European History Birkbeck, University of London

Overview

The M.A. in European History at Birkbeck, University of London, presents an exceptional opportunity to delve into the significant ideas, debates, and practices that have shaped Europe’s historical landscape. The programme is designed to equip students with critical methodologies for interpreting both the past and present of Europe, fostering a nuanced understanding of its complexities.

Why European History at Birkbeck?

Birkbeck is renowned for its excellence in historical research, having been ranked among the top eight UK universities for History in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. The university's location in Bloomsbury, a historic area of London, provides students with access to unparalleled resources, including the British Museum, the British Library, and various specialist libraries. This vibrant academic environment is complemented by a community of historians engaged in cutting-edge research across diverse themes, from nationalism to migration, and from social inequality to empire.

Tuition Fee Breakdown

The tuition fees for the M.A. in European History are as follows:

• Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
• Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
• Full-time international students: £20,850 per year
• Part-time international students: £10,425 per year

Visit the Fees and Funding section for a breakdown in your local currency.

Syllabus

The course comprises a total of 180 credits, which includes two compulsory modules, three option modules, and a dissertation. The compulsory modules are:

• Mastering Historical Research: Birkbeck Approaches
• Research Skills for Historians

Students can select from a variety of option modules, such as:

• Archives and Memory
• Britain and Germany: The History of a Relationship, 1815-1990
• Capitalism: Ideas, Systems, Practices
• Museums, Memory and National Identity
• Public History and Heritage: Theories, Issues and Practice
• Rome: Place, Continuity and Memory
• Sex, Work and the Law: Prostitution and Sex Trafficking in Modern History
• The Bombing War, 1908-2023
• The Historian's Craft
• The Nazi Capture of Power
• The Politics of the Past: Heritage in a Changing World
• The Radical Sixties
• The Victorian Communication Revolution
• The Voices of the People, 1500-1800
• To See the World in a Grain of Sand: Reading and Writing Microhistories

The programme culminates in a dissertation of 15,000-16,000 words, allowing students to engage deeply with a topic of their choice.

Careers with European History

Graduates of the M.A. in European History will acquire a range of transferable skills, including critical analysis, research, and argument-based writing. Career opportunities abound in various sectors such as education, research, journalism, archiving, and the Civil Service. Alumni have found roles as teachers, consultants, researchers, and museum curators, among others, reflecting the diverse pathways available to those with a strong foundation in European history.