to contemporary instances of forced labour or human trafficking; from the study of slavery and slavery-like practices, to the investigation of the impacts and legacies of these practices.



The study of slavery and unfree labour involves a range of disciplines and subject fields. These include history, politics, law, archaeology, sociology, psychology, literature and the arts. Much of this work is associated with the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Research Theme Slavery and Unfree Labour.

Please visit our website for further information on the International Slavery Studies MA.