The MSt in History is an umbrella programme, comprising nine specific strands:
- Medieval History
- Early Modern History, 1500-1700
- British and European History, 1700-1850
- Modern British History, 1850 to the Present
- Modern European History, 1850 to the Present
- US History
- Intellectual History
- History of War
- Women's, Gender and Queer History
While all students will apply for and follow a specific strand, they will share common courses and they will also have a free choice of options. In this way, the course gives access to a wide range of both general and specialised training within the field of history.
You can find more information on the course webpage on the faculty website and on each strand's webpage.
The MSt is open to students with interests in any period of British, European or American history (which may also include non-European elements, eg European expansion, Empire building or emigration). Those primarily interested in other parts of the world may like to consider the MSt in Global and Imperial History. The course will encourage you to develop practical and intellectual familiarity with advanced research in British, American and/or continental European history. You will also be encouraged to develop key research skills in parallel to your course work: these include the ability to read and interpret manuscript sources, the development of IT skills and competence in Latin or modern foreign languages.
The programme may be studied in full-time mode.
The full-time programme offers a nine-month introduction to graduate research. It is designed to meet the needs of students who wish to build upon their undergraduate studies through one year of further study, and also those hoping to proceed to doctoral work. The latter will be encouraged to develop their master’s and doctoral proposals in tandem during the first few months, so that they will be well placed to make doctoral applications in January. You will be invited to present and receive feedback on your work-in-progress at a conference specific to this programme at the start of Trinity term.
This course cannot be undertaken on a distance-learning basis.
Teaching comprises:
- Core courses in Sources and Historiography, and Theory and Methods taught through introductory lectures, and weekly classes during Michaelmas term
- Auxiliary skills - up to 40 hours of lectures, classes, or tutorials during Michaelmas and Hilary terms
- An optional subject, taught in six weekly classes during Hilary term.
Full details of core and optional papers are available on the department's course webpage. Please note that not every optional subject listed may be on offer every year, depending in part on levels of student demand.
You will have access to a comprehensive menu of skills training for graduate students, as well as a systematic schedule of introductions to the unrivalled research facilities of the University of Oxford. If necessary for your project, you will be encouraged to develop your knowledge of a foreign language in parallel to your course work.
You are expected to commit the Easter vacation and the first seven weeks of Trinity term to work on finalising your dissertation (see the Assessment section below for further details), but you will begin developing a research strategy in conjunction with your supervisor from October.
