MSt in Global and Imperial History

at University of Oxford

The MSt in Global and Imperial History offers a nine month introduction to graduate research. It is open to all students who have the desire to explore the history of the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Australasia or the Americas (excluding the US) in a global perspective.

The MSt in Global and Imperial History can be taken either as a free-standing degree, or as the first step towards a DPhil.

The course will encourage you to develop intellectual and practical familiarity with advanced research in the global history of the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Australasia and the Americas (excluding the US). Global and imperial history in this context implies transoceanic and transcontinental connections, comparisons, and exchanges between cultures, polities and societies. It also examines broad patterns and systems in history, whether religious, political, economic, cultural or ecological.

Global history, in other words, is history with a global scope (often including European dimensions) that emphasises comparative perspectives. You are not expected to master the histories of multiple regions, but to use a global approach to cast light on your own research area.

Research training is combined with broad conceptual approaches that encourage students to learn from the recent historiographies of different periods and areas and with focused studies of periods or themes. This class work parallels supervised pursuit of a research project.

All students will be encouraged to attend some of the faculty’s many advanced research seminars. The admission of any candidate for further study at Oxford will depend on their overall performance in the master’s programme, together with the viability of any proposed research topic and the availability of appropriate supervision at Oxford.

If you wish to apply for the DPhil you will be encouraged to develop your doctoral proposal in consultation with your supervisor during the first few months of your course, so that you will be well placed to make a doctoral application.

You should indicate your region of interest from the start, so that an assessor can be allocated to your application.