Why you should study this course
- The course has been designed to use the past to prepare students for the future. Through a range of historical specialisms, taught using a diversity of innovative assessments and teaching methods, this course helps prepare students for the professional graduate job market. It provides historical context for modern societies and cultures.
- MA History is taught by experts in their fields and research-informed teaching underpins all aspects of the course. The History Team at Coventry University have a proven track record of gold standard teaching and high-quality publications. Students will be imbued with a greater degree of knowledge regarding the team’s specialities (including, for example, the history of wartime media, environmental and indigenous history and the history of gender/social change).
- The close relationship between the MA course and the research expertise of the historians in the School means that this MA course will also help students develop stronger research skills during their dissertation under the tutelage of experts in their field.
- The interdisciplinary and innovative approach of the course to teaching and assessment provides transferable skills – skills that are valued by employers across the public and private sectors.
The course also includes a professional development module (Leading Diverse Workforces) which is currently accredited by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). Upon successful completion of the module, you will gain the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice at no additional cost.
What you'll study
Students on the course will examine questions about: the creation and preservation of history; exploring the potential ramifications of who controls the past; the impact of the media on framing and understanding historical events across the world; examining the ways in which our understanding of the past and the present is often a result of mediatisation; and the role that historical debates and events play in current discussions surrounding race and gender.
The themes and topics at the heart of the MA include environmental and indigenous history, the history of the wartime media, and the history of gender and social change. It also draws on the interdisciplinary expertise of the School’s International Relations and Politics teams, allowing students to gain a better and more comprehensive insight into the historical development of the modern period.
Modules
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War, Media and Society in the Twentieth Century - 30 credits
An understanding of the role the media plays in modern society is essential in an increasingly mediatised world. The history of media and social change is inextricably linked to the history of war – this is especially true for the twentieth century: a century defined by war. This module will allow you to study a range of global issues through the lens of the media.
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Research Skills for the Postgraduate - 15 credits
The aim of the module is to enhance your research skills and to highlight good academic and professional practice. Students will be asked to reflect on how evidence is collected, how it should be analysed, the ethics of data collection, academic writing and the various ways information can be analysed and presented. The module will assess how you reflect on the methodological issues through an essay before producing a research design which will later aid you in your final project.
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Decolonial Thinking, Indigenous Peoples, and Sustainability - 15 credits
This module explores history from a range of perspectives, focusing upon the experiences of racial minorities, indigenous peoples, anti-industrialists, sustainability advocates, and alternative communities in the Americas and Western Europe. This module will provide students with an opportunity to engage with history from the perspective of those typically, from a Western perspective, framed as its victims or outsiders, creating opportunities to engage with active participants in the emerging narratives and discourses generated within those groups.
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Changing Character of War and Terrorism - 15 credits
This module is designed to provide the foundations of the theory and the praxis of war. You will be introduced to the key concepts of, and will be encouraged to critically assess, past, present and future issues of violent conflicts, defence policies of great powers and relate them to the global political context of the 21st century.
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Gender and Social Change in 20th Century Britain - 15 credits
This module aims to provide you with a critical understanding of the issues surrounding the history of gender in twentieth century Britain, through both the prisms of theory and advanced historical skills. This module examines how the twentieth century was a period of profound change for both men and women in Britain.
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Cultural Heritage and Public History - 15 credits
This module offers an introduction to cultural heritage and public history, investigating what cultural heritage means to its constituent communities; how cultural heritage can be defined and understood, and how it can be managed, protected and safeguarded. It offers an in-depth exploration of core contemporary questions and debates as to who decides how heritage is constituted and curated and how it should be shared with the public.
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21st Century Populism - 15 credits
This module focuses on the phenomenon of populism and its diverse manifestations in the 21st Century. The world has witnessed a rise of populist parties and leaders across the globe, primarily on the right but also on the left. Populism has now become an intensely researched topic and widely debated theme. This module examines the rise of populism in Western and Central Europe, The United States, Latin America and the Middle East.
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Leading Diverse Workforces - 10 credits
This CMI module1 aims to provide students with a framework of knowledge and understanding of how to effectively lead and develop people in a strategically diverse and inclusive way whatever the Master’s degree of specialisation they elect to follow. Students will explore for example, the influence and impact of leadership theories, culture, wellbeing, and approaches to developing better equality, diversity and inclusion strategies and practices that can be used creatively within a leadership role in different types of organisational scenarios.
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Final Research Project - 50 credits
This module offers students an opportunity for personalised learning by carrying out an original piece of social science research in a chosen subject area. Students may select a topic that is neoteric or disruptive in their discipline, has intrigued from another part of their learning on the course, that aligns with a professional role or career aspirations or that might simply be an area of interest ready to be turned into a passion project. Students will be lead producers in the design and delivery of their project, with support from experienced staff in one to one supervision.
How you'll learn
During the first two semesters you will study seven mandatory modules based around the key themes of the MA. In the final semester you will complete a 15,000-word dissertation based on a research topic you choose. Modules are typically 15 credit modules except for War, Media and Society in the Twentieth Century (which is 30 credits and includes an induction to the MA), Leading Diverse Workforces (which is 10 credits) and the dissertation module which is 50 credits.
During semester one, students can apply for the extended route, which offers an opportunity to reflect upon and gain professional experience through three semesters of internship or placement2 with a host of different organisations.
This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary.
